Living and working in Thailand

Living In Thailand without a Visa

Last udate: November 2011

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Even if a proper Tourist or Non Immigrant Visa is the right way to stay for a longer period in Thailand, it is still possible do stay even without a Visa and there are quiet a lot of people doing so. It seems that the Thai authorities don't like those people without a Visa because they believe they running illegal business' and so don't pay taxes. Over the last few years, it became more and more difficult and complicated to stay in Thailand without a Visa but it's still possible:

People from most european countries will get a "Temporary Permit of Stay" for 30 days, when entering Thailand without a Visa in their passports. Now you would simply have to make a Border Run to the next border, exit and reenter Thailand and you would get another 30 days in your passport.
Before October 2006 there were a lot of people living in Thailand for years, doing a Visa Run every 30 days and a lot of transport operations depended on them.

In October 2006 the rules were changed, allowing foreigners to stay in Thailand without a Visa for a total of only 90 days successively. After that they were sent home for at least 6 month or to come back with a proper Visa.
Since then, this rules have changed several times and this is the latest version by August 2009:

If you enter Thailand without a Visa via an Airport, you will get your 30 days allowance!
If you enter Thailand without a Visa by road or train you will get only 15 days allowance.
You are allowed to make up to 4 Border Runs by land transport before you must do one by plane to receive a 30 days allowance and you may start your 15 day sequence from the beginning.
If you stay in Thailand like this for 2 years or so, your passport will be full!

So if you want to stay in Thailand for one year without a Visa it looks like this:

	Runs	Allowance	No. of stamps in passport
1st entry via an airport:		30 days	1
2nd - 5th entry by land transport (4 x 15 days)	4	60 days	16
6th entry via an airport	1	30 days	4
7th - 10th entry by land transport (4 x 15 days)	4	60 days	16
11th entry via an airport	1	30 days	4
12th - 15th entry by land transport (4 x 15 days)	4	60 days	16
16th entry via an airport:	1	30 days	4
17th - 20th entry by land transport (4 x 15 days)	4	60 days	16
Total:	19	360 days	77

Every Border Run gives you 4 stamps in your passport:

Thailand out
other country in
other country out
Thailand in

If we calculate that a border run by land transport costs about 2000,- Baht and an exit by plane not less than 5000,- Baht we end up at 47,000,- Baht for one year. It might be cheaper to buy a ticket back home and come back with a Tourist Visa or Non Immigrant Visa!