What are the limits on obtaining and extending tourist visas for Thailand?

Jul 26, 2023
a year ago
Sean **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Regarding tourist visas:

I’ve seen this topic come up, but nobody provides sources for their answers. There are a lot of conflicting opinions from people.



What is the official rule on how many times someone can get a tourist visa? Is there a limit?

I found this source that says entry into the country BY AIR is unlimited, but it’s a “.com” website, not official government site.

Does anyone have a better source for answers?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The official rules on obtaining a tourist visa for Thailand indicate that there is no set limit on how many times you can receive a tourist visa in a year, as long as an embassy continues to grant them. Tourist visas last for 60 days and can often be extended for another 30 days. However, entry into Thailand is ultimately at the discretion of the immigration officer at the time of arrival. It's important to distinguish between tourist visas and visa-exempt entries, as the latter has specific rules that limit entries at land borders to twice a year, while there are no such limitations for air entries. Many users advise checking credible sources, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Immigration Bureau, and also recommend direct contact with the Thai embassy for accurate information.
Wanda ****************
Tourist visa is 60 days and without visa is 30 if correct can extend another 30? Or only during COVID time
Stephen *******************
There is nothing to stop you trying your luck with as many T/R as you can get as someone said they’ve been coming in on T/R visas for ages

Why not spend some quality time in the surrounding countries and say enter Thailand every
***
months that way you will never get questioned about living here cos you are obviously not

Laos Vietnam and Cambodia are great places if your single adventurous and like different cultures
Kelvin ****************************
I already did 2x land border this year and for the 3rd time, I was able to do it in laos. Can I go to immigration again to extend this for another 30days?
Kelvin ****************************
Update: It was a success
George *************
@Kelvin ***************************
your odds of getting a 30 day extension to a visa exempt entry at your local immigration office for 1,900 baht are outstanding.

Odds of getting another visa exempt entry at a land border after having already received three, is not good.
Jason *********
@Kelvin ***************************
So you're in Thailand now and you entered on a tourist visa or visa exemption?
Jason *********
Yes, you can. Do you have a visa exemption or tourist visa?
Kelvin ****************************
@Jason ********
this is my 3rd visa exempt. Have you tried it?
Jason *********
@Kelvin ***************************
If you've been allowed in at the border I doubt you'll have any issues with the extension. There's always the possibility though, nothing is guaranteed.
Kelvin ****************************
@Jason ********
yes? Can i extend for 30days?
Shayne **********
Exactly, until it's not!

Keep doing it and it will stuff up your long-term plans for staying in Thailand.

Last year a guy who had stayed all through covid got a tourist visa from Cambodia and landed in Bangkok airport and they said no. They put him in the airport detention overnight and sent him back to Cambodia.

Get a tourist visa or two and after that you know if you want to stay longer term, get a proper visa, it will make your life less stressful.
Brendan *********
@Shayne *********
I also got a tourist visa denied at BKK, forced to fly back to Kuala Lumpur. This was after 1 Ed visa, multiple border runs, finally was out of border runs for the calendar year and decided to play ball with the tourist visa. I was detained for 7 hours. This was last month.
Todd *********
@Brendan ********
they think you are working here then…
Huy ******
@Brendan ********
was this at dmk or Suvarnabhumi?
Brendan *********
@Huy *****
Suvarnabhumi
Todd *********
@Shayne *********
he should NOT have re-entered via BKK
Huy ******
@Todd ********
so where should he have re entered?
Todd *********
@Huy *****
PHuket, CM, Krabi, Hat Yai, U Tapao… anywhere else
Brendan *********
@Todd ********
seconding this if you’re pushing the limits just don’t do it at all not BKK
Shayne **********
@Todd ********
well being a year ago he was one of the first lucky ones.
Coburn ******************
It is so silly to be asking FB for info on how to get Thai tourist visa when 5 millions people visited the country last year and you will get 5 millions advices. Why don't you pick up the phone and call Thai Consulate or Embassy in your town and get the correct information right from the horse's mouth? Wouldn't that be a more logical way to go?
Guy **********
@Coburn *****************
I’ll bet you’ve never tried calling urself have you? Or sending an email ? They simply do not answer the phone or reply to emails.
Coburn ******************
@Guy *********
I don't need to.....I have a Thai passport. 😂😝😆
Guy **********
@Coburn *****************
nobody cares….but continue giving useless advice 👏🏻 👏🏻 or maybe find a hobby
Todd *********
@Coburn *****************
you gotta get out more
Coburn ******************
@Todd ********
You just talked to a guy who spent 9 months overseas in the last 12 months dude! 😹
Todd *********
@Coburn *****************
then you should definitely know the answer better. And ur talking to a guy who just spent the last 120 out of 120 months overseas dude
Lyndon ************
@Coburn *****************
commenting on a thai visa advice facebook page that it's so silly to post on facebook. Ffs...
Braulio *********
@Lyndon ***********
Good response, so many silly questions are repeatedly posed in this group.
Coburn ******************
@Lyndon ***********
Got any good advice from ur FB friends yet?
Lyndon ************
@Coburn *****************
why are you in this group? Just for the trolling?
John ********
I have never been asked about a return ticket ever. Been there like 15 times.
Steve ******
@John *******
i have a few times
James ************
@John *******
I got asked last month.
Mitchell *******
@John *******
I get asked all the time. I figure because, since I am travelling SE Asia, and using Thailand as a base, I am usually booking one way tickets. And it isn't just Thailand that asks. Many SE Asian countries ask now. This year, I have been asked at check in for flights to Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
Mitchell *******
Thailand immigration has asked me only once this year.
Steve ********
@John *******
I've been there "like" a hundred and I've been asked many times for an ONWARD ticket, not a return ticket. It's airlines who will deny boarding if they ask.
Jason *********
@Steve *******
I was asked once by immigration and 70% of the time by the airline
Stuart *********
@John *******
And because you haven’t that means nobody else on the planet hasn’t. Except they have.
Todd *********
@John *******
nobody in Thailand will ask. But in many countries and with many airlines you can (and will) be denied boarding if no onward ticket
James ***********
@Todd ********
In most of those places you can still avoid having a ticket for onward travel if you sign a document indemnifying the airline for any costs if they have to take you back to your point of origin. You just ask for the form at the check in counter. Only once in my life have I had to have a ticket for onward travel.
Todd *********
@James **********
unfortunately not so easy. You can indeed sign a waiver and some airlines may agree to this. Be prepared for a struggle. It largely depends on the airline itself, the country of origin, country of destination and your passport strength. Different rules for different folks.

In the last decade I have taken just over 100 one way flights and entered over 70 countries. Only once (last sept LAX-Doha-BKK) on Qatar airways was i actually compelled to sign a waiver.
James ***********
@Todd ********
I’ve done it many times. I was only denied and forced to buy an onward ticket once. Sometimes they don’t really care what piece of paper you sign as lo g as they bave your signature on something. Once I signed a medical waiver, and that was sufficient.
Lynnette *******
I'm sure this gets answered almost every day.
Lynnette *******
You've highlighted visa free. Exempt. That's no visa.
Phil ******
@Sean *********
there is no such Visa thats 30 days. What you posted is the rules for a 30 Visa EXEMPT entry. I also agree with Brandon's.comment
Todd *********
Not everything in life is written online. There is no official source. And there are different rules for different people. Welcome to real life.

To the specifics- tourists visas are 60 days. There is no specified limit. There are people here for years on TV’s… and people whom have been denied entry on TV. What you have circled is about land or sea (not air) for visa exempt 30 day entry. Not about visas.
Henrik ****
The basic problem is the fact that there is no official source for this. Even though you might find it on the MFA website or the Immigration Bureau website, it is not the same as this is the authorized source implemented everywhere or even commonly implemented. You must ask FB groups like this who collect a lot of reports from people entering Thailand. This way you will get to know what is the commonly established practice, but still open to the idea of the "Immigration Officer of the day"...
Colin *********
@Henrik ***
what does the acronym "MFA" stand for? I've seen it mentioned a few times and still trying to work out out.
Henrik ****
@Colin ********
, MFA = Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Brandon ************
That is not from an official source. It's from an agency website.

Also the part you have circled has nothing to do with tourist visa. This is talking about traveling with NO VISA at all, and it's called visa exempt.

You can get as many tourist visas per year as an embassy will give you, because you can only get a tourist visa from a Thai embassy outside of Thailand.

The law regarding visa exempt (traveling without a visa) has no limitation in the law. But there was a new regulation issued by the Ministry of Interior in 2016 saying you can only enter Thailand at a land border without a visa (visa exempt) 2 times per calendar year. They did not change anything when it comes to arriving via plane. So there is no law or regulation that says there is a limit to the number of times you can enter. But EVERY SINGLE ENTRY to Thailand, regardless of if you have a visa or not, is at the discretion of the immigration officer you are standing in front of. If you try to enter without a visa after already spending 4, 5, 6 months in Thailand, eventually they are going to tell you that you are not a tourist and you cannot enter as a tourist, and will deny you entry.
Paul *******
@Brandon ***********
good answer that what happened to me.

I get visa in UK now.
Sean **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
that’s a solid answer. Thanks 🙏
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