Unfortunately. Their minds are still quite far detached from modern times. Could be as easy as showing balance on a Thai banking app .... but it isn't.

@Richard *****

By simply not showing the METV on the first entry. But what sense would that make? The METV validity starts counting from the day it is issued.

Remember: Even having the 3 proofs, this does not guarantee entry into Thailand. They could still resort to other parts of the relevant legislation (mostly the Thai Immigration Act) to deny entry. Or they could just make requirements up that are not written anywhere. Sometimes, people got even straight to being shaken down without even being asked for any of those 3 proofs. The risk of denial increases with your travel history (and the length of stay of previous trips).

@Steve *******

Only if you have a valid multiple entry visa. Otherwise you surely do need a re-entry permit even before being on an extension.

@Rancy ******

Or missing a few.

What the heck is going on today? OP talks about 90 day reporting and many people comment doomsday scenarios based on overstay. Read. Then comment. Cheers.

Do they really still do this locked phone thing in the US? That ended in Europe almost a decade ago, I think. Back then, you could jailbreak phones ... but that got harder to do, too.

There is nothing written anywhere in Thai law prohibiting this approach. Because there is nothing written in the law about any overall maximum amount of time one can cumulatively stay in Thailand on a tourist visa. Unlike for example what the EU clearly states in law, stating that tourist visa stays can only apply to a maximum of 90 days in every 180 days. Unfortunately, that does not mean that some officer at either the consulate or with immigration does not make up some non-written rule or procedure ... happens all the time with Thai authorities.

What they do however can potentially question is, whether your stay is actually based on tourism. They could assume you are (illegally) working or else questioning where your funds are coming from for such extended stays. In theory, they should have probable cause for that. I real life, they will just deny and it would be up to you to prove otherwise and / or somehow muddle your way through.

Keep in mind: The METV does not grant you 9 month consecutive stay. Used "right" you can squeeze out up to 9 months with border crossings every 60-90 days. So, more so than not being issued a METV every year, your much bigger concern should probably be being denied entry at the border crossing at one point sooner or later - even while holding a valid METV at the time.

6 month to a year? Without leaving the country this can only be done on a Non-Immigrant visa. There is several categories of those. The most likely that could apply to you is the ED (Education) category. Meaning you would have to sign up for e.g. a Thai language school or something similar.

If you don't mind leaving the country in between, you could also check the tourist visa route. TR Single Entry would give you 60 days and can be extended within Thailand for another 30 days. So roughly 3 months. You would then have to leave the country (e.g. to a neighboring country) and start over with a new / fresh tourist visa. Alternatively, you could also get a METV (Multi Entry Tourist Visa), with which you could enter Thailand unlimited times during a six months validity period and stay 60 days (+ potential 30 days in country extension) each. With the latter you would still have to leave Thailand at some point, but would not have to bother with needing to obtain a new Singe Entry TR.

Cheers.

Depending on your travel / entry history, they might give you a hard time even if it can show all the 3 proofs (flight, money, accommodation).

There is no technical limit of entries written in the underlying law: the Thai Immigration Act. So, occasional they make reasons for denial of entry up, then while writing down a paragraph of the immigration act (more precisely Section 12 of it) one supposedly breached / didn't fulfill to justify their denial of entry.

Common breach they construct is Section 12.2 lack of funds - irrespective of funds having been asked for or demonstrated or not. If they really pick on you, only three ways left: leave, pay or appeal. For the last point you need a special form (TM.11 - APPEAL AGAINST THE ORDER OF THE COMPETENT OFFICER TO LEAVE THE KINGDOM) and the process can be lengthy. Too big of a topic for me to fully get into right now.