I wanted to share a real-world update from my current stay in Thailand in case it’s helpful to anyone stressing about border runs. I’m married to a Thai (4 years now) and usually stay in the village at her home. My pattern is pretty simple: I come for about two months at a time, every six months or so. U.S. passport, long validity, nothing exotic.
This trip I planned a longer stay — around three months — splitting time between Koh Tao for diving, village time to work on the house, and a quick side trip to Laos for some ziplining and waterfalls. We use my wife’s online immigration account (tm30.immigration.go.th) to log my address every time, so immigration has had a complete record of my movements for years.
Here’s the part people worry about:
When I left Thailand for Laos, I had 2 days left on my original visa-exempt entry. Zero issues leaving. I did the visa on arrival at Chong Mek (not the e-visa — timing didn’t work), which did take up a full passport page. Stayed two nights in Laos. When I came back, Thai immigration stamped me in with a fresh 60-day exemption with no comments, no questions, no drama.
Despite all the fear-mongering (one attorney/agent even told me not to go), the reality was simple: If you’re not trying to live in Thailand indefinitely off back-to-back tourist exemptions, you’re probably fine. My travel pattern is normal, my stays are reasonable, and immigration treated it exactly that way.
Posting this for balance — the internet tends to amplify the horror stories, not the routine experiences that go smoothly.
-- Pic of me and my wife added for a bit of flex. And yes — before anyone says it — I’m fully aware I’m punching above my weight class. 😄
TLDR : Answer Summary
The author shares a personal experience of traveling in and out of Thailand on a visa-exempt basis while married to a Thai national. They detail their typical travel pattern of spending two months in Thailand followed by time in their home country, highlighting a recent trip where they successfully obtained a fresh 60-day exemption after a brief visit to Laos, despite concerns from legal advisors. The author emphasizes that as long as one follows reasonable travel patterns without attempting to live indefinitely on tourist exemptions, interactions with immigration can be routine and straightforward.
