watgate

Thank you for the invaluable info. I knew I could count on you folks to give me some good info. Kudos to you.

So I read on one of the forums that the Green Bus Company was supposed to be a more reliable and safer bus albeit a little more expensive. I have read repeated stories of carnage and mayhem throughout Thailand of travelers utilizing various buses througout Thailand. I am hoping some of the long-stay folks can recommend a bus company or two who are known for not skirting costs on maintenance and have a good performance and safety rating. I am planning on traveling to Isaan this winter by bus departing from Chiang Mai and am hoping to arrive in one piece, thus my inquiry into the best bus companies to achieve that goal. I don't care if the bus company is more expensive. I am more concerned about their safety record and upkeep and the skill of their drivers. Any information would be appreciaited.

Is their a bus you can take from Chiang Mai to SIem Reap Cambodia? If so, how often do they run and how much does it cost? Also, are their any procedures once you get to the border in terms of visa requirements?

So if you leave Thailand, whether on a border run or fly back to your country, and re-enter Thailand while the first year of your multiple-entry non-OA is still in effect, then with the new entry stamp acquired either by doing a border run or returning back to Thailand from your home country before your visa expires will give you a second year?

maestro- When I arrived back in the US last year I received a stamp at JFK with the date of arrival surrounded by an oval circle with the faint wording of homeland security so I guess that is an arrival stamp. P.S I am not sure if I will be sending my application for a triple entry tourist visa with a validity of 6 months to LA or Washington DC. I don't have a good feeling about either one. I hope I am wrong but all this uncertainty really makes proper planning more difficult and creates more stress. It is very frustrating.

So maybe I am missing something here but it would appear that if you can obtain a non-immigrant visa O before leaving for Thailand then upon arriving in Thailand you apply for a retirement extension, you don't have to supply a medical or police report at any point during this process. Is this correct or am I missing something?

In applying for a retirement extension in Thailand, say you already entered on a non-O, what documentation do you need to supply at Immigration in order to get approved for the retirement extension?

So to obtain an O visa you don't have to supply a police or medical but just financials in your country to the Thai consulate and once in Thailand you would somehow convert the O visa to a retirement visa?

I am not sure how this visa works. Someone said you can apply for this visa for the purpose of traveling to Thailand to apply for successive one-year extensions of stay for the reason of retirement. Is this correct? Also, in order to get a multiple entry non O-A visa you have to furnish all sorts of documentation at the Thai embassy in the US to get this type of visa but it sounds like with the single-entry non-O visa you don't have to supply the required documentation that is needed for the multiple non O-A such as police report, health form, bank statement etc. I know I am missing something here thus my posting to get these two visas straightened out in my head. Do you need to supply the same required documentation for a retirement visa for the single-entry non-O as you do for the multiple non-O-A visa, and if so, when do you need to submit this documentation, before or after you are in Thailand?

Alleluia Saints be preserved. I 'll probably forget all this but at least I have it written down in the form of emails. A big thank you to you and all your mods and admins who have helped me try and understand the complexities of navigating the Thai visa requirements. It provide a great service and I am very appreciative of your service.

So if i leave Thailand after the expiry date of the visa but with a valid permission to stay stamp for the second year, then I should obtain a re-entry permit prior to departing Thailand which would be valid for the length of my permission to stay. Correct?

So in scenario #2 I should get a re-entry permit before I left Thailand? If so, how long is the re-entry permit valid for? Also, if you leave Thailand and return very near but befoe the visa use before date you get an additional year of stay at no cost? Then the only cost for the second year would be if you want to travel while in Thailand and need either a single or multiple re-entry permit?

What is the usual turn around time to get a tourist visa in Vientiane Laos? Can one be obtained in a few days?

I need a strong drink. With that said #1-" So with a multi entry immigrant O-A visa you do a border run one day before the visa expires and you get another year permitted to stay stamp. Also would you pay the 1900 baht at the border for the second year? Yes or NO? #2- Now if you leave Thailand after the expiry date of the visa but with a valid permission to stay stamp for the second year, then a re-entry permit from the local immigration office within Thailand would be required. So if flying to Thailand, upon arriving you have 30 days to go to immigration to obtain a re-entry permit. The cost is 1000 baht baht for a single re-entry permit and 3800 baht for a multiple re-entry permit Yes or No? If no to any of these questions please elaborate as simply as possible. #3- If you leave Thailand and return very near but before the visa use before date you will receive an additional year of stay without having to get an extension of stay. Yes or No? #4- Would you pay the 1900 baht at the airport when you arrive in scenario #3 for the additional year? Yes or No?

Do you know if Luang Prabang Laos has a Thai embassy or consulate where you can apply for a visa? If so, since I am going to be there for not more then a week, do you know if I can get a visa in that short of a time period?

I am still struggling with this issue so if some of my questions sound illogical it's because I am still trying to grasp the essential elements of this visa.I am sill confused about the multi-entry non-immigrant visa O-A. Am I correct since this visa will be valid for one year,if I leave and re-enter Thailand one day before the visa expires then I would get another one year permitted to stay stamp so essentially I get 2 years? Another question, if I leave Thailand after the expiry of the visa (but with a valid permission to stay stamp) then a re-entry permit form local immigration office within Thailand would be required. How would I be able to re-enter Thailand without the re-entry permit which I could only get if I was already in Thailand? Another question,if I left and re-entered Thailand one day before the visa expired, I take it I would have to pay the 1900 baht fee at the border to get the additional 12 month extension ( another one year permitted to stay stamp) ?

After reading some postings where individuals applied for a 3 entry tourist visa with a six month validity period and only received a 3 month validity period, I was wondering what my options would be if that was all I get when I applied through the Washington DC Thai consulate. I have sent a couple of emails to The Washington DC thai consulate and they are very vague and non-committal about addressing whether I would get a 6 month validity with 3 entries even after going to great length to explain my need for 6 months. It's truly ashame that one has to be subjected to this uncertainty and makes planning much more problematic. Forget about applying at the New York Thai consulate because all you will get there is a tourist visa with a 3 month validity period even if you explain to them the need for a tourist visa for 6 months because you are planning to visit a couple of countries during your stay in Thailand. Anyway, it seems like a crapshoot as to whether you get a 3 or 6 month tourist visa at the Washington DC Thai consulate.If I wind up getting a 3 entry tourist visa but with only a 3 month validity period ( even after submitting all the necessary documentation as well as a detailed itinerary showing my need for a 6 validity period) what would be my options. By that I mean I will be staying in Thailand from Nov 6, 2013 until March 6, 2014 and with a 3 entry 3 month valid tourist visa I either have to get to both Cambodia and Laos within the 3 month validity of the Tourist visa or is their any other options so as not having to cram my trips within the 3 month validity period?

So I am confused again about the requirements for this visa. On the website it says the visa processing fee is $200 US for multiple entries for the non-immigrant visa O-A long stay. Then below it it says " if he or she wishes to leave and re-enter the country, he or she is required to apply at the Immigration office for a re-entry permit (single or multiple) before departure. I guess my first question is the $200 visa fee for multiple entries enables you to leave and re-enter Thailand multiple times but I take it you still have to go to Immigration office to obtain a re-entry permit. Is this correct, and if so, how much does it cost for a single or multiple re-entry permit? The second question I have concerning the non-immigrant visa O-A long stay visa is once you successfully complete all the requirements to obtain this visa for one year what happens if you want to extend it for another year? Do you have to go through the whole process again or is it less complicated and time-consuming when seeking an extension? What are the fees to extend it another year? Thank you for any and all information.

I contacted the Washington D.C. thai consulate about the need for a triple entry tourist visa with a validity of 6 months since I am planning on going to Cambodia and Laos during my 4 month stay in Thailand this winter. Since my second trip to Laos will be beyond 3 months from the expected date of issuance of my tourist visa I stressed to the Washington D.C. thai consulate the necessity of a 6 month vaild tourist visa. I was hoping for some reassurances that they understood my specific situation and a 3 entry tourist visa with a 6 month validity would be no problem. This is the response I received back and I quote: " You could apply for a 1,2, or 3 Entry Tourist Visa that would allow you to be in Thailand for 60 days. And for an extension of stay at the Immigration Bureau which would allow you to stay in the Kingdom for an additional 30 days. A total of 90 days in Thailand, no matter how many times you enter the kingdom". Any idea what this means and my take is that I am left out to dry because if I am given a 3 entry tourist visa with a validity of only 3 months, how will that help me when I want to go to Laos sometime in early February 2014 which would be more then 3 months from my expected visa issuance of approximately October 17, 2013. Has anyone had any dealings with the Washington D.C. thai consulate and any problems with obtaining the proper tourist visa with the necessary validity time period? Note: I posted the complete email I had sent to the Washington D.C. thai consulate and their reply in the next posting to give anyone who might be able to help me a clearer understanding of what was told to me by the consulate in Washington D.C.

Maestro-Thany you for your reply concerning the single-entry non-0 visa for the purpose of traveling to Thailand to apply for successive one year extensions of stay for the reason of retirement. Could you possibly walk me through what one needs to do upon entering Thailand to apply for this visa. What exactly do you need to bring with you. I am concerned that I might not have all the required info or documentation when applying in Thailand for this visa and my application gets turned down. Then what do I do? I will be there on a single-entry visa and if my application gets rejected then how would I be able to travel to Cambodia and Laos as I had originally intended to? Is it a lengthy process to apply for the one year extension of stay and what is the turn around time typically?Also, do you have to go through this process every year to apply for another one year extension? Thanks for any info to help clarify this for me

Maestro- I spoke to a lady in the Washington,DC thai consulate office and I explained to her about the need for a triple-entry tourist visa due to my planning to visit Cambodia and Laos during my 4 month stay this winter in Chiang Mai. She seemed to be receptive to the idea and said when I applied to give an explanation for the need for a triple entry tourist visa. Unfortunately I couldn't get through to her about the importance of the Tourist visa being valid for 6 months from the date of issuance. She kept stating that if a triple-entry tourist visa is issued by their consulate to me, then each entry is good for 60 days. My concern is if the valdity is only for 3 months for the tourist visa then isn't there a very good chance that the tourist visa would expire before I was able to use all the entries?

So now I am really confused. I was planning on getting a triple-entry tourist visa because I will be staying in Chiang Mai for 4 months this winter. I am hoping to go to Cambodia as well as Laos for anywhere from a few days to a week for two different trips during my stay in Thailand. It was suggested to me on this website that the best way would be with a triple-entry tourist visa. Now, since the New York and Chicago and Washington and LA consulate offices only offer double-entry tourist visas, what do I do now if I can't get a triple-entry tourist visa from one of the honorary consulate offices? In the next year or so I am hoping to stay in Thailand for up to 6-months during the winter so I was wondering if it might be more beneficial to apply for a retirement visa. Which one is more economically feasible and would make things easier going forward in wanting to stay in Thailand for up to 6 months.?

I am an American citizen and will be residing in Thailand this winter from Nov 6,2013 until March 6, 2013. I most likely will be getting a double-entry tourist visa. I am going to be visiting Cambodia by bus for a few days at some point to see Angkor Wat and will be returning by bus to Thailand. I am also planning to fly to Luang Prabang Laos for a week during my 4 months stay this winter and will be flying back to Thailand after my trip to Laos is finished. I am a little confused in terms of best utilizing my tourist visas to get maximum useage out of them. I am also a little confused because if I fly to Laos and then fly back to Thailand after my stay there, I know I get 30 days in Thailand. But since I have a tourist visa, which takes precedence over the other? I don't want to 'shoot myself in the foot" so to speak by shortening my stay in Thailand on my tourist visa in order to go to Laos or Cambodia. Any suggestions on how to best utilize my double-entry tourist visa in relation to my planned trips to Cambodia by bus and Laos by air to maximize my alloted time in Thailand would be appreciated. My schedule is very flexible and I haven't locked anything in yet.

I am an American citizen who will be residing in Thailand this winter for 4 months from Nov 6 to March 6, 2014. In the past I have gotten a double-entry tourist visa but since I am going to be visiting Cambodia at some point during the 4 months, can I get by with a single-entry tourist visa. If so, will it necessitate me having to go to immigrations to pay the 1900 baht? If so then I might as well get a double-entry tourist visa and save a few dollars. Another question I have is since my tourist visa will be valid for six months, what would happen in the event I wanted to stay for the full six months? By that I mean since I have to send away for my tourist visa at least 2 weeks in advance since I am residing on the eastcoast and I am obtaining my tourist visa at the Portland Oregon thai consulate, then by the time I get to Thailand my Tourist visa's validity period will now be approximately 5 1/2 months and I will be staying for the full 6 months in Thailand. My question is since my tourist visa will expire approximately 2 weeks before I am due to depart Thailand, what do I need to ensure I am not penalized for an overstay on my tourist visa. I hope you understand my questions since it is a little confusing to me and appreciate any advice to help me navigate the complexities of the Thai visa rules and regs.