What visa options should my partner and I consider for a long stay in Thailand?

Aug 27, 2022
2 years ago
Lanny ***************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hey guys!

My partner and I are travelling to Thailand the end of October from Canada and Iโ€™m currently struggling with knowing which visas to apply for. We want to stay in Thailand as long as we can, before moving onto one of the surrounding countries. Is our best option to apply for the TR Visa? Can we only extend this visa once for an additional 30 days? Can we leave Thailand and come back for an additional 30 days after that 30 days? Should we consider a METV? We just want to keep it as simple as possible so we can just go with the flow. Any advice appreciated! Thank you ๐Ÿ™‚
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is planning to travel to Thailand from Canada and seeks advice on the best visa options for an extended stay. They inquire about the TR Visa, its extension, and the possibility of using a METV (Multi-Entry Tourist Visa) for long-term travel. Comments suggest that the METV could provide the most flexibility and the longest stay, offering 60 days per entry and the potential for multiple entries within six months. They also discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the SETV (Single Entry Tourist Visa) and the recent changes to visa exemption rules.
Tod *********
Lanny Marie Thomas clearly with your ๐—ช๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ฒ ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ป comment you can see that the 6 month METV is almost custom fit for you and your partners plans to stay.

GO to the eVisa website and see if you can meet the requirements to qualify for it

keep in mind you have to show WHY you need this visa (as in show exits/entries to thailand after that first 60 days you'd get entering the country) OR they're just gonna sell you a single entry and keep the difference in price.
Yorgos **************
Take a SETV for 90 days
Keven ****
@Lanny **************
METV is best for long-term plans ("as long as we can"), which you can only get in your home country. Even if you think you might not need all the re-entries of the METV, getting a SETV from an embassy in a neighbouring country, like you are thinking about, is a hassle, and will probably end up costing you more in the long run in travel costs. And getting multiple SETV's is more and more difficult, the more SETV's you have in your passport.
Tod *********
If you can meet the financial requirements the 6 month METV <- multi-entry tourist visa is a good option. It's good for unlimited entries during it's 6 month validity, and each entry gets you 60 days. When that 60 days runs out you can go to the border stamp out of thailand, stamp in&out of another country and then right back into thailand to get a new 60 day stamp. IF you use that visa correctly you can get almost 9 months of stay out of it.

Remember on Oct 1st 2022 until Mar 31st 2023 the 30 day visa exempt entry goes to 45 days and you can still get the one 30 day extension on it at the immigration office.

Keep in mind if you're thinking about border bouncing via land to get a new visa exempt entry you can only do that TWO times in a year.

You can also go to the thai consulates in nearby countries and get a single entry tourist visa which would give you 60 days and which you could extend for 30 more days once you're here.

So I will leave it to you to decide which is the best path, those are pretty much your options
Tod *********
@John *******
Oct 1 - Mar 31 all 59 countries that get in without a visa on a free entry stamp will get 45 days instead of 30
Moses *********
@Tod ********
Please clarify something about the '6 month METV'.

Does 6 month mean it is valid for 6 months from the issuance of the visa?

Or does it mean it is valid for 6 months form the time of entry into Thailand?

And finally does it mean I can stay in the country for 6 months or can I only stay for 60 days at a time and then either need to extend or leave?

Thanks
Tod *********
@Moses ********
6 moths starts burning down the second they issue the visa so get it as close to you entering thailand as you can
Monika **********
@Tod ********
I would like to ask about the 6 month METV as I cant find the answer anywhere. Is this type of visa only for pp from certain countries? I am from the Czech republic and I cannot find the information anywhere whether I can apply for this type of visa or not. Thank you so much for your help!
Tod *********
@Monika *********
contact the thai consulate in the Czech Republic, as a rule you have to get the 6 month METV from the consulate in your home country
Monika **********
@Tod ********
ok, great thank you!
Lanny ***************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
Thank you for the reply! If we came in on a 60 day single entry, then extended for an additional 30 days at immigration, once thatโ€™s expired could we then leave Thailand and come back in on another single entry visa?
Tod *********
@Lanny **************
if you went to a thai consulate nearby and BOUGHT a new single entry tourist visa you could
Lanny ***************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
sorry one more question! If we left Thailand after the 90 days and came back would we be eligible for the 45 day visa exemption or at that point is our only option to apply for the single entry visa before coming back to Thailand?
Tod *********
@Lanny **************
Oct 1 - Mar 31, enter the country without a visa and get stamped in for 45 days
Lanny ***************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
Thank you!
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