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What are the rules regarding the 90/180 days stay in Thailand for tourists?

Visa ExemptionVisa ExtensionThai Immigration RulesBorder RunsTourist VisaVisa Policy90/180 Day Rule
Mar 24, 2023
2 years ago
Roshni *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hello all,

I have a friend who is in Thailand right now. She came in on a visa exemption and got 45 days on arrival. After this is finished she will pay for a 30 day extension at the nearest immigration office in Thailand. She told me after that she has to leave Thailand because it's not possible to stay for more than 90 out of 180 days. Is this true? Surely people have done visa runs (and come back in on a 60 day tourist visa) or a border bounce (and come back in on another visa exemption) so that they can spend longer than 90 in 180 days in Thailand? I looked online but couldn't find anything about this 90 out of 180 day rule. I would be very grateful for any clarity on this situation 🙏🙏
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The discussion clarifies misconceptions about the 90/180 day rule in Thailand. While one user mentions that a stay extension requires leaving Thailand, others counter that border runs and re-entries are permitted to prolong stays, contradicting the belief in a strict 90-day limit within a six-month period. Several personal experiences share successful border re-entries and extensions, but warnings are provided about potential issues at specific border crossings. The conversation highlights the inconsistency in information and emphasizes the importance of having required documentation for extensions.
Ally ************
I just successfully extended my 45-day on arrival tourist visa by 30-days.. which was necessary to give me time to prepare documentation to apply for a 1-year married visa.. i wanted a 60-day extension but could not produce a sealed translation of our overseas marriage certificate.. which is being processed as we speak but not yet available.. so was restricted to 30-days.. this is not sufficient to complete all the formalities and meet the requirement to deposit monies into a Thai bank account.. which is necessary for the 1-year visa.. and the immigration officers (at Chiang Mai) acknowledged this and told me to apply for a further extension once the marriage certificate is in hand.. now they surely would not entertain such an extension on top of my 45+30 days if there was a 90-day limit.. and the fact they would have given me a 60-day extension if i'd had the right paper work would have given me a total of 105-days right.. i realise everybody's circumstances are different and like others have mentioned here.. i do get the feeling that a lot depends on what mood the senior immigration officer is in when you roll up at the counter.. now I'm a british national with a Thai wife and i have registered my residence in Thailand at the family home which is owned in her name.. whilst i doubt that my nationality had any real bearing on it.. my marital status and having a blue book in my spouses name could have been an influential factor here.. but my personal experience to date would suggest there is no 90-day rule.. let's see what happens when i go back shall we.. watch this space 🤔
2 years ago
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Kool *******
@Ally ***********
 what the immigration officer told you is you couldn't get a "visiting family" extension without your translated marriage license. This is a 60 day stamp, and it is not at the whim of the immigration agent. Nothing had an influential factor as to what the officer did. It was only based on the fact you did not have your marriage license translated. When you do receive that then immediately go to the local Amphur/ district office and get it registered. The most important thing you need, and you should now already have it, is your Thai bank account(in your name only) with bt400,000 minimum deposited in it. This is the most time critical element of the process. With your wife being the owner of where you two live, and they will make sure you actually live together. That is why there is a 30 day under consideration after you apply before you get your actual one year extension. Did the immigration officer inform you that as soon as you have that money in your account, and have your translated marriage license registered you can get a 90 day type O visa based on Thai wife, giving you enough time to get everything else in order, that because your wife owns where you live shouldn't take more than a few days at the most. Then when you are below 30 days left on that stamp you can apply for your one year extension. Some will allow you to do it at 45 days left, but 30 days is standard. Also, in your bank account it doesn't matter where the money comes from, like it would for the first retirement visa extension, only that it is in your account at least two months before your one year extension application. Get your marriage license registered and your bank account squared away. Everything else is a piece of cake. And, one very important thing. Keep copies of everything, as for every following year all you need are updated bank letters and updated pictures. All the rest is the same, unless you move. Oh, and they do scan your pictures, and will make you get new ones if you try to use pictures from previous years. This will be my 9th time doing this same extension.
2 years ago
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Ally ************
@Kool ******
 Many thanks for your guidance.. the 90-day option was not mentioned on my last visit at all.. but it is perhaps what they had in mind.. we're awaiting the translated copy of our marriage certificate to progress with the registration at our district office.. so that is already in hand.. but have been delayed opening a bank account because Bangkok bank won't accept the TM30 acknowledgement as proof of residence.. i had to complete an additional registration with immigration to obtain a 'certificate of residence' that is needed to open an account.. and that unit told us it will be mailed to us around 20 April.. have no idea why it would take nearly 4-weeks from date of filing all correct documents.. but without it Bangkok bank won't budge!
2 years ago
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Kool *******
@Ally ***********
 you are actually in luck, as the main immigration office in Bangkok will not issue one now unless you've done at least one 90 day address report. You actually should get it within ten days. With the mass influx of tourists after covid lots of people want to open bank accounts, for what reasons who knows, but that is causing the delay. You are also lucky that is all they want, besides your passport. Many need their passport verified as being real. It will all work out, you just need patience. Any guidance you need don't be afraid to ask.
2 years ago
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Kool *******
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Russell ***********
** this is 100% correct ... i came January 2 & got 45 days visa exempt, did 30 day extension at Immigration, then just done border bounce at Chong Mek Laos & 45 days until May
2 years ago
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Roshni *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Russell **********
 great to know this is possible 💗🙏
2 years ago
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Russell ***********
@Roshni ******
 yes 100% ... just done it, most people commenting here have little idea & confuse people with their stupid drunken answers .. PM me, i know most things about Immigration, never had no problems in 6 years because i go prepared ...
2 years ago
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Russell ***********
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Sascha **********
I keep hearing this same information and it’s *always* coming from German people 😵‍💫 And then when I Google it I can’t find anything about it. I have a Dutch passport and have never had an issue regarding this
******
day rule, never even heard of it until recently. Could it be it only applies to Germans? (Can’t imagine, but still…)
2 years ago
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Nadine *******
Since I found this information on official thai website too I took it for granted ^^ but it seems like it's worth the risk
2 years ago
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Nadine *******
@Sascha *********
 I'm German again 😅 and this is a statement from German embassy in German and English

I'm wondering if it only applies to Germans ^^

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2 years ago
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Dianne *****
@Nadine ******
 Thai embassies in every country often have visa information that is inaccurate or outdated on their websites. Sometime the information is speculative and does not reflect any actual Thai immigration policies. I remember during Covid one of my German friends believed that she could not get back into Thailand on her retirement visa as the German embassy was still saying that people on retirement visas couldn't enter. Yet Thailand had relaxed that rule and people with current retirement visas had been entering Thailand for a couple of months by then. Even in my own country the requirements for getting a tourist visa vary between the different Thai consulates/embassies. At one you need to show booked accommodation for your entire stay. At the other you need to show 6 months worth of bank statements showing your income to be above a certain figure every month for the previos 6 months. To get a retirement visa at one of these embassies / consulates you need to have the equivalent of one million Thai baht. At the other consulate/embassy, you need to have the equivalent of 800,000 Thai baht.There is no immigration rule in Thailand that limits tourists to no more than a 6 month stay in 12 months. However some immigration officers at land borders were reportedly using this formula in late 2018/ early 2019
2 years ago
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Nadine *******
Thank you for looking it up though
2 years ago
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Nadine *******
Why ^^
2 years ago
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Sascha **********
@Nadine ******
 just checked the website for the Thai Consulate in the Netherlands and it just mentions that you can enter for 30 days (currently until
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45 days) visa exempt. Nothing about a
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day rule 🤔🤔🤔

So strange!!!
2 years ago
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Sascha **********
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Nadine *******
Found this one on the page mentioned at the end. Official thai website.

And I know about ppl which were not let in at the border bounce after their 45+30 days because they had only 15 days left.

But maybe they used a Cambodian border ^^ why is this not working same as the other borders
@Brandon ***********
 ?
2 years ago
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Nadine *******
So I looked it up and apparently the guy who did the border run was at a Cambodian border indeed and they refused to give him the
*****
days because there were only 15 days left to fill the 90 days he was allowed to stay in a 6- month period of time.

Anyway when he tried his luck again the next day same border they gave the stamp with no discussion ^^

It seems like you need some luck with the immigration officer in front of you 😏 classic thai style
2 years ago
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John ********
@Nadine ******
 that was true about 10 years ago however that rule was scrapped
2 years ago
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Nadine *******
@John *******
 good I'll avoid cambodia then 🤞🏼 thanks
2 years ago
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Nadine *******
@John *******
 I do understand how it works still it might turn out that you're not let in anymore doing a border bounce if you get the wrong officer. Happened
2 years ago
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Marc ********
@Nadine ******
 Correct it can happen they will not let you in again because they don't like your nose.

But the rule still dosn't exist. You can believe Brandon and John they are right.

Exept crossing cambodian border was never an issue for me.

Only Poipet is a bit tricky as far as I see🤷‍♂️
2 years ago
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Marc ********
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Nadine *******
@John *******
 still on the German embassy website though ^^
2 years ago
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John ********
@Nadine ******
 I don’t think you understand how Southeast Asia works. Take off your western mindset.
2 years ago
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John ********
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Nadine *******
@John *******
 oh interesting ^^ but they still refuse ppl of coming back in with this statement 🤔
2 years ago
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John ********
@Nadine ******
 basically they can do whatever they want.
2 years ago
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John ********
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Roshni *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Nadine ******
 hey Nadine glad you managed to find the thread! This is my friend who I was talking about in my question everyone 🙏 at the end of December 2019, I flew into Cambodia after having been in Thailand on a 30 day visa exemption. In Cambodia I applied for my Thai 60 day tourist visa, and got the train from Poipet (Cambodian land border crossing point into Thailand) to Bangkok no problem. Didn't realise the Cambodian land border crossing had become an issue since then!
2 years ago
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Nadine *******
@Roshni ******
2 years ago
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Nadine *******
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Cris ********
I did a border run and I’m here again on Visa Exemption. I took a night train to Malaysia, spent 1 night and then returned. Within a week of returning, I went to the local immigration and extended by 30 days so I didn’t have to worry about it later. They are happy to take your money at any time.

I can do 1 more land border reset, then I’ll have to fly. I plan to use a visa agent for the next border run so I can return the same day.
2 years ago
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Roshni *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Cris *******
@Brandon ***********
@Kool ******
 thanks for your replies 🙏 My friend just showed me this, she said it's from the website of the German embassy (she translated it to English) and it is talking about German citizens. She says she's not sure if there are other regulations for people of different citizenship. She says she knows of another German who was not allowed back into Thailand after getting his 45 day visa exemption on arrival, and then his 30 day extension—he went to border bounce by land border and was apparently denied access back into Thailand because the immigration officers at the border didn't think there was any point letting him back in when he only had 15 days out of the 90 left, despite the fact that his flight was departing from Thailand 🙏 Do any of you know of any Germans who have been able to do a visa run/border bounce in the last few months? 🙏
2 years ago
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Chris ********
@Roshni ******
 as an FYI. Embassies fall under ministry of foreign affairs (MFA). Immigration falls under Royal Thai Police. RTP

MFA sets the rules for a Visa

RTP sets the rules for Immigration

Your question would fall under RTP so anything MFA advises is often incorrect.
2 years ago
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Cris ********
@Roshni ******
 I don’t know any Germans. I have a Polish friend who did a border bounce with no problem. She went through a visa agent though because she was living on Koh Samui and it was cheaper for her to travel with a group.

My friend from the Netherlands did her border bounce solo. She went two weeks before me as we were both in Hua Hin. She took the night train to Malaysia which gets in during the morning. She tried to take the night train back home the same day she arrived and they told her no, to spend 1 night in town and come back the next day. No issues with that. So when it was my turn to go, I stayed 1 night. I’m a U.S. passport holder.

Give your friend this
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2 years ago
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Roshni *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Cris *******
 thank you for the info 🙏🙏
2 years ago
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Roshni *******
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Kool *******
She is correct in the fact that after her 30 day extension runs out she must leave Thailand. What she is missing is the fact she can come right back into Thailand the same day/hour, and do it all again.
2 years ago
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Bob **********
@Kool ******
 depends on what border she chooses to cross some Cambodian borders want you to stay a couple of days
2 years ago
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Bob **********
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Brandon ************
She is incorrect as there is no rule about staying xx number of days in xx amount of time.

She will have to leave for the fact that her entry stamp and extension has run out, but she can re-enter again for another visa exempt or get a visa when she leaves and return.
2 years ago
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Nadine *******
@Brandon ***********
 sorry it's me 👋🏼 and just to show you where I get these information from it's the German embassy website

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2 years ago
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Graham ******
@Nadine ******
 This is one Embassy trying to say what the Immigration rule will be, two different government agencies which often contradict one another when it comes to the other's rules or policies.
2 years ago
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Nadine *******
@Graham *****
 thank you for this respectful explanation 🙏🏼 much appreciated
2 years ago
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Nadine *******
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Nadine *******
Well then ^^
2 years ago
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Brandon ************
@Nadine ******
 doesn't change the fact that the rule doesn't exist.
2 years ago
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Nadine *******
@Brandon ***********
 for some immigration officers it obviously does. They addressed it like that and didn't give another stamp so 💁🏼‍♀️
2 years ago
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Brandon ************
@Nadine ******
 border agents can say whatever they want to deny entry. 99% of the time they stamp "unable to support" meaning didn't have 20,000 baht cash.
2 years ago
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Brandon ************
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Roshni *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
 thank you so much, and is she allowed back into Thailand if she does the visa run/border bounce by herself, or only if she goes through an agent? 🙏 Also does it make any difference to do it by flight or land border crossing?
2 years ago
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Brandon ************
@Roshni ******
 As long as she doesn't try to use a Cambodia land border, she should be fine to do it herself if the current trip she is on is her first time in Thailand in the last few years, but if she has a history of time in Thailand then she should use an agent.

You can only enter visa exempt by land 2 times per year, but it's unlimited by air until immigration says no more.
2 years ago
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Roshni *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
 thank you so much!! I will pass this info on to her 🙏🙏
2 years ago
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Roshni *******
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