6 month visa or 60 day visa (Australian)

[leeeeeeroy]

Is it worth it getting the 6 month visa - I hear you still have to do border runs anyway. So it would just be the same as the 60 +30 day extension visa...right?

 

With the 60 day one do they get sketch if you do a border run? or do they only get sketch if you do a border run by land?

 

trying to get as much info as I can before applying for one - not sure which one to get - anyone have experience using Thai visas and what has worked?

 

The 6 month visa is like $250 compared to a much cheaper 60 day one

[KhunBENQ]

1) You don't say what your intention is?

2) How long do you want so stay?

 

Indeed the "6 month visa" aka Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) allows for only 60 days per entry with the option to extend by 30 days per entry (1900 Baht).

After that a border run is necessary.

So you could manage close to 9 months of stay just interrupted by border runs.

 

Worth or not?

See questions 1 and 2.

[leeeeeeroy]

Yes but I'm asking - why would I apply for a 6 month visa when its essentially exactly the same as the 60 day visa (which has options to extend +30 days)

 

Are they not just the same thing? 

 

I assume the 6 month visa ensures you entry FOR SURE - but in reality does it even matter, don't they just continue to let people in on 60 day visas over and over?

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, leeeeeeroy said:

Are they not just the same thing? 

Not the same other than both are tourist visas.

One is a single entry visa that allows one 60 day entry that can be extended for 30 days for 3 months from the date of issue.

The other is multiple entry visa that allows unlimited 60 day entries that can be extended for 30 days for 6 months from the date it is issued. 

[KhunBENQ]

6 minutes ago, leeeeeeroy said:

Are they not just the same thing? 

 No.

A standard tourist visa allows for a single entry within 3 months from date of issue.

Allowed stay 60 days plus option to extend by 30 days.

 

An METV allows for multiple entries within 6 months from date of issue.

Allowed stay 60 days plus option to extend by 30 days per entry.

 

[KhunBENQ]

 

10 minutes ago, leeeeeeroy said:

don't they just continue to let people in on 60 day visas over and over? 

Yes.

Why would you doubt that?

What rumor is behind?

[leeeeeeroy]

I see,

 

By the way - thank you for the info so far.

 

I heard that on a 60 day visa - they can sketch out a little if you're leaving, applying for another visa, then returning on another 60 day visa, over and over again. Or is this a non-issue? and they don't really mind?

 

Also - what would be the point of getting a 6 month visa if the above is true? because you have to leave every 60 days anyway so ...why would someone pay $250 for a 6 month?

[racket]

I would choose METV because you can actually get 9 months out of your 6 months visa. If you do a border run a few days before the visa expires, you get another entry of 2 months which can be extended with another 30 days.

 

METV also gives you the option to travel outside the country and come back without waiving your entry.

 

Lastly, the IO also values your METV over the SETV. 

[Airalee]

I do a two month rotation between the US and Thailand.  It would be cheaper for me to get two 60 day tourist visas for $80 ($40 each) but I choose the 6 month ($200) visa strictly for convenience purposes as that way I don’t have to go get photos taken ($20) , go to the bank for another cashiers check, print out bank statements and make 2 extra trips to the consulate (drop off and pick up).  All of that adds up to about an extra 4 hours of time.  For me, spending the extra $100 is worth it for saving the time and hassle.

[KhunBENQ]

10 minutes ago, leeeeeeroy said:

then returning on another 60 day visa, over and over again. Or is this a non-issue? and they don't really mind?

If you repeatedly visit the same consulate in one of the neighboring countries they WILL mind and refuse after a number of visas in a row.

Rules differ from consulate, I don't have the numbers present.

 

You are still not open with your intensions.

Hard to recommend without knowing.

[KhunBENQ]

3 minutes ago, racket said:

Lastly, the IO also values your METV over the SETV. 

I call this spread of rumor.

What indication do you have for that?

A genuine tourist on his first entry of the year by air will not raise any questions.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, leeeeeeroy said:

I see,

 

By the way - thank you for the info so far.

 

I heard that on a 60 day visa - they can sketch out a little if you're leaving, applying for another visa, then returning on another 60 day visa, over and over again. Or is this a non-issue? and they don't really mind?

 

Also - what would be the point of getting a 6 month visa if the above is true? because you have to leave every 60 days anyway so ...why would someone pay $250 for a 6 month?

The advantage of the METV is that you can come and go freely during the validity period of the visa. You can even do a quick border hop to get a fresh 60-day entry, and do not need to worry about getting a fresh visa when you take side trips to places with no Thai consulate where you can apply for a tourist visa. For instance, you could visit Japan for a few days and return with no trouble, whereas the Thai consulates in Japan will not issue tourist visas to non residents of Japan. Another example: if you want to make an out of country trip for the weekend, there is no way to get a tourist visa while you are away. Relying on a series of single entry tourist visas means your travel plans must revolve around where Thai tourist visas are issued, how long they take to issue, and requirements for having them issued.

 

If you can easily get an METV, and plan to travel around different countries, definitely do it. The decision is closer if you just want to stay 6-8 months in Thailand with trips outside purely to get a fresh visa. That is doable, though may be more costly (considering overnight stays in a city with a Thai consulate) rather than a quick border hop at a land crossing.

[racket]

6 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

I call this spread of rumor.

What indication do you have for that?

A genuine tourist on his first entry of the year by air will not raise any questions.

 

I believe the reasons are obvious because the IO understands that you need at least 200,000 baht in the bank in order to receive the visa, that leaves him out of suspicious the tourist not having any money. Secondly, an employment certificate indicates the tourist have a job he/she is going back to after the visit. If you read the METV thread, there are many people who've had at least 3-4 METVs without any demands for questioning. To put it bluntly, the embassy in the country of origin have done much of the job that the IO doesn't have to look further into. Perhaps we can call this rumors, but really the choice is more about how you plan your trip and the metv gives you more freedom. 

 

Ps. If it's the first time visit, then not a big deal.. I was just thinking broadly.

 

 

Edited August 22, 2018 by racket