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. 😄

Hi! Last December I arrived to Thailand and left for a 3 week long trip to Cambodia before exceeding the 60 days, around the early days of February. I came back to Bangkok at the end of February. Stayed until the end of April, then returned to Hungary, my home country.

I travelled back to Thailand at the end of September (so I spent 5 months outside of the country) and will fly to Vietnam this weekend. I have never exceeded the 60 days before leaving and never had a visa extension. I plan returning to Thailand in the middle of December. Should I worry about getting rejected and start thinking about applying for a visa instead of getting the usual stamp at arrival?

Some advise please on the new visa requirements.

I plan on staying in Thailand for 3 to 6 months then returning to the UK for 1 month then flying out to again for another 3 to 6 months, could this be done on a Tourist Visa or would i need a 1 year single / multiple entry Visa

Any advice would be welcome

Hello,

I applied for the DTV under the “soft power” category, and I have an upcoming interview at the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Osaka. If anyone has gone through a similar interview, could you share what kind of questions or topics were asked? I would really appreciate any information.

Sharing our experience 😊

Hubby applied for soft power DTV in HCMC on 2/11/25 @ 8:15pm.

4/11/25 -They requested all passport pages and 6 months bank statements (he initially uploaded 3 months). He uploaded docs same day.

5/11/25 - They requested proof of letter stating ongoing pension and what his plans were in Thailand after the 6 month course. He uploaded docs same day. Stating he intended to keep training Muay Thai.

6/11/25 - Pending approval

10/11/25 - Approved

Arriving back in Bangkok 10/11 IO didnt request to see any print out of DTV. Initially stamped in with 60 days until she realised there was a DTV attached in which she scribbled the date out, corrected to 180 days and that was it.

My advice, check your dates before leaving the IO counter 😊

Hi. I'm retired this year and would like to stay in Thailand. I want to make a combination of 9 months Thailand and 3 months Belgium to see my kids. June, July and August I would be gone. I can prove I have 65.000 Baht every month but I not have the 800K to put in a bank. What kind of visum should I ask?

Thanks, Mario Belgium

For those needing information about filing for your 90 day stay notification this is what I found on the Thai Immigration site - I just completed my first filing (did the whole thing online) - very straight forward and took me approximately 10 minutes.

[members only]

We are wanting to do the DTV (Destination Thailand Visa) so we can come and go for about 5 years. Should that be applied for prior to coming to Thailand or can it be applied for after arrival on a tourist visa?

Got approved for Muay Thai visa today, same day after the interview for 5 years. I used an agency which helped get all the documents in order before everything was submitted, IMO, this makes it worth the cost. They also have a service that can do the 90 day report for a small fee.

Short story though: about a month ago, I attempted to return to Thailand on a visa exempt status after my ED visa expired, I got grilled at the BKK border and was denied entry. I don't believe i was given a fair chance to demonstrate my Thai knowledge, the officers were quite hostile which totally threw me off and I hesitated having a conversation with them in Thai. They asked maybe 2 questions at most and spoke at a native level, didnt ask to see if I could read or write Thai - the experience afterwards was fking awful. Anyone that has been through this will know 😂... surprisingly very few first hand accounts of others experiences i can find online, but you literally get treated like a criminal.

Anyway, just curious if anyone has had an extended stay in thailand and now obtained the DTV. Will they ask to see a departure flight? Got the feeling if I fly back into BKK, they will try to give me a hard time for the most idiotic reasons even though I have a legit visa.

Please advise 🙏

I'm currently staying in Thailand. I've already been there for over 100 days this year. now I'm planning to go to another country and apply for a DTV visa soon. Will my stay of over 100 days this year affect my DTV visa application? If so, I'll apply for a DTV visa next year.