Hello All,
Looking for some collective wisdom here. Thank you very much :)
**Question:
**I’m wondering which border (land or air is ok) is currently the most lax for re-entry to Thailand. I just need another 30-60 days while my work visa is in process.
**Background:
**I’m American (caucasian, if it matters).
I was grilled pretty aggressively on my last re-entry into Thailand (Suvarnabhumi) from India and I was told it was the last time I was going to be allowed to enter Thailand on any kind of tourist visa. I was entering on a valid METV issued by the Thai consulate in Los Angeles & all of my return flights, bank statements, etc.
They asked a lot of questions, checked all of my docs, and made me write and sign a statement about what I was doing, where I was staying etc. Ultimately they let me in, but I’m not sure if they will again. Every answer led to more questions.
I had some varying stamps in my passport, including the dreaded “volunteer visa” but no Covid extensions. They didn’t bring up any stamps specifically, just the fact that I had been living in Thailand for 20 months since my last work permit. They didn’t care that I had been in 5 countries (USA twice for a collective 3 months) during this time.
I’ve since changed my passport to put some distance between myself and the stamps. My current visa only shows the transfer of the METV + 1 30 day extension. I don’t know if this helps, or what the system stays about me now.
I’ve gotten a new job and the work visa is on the way, but it won’t be ready before my current visa expires in Mid-January.
I only need one more Visa run to give the time to process the Visa, so my question is which border should I use. I’m happy to use any airport or land border in the country.
My thought was to use one of the smaller international airports like Hat Yai, Krabi, Surat Thani, etc., but can also use bigger, more touristy ones like Chaing Mai or Phuket. Also open to use any land border.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is seeking advice on the easiest border to cross for re-entry into Thailand to extend their stay for an additional 30-60 days while waiting for their work visa. They encountered difficulties on their last entry and have changed their passport to avoid issues. Comments suggest that land borders to Laos are considered the easiest, and they should avoid major airports in Bangkok or Phuket as well as Cambodia land borders.
