# Visa query



## fgfgerard (Nov 14, 2010)

Sorry another visa query, people must be sick of them 

I am going to Thailand shortly for a period of 4 months, maximum 5. I know I will need to get a 60 day tourist visa to start off with. Now I've been looking at other peoples queries on the internet and most folk seem to have different circumstances.

I will be travelling on an Irish visa from the UK (where I currently live) I am single, in my 40s and am simply going to be staying with acquaintances, doing tourist stuff around Thailand and taking it easy.

Now I know I can get a 2 month visa from here which when I am in Thailand I can extend to a 3rd month. I have heard of multiple entry visas etc. . Why would I need one of them?

How do I squeeze another month or 2 out of my stay?
Will they need to see my plane ticket as I was hoping to buy a plane ticket with a fixed return date 4/5 months after my arrival date or am I better off getting a ticket with a flexible return?

Any advice would be appreciated


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## Donutz2 (Apr 14, 2014)

Im unsure about the details since I never needed one myself yet but indeed you:
- apply for a 60 day visa with 2-3 entries.
- extend it with an other 30 days after arrivial (at the immigration centre??)
- Go across the border (border run) to have it extended an other 30 days, using up an "entry".
This way you could stay up to 9 months (3 x (60+30 days)).

I wish I had more detailed info at hand but I hope this helps you at least a little.


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## fgfgerard (Nov 14, 2010)

Donutz2 said:


> Im unsure about the details since I never needed one myself yet but indeed you:
> - apply for a 60 day visa with 2-3 entries.
> - extend it with an other 30 days after arrivial (at the immigration centre??)
> - Go across the border (border run) to have it extended an other 30 days, using up an "entry".
> ...


Okay so I take it with my 60 day 3-entry visa as an example I can enter the country and each time get a 60 day visa along with a 30 day extension. 

Would be nice to get feedback on the air return ticket sencario and what I need to satisfy the authorities.


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## fgfgerard (Nov 14, 2010)

Okay some information I found clarifies the situation somewhat

How To: Border Run from Chiang Mai to Mae Sai


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## tod-daniels (Dec 1, 2013)

There is no such thing as a "multiple entry tourist visa". They are sold as single, double or triple entry only!

Given the amount of time you're going to be here; you only need a double entry tourist visa. 

Where ever you're going to apply for the tourist visa to thailand, ask that Embassy for a double entry tourist visa. 

What that does is give you 2 entries each for 60 days. 

It works like this;
You fly in, get a "permission to stay until stamp" of 60 days. When that time is almost up, you go to thai immigrations inside the country and apply for a 30 day extension of stay (1900baht). 

Then BEFORE the visa itself expires, you make a "border run" (where you exit thailand, enter a boarding country, turn around and come right back into thailand). 

That will "activate" the second entry of your tourist visa and give you another 60 day "permission to stay until stamp". 

Even that can be extended one more time if you need to inside the country at thai immigrations. 

All in you get nearly 6 months out of a double entry tourist visa. 

Good Luck

P/S: with a valid VISA for thailand (which a tourist visa is) you don't need to show proof of onward travel at the airlines when boarding! It's only people who fly in without visas using a "visa exempt entry" which the airlines want proof of onward travel. There's NOTHING in thai law which says you need it, it's the airlines who hardline you about it because should you show up without a visa and be denied entry, the airlines has to pony up the money to lug you back where ever you came from.. 

If you have a double entry tourist visa you'll be fine..


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## Donutz2 (Apr 14, 2014)

Thanks Tod, that's more detailed then I could have written it (since I never did this first hand). The info you provided seems correct to me, including regarding onwards travel: as far as Thailand is concerned you don't need a return ticket, I've hear that some airlines do ask for a return ticket for instance if somebody has no visa at all (30 day visa on arrival -only when travelling by air, overland you get 15 days) but no onward/return ticket either, which worries airliners.


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## fgfgerard (Nov 14, 2010)

Brilliant, thats the clearest explanation I've had so far for my purposes 




tod-daniels said:


> There is no such thing as a "multiple entry tourist visa". They are sold as single, double or triple entry only!
> 
> Given the amount of time you're going to be here; you only need a double entry tourist visa.
> 
> ...


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## tod-daniels (Dec 1, 2013)

Just a note there "Donutz2";
You've got some terminology mix upz (but most foreigners do too, so don't feel bad); 

I believe it's almost 48 countries which don't get a "visa on arrival".. Instead they get a "30 day visa exempt" stamp. That means they showed up here with NO visa for thailand already in their passport and were granted 30 days permission to stay on visa exempt status. When they arrive all they get is that "permitted to stay until" stamp.

Also the land border crossing rules have been changed again. For countries which are members of G7 (The United States, Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Germany, France and Italy); it is no longer a 15 day visa exempt stamp but 30 days. That changed a couple months ago.

A visa on arrival is available only to 19 countries (Bhutan, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Maldives, Mauritius, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Taiwan, Ukraine). Just an FYI: when you get a "visa on arrival" , you actually pay for and have a visa stamped into your passport at the airport along with the "permitted to stay until stamp". 

As I said in my earlier post, all the O/P will need is a double entry tourist visa.


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## joseph44 (May 4, 2011)

Tod-Daniels described it exactly as it is; in both posts.


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