Visa on arrival - new regs question

[Trvlr 50]

I am a little confused about the new tourist visa rule, because of conflicting info I am getting.

According to web sites (including the Expats Club) people are allowed to stay for a maximum of 90 days in any 6-month period.

But representatives of two consulates I have called said that it is the NUMBER of visits that counts, not the length of stay. According to them, if you have three visas on arrival on your passport in a month, even if you have stayed two days each time, you have to leave the country for 90 days.

Has there been any further clarification on this topic?

Thanks.

[Braveheart 0]

90 days out of 180. In and out as much as you wish so long as you stay within the limit.

Edited October 23, 2006 by Braveheart

[Emil 0]

I had heard it was 3 entry stamps in your passport within the past 6 months required you to stay out of LOS for 90 days. If that's the case then three one day visits would count the same as three 30 day visit with 15 day extensions. So minimun would be 3 day and maximum would be 135.

 

I didn't take a chance with all the conflicting stories I had heard, so to be safe I got the retirement visa with multiple entries when I was in Pattaya last month.

[spacebass 0]

You are talking about a 30 day visa waiver not a visa on arrival which is required of some countries citizens. and costs money.

 

It is worth studying the distinction as you could get confused.

 

sp ace

[PattayaPete 532]

Confusion caused by the Immigration people who have said both things.

 

As I understand it now they have settled on 90 out of 180 days in and out as often as you like.

 

The bottom line here is that if you intend to stay for longer than 30 days you should get a tourist visa (issued by your local Thai Embassy). No 90 day restrictions and if you get a double entry you can stay for 6 months leaving the country once during that time.

[BillWilson 10]

Left Suwanabumi 16 Oct

When to immigration to ask:

 

Live in USA

Come to thailand every 4-8 weeks

stay for 7-15 days

 

What do i need??

 

Was told by 3 different agents:

1) you need a retirement visa

2) you need a visa that you got in USA

3) no problem, in and out all you want

 

My travel agent in LA ( thai national) is calling the thai

embassy and getting the answer

 

I will share

 

I think that the deal is 90 in 180 or as long as you leave asia

[Scumbag 0]

I am only talking about the visa waiver scheme for certain nationalities here as I assume that is what the OP is talking about. I believe the confusion is caused by early reports of the change in the law (or rather the enforcement of an earlier law.) Early reports said that you could have 3 entries (of up to 30 days each) in any 6 month period. However later reports indicated that you could spent up to 90 days in any 180 days in Thailand with no restriction on the number of entries. I followed this quite closely as I thought it would affect my plans.

[SunnyValentine 173]

Scumbag is spot on it seems for now.

 

Fact is Immigration made lots of different statements in the first days and weeks after the original announcement, and seemed to have settled to the 90 out of 180 Days rule only a few days before the 1st of October. If it weren't that sad and silly it would have been a great show of seeing Thai people think publicly, always ignoring some obvious facts, always trying to save their face by somehow keeping to the most ludicrious ideas, but playing them down slightly, just to make sure they won't get the blame for publicly announcing something that could be critisized as stupid ....

 

In the end all we have to do now is wait and see what will happen Early January, at the hight of the hight of tourist season! Will they risk that rumors of tourists on the same kinds of permissions that the highseason tourists have will be extradicted, sending out a signal to all moms and pops who come once a Year for to weeks, that their way of entering Thailand might be considered illegal and they might be repulsed, deported, or prevented from reentering Thailand after a day trip to Cambodia, as the "Visa" they are carrying might be illegal in some cases noone can tell them for sure? Somehow I doubt it. But I also doubted that the various ministries can be that stupid to publicly announce an Alcohol ban for all under 25 Years, and they did it.

It seems the Coup did not change the level of lunacy in Thai government.

 

Sunny

[BillWilson 10]

From the Thai Embasy in Los Angeles

 

http://www.thai-la.net/visa/visa-list30.htm

 

Passport holders from the countries below can visit Thailand without a visa for the maximum of 30 days stay per entry with a total peroid of stay not exceeding 90 days within 6 months from the date of first entry into the kingdom. To enter the kingdom using 30-DAY STAY WITHOUT VISA again, this can be done after the first 6 months ( from the first date you enter thailand).

[spacebass 0]

So how long will the queue be at border crossings as Immigration people trawl through everyones passports to ascertain how long in the last 180 days the presenter of said passport has been in Thailand?