@Matthew ******

then they aren't following the new rules announced last year by CAAT to no longer accept non Thai IDs as per the graphic someone posted.

@Poul *********

this is not the same issue as the Bangkok Bank policy that is being well publicised today in many news articles

@Tony *****

you would need to leave and re-enter even if you wanted to get a DTV.

@Tony *****

So that was the problem. You never had a visa. You entered via visa exempt entry, which is NOT a visa, but an exemption from having a visa. A tourist visa is where you apply for a visa using the online e-visa system or in-person from a Thai consulate/embassy and pay for either a single use 60 day tourist visa, or a 6 month multiple entry tourist visa, and are granted a visa in advance. It is far less likely to be turned away on a valid tourist visa than showing up and hoping immigration will grant you an exemption to enter without a visa repeatedly. Having said that, a tourist visa is still not a guarantee of entry, but is far less likely to cause an issue than repeated entries on visa exemptions. I suggest the multiple entry tourist visa to ensure that you aren't trying to get back-to-back single entry tourist visas from a consulate. By the way, "visa on arrival" is yet another separate thing where some nationalities that don't qualify for visa exemption must pay for a 15 day entry visa on arrival into Thailand, so you are using incorrect terms, so the first thing is to realise that you have not been entering with any visa or been granted any visa on arrival, if you are entering via visa exemptions.

@Tony *****

for clarity, were you entering on an actual tourist visa/evisa that you bought from a consulate, or via visa exempt entry where you just show up without buying a visa first? Many people don't know the difference and use the wrong terminology.

A 6 month multiple entry tourist visa would grant 60 day stays (each extendable once for 30 more days), so you'd have to extend once, leave and reenter, then extend once more, to get 6 months. You can even leave and reenter a second time near the end of the visa's expiration date and repeat the cycle, granting you 9 months worth of stays out of that visa. Of course, every entry, even with a valid visa, is always at the discretion of the immigration officer.

@Greg *****

IDPs never require any training anywhere in the world. IDPs are simply a translation of your home licence into multiple languages as governed by international conventions between countries accepting IDPs. The IDP isn't a drivers licence, which is why you must carry it together with your home country's drivers licence to drive internationally.

@Frankie ******

no such thing. You're likely referring to the LTR visa, which isn't that new and isn't a golden visa.

@Thatchaya *****

that doesn't meet the OP's specifications as you must exit every 360 days, assuming you extend the 180 days for the additional 180 days allowed one time. Given the cost of that specific extension, many people choose to leave and come back at 180 days. The OP wants a visa where he doesn't have to leave for over 1 year.

Elite visa, LTR visa, non-B visa among others