You may have read online about people living in Thailand long-term with tourist visas. They say they just need to leave and come back when the visa expires. They do this for many years and don’t encounter any problems.
But then you try it. And an immigration officer rejects your entry despite having a tourist visa. You can’t enter Thailand. But you still have your belongings here. What should you do then?
Not all hope is lost. There’s a way to get into Thailand again.
But first, a word of warning.
You run some risks staying in Thailand long-term on a tourist visa and doing visa runs. Thailand is becoming much stricter about this. If you want to stay in Thailand long-term, it’s better to get the proper visa.
As the name suggests, a tourist visa is for traveling—not living—in Thailand. When an immigration officer denies you entry into Thailand, there are three steps you should take.
1. Contact Airline
The first thing you need to do is contact the airline you flew to Thailand with.
Under Thai immigration rules, when you’re rejected from entering Thailand, the carrier that brought you to Thailand may be responsible for taking you out of the country or paying the removal costs. In practice, you normally need to deal with the airline that flew you in.
They may fly you back to where you came from.
For example, if you fly from Hanoi to Thailand with Thai Airways, you may need to fly back to Hanoi with Thai Airways.
But if you can’t go back to your country of origin for whatever reason, you can talk to the airline and ask them to fly you to another country instead.
As long as you can pay for the ticket, and the destination country will let you enter, you shouldn’t run into problem flying to another country.
Thai immigration officers don’t care which country you go to. They only want you to leave Thailand.
One important point to remember is that airline counters or the airport area where you are waiting may not accept cash. Be ready to pay for tickets by card or online.
If you can’t do it, ask a friend or family member to do it for you.
2. Fly to Laos or Malaysia and Enter Thailand by Land
You may want to fly to either Laos or Malaysia because:
- they allow many nationalities to enter their country under their visa exemption policies
- Laos offers visa on arrival or eVisa options to many nationalities, while Malaysia has visa-free or eVisa options depending on your passport
- you can enter Thailand by land through these countries
However, you should check the entry requirements for Laos or Malaysia before booking anything. Not every nationality is visa exempt or eligible for visa on arrival.
A land-border entry may be possible, but it isn’t guaranteed, especially after you’ve already been refused entry at a Thai airport.
Depending on your nationality, you can currently stay in Thailand for up to 60 days under the visa exemption policy.
And you can normally extend your stay for another 30 days once you’re in Thailand.
Visa-exempt entries through land or sea border checkpoints are normally limited to two times per calendar year, except for Malaysian nationals entering Thailand through the Malaysian border.
Whatever you do, don’t fly back to Thailand at any cost. When the immigration officer sees that you got rejected on your previous attempt, they might reject your entry again.
However, remember that everything depends on the immigration officer’s decision.
They might give you a shorter stay. They might not let you extend your visa exemption.
Or they might not allow you to enter the country at all.
3. Get a Proper Visa
Fortunately, you may be able to come back to Thailand.
But this is a temporary solution. If you leave Thailand, there’s a chance that you won’t be able to come back again.
Instead, you should find a way to get the right visa. An education visa may be a good option if you enroll in an eligible course and meet the visa requirements.
If you can’t get an education visa, it’s better to ship everything back to your home country, leave Thailand, and come back again with the right visa.
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