I posted a fresh counter on the site about a week ago. At the time of writing, the counter is at 51 days. This counter indicates roughly the date when I will leave Thailand. The next country will be Vietnam.
Tha date
A november 21-es dátumot az alapján határoztam meg, hogy ekkor lesz nagyjából 3 hónapja, hogy itt élek Thaiföldön.
I decided on the date of November 21st because it will be about 3 months since I have been living here in Thailand.
The truth is that this date may change, but it definitely gives me a framework for my stay here, keeping in mind that I will have to move on soon.
In my article “Missing post: The final practical steps” I wrote this: “Now I’m here and I don’t have a visa. I don’t think this will bother anyone for three months. Especially not me. Then I’ll go to another country, and I’ll be more careful with the visa issue there. I know from ChatGPT what kind of punishment I can expect in terms of the visa issue, so I’m curious to see what happens to me when I leave here. I’m hoping that this won’t be my first prison experience. “
While I was still at home, a friend of mine recommended the so-called consular protection service to me. This is how they described this option: “Whether you are traveling abroad for a short period of time or are living in another country as a way of life, we recommend that you register for consular protection and fill out the online registration form. If you register for consular protection, your contact information will help us provide you with consular assistance more quickly if you get into trouble abroad. Furthermore, the information you provide during registration will help us contact you if the Consular Service declares a state of emergency in the destination country where you have registered for consular protection. “
I have not registered for this protection now. However, I did look into the section on travel advice for the given country and what to do before traveling.
Here is some information about Thailand that is important for the date of departure from Vietnam:
- We would like to draw the attention of travelers to Thailand that from May 1, 2025, all non-Thai citizens entering Thailand by air, land or sea must fill out the newly introduced so-called “Thailand Digital Arrival Card” (TDAC) online within 3 days before arrival. I told you about this, I have one, although I filled it out in Bangkok, at the airport, not three days before departure.
- In the case of a stay of up to 60 days: Hungarian citizens (tourism, business purposes, occasional short-term employment) can stay in Thailand without a visa for 60 days after arriving by air, land or sea. It will no longer be necessary to extend the stay here for 30 days at the Immigration Office, but within 60 days. After leaving and re-entering the country (visa run), they can stay in Thailand for another 60 days.
- Starting from October 8, 2024, Hungarian citizens will be able to submit their long-term visa application electronically in the renewed Thai e-Visa system (https://www.thaievisa.go.th), and they do not need to visit the competent Thai embassy in person.
So, I am currently legally in Thailand and I need to get my 30 day extension in October.
So the target date is 2025.11.21
Why Vietnam?
I could say that only. But it’s a bit more sophisticated than that. Months ago I heard about an event called “Da Nang Nomad Fest 2026”. According to my information at the time, this would have been at the end of February, so it would be just in time for me to be in this country, so I could visit this event more easily.
However, according to today’s information, the exact date of the event is: Fri Mar 20, 2026 11:00 AM – Sun Mar 29, 2026 10:30 PM. These dates make the organization interesting at the moment. I wonder how long I will be able to stay here.
It would be nice to reach this festival, because the topics developed there are interesting, despite the strong overlap with the Nomad Cruise program:
- Digital Nomad Lifestyle: Navigate the ins and outs of thriving as a digital nomad.
- Launching an Online Business: Gain essential insights for starting and growing your online venture.
- Digital Marketing: Mastering Marketing in the Digital Age
- Building Your Community: Understand the importance of community and how to cultivate a supportive network.
- Finance & Passive Income: Explore strategies for managing finances and creating sustainable passive income streams.
- Productivity & Time Management: Enhance your productivity and master time management techniques.
- AI & Automation: Discover how to leverage the latest AI and automation technologies for your business.
- Personal Development: Explore tools and practices to enhance personal growth and mindfulness.
Visa
Since I came across such a good site where I can get official information about a country, I checked the Vietnamese visa framework at the consular protection:
- From August 15, 2025, Hungarian citizens holding private passports can travel to Vietnam for tourist purposes without a visa for a period not exceeding 45 days.
- According to our current knowledge, stays other than this purpose and exceeding this period are still subject to a visa requirement, but we are awaiting official confirmation from the local authorities. In these cases, the visa cannot be applied for upon entry, but must be applied for in advance, on the online platform set up for this purpose.
- According to the information provided by the local Immigration Office, the processing time for the e-visa is 3-10 working days, but according to experience, this takes longer. We recommend that the visa application be submitted at least one month before the trip. It is valid for 90 days and costs USD 25 for a single visa and USD 50 for a multiple-entry visa.
- IMPORTANT: If you require a visa for entry due to the duration of your trip, please wait for the Vietnamese Immigration Office to respond to your visa application. If you do not receive a confirmation email or if you have provided incorrect information during the application process, please contact the office at: https://evisa.gov.vn/support
Based on the above, I still have some uncertainty, but it will all be revealed in time.
I have to start slowly preparing for this trip!
Buy me a coffee?
If you enjoyed this story, you can buy me a coffee. You don’t have to – but it means a lot and I always turn it into a new adventure.
Buy a coffee for Steve
Linktree
Short introduction