Advice needed from those who are familiar with long-term stays.

[poshglasgow]

I am seriously considering spending the months of January and February in Pattaya.

I would be very interested to hear from those who reside here for months at a time about their favourite long-term rental venues, either condos or hotels. I, for example, favour the Venue in Jomtien.

Now, I know that I can only spend a month at time in the LOS on the airport arrival visa so can I, for example, leave Thailand at the end of January and return sometime in February with no problems for another month-long stay in Thailand?

Is there a limit on the number of times a UK citizen can enter Thailand in any given year?

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[Nirish guy]

Is there not something about going to the visa office in Pattaya and getting another 30 day in country extension to your allowed time there......I did it before myself but I cant recall was it another 30 days or 2 weeks, but it was certainly doable, save you the trip to the airport perhaps. mind you a wee mid holiday break maybe isn't the worst thing anyway sometimes.

[cdnmatt]

No idea where to stay, but for immigration, just grab a double entry tourist VISA from the Thailand embassy in your country before you leave. Then you get stamped in for 60 days, which can be extended by 30 days at the Pattaya immigration office.

Plus it will be double entry, so you can leave once, hit the border again, and get stamped in for another 60 days, once again extendable by 30 days within country. Costs 1900 baht to extend by 30 days in country.

All in, you can get 6 months in Thailand on one double entry tourist VISA, and only need to leave the country once after 90 days.

[gerefan2]

I do exactly what you have in mind except I stay 90 days.

Visa. Depending on your age you can apply for either a 60 or 90 day visa PRIOR to leaving the UK. Details were on the Thai Embassy, London, website but it seems to say that the page is no longer in use.
You can leave after 1 month, a border run, either by minibus to Cambodia for a day, or longer somewhere by air.
If you go to Immigration in Jomtien you can extend the 30 day visa, but only by 14 days.
I have also seen something about getting 60 days on initial entry at the Airport but have never done it.

Accommodation. I prefer a condo for a long stay and rent at Yensabai Condo near Sunnee Plaza and Boyztown. It’s only 5 minute walk to Sunnee and 10 mins to BT.
However if Sunnee finally collapses I may move elsewhere. Additionally, you have to put up with unruly Arabs in the area. Think loud,fast motor bikes.

Anything else just ask.

[arsenal]

My advice would be to take a short flight out of Thailand for a few days half way through. This solves the visa problem, breaks up the trip and gives you the excitement of arriving in Pattaya twice. And yes, it's still fucking exciting to arrive in Pattaya.....if you do it right.

[frequent]

Assuming a stay of two months only is what you are after then a Single Entry Tourist Visa will give you 60 days which you can extend for a further 30 days is probably going to suit your needs. It's one-third the cost of a Multiple Entry Tourist Visa and has the added advantage that you can apply well in advance as you've got three months from the date of issue before it expires (ie. you have to enter Thailand before expiry). A multiple entry tourist visa expires six months after date of issue so for those who want to use it for nearly nine months in total (utilising extensions) you have to get it and then leave for Thailand the same week. Plenty of information about both short and long term tourist visas if you google "METV Thailand"

When you say "January & February" presumably you don't plan to arrive on 1 January - I'd have thought that's the worst time to be looking for accommodation of any sort

[2lz2p]

If you plan to stay only 60 days, then enter using Visa Exempt and receive a 30 day permission to stay. This can be extended a further 30 days at Thai Immigration for a fee of 1,900 baht. BUT, some airlines will not allow you to board a flight to Thailand if you do not have a visa and do not have onward airline tickets (some choose to purchase a cheap Air Asia or similar budget airline flight to a neighboring country then discard it).

However, to be sure you don't run into that problem, get a regular Tourist Visa - this permits you to stay a full 60 days and can also be extended a further 30 days for 1,900 baht fee. With a visa, you should have no problem with the airlines. But, some regular Thai Embassy/Consulates want to see proof of onward travel - go to the website for Embassy/Consulate where you plan to apply - if you use an honorary consulate, they most likely will not require such proof.

[frequent]

If you google as I suggest you'll see a couple of ways of getting a reservation for the onwards flight that you can include in your visa application without actually buying a ticket. However (I'm guessing) you will have bought a return ticket from the UK so you will already have what you need

[sglad]

I am seriously considering spending the months of January and February in Pattaya.

Now, I know that I can only spend a month at time in the LOS on the airport arrival visa so can I, for example, leave Thailand at the end of January and return sometime in February with no problems for another month-long stay in Thailand?

Is there a limit on the number of times a UK citizen can enter Thailand in any given year?

No limit as long as you're a genuine tourist. If you keep doing back-to-back visa runs then they might flag you and start asking what you're doing in Thailand especially if you're coming in through a land border.

You can get the 60-day tourist visa thing as suggested which would cover your two months (don't know how much it costs for you but it's free for us) or you can get the 30-day visa exempt/social visit pass, leave after 30 days and come back in. Plenty of interesting places to visit in SE Asia during your visa run.

[gerefan2]

posh...you say you only want to stay January and February. My calculations, and I'm not a Maths Lecturer, makes that a total of 59 days. I don't know what extending a 60 day to 90 days is all about...

As I said above, a 60 day Visa is easily obtained from the Thai Embassy in London prior to leaving the UK.

Any visits to Immigration to extend it are an absolute pain in the arse.

Simples.