Answereda year ago

What is the best visa option for a Canadian planning to stay in Bangkok for 4 months?

Visa Types Visa Exemption Tourist Visa Thailand Immigration Canadian Expat Long Stay Visa

Ripan ***************

asked Aug 12, 2025

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Hey, new here, feel this question gets asked ALOT, but i'm a Canadian who plans on visiting Bangkok for 4 months. i was there last year from sept to mid late oct, left for a week on a biz trip, then came back and stayed till end of dec. 

For this year, im staying from mid September to mid Jan, which visa would be best for me? i know i'm visa exempt as a Canadian(60+30) and could technically do this twice, but heard they're getting more strict as time passes. should i just get a multiple entry visa and do 60 +30, leave for a few days, then do 60+30 again?(wont even use most of the days on my second visa). would love to hear from you guys, thanks!!!!

Answer summary

A Canadian planning to visit Bangkok for 4 months is exploring visa options, acknowledging the visa exemption for 60 days plus a possible extension. Concerns arise about the potential strictness of immigration regarding repeated visa exemptions. Suggestions include using a multiple entry visa or making short trips out of Thailand for visa renewals. However, caution is advised as repeated visa renewals may lead to scrutiny from immigration officials.

8 repliesnewest first

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Henrik *****

You are doing things the wrong way around.

First look at the Thai Embassy website, to see which visa are available, where you can live up to the requirements.

Second, then you know how long time you can stay in Thailand, and can decide based on that.

Its not always possible to get what you want.

a year ago

Randy ********

Easy. Come on the 60 day exempt then do the extension. I suggest you then do a border bounce with a company to get a fresh 60 days.

Or do the METV and bounce out and back after a few days. I guess it comes down to money and your time.

a year ago

Max *************

@Randy *******

I think you have misunderstood the post. It's not about how to to do extensions or border runs. It's about staying to long as a tourist and eventually being questioned by immigration.

a year ago

Randy ********

@Max ************

ok, well then it’s easy. Get a proper visa and you shouldn’t have any problems staying long term. Even saying that, you run into the chance of being questioned. People with proper visas still get questioned now and then.

So here are the options;

If over 50 non-o.

If married to a Thai or a Thai child again, non-o.

Study Thai language ed visa.

Work online, money made outside of Thailand DTV visa.

Have lots of money elite visa.

Or you can do what a lot of people do. Use the visa exempt and do border bounces with a company.

I know people who have been here for years doing this.

a year ago

Graham ******

If you want to stay 4 months why do you need to do an extension for your first entry? You would be safer staying 30-40 days before exiting and returning after a short stay away then taking the extension on your second entry.

a year ago

Ripan ***************

@Graham *****

would this cause any red flags though? i know its always discretion of the IO. wouldnt i be safe and do a "safe entry"

a year ago

Graham ******

@Ripan **************

Yes, maxing out a Visa Exempt entry to get 90 days then returning soon after for another Visa Exempt entry is a big red flag. Yes a border run agent is always safer.

a year ago

Max *************

Doing 60+30 days over and over again as a tourist will imo eventually bite you in the ass,pardon my french. If arriving on a visa exempt, a single or metv tourist visa doesn't officially matter, you're still a tourist. It might work a couple of times, but then you might be questioned by immigration and told to get a proper long stay visa. It's totally up to the immigration officer.

a year ago