Hello, I will be coming to Thailand on a French passport for a stay of 86 days. (I came last year December & January for 65 days using visa exempt on arrival and then extending 30 days)
If I get a tourist visa, I can stay 60 days and then must leave the country, with the possibility to return for a stay of 30 more days.
If I come on visa exempt, I can stay my initial 30 days and then ask for an extension 30 days, then leave the country and return using visa exempt.
My question to the group is "which option is better?" (I am not trying to live in Thailand by using visa exempt or short term visas.)
If I use the visa exempt option, does it matter if I leave the country before the first 30 days are up, flying back in (from Cambodia) on visa exempt or if I leave after first 30 days plus 30 day extension and then re-enter on visa exempt?
I understand that all is at the discretion of immigration, but as a woman of a certain age, they generally do not suspect me of trying to game the system. And that is not what I am trying to do.
Thank you for all the advice you provide to of us.
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is considering the best visa option for an 86-day stay in Thailand, debating between using a tourist visa or entering on visa exemption. They outline their previous visa experiences and question the implications of leaving early on visa-exempt status versus extending a tourist visa. Responses suggest getting a single entry tourist visa, which allows for a 60-day stay plus a 30-day extension at immigration, as the simplest route without complications.
