Yes I have done a few times now on DTV, you can turn around and come straight back in, but will cost you $50US to enter Laos, never had a problem at border 👍

Andy Meniconi all the organized criminals are on elite visas, they ain't going anywhere.

@Deborah ******

Brook needs a name change, perhaps Karen??

Only in the tourist hot spots

The current Thai immigration framework is highly discretionary. The officer at the desk has broad authority, and if they believe you are violating the intent of the law—namely, using visa-exempt entry to live in Thailand long-term—you can be denied entry on the spot.

This clashes with how most Westerners think about law.

In Western legal systems, laws are typically nailed down with specific criteria so guilt or compliance can be clearly proven in court. The downside is that people learn to game the rules while technically staying “legal,” even if they violate the spirit of the law.

Many Asian legal systems take the opposite approach: broader laws, higher discretion, fewer court proceedings for low-level matters. The focus is on intent, behavior patterns, and administrative judgment—not courtroom precision. That difference is difficult for many Westerners to grasp, but it’s real.

Importantly, the immigration law itself has not changed. What has changed is enforcement.

Thai authorities observed a growing number of foreigners effectively living in Thailand by chaining together visa-exempt stays. The recent enforcement push is meant to stop that behavior.

How this plays out in practice:

- If you arrive with a history of multiple 90-day visa-exempt stays, especially back-to-back, expect heavy scrutiny and a real risk of denial.

-If you arrive with a pattern of short trips (for example, three or four two-week visits per year), plus an onward ticket and limited accommodation bookings, you’re far less likely to be flagged.

Before anyone jumps in swinging: I’m not defending this system. I’m explaining how it works.

If Thai authorities genuinely want to reduce confusion and misinformation, the obvious solution is simple: publish clear guidelines on what is and isn’t acceptable, and reduce the amount of guesswork placed on travelers.

For example:

If a person enters visa-exempt twice and stays the full duration both times, can they be denied on a third attempt?

The practical answer appears to be yes.

Which means much of what’s being called “misinformation” isn’t actually false—it’s just not cautiously phrased.

When the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, confusion is inevitable.

Very Thai.

@Pete ******

yes I will find out in a few weeks when I go for my first report, interesting that I have been out and back in the country after exceeding the 90 days without triggering anything, I'll let you know after I've been to immigration 👍

Anonymous participant sorry I don't even know what 'society creation' is 🤣 not sure where your looking but it seems to be common knowledge that you have to apply outside of Thailand just like the non O so it must be there somewhere. My advice would be to start an application so you know exactly what you need, you can save and exit at any point and you don't have to pay until you submit at the end. I have done many visas this way for both myself and my Thai wife 👍

@Liam *******

OMG! I just checked the embassy website and it's there under FAQ, thanks for the heads up and apologies to everyone for the wrong information, another good example why Facebook is not the place for asking questions, contact thai embassy 👍

All the information you require is on the thai embassy website, Facebook is NOT the place to gather this information, you will only end up confused by everyone's interpretation of what is required, do yourself a favor and go to the website 👍

🤣🤣🤣 you must be new to Thailand, we call that 'Whiskey Money' here, I've had to pay it even at government level to the staff, open corruption is common here.