Answered9 months ago
What should I know about the multiple entry tourist visa and temporary housing in Thailand?
Hey yall!!! I’m currently still in the USA and looking to move to Thailand, I am considering the 6 month multiple re-entry tourist visa and trying to check out different areas of Thailand to see where I want to settle or if I want to settle at all honestly. I want the multiple re entry tourist visa to explore other surrounding options like vietnam etc… I’m really curious of the best way to go about the temporary housing. Also if anyone has done just the tourist visa, did they allow you to just show a one way ticket or did you just have to lose out on the return ticket etc?
Answer summary
The user is considering moving to Thailand with a 6-month multiple re-entry tourist visa (METV) to explore the country and nearby regions, like Vietnam. They seek advice on temporary housing and ticket requirements, particularly about showing a one-way ticket versus an onward ticket. Responses indicate that a free 60-day visa exemption is available for US passport holders, with airlines typically requiring an onward ticket. Suggestions include using online services for booking onward tickets and advice on temporary housing and visa extension options.
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Sherry ********
Have you thought about the Philippines? We did Thailand last year and loved Hua Hin to retire too but now in the Philippines and much cheaper and it really helps with the Filipinos speaking English's 👍
Doug ********
Sherry Marley my advice is always to go to Philippines first. 😃 😊. Once you have experienced thai food and infrastructure, the Philippines 🇵🇭 is a rough place to be.
Doug ********
But the hospitality in the Philippines 🇵🇭, can not be matched in Asia 🙏 and the English really helps.
Sean **********
Doug Zimmer more and more people are learning English here so compared to my first visit 30 years ago I can communicate with my Broken Thai and their broken English. Never been to the Phillipines so I cannot tell you much about it but English has become more prevalent here. I have found Thai hospitality 2nd to none. Especially if you speak little Thai.
Tony **********
I had been here a few times before i thought about moving here. I then did a visa exempt (30 days at that time, now 60) to explore the South for where i wanted to live. METV is a good option for moving around in SEA or just Thailand. With proper timing you can get about 5 months out of it. Airlines will want to see an onward ticket. Onwardticket.com is a good option. Buy day before you leave.
Nongnuch ********
Tony Birnseth ATTENTION: an “onwardticket” can be scolded upon by Immigration and you can be accused of showing a faked ticket, denied entry and being forced to buy a ticket back to your origin.
Tony **********
Nongnuch Kamdee not sure i agree with that. It's a real reservation that is valid for 48hrs and can be converted to a ticket.
Chavaughn *********************
OPTony Birnseth awesome thank you!!
Chavaughn *********************
OPTony Birnseth ok so buy my onward ticket the day before I leave the USA?
girly*****
Chavaughn Diamond Brathwaite or you could just buy a dummy ticket meaning buy a ticket to let's say Vietnam or even your home country and just get insurance on it and you can get your money back from the flight after you go through customs. Obviously you have to pay for the insurance though
Dan *******
Immigration is said to know about the scam ( onward ticket ) . Real one can be verified . Print pdf.
Doug ********
But you are ALWAYS at the mercy of the Immi officer 🙏,
Doug ********
Dan Brown it has always worked for me 🍀 ☘️, lately I have used $5 bus ticket
Tony **********
Chavaughn Diamond Brathwaite yes, it's a real reservation for 48hrs that you can turn into a ticket if you choose.
Nongnuch ********
Tony Birnseth ATTENTION: Phuket Immigration has announced that it will not recognize any "fake ticket" used by travelers as proof of onward travel and will refuse entry on the grounds of "attempted fraud".
Robert *********
I am not at all confident that they will not change the 60 day to 30 day ,it makes no sense so that is probably what will happen.
I always use the METV as it's guaranteed.
Very difficult for a border set to refuse it .
I want all winter ,not partial.
Used metv for many years, as I don't want to stsyball year ,only 6 months
I always use the METV as it's guaranteed.
Very difficult for a border set to refuse it .
I want all winter ,not partial.
Used metv for many years, as I don't want to stsyball year ,only 6 months
Robert *********
Myself
ResilientCr***********
Robert Merrell No visa is guaranteed and the state le decision rests with the IO you process through. While less likely to be denied there are thousands of cases worldwide where people had visas and denied entry.
Robert *********
ResilientCrocodile6133 It's as close to guaranteed as you can get .
Have had it for many years with 0 issue .
Have had it for many years with 0 issue .
girly*****
Robert Merrell do you use an agent? Or file it yourself?
Positive*********
They don’t generally ask for the return ticket but they have the right to. You just have to show an onward ticket. There are sites (onwardticket.com) where you just spend $20 to buy an onward ticket to simply show you have one leaving Thailand. I probably won’t bother with the 6 months METV if you are traveling this region. You have a US passport which gives you 60 days here. You leave to go Vietnam before that and come back and you get another 60 days (possibly the last one though). Hopefully by then you will decide where you want to settle 🙂 Best of luck!
Nongnuch ********
PositiveSloth7568 ATTENTION: an “onwardticket” can be scolded upon by Immigration and you can be accused of showing a faked ticket, denied entry and being forced to buy a ticket back to your origin.
Positive*********
Nongnuch Kamdee hmm interesting. What is the solution here? There are many people who travel to Thailand and SEA and want maximum flexibility on departure so they don’t have a specific end date.
Positive*********
PositiveSloth7568 Also, if you don’t want to leave before 60 days is up, you can spend $60 to get another 30 days extension at Immigration. I think it might be possible to just pay and extend for the 30 days once you arrived at BKK if you know you want to stay up to 90 days for sure. Please verify.
Kevin ******
Do you mean apply for a 30 day extension upon arrival? That cannot be done.
Dan *******
Believe your right. I waited a couple of weeks and applied for my 30 day extension. Chiang Mai immigration office and I was in and out in one hour.
Wannikea *********
As American you could enter on a free 60-day visa exempt stamp, So you wouldn't need to buy a vanilla tourist visa. Your airline might want to see you return ticket within the original 60 days before they let you board. METV It's a good choice if you want to spend about 6 to 9 months in the area. You need to show proof of need, which is a ticket out of Thailand within the first 60 days and then a ticket back into Thailand sometime after that.
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