I'm flying to Vietnam tomorrow. My original plan was to get a tourist visa at the Hanoi embassy but the available appointments for next week all disappeared when it was time to book (I moved too slowly!). Decided to go Vietnam anyway and return on a visa exemption.

Does this mean I might actually be able to apply for a visa? My return flight is on Friday 11th so I realise I may be cutting it too short

@Gary ******

I've not heard anything about only getting 30 days at a land border ?

People come to Thailand on more than 2 visa exemptions a year. I know the website says that but it doesn't reflect the reality of what people are doing all the time here.

The general rule (written or not) has in recent years been 2 visa exemptions via land border a year, and unlimited visa exemptions by air BUT you'll always be at the mercy of the immigration officer and can be turned away if you're thought to be abusing the visa exemption scheme.

@Andy *********

Ah so I'll have to be in BKK for around a week ? Sad news

@Robert *****

Was it a one day appointment or did you have to go one day and then go back another day ?

@Pete ******

Nothing in life is that straightforward 😂

@Michael *******

that's fine I imagine I'll try and get my appointment in maybe 2 months, do you think that will be an issue?

I always book the cheapest flight out of Thailand. If you go on Skyscanner you can set your destination as "Everywhere" and it will show you the cheapest flights to neighbouring countries. It's usually Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam etc.

I was told at immigration that the 40k a month had to be income made in Thailand and I couldn't just use my transfers from my UK bank to my Thai bank over the last year.

@Sh ***

You would need to leave the country and come back, and whether you get a visa on arrival or visa exemption depends on your passport. Different countries get different things. UK gets a visa exemption, for example.

Some people just cross the border and come straight back. But you can only do that two times per year, and if you look like you're abusing tourist visas / visa exemptions / visas on arrival, immigration officers might question you. But if you've not been here long I don't think it matters so much