Since it is sometimes difficult to get a Non Immigrant Visa for Thailand and it is even more complicated now to stay in Thailand without a Visa, we want to have a look in the details, about how long can we stay in Thailand with a Tourist Visa?
In Thai Embassies and Consulates in most european countries, you can get a Tourist Visa for Thailand, good for 60 days with only 1 entry for 30 € and one with an validity of 180 days and multple entries for (150 €) .
Each entry is good for a stay of 60 days and the Visa can be extended once in Thailand at any Immigration office for 30 days, for 1900,- Baht.
Since we now have a multiple entry visa, this extension at the Immigration Office is not so important anymore. You will more likely just make another border run to extent your stay by another 60 days.
To get the 180 Day Touristvisa with multiple entries at the Embassy or Consulate, you need to bring:
1 Application filled out (with proof of your address in Thailand), 1 passport picture, copy of the data site of your passport, financial proof of at least 5000 Euro and an exit ticket or a hotel booking in another country within 60 days.
These are the requirements of the Thai Consulate & Embassy in Germany, other countries should have similar requirements.
You should apply for the visa just about a week before you fly and give them 2 – 5 working days for processing.
Now if you want to stay in Thailand with a Tourist Visa for as long as possible, it works like this:
- 1st entry in Thailand: 60 days
- Border Run and 2nd entry = 60 days
- Border Run and 3rd entry = 60 days
- Border Run and 4th enty = 60 days
- Gives you a total of <240 Days in Thailand with your Tourist Visa.
Up to 240 days with Tourist Visa in Thailand
Remember that you will always loose a few of the 180 days visa validity, because you will receive the Visa a few days before you fly and you might not always hit the exact last of your 60 days to make your Visa Run!
It is important, that you make your last Visa Run before your 180 day visa expires. It expires exactly 180 days after it was issued at the Thai embassy at home. So make sure to mark this days in red in your calendar: Expiration date of the Visa and the expiration of the 60 days, when you have to make your visa run.