What visas in Thailand allow for stays longer than six months for tourists?

Apr 4, 2022
3 years ago
MacQuen ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Is there any visa lasts longer than 6 months for tourists?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
In Thailand, the Special Tourist Visa (STV) allows for a stay of up to 270 days through extensions. For long-term options, consider the Marriage Visa, Education Visa, or Volunteer Visa, each providing extended stays. Additionally, the Elite Visa can offer stays of 5 to 10 years. Some expats also utilize back-to-back tourist visas, although this method carries risks.
Martin *********
...what you could do is stick half of Columbia dooon your troozers - fly in to Swampy - no visa needed.....

Tools in shed!
Albert ********
Get married.
Brian ********
Elite visa you can buy a 5 year visa or 10 year
Terary **********
I did tourist visas back-to-back for years. I would typically leave Thailand for 2 or 3 weeks and comeback on a new visa. Sometimes I would bound across the border for lunch and comeback. This worked for me for years, 3 or 4. However it comes with risks so you should always have a plan B. Travel on Saturdays, try to route through smaller airports, etc. Its not the best option but it worked out ok for me.
Maxim ***********
Stuart and Andy are technically correct, but they both knew what you were referring to so they are just giving poor advice to punish you for your wording. Let them be. You want to stay long-term in Thailand, correct? (while working on your Laptop or wtv).

You have three long-term options: 1) Getting married to your Thai GF (if you have one) which will allow you to get a marriage extension for 1 year, renewable every year.

2) Education visa (learning Thai, self-defense, etc), which will give you 1 year, some of them renewable the year after depending on what you are learning.

3) Volunteer visa, self-explanatory, you volunteer some of your time to an organism in need.

p.s: The reason why some people use an agent for such visas is to avoid going to class or volunteering. It's basically bribing your way into these visas while staying home and doing nothing. For marriage extension, people use an agent if they do not meet the 400k baht requirement.
Sharon ********
@Maxim **********
is that a yearly 400k baht
Maxim ***********
@Sharon *******
Yes, it needs to be in your account 2 months before applying for the extension based on marriage. Its not money taken away from you it just need to be sitting there. It just act as a proof that you can support your wife for that full year if needed. If you marry a Thai man I dont think that you have that financial requirement. Same sex marriage is illegal in Thailand.
Sharon ********
Maxim ***********
Someone like
@Tod ********
can tell you if I'm making things up (which is possible), but from everything that I remember about the Non-O extension based on marriage, the financial requirement is only if a foreign man marry a Thai woman, not the opposite.
Maxim ***********
@Sharon *******
If you married a Thai man you do not have a financial requirement. Its obv a sexist criteria but the man is the main breadwinner in Thai culture.
Sharon ********
Steven ***************
@Sharon *******
. Maxim is correct. If a woman is married to a Thai man, you don't need the 400k baht. Rest of paperwork and requirements are same though. It only apples to foreign men married to thai women. Don't ask me why...
MacQuen ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Maxim **********
any info for non Thai marriage?
Maxim ***********
@MacQuen *****
The extension based on marriage can only be done if you are married to a Thai, not random foreigners marrying each other.
MacQuen ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Maxim Thibodeau I mean is there a way for foreigner partners register marriage in Thai?
MacQuen ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Maxim **********
I intend to marry a non Thai GF as tourists, I wonder how can we do it without long term visa
Narelle ************
@MacQuen *****
the Thailand Elite visa is a long term tourist visa. You buy 5,10 or 20 years. Each stamp on arrival is for one year. You can extend in the country one more year.

It is classified as a tourist visa.
MacQuen ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Narelle ***********
how much it costs? For the least tenure?
Maxim ***********
@MacQuen *****
A lot. Like 500k baht and you are not getting your money back, lol.
Bob **********
MacQuen ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Narelle ************
@MacQuen *****
yep its not cheap but it is the easiest way to stay as a tourist long term if you're under 50. I found it worked out cheaper for me to get this visa than all the visa runs I was doing before, when a 6 month tourist visa was available. They might bring that back in again you never know.
Terary **********
@Narelle ***********
I figured it elite visa cost about the same as 2 week long visa runs. I opted not to do elite because I enjoy visiting other countries. But it can be a pain in the ass.
Narelle ************
@Terary *********
Makes sense. I still visit other countries, but I really like the peace of mind. I prefer to travel on my own terms. Now if only HK would open up again.....
Stuart *********
The STV or Special Tourist Visa gives you 90 days, and is extendable twice giving you up to 270 days.
Martinello **********************
@Stuart ********
when your visa expires, can you just leave the country for the day and enter again?
Stuart *********
@Martinello *********************
pre covid the answer would be yes. Now you have to have a ThailandPass to enter and all the requirements to get that. If you have it already then yes. But it’s up to the immigration officer to allow you to enter. If they think you’re trying to buck the system they can refuse you entry.
MacQuen ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Phil Jones does short term rental agreement count?
Will ************
@MacQuen *****
3 months fully paid up with the rental agreement and the tax id of the landlord
Stuart *********
Phil Jones the OP didn’t ask about the conditions of getting said visa, but I agree it’s a pretty crap option for many.
Steve ********
Phil Jones . You can use a lease or an invitation from a citizen or longstay resident. As long as someone has a long-term fixed address it's all good. I have a buddy currently travelling around Thailand who uses my address in Bangkok as his "anchor" address. The STV is good if you know its limitations and how to work it
MacQuen ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Stuart ********
so there's no visa for tourists can last longer than 6 months without needing an extension?
Tod *********
@MacQuen *****
A Special Tourist Visa gets you stamped in for 90 days, then you apply for a 90 day extension (two times)

A regular tourist visa gets you stamped in for 60 days and then you apply for a 30 day extension (ONCE)
Andy ********
MacQuen ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
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