Visa requirements

[Doogle]

This may be posting in the wrong area. But it is the closest I could guess.

I will be flying from USA to Bangkok 14 April. I will be touring with my wife and a friend. They will fly home 4 March from Hanoi. I will stay and rent motorcycles in several other countries. I plan to go to Chiang Mai,Thailand. I may still be in Thailand past 16 March. Is there a multi entry visa longer than 30 days or do I need a new visa when I fly into Chiang Mai?

 

[KTMphil]

This may be posting in the wrong area. But it is the closest I could guess.

I will be flying from USA to Bangkok 14 April. I will be touring with my wife and a friend. They will fly home 4 March from Hanoi. I will stay and rent motorcycles in several other countries. I plan to go to Chiang Mai,Thailand. I may still be in Thailand past 16 March. Is there a multi entry visa longer than 30 days or do I need a new visa when I fly into Chiang Mai?

Your options are a 6 month visa available in your home country or a 60 day visa, extendable for 30 days available at any Thai Consulate.

There are now new requirements to qualify, so you need to check what is needed.

 

[Doogle]

Your options are a 6 month visa available in your home country or a 60 day visa, extendable for 30 days available at any Thai Consulate.

There are now new requirements to qualify, so you need to check what is needed.

This is what the Thai Embassy Cambodia says on their FAQ section:

"Furthermore, foreigners who enter the Kingdom under this Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme may re-enter and stay in Thailand for a cumulative duration of stay of
not exceeding 90 days within any 6-month period from the date of first entry."

It sounds like I would be okay. But I don't want to possibly get bounced. I was hoping someone else may have done this before.


But on the Thai Consulate-General Los Angeles says:

Tourist Visa Requirements for All Passport Holders Including the United States
	Thailand Launches the Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) scheme starting November 13, 2015 - Double and Triple Entry Tourist Visas no longer available

Fee for Tourist Visas for single entry is GRATIS from December 1, 2016, through February 28, 2017. Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa (METV) is still $200.

If it cost $200 for me to return to Thailand for 4-5 days, I think that would be 4-5 days I will spend in some other country.
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The Thaiembassy.com says:
If you have an extension of stay but would like to travel outside Thailand for a short period then you will need to apply for a Re-Entry permit. Unlike before that this can be secured at the airport, Immigration rules have changed and you can now apply for a re-entry permit at the following:

• Thai Immigration located at Suan Pluh, Bangkok
• Any other immigration checkpoint
• 1000 baht

Can you see why I am so confused?

 

[Lone Rider]

Yes, Thailand has made it quite complicated. They have decided to limit the Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme to a maximum of 2 in one year if you enter Thailand at a land border. However, if you come in by air you can enter more than 2 times and still get a Tourist Visa Exemption.

You can get a SETV (single entry Tourist visa) at Thai embassies and consulates for free until 28 February and after that day you will have to pay.

The METV is expensive and there are lots of hoops to jump through depending on where you get the METV.

The Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the different visa types and requirements on their website at Thailand Visa Information : Issuance of Visa

 

[BobS]

Doogle - your listed schedule is a bit confusing

"I will be flying from USA to Bangkok 14 April. I will be touring with my wife and a friend. They will fly home 4 March from Hanoi. I will stay and rent motorcycles in several other countries. I plan to go to Chiang Mai,Thailand. I may still be in Thailand past 16 March."

Are you staying in Asia 11 months?

 

[Doogle]

Doogle - your listed schedule is a bit confusing

"I will be flying from USA to Bangkok 14 April. I will be touring with my wife and a friend. They will fly home 4 March from Hanoi.

Are you staying in Asia 11 months?

Yes,I slipped.I meant 14 February.I edited and changed the date.

 

[Doogle]

The METV is expensive and there are lots of hoops to jump through depending on where you get the METV.

The Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the different visa types and requirements on their website at Thailand Visa Information : Issuance of Visa

I finally broke down and sent them an email.I guess that's the only way to know for sure.
Free for single entry but $200 for multi entry? Who is the brain trust on that policy?

 

[BobS]

Doogle - I recently had some friends visiting from the USA

They flew into Bangkok on December 28, and stayed 5 days

Then they flew to Hanoi for 4 days

Then flew Hanoi-Bangkok-Chiang Mai and stayed here 5 days

While here we did a quick trip to Mae Sai and crossed into Myanmar on foot

Then they flew to Siam Reap for 4 days

Then back to Bangkok for 2 nights before flying back to the USA

No entry problems anywhere. They got 30 days each time.

As long as you won't be in Thailand for more than 30 days at a time, and don't make more than two entries by land, I doubt that you will have any issues.

 

[Doogle]

No entry problems anywhere. They got 30 days each time.
As long as you won't be in Thailand for more than 30 days at a time, and don't make more than two entries by land, I doubt that you will have any issues.

Their's sounds very similar to my plan. And I think my entries will all be by air. Still one concern:

Fee for Tourist Visas for single entry is GRATIS from December 1, 2016, through February 28, 2017.

If I go to Chiang Mai mid March, will the visa exempt policy be gone? If I need a visa will I be able to get it at the airport? What will it cost?
I hope the embassy will answer these concerns addressed in my email.

 

[Lone Rider]

This should be no problem as you mentioned that you enter by air and you should get an entry stamp (Visa Exempt - no costs involved) which allows you to stay in Thailand for 30 days.


From http://www.thaiembassy.ca/en/visiting-thailand/visas/tourist-visa-exemption
According to the Interior Ministerial Announcements dated 1 October B.E. 2545 (2002), 20 December B.E. 2545 (2002), 18 October B.E. 2547 (2004), 6 May B.E. 2548 (2005), and 23 June 2554 (2011), passport holders from 48 countries and 1 special administrative region - Hong Kong SAR - are not required to obtain a visa when entering Thailand for tourism purposes and will be permitted to stay in the Kingdom for a period of not exceeding 30 days on each visit.

 

[Doogle]

This should be no problem as you mentioned that you enter by air and you should get an entry stamp (Visa Exempt - no costs involved) which allows you to stay in Thailand for 30 days.

When I find info online, sometimes it has a date on it. Many times it doesn't. If it is 2 years old it may or may not still be valid. KTMphil posted that a law changed last month about taking a foreign owned motorcycle into Thailand. Things can change fast. I'd like to know before I go.


Emails to embassys don't always give good answers. Maybe my questions don't translate well. My questions to the Myanmar Embassy told me to do what I told them didn't work. Great help.


Finding people on the forum who have recent experience gives me the most comfort. But even then, things can change.