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Will my METV still be valid after being stamped in on a tourist visa in Thailand?

Mar 29, 2026
a month ago
Damo ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hope someone can advise. I have been in Thailand on and off for past 7 months on an METV. On my last entry I was stamped in until April 10 which was the last day of visa ( I could extend another 30 ) . So far so good. I left to Malaysia returned last week and was stamped in on a normal tourist visa not my METV. I spoke to IO in Jomtien who said I need to return to Bkk where I entered and deal with it there. My problem is I am due to go to Vietnam for a week and am worried about being denied entry on my return. Will my METV still be valid or has it been cancelled by being stamped back in on a normal TR 60.

Any help or advice welcome.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is concerned about the validity of their Multi-Entry Tourist Visa (METV) after being mistakenly stamped in on a normal tourist visa upon re-entry to Thailand. They received specific guidance regarding the mistaken stamp, affirming that their METV remains valid despite the incorrect entry stamp. Contributors advised the user to check their entry stamp to avoid such issues in the future and reassured them that they should have no problem re-entering Thailand on their METV after a short trip to Vietnam.
Graham ******
TR60 is the correct entry stamp for a METV
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Damo ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Graham *****
Not in my case.
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Damo ******
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Dca *****
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Tod *********
As far as people who get "bad stamped" (stamped in for a time or on an entry stamp OTHER than what they should have gotten) it happens a quite a lot actually

The way the rules are written immigration offices in country are under no obligation to correct a bad stamp and can send you to the passport control at the 'point of entry" (where you stamped in) to get the errant stamp corrected.

I remember a person who stamped in at Chiang Khong (up in Chiang Rai province) but didn't notice he was bad stamped until weeks later when he was down on one of the southern islands :O

He went to the immigration office they said go back to Chiang Khong to correct the stamp.

As he had a valid multi-entry visa he just bounced out/back with Malaysia to get off the bad stamp and re-entered on the correct stamp

CHECK your entry stamp BEFORE you walk away from passport control..

AND

always have a print out of your eVisa PDF that they sent you when you were approved. <- That PDF actually is your visa :)

Remember the stamp they give you IS the stamp you're on (whether you should have been stamped in on a different stamp or not) :O If you overstay because you were bad stamped you are liable for the fines when you exit..
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Alastair ********
@Tod ********
just to clarify in regard to your comment 'the stamp they give you is the stamp you are on' ... I thought this didn't apply if they stamp you for longer than you should have got?

I've in the past been given an entry stamp with a valid date almost 12 months later than what I was eligible for, i.e. IO officer wrote the wrong year. I understood this didn't actually entitle me to overstay for 12 months?
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Alastair ********
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Tod *********
We see these 'self inflicted' problems of bad stamps quite often when people didn't check their stamp before they walked away from the passport control counter :/ Good news is you only do it once, then you catch right on to look at the stamp before you walk away :)

Your last entry on that METV was just a fluke that it stamped you in for the same amount of time as your visa was valid for (you got the 60 day on the METV just like you were supposed to)

The good news is, no the visa isn't cancelled or anything (y) you just didn't get stamped in on it this time (I would guess you got a 60 day free stamp visa exempt entry that has the code ผ.60-ม.17)

Just stamp out like normal when you leave to go to Vietnam

As long as you re-enter the country on or before the 6 month METV eVisa itself expires you'll be stamped in for 60 days.

Just curious; you had the printed out PDF of the METV eVisa right? Handed it along with your passport to the officer when you stamped back in and you still were bad stamped?
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Damo ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
Yes I did give the IO my printed out copy of METV which she looked at so I assumed she stamped me in on it. But I didn't check stamp at the time which is my fault. Won't make that mistake again.
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Tod *********
@Damo *****
yep, you only make that mistake once :) ..

BUT

the good news is the METV is still valid for the duration, you just didn't use it to enter this time :) you shouldn't have any issue comin' back in after your Vietnam trip on the METV

best of luck with it and safe travels to you too
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Damo ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
Thank You. Appreciate your advice.
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Damo ******
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Trevor *********
@Tod ********
yeah I will start doing that . I did get some weird date the exit flight counter told me . Still I exiteted didn't give it much thought . But I agree should watch that at arrival counter more closely .
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Trevor *********
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