Tourist Visas Again

Deja Vu is happening to me again on the tourist situation with some friends visiting SE Asia starting in January. I have told them that three 30-day entries into Thailand needed in 40 days total time outside the USA is FINE, without formal visa. However, they are confused by the recent news.

I have always thought for some bizarre reason that a single tourist visa application was limited to 1 or 2 entries. I have poured over the pages from the Thai embassy in DC and I am unsure. It is not clear. It seems to me that they could get 3 entries from one application (at no real need, of course, and at $25 * 3 = $75.00). They will be well under 90 days total in Thailand so that is NOT an issue. Are 3 entry tourist visa applications possible? They could then have their richly deserved peace of mind before leaving their beloved homeland, or maybe the embassy staff will tell them they don't need it.

I don't see the 'new rules' in regard to 30-day stays in the information on the web site so the contention of others in this forum that this will be something theyll warn you of as you come in with lots of stamps might be correct.

[francois]

What?

[bedbugy1-old]

you arrieve on a voa 30 days for fre e
then you leave thailand after 30days /or before it run out see date
then you return for another 30 days for free
then you leave again to your home country now whats your problem

I think he is meaning multiple entry visas, in out, in out, then in, whatever, on a 30-day visa?

If you don't have a visa, you get a 30 day stamp in your passport on arrival.
If you apply for a visa outside of Thailand (at a Thai Embassy or consulate) you get a tourist visa, valid for 60 days. Some mention had been made that as of the 1st October this would be made valid for 90 days, but my stamp on arrival (with my tourist visa) still stated 60 days.

The 30 days (visa on arrival) you don't have to pay for. The tourist visa obtained outside the country you pay (something like) 1,000 baht (don't quote me on this).

You can, I believe, now only get single entry tourist visas, no more multiple entry visas (valid for 60 days - possibly 90). However, as far as I can make out, you can keep going to embassies and consulates as often as you want to apply for tourist visas, although there is always the chance you may get refused. I have had four toursit visas over the last year and half, one was multiple entry before the change - making 5 visas) and never had a problem. Three of which I extended a further 30 days at the Immigration Office in Jomtien.

Is it not still possible to apply for a re-entry permit (either single or multiple) after arriving on a 60-day tourist visa? It was a piece of cake to do previously, either at Suan Plu or even at the airport.

[2lz2p]

On arrival with no visa, they will get a stamp permitting a 30 day stay. A single entry tourist visa obtained from Thai Embassy or consulate (also honorary consels located in several US cities) allows a 60 day stay (I'm not sure you can get a multiple entry tourist visa from Embassy/Consulate in USA). A non-immigrant visa (single entry) permits a 90 day stay, but obtaining one from Embassy or regular Consulate (Los Angeles, Chicago, New York) is, I understand, more difficult as you must provide evidence of the reason (Embassy web site lists the various reasons and, I think, the evidence needed). However, obtaining one from an honorary consul may not be as stringent -- a friend obtained one by simply stating he wanted to live in his condo.

As to getting 3 separate tourist visas rather than a multiple entry, I'm not sure that is practical or that the Embassy/Consulate would issue that many at one time because for all visas, you must enter Thailand within 90 days of the date the visa is issued - e.g., if you enter on the 89th day, you will still receive the permitted maximum days for the type of visa (60 for tourist and 90 for non-immigrant). It is also my understanding that you can get an extension of the visa without leaving Thailand, but this is at the discretion of the Immigration Office based on the reason for extension -- I've bee told that the maximum is another 30 days, but that the norm is 7 to 14 days.

Another consideration is the airline -- if your friends decide to enter without a visa for the 30 days on arrival with plans to make a border run to get another 30 days, the airline they are using may not permit them to board since technically, Thailand requires you have return or onward tickets to obtain the 30 days on arrival -- I've never known Immigration to ask to see such tickets, but it is a requirement and some airlines do ask for evidence if your ticket does not show you will leave Thailand within 30 days.

Thanks guys. I'm getting the feeling there is no such thing as a multiple entry tourist visa for Thailand.

They've got LOTS of solutions for their trip to choose from, including the easiest solution I gave them. I'm gonna just let them figure it out for themselves if they won't take my advise.

Like I said, you can probably get a multiple re-entry permit for use with your tourist visa AFTER arrival. Have you looked into that?

Like I said, you can probably get a multiple re-entry permit for use with your tourist visa AFTER arrival. Have you looked into that?

Not yet. That might solve a problem that I may have next January, thx.

[globalwanderer]

just erceived a four entry tourist visa from teh Thai Consulate in Birmingham UK, valid for 6 months