hotchips

Is it possible to walk over the bridge? ie. Once stamped out of thailand can you walk to Laos immigration? 

Also,  can anyone recommend scooter hire in savannakhet? 

Thank you Ubonjoe.

Thanks Ubonjoe and Deepinthailand. 

Yes it may be easier to leave the car at the border for a one night stay in Laos. If we get there early enough i can submit the application and then collect the following afternoon after 2pm i assume.

So the kids would be able to get border passes even though they only have Australian passports? I am just wondering how they can get a border pass as a thai with out a thai passport or ID card. 

And the border passes are issued at the bridge? Sorry for all the questions. I went there last year for the same purpose, but i travelled alone and didn't take much notice of the layout. 

Thanks again.

Didn't think about that, did I...

Thank you, gentlemen, for pointing out the obvious (to some). :)

I had discounted the idea of taking the family as assumed the visa costs would be high. Wife is Thai and 2 kids don't have thai passports yet, only australian. (have thai birth certificates but haven't got around to getting their passports yet). Maybe I would have to pay for a visa as they would be travelling on their australian passport? Obviously they don't have thai I.D. card either.

So it is that cheap for wife and kids to go through?  I imagine getting the car through is complicated? I will google the latter.

Thanks again.

Is it possible to stay in Mukdahan, cross to Savannaket to put in visa application, return to Mukdahan the same day, then go back to Savannaket the following day to collect visa? 

I have to apply for a new non O and was considering a road trip with the family (kids on school holidays) instead of fly/van with nok air by myself. Question is does the Laos visa allow entry/re-entry for the period it is valid? Or would I be charged for another Laos visa on the second entry? My existing non immigrant O visa would still be valid when i returned to Thailand after submitting application in Laos.

Has anybody done this? Would be driving from Sth East side of Bangkok. Assume it would be about 6-7 hour drive? 

Thanks in advance. 

You are probably right BritTim, but i made it without any problems. Unfortunately i takes much longer to exit and re-enter at Poi pet than it does at BanPhu Nam ron. A real pity they have changed the rules. 

thanks again Joe. Had I have known that ban phu nam ron was no longer an option I would have planned something else. Unfortunately, this is the first time I have done the trip to ban phu nam ron without checking the forum to see if it is all still ok. Just assumed it would be same as last few times i have been there....

I think i will try the cambodian option this time. Although not sure what is more dangerous, driving to Cambodia or flying to singapore. Probably the driving....

thanks Elviajero. Something I should organise before the next 90 days is up...

Cheers Paddy. Was the exit/re-entry straight forward at aranyapretet? Can you tell me what the cost was? I am thinking of doing the trip tomorrow. 

I haven't heard that Paddy, and I have overstayed on my non immigrant O visa once before by 3 days. I went to suvanabumi to fly to singapore, had to pay the overstay fine on the way through and that was it. Didn't have any problem re-entering.

Thanks Joe. What is the cost of the cambodian visa? As I live about 30 minutes from Suvanabumi, it makes a big difference to fly from there instead of don muang, and air asia only fly out of DM. a quick look shows air asia to KL is around 5500 baht and tiger air to singapore is about 6300. Vietnam is cheaper, but i would need to organise a visa first.

If I go tomorrow i will be 2 days overstay. Will this cause a problem at aranyapratet? Do they have an overstay fine office or window there? Obviously at suvanabumi they have a desk for overstay fines. 

Thanks Elviajero. I am leaning towards the aranyapratet option. I tried to get a 60 day extension early on in my time here, but the people at samutprakarn immigration made it very difficult and I gave up and flew to singapore. We were married in Australia and have australian marriage certificate (as well as 2 children, both born in australia) , but this wasn't acceptable for some reason. I can't remember the exact details as it was nearly 2 years ago.

I also drove from Bangna to Ban phu nam ron yesterday to do my usual exit/re-enter to satisfy multi entry non immigrant O visa. Was told by the lady that I cannot enter Burma without a visa now, and that the Burmese govt  have changed the rules. The lady advised going to Aranyapratet was a better option. Very inconvenient, as this was a nice easy place to do the exit/re-entry.

Unfortunately for me it was my last day of the 90 days so now I am overstaying (by 1 day). Can anyone tell me if I go to Aranyapret will I have any issues due to overstaying by a day or two? I am tossing up whether to drive to Aranyapratet or fly to Singapore (more expensive).

Any advice appreciated.

I prefer to do my own work where possible. Therefore would rather just find parts source.

Here's the bike.

I'm in Bangkok, north samrong. Can travel...

Does anybody know where to buy spare parts for the Kawasaki Victor? I am looking for things like carby kit, fork seal kit etc. They are an old model but I imagine some parts are interchangeable with later models like kr150 and serpico.

Any suggestions appreciated.

What kind of bear is that?? Didn't realise there were bears this large in Thailand.

Quick update on Ban Phu Nam Ron border crossing. Went there on Monday morning to exit/re-enter to satisfy requirements of non immigrant O multi entry visa. Had to queue for about 10 minutes to exit. A lot of Burmese waiting. While waiting in line a customs official checked my passport and said I have a non immigrant O visa, so will have no problem. Sounded if no visa it may be a problem.

Anyway, whipped across to burmese immigration, went in with the driver, stamped me in and out and then back to Thailand. No problems re-entereing there either.

Price has been reduced from 910 baht to 710 baht for some reason. No complaints here.

Cheers.

thanks Ubonjoe.

Can anyone tell me whether I can still cross at Ban Phu Nam Ron (Kanchanaburi) with a non immigrant O multi entry visa to satisfy the 90 days exit/re-entry? From what I have read it appears ok with this visa, but not ok for visa exempt??

Thanks for the answers.

Our turnover is below the threshold for VAT currently, but we import and export equipment so need to be registered for VAT for that reason.

Guess we'll keep paying someone to do it, and, as suggested, concentrate on getting the business going!

We have a (very) small business which is growing slowly (slower than we would like...) and I am trying to find out whether it is a legal requirement to employ an accounting service for monthly VAT reporting? In Australia it is quite simple to do it yourself. I assume it is the same here but not sure if you legally have to use an accountant?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Element,

sorry for the late reply. You are correct, I have a non immigrant "O" visa multiple entry, which allows me to stay for 90 days at a time. At the end of the 90 days I have to leave the country and return. The Kanchanaburi trip is a nice way to do it, if you make a short trip out of it.

I have just been to Savannakhet to get a new non Immigrant O multiple entry visa, which was fairly straightforward. You can find more information about that in the forum.

Cheers.

thanks again Ubonjoe!

One more question... Can anyone confirm whether I need to have my Australian marriage certificate translated to thai? Or is a certified copy of the original (in English) accepted? Obviously I don't want to go all the way there and be rejected...

Thanks in advance.