Visa runs in Thailand still possible ?

[Peter_North]

With the new rules after October 2006, any brothers out there in Thailand still managed to stay in Thailand for long term without a work permit type of VISA ?

[TD.king]

Originally Posted by Peter_North

With the new rules after October 2006, any brothers out there in Thailand still managed to stay in Thailand for long term without a work permit type of VISA ?

bro, if u want to stay long term in thailand, u can go to the thai embassey in orchard rd to apply for a social visit pass. sure can approved easily. one of my friend always did that, so he need not do a u-turn to get his passport chop again. hope this can help u.

[vmtech]

90days tourist visa (60+30) + 3 border runs (30x3) + 90days tourist visa (60+30) + 3 border runs (30x3) .

and over .
stay in sg for a week or 2 to coverup for the overlapping days, tourist visa application for sgreans in the thai emb in sg is free. no hassle, just fillup form, bring pp, and come back to collect the next working day.

done it. it works.

[prizzi_65]

Originally Posted by Norikasan55

How much is the social visit pass and VISA?

If you are a Singaporean or have valid working permit in Singapore (EP, PR etc) you can apply for a Business Visa at the Thai Embassy at Orchard Road. It is free. However the business visa is only good for a single visit within three months of approving the visa (not date of entry into LOS). You apply in the morning and can get it in the next day afternoon.

When the current govt came into power, they enforced the 90 days within 6 months window rule. Meaning that you will denied entry if you travelled to LOS for more than 90 days within 6 windows (multiple entries). For those who cheong, I doubt you can use up 90 days in 6 months. So it should be okay to enter the kingdom using your passport or visa-on-arrival.

For those like me who apply for the business visa, you can apply for a multiple re-entry permit when you are inside LOS. You cannot apply for multiple entry in the Thai Embassy in SGP, only when you are inside LOS. You can either go to the local Immigration Department to apply for the re-entry permit or you can do it at the airport. More info can be found on a website that I don't have it with me right now. I will update it later. At the airport, you have to fill up a form and pay 3800 baht. The process takes about an hour and so you want to go to the airport two hours earlier than your normal schedule. The time can vary depending on the number of applicant. Once the multiple re-entry permit is approved. You can enter the kingdom any number of time within the validity of the business visa. Note that the re-entry permit does not extend your visa in any way. It simply allows you to use your business visa for the full duration of the validity period.

I may not have all the full details as my HR in my SGP and BKK office handle all my paperwork. I give them my passport and photos and they come back with the valid visa. One thing I know if you need plenty of photos. In SGP, we need passport size photos. If you happen to be taking your photos in LOS, you must tell them visa size photos. Passport size photos in LOS is even bigger. I made that mistake once and I had to cut the photos into size.

You can extend your business visa in LOS but it is only for a maximum of 7 calendar days. Only one extension is granted. You have to go to the local immigration department to extend it.

[Peter_North]

Originally Posted by TD.king

bro, if u want to stay long term in thailand, u can go to the thai embassey in orchard rd to apply for a social visit pass. sure can approved easily. one of my friend always did that, so he need not do a u-turn to get his passport chop again. hope this can help u.

Bro Vmtech answered most of the questions. Thai Embassy gives 60+30 only, not long term as in 1 year etc.

[Peter_North]

Originally Posted by vmtech

90days tourist visa (60+30) + 3 border runs (30x3) + 90days tourist visa (60+30) + 3 border runs (30x3) .

and over .
stay in sg for a week or 2 to coverup for the overlapping days, tourist visa application for sgreans in the thai emb in sg is free. no hassle, just fillup form, bring pp, and come back to collect the next working day.

done it. it works.

Bro, the Indian lady at Th.E Orchard says after my 60 + 30 days VISA, I will have to wait OUTSIDE Thailand for another 60 days before Th.E will approve a 2nd VISA for a similar 60 + 30 days. So if I do my border runs for 3 x 30 days after the expiry of my 1st VISA, you think Th.E Orchard or other Th.E in Laos or Cambodia will give me a 2nd VISA ?

[vmtech]

Originally Posted by Peter_North

Bro Vmtech answered most of the questions. Thai Embassy gives 60+30 only, not long term as in 1 year etc.

Bro Peter_north, tourist visas got double and 3riple entries but den... veyr hard to get and from what i know that the thai embassy in singapore only issue single entry. The method i said was the most hassle free bah, Hope this helps

[Peter_North]

Originally Posted by vmtech

Bro Peter_north, tourist visas got double and 3riple entries but den... veyr hard to get and from what i know that the thai embassy in singapore only issue single entry. The method i said was the most hassle free bah, Hope this helps

Thanks, Bro. I'm aware that Th.E outside Thailand only issues single entry. I'm not so concerned about the number of entries; I don't have to come back to Singapore until my VISA expires.

I'm more concerned about the method you suggested, as I plan to go for a long stretch of at least 6 months before considering dropping by Singapore again.

It's because of what the Indian lady at Th.E Orchard said that I'm worried about my chances for a 2nd tourist VISA, as the 3 x 30 border runs means I didn't stay "outside" Thailand for 60 days before applying for a 2nd tourist VISA.

[Peter_North]

Originally Posted by prizzi_65

When the current govt came into power, they enforced the 90 days within 6 months window rule. Meaning that you will denied entry if you travelled to LOS for more than 90 days within 6 windows (multiple entries). For those who cheong, I doubt you can use up 90 days in 6 months. So it should be okay to enter the kingdom using your passport or visa-on-arrival.

I believe this is where the confusion starts.

Foremost, VISA exemption up to xx days and VISA on arrival are different. And both are NOT tourist VISAs. For Singaporeans, it's VISA exemption up to 30 days. PRC will be VISA on arrival, up to 7days or 14 days with fees payable at the airport in BKK.

If we go to the Th. E @ Orchard, it's called a Tourist VISA and it's 60 days + 30 days. Nothing to do with business. You can indicate your purpose as Leisure and you'll still get the same Tourist VISA with no questions asked.

If we've a business in BKK or a branch in BKK, we're talking about business VISA which is an entirely different animal.

The multiple entry VISA should not be confused with VISA border runs. You do border runs because you don't have a VISA and you're counting on the usual VISA exemption. And the MOST IMPORTANT part about the new rules is this:

The 90-day within 6 months cap only affects people without VISA, i.e. people doing border runs. The idea is to stop people from doing border runs indefinitely. The period whereby you stay in Thailand WITH A TOURIST or non-emigrant VISA does not count towards the 90 days.

So if you've been in Thailand for 90 days based on a Tourist VISA you got from Th. E @ Orchard, when you do your VISA border run, this period whereby you stayed in Thailand based on a Tourist VISA will not count towards the 90 days within 6 months limitation.

[vmtech]

the indian lady (shima) is correct, the rule in thailand now is u can stay 90days of visa-exempted stamps out of 180 days in a year.

visa-exempted stamps refer to the stamps u have when u go over to thailand without a tourist visa, which is also the 1s u have when u do ur border runs.

so what happens if u are already up to ur 90th day (3rd run) but u still want to stay in thailand? simple, leave thailand and visit a consulate to get a TOURIST visa. that will allow u to stay in thailand because Tourist visa doesnt count into the 90days in 180day rule.

and a good way to stay more den 6 months is to get a tourist visa 1st, after your 60+30, go for 3 visa runs, and den leave thailand to singapore for a week (to cover up for those overlapping days) by the time u come back singapore, it would have been more den 90days since ur last visa run, so add your 1st 60+30 and your 90days, that would have been 180days, end of cycle 1. proceed to get ur tourist visa and go back in.

it's also possible that the emb will refuse u the tourist visa back to back but that is why i go for touristvisa den 3 visa runs, instead of tourist visa after tourist visa. and normally they will issue backtoback without any problems for 3 times, before they start to suspect. but it's not permanent, just head to penang if singapore dont allow, and by the time penang stop issuing u, head back to singapore lor.


it's rather confusing in words but i hope u get wad i mean?

and dont take those farang's posts in other forums too seriously, as they have problems getting tourist visas, forcing them to go back. they wouldnt have problems at all in the thai embassy of thier HOME country. but why they go penang, singapore, etc because it's nearer and cheaper from thailand.

but for us sinaporeans, this is our HOME country, almost no problems in getting back to back visas up to 3 times.

ANOTHER WAY: is to get a ED visa, costs u around 30kthb a year, and it gives u a whole 1 yr to to stay in thailand.

just enroll in a thai language school and let the school take care of it, that's what my burmese girl is doing now in bangkok.

[motodiary]

Although I have never been in a position to be concerned about this, I have been making the same assumption as Peter North and I believe many others people do as well.

@vmtech,

Thank You for clearing things up.

[Peter_North]

Originally Posted by motodiary

Although I have never been in a position to be concerned about this, I have been making the same assumption as Peter North and I believe many others people do as well.

@vmtech,

Thank You for clearing things up.

I don't think you understood the whole situation correctly.

I don't remember making any assumptions. What were your assumptions ?

[Peter_North]

Originally Posted by vmtech

so what happens if u are already up to ur 90th day (3rd run) but u still want to stay in thailand? simple, leave thailand and visit a consulate to get a TOURIST visa. that will allow u to stay in thailand because Tourist visa doesnt count into the 90days in 180day rule.

This option is OUT for me because I've already apply for a Tourist VISA.

and a good way to stay more den 6 months is to get a tourist visa 1st, after your 60+30, go for 3 visa runs, and den leave thailand to singapore for a week (to cover up for those overlapping days) by the time u come back singapore, it would have been more den 90days since ur last visa run, so add your 1st 60+30 and your 90days, that would have been 180days, end of cycle 1. proceed to get ur tourist visa and go back in.

Let us just round up the 3 consecutive VISA runs to 90 days (no overlapping) for the sake of calculation. If for example:

1 Jan 2008 - 31 Mar 2008 (Tourist VISA obtained from Embassy)
1 Apr 2008 - 30 Apr 2008 (1st VISA run)
1 May 2008 - 31 May 2008 (2nd VISA run)
1 Jun 2008 - 30 Jun 2008 (3rd VISA run)

I have completed 90 days using Tourist VISA and 90 days VISA runs, and when I seek to apply a 2nd Tourist VISA from the Embassy, will my 2nd Tourist VISA be considered a Back 2 Back VISA ?

My worry is this: The Embassy will check my passport and she sees that I have been in Thailand for the past 6 months, out of which 90 days were accumulated via VISA runs. The Embassy clearly told me I needed to be out of Thailand for 2 months before they will consider a 2nd Tourist VISA ?

it's rather confusing in words but i hope u get wad i mean?

Indeed. Especially the part of staying one week in Singapore for covering the "overlapping" days. What is the purpose of covering the overlapping days ? My 3 VISA runs may chalk up about, say 83 days. When I go to the Embassy for my 2nd Tourist VISA, what difference does that additional 7 days make ?

(1) The Embassy is either going to look at whether I have been OUTSIDE Thailand for 60 days, in which case the 7 days will not be enough; OR

(2) If the Embassy is going to count the period I had been INSIDE Thailand for using VISA runs backdating 6 months, they will notice that I chalked up 83 days ? They will give me another 7 days to stay in Thailand

In the case of (2), if I apply for a 2nd Tourist VISA on 1 Jul 2008 (based on the above example), the Embassy look back 6 months and see that I have used up the max of 90 days VISA runs, so I don't get a 2nd Tourist VISA. If I apply on 1 Aug 2008, same thing; 1 Sep 2008, same thing. Only when it hits 1 October 2008, I get 30 days; 1 November I get 60 days.

Please correct me if I'm wrong

[vmtech]

overlapping days means to cover up the days , taking for instance u go on visa runs on ur 30th day, so ur 1st day is actually ur 30th day too .

and when ur tourist visa expiry date falls on a holiday where the immirgation at suanplu aint open, you need to go early a few days. thats the overlapping days, because if you add up all your 60+30 + 30x3, it has to be 180days and above to complete the cycle.

Shima never said anithing about having to say 2 months away from thailand before, because i went to her 3 times using the method i mentioned and she didnt even blink at me when she issued my tourist visa LOL

so no worries bro

Let us just round up the 3 consecutive VISA runs to 90 days (no overlapping) for the sake of calculation. If for example:

1 Jan 2008 - 31 Mar 2008 (Tourist VISA obtained from Embassy)
1 Apr 2008 - 30 Apr 2008 (1st VISA run)
1 May 2008 - 31 May 2008 (2nd VISA run)
1 Jun 2008 - 30 Jun 2008 (3rd VISA run)

I have completed 90 days using Tourist VISA and 90 days VISA runs, and when I seek to apply a 2nd Tourist VISA from the Embassy, will my 2nd Tourist VISA be considered a Back 2 Back VISA ?

nope. back to back means 2 tourist visa without the visa runs in btwn.
and always i use Backpacking as a reason everytime a question on why i need so long to be in thailand. works like a charm

[Peter_North]

Originally Posted by vmtech

Shima never said anithing about having to say 2 months away from thailand before, because i went to her 3 times using the method i mentioned and she didnt even blink at me when she issued my tourist visa LOL

so no worries bro

Bro, you yandao izzit ?

nope. back to back means 2 tourist visa without the visa runs in btwn.
and always i use Backpacking as a reason everytime a question on why i need so long to be in thailand. works like a charm

So are you stationed in Thailand now ? What are you doing in Thailand ?