How many times can I 'border-hop' to re-new my stay in Thailand?

This problem has turned some forums red hot. Basically the immigration officers are counting days. You cannot stay on these visa waivers for more than 90 days in any 6-month period. There is massive confusion and inconsistency between immigration posts. If you start getting marks in red pen next to your stamps, then you are approaching the danger area. If you're going to be close, you should get a regular tourist visa from Penang or Singapore. So to summarise, it's days rather than how many times you 'border-hop'.

As you know the issue is with the type of visa being used rather than a max number of times to do a visa run - go out of the country and quickly return. Under the visa waiver scheme, where you get a 30 day 'visa stamp' saying 'W30', its 90 days in Thailand under this scheme in any 6 month period. After they have used their 90 days many people go down to Penang, where I believe that there is a Thai consulate to get a 60 day tourist visa. Using a 60 day tourist visa to enter Thailand is not coming in uder the visa waiver scheme and therefore doesn't break any rules about staying in Thailand for 90 days in any 6 month period.

I don't think there is a limit.

Following the September 2006 military coup, some of the immigration laws are being applied more strictly in Thailand. The best thing is to get a visa for double or more entries from your nearest Royal Thai embassy or diplomatic mission, which will allow you to a maximum of 90 days stay upon each entry. Usually, upon request and provided you can show them good cause and funds to stay in Thailand, you'll be granted such a visa...which takes care of the first six months. The visa-run, as it is commonly called in Thailand, is rife with problems. There have been cases where visa-runners got stranded in Laos or Cambodia due to issues such as exceeding the number of days permitted for continuous stay for a particular nationality, passport validity etc. Suggest you enquire at your nearest Thai embassy/ diplomatic mission because Thai immigration rules change according to the visitor's nationality. Citizens of some countries are not allowed to leave/ enter the country by road or rail.

Nowhereman is right in his reply. 90-days in a 6 months period and you have to leave. This is the clamp down on people who used to do border visa runs. So it is either you pay for the extended visa or you are out.

They have the reply

Bogmonster and nowwhereman are spot on. IF you come here with a multiple entry tourist visa you can actually make it for 6 months...60 days on first entry, cross border and get a fresh 60. Then that expires and you can border cross 2 more times before you must leave. That's you're three border crossings in 6 months. But the immigration folks are counting days and if you come in on VOA and have close to the 90 days in a 6 month period you could be given 7 days to get out of the country. It is a very dicey thing right now. Had people procured the proper visas in the first place instead of trying to beat the system this would not be an issue. I cannot recommend strongly enough that you get a 60 day tourist visa with multiple entries BEFORE you come here. Spend the few dollars and know you will be ok.