hobz

tldr: business as usual regarding tourist visas in vientiane.

Just came back from vientiane. I got a double entry tourist visa. (i had the same previously,, so it was back-2-back double-entry tourist visa).

No problems in vientiane, business as usual, was not asked to provide financials, tickets, etc...

The only thing different was the amount of people,, but could be due to holiday may 13.. Anyway, everybody got served and i saw noone get refused or hassled in the embassy or when going through the border back to thailand.

Because of the amount of people in the embassy, stuff got a bit delayed, usually the stop taking applications 11:30 ,, but now they took applicaitons to around 1pm.. As long as you got a queue number before 11:30.. Some people said this was due to the holiday may 13th..

Getting passports back the day after usually starts at 1:30pm,, but now it was delayed to around 2pm because they were still taking payments from applicants.

The new rules do not apply to tourist visas, There will be no change to getting them but the embassy will be busier.

Do you have one from there now? The worst case is that they will only give you a single entry. Attaching financial proof from outside Thailand to your application will help to prove you are not working here illegally.

Yes the rules have not changed, but the enforcement of existing rules for tourist visa may be enforced stricter now, that is what i'm worried about.

Vientiane is famous for not asking about financials, tickets, hotel reservations etc.. But i fear they might have started doing that now due to this new crackdown..

I do have one double entry from there now.. going the tonight (will arrive tomorrow morning) to get a new double entry..

How do you know they will give single entry at worst? Do you know that they can and have refused applications entirely in the past,, asking for supporting documents,,, rare but can happen.,.. and i fear, that with this new crackdown they have to be stricter about enforcing the rules and asking for supporting documentation ..

Anyway, i will report back here soon

Also, the Consulate in Vientiane seems a little less organized than the first time I was there in Jan 2012. The electronic queue sign that shows the numbers being served seems to be out of order. And they no longer have the queue numbers available next to the service windows. Instead, one of the workers comes out from behind the wooden door next to the service windows every now and then to hand out numbers to those who need them. When they call the numbers, they'll call a string of numbers about ten at a time. But there is no electronic sign showing what numbers they are serving. This creates some confusion, since people may not have heard their number called, they often went to the window to ask, and end up jumping in and getting served out of order.

This is actually an improvement,, they did not know how to use the sign anyway,, they would hit ten numbers at a time on that sign and then serve any number at all,,, made my blood boil.. atleast now it sounds like there's no suggestion of pretend organization,, pure chaos is better than "oh look we have a system but we dont know how to use it" .. atleast it's not deceptive

And i'm now equipped with screenshot from my swedish internet bank account.. Showing funds coming in from my mom (she sends me small amounts each week) and showing available balance.

Any more recent reports about stricter tourist visa rules in vientiane? I've been there 3 times since 2012 and got double entry each time without providing any airline tickets, financials or hotel reservations,, any reports about this changing since the crackdown?

I went to Vientiane on April 9th, 2014. The officer taking the application (double entry tourist visa) was very nice, but he did ask several probing questions to try to determine if I was a tourist.

I had a non-b that expired in January 2014, and had flown in/out of BKK several times between January and April. I told him I was planning to travel to Phuket and Hua Hin and fly out of BKK in June. He asked where I would be staying, and asked to see my reservations when I told him. I gave him print outs of my hotel reservations in Hua Hin and Phuket, and told him I would be staying with friends in BKK. I also showed him a print out of my flight reservation out of BKK in June. I also included a copy of an email accepting a job in another country in June as well.

Upon reviewing my reservations and email, he was nice enough to explain to me how the double entry visa worked (since I had never had one before). Picked up the passport with the double entry tourist visa the next day.

Having traveled a lot over the past few months, I've noticed immigration/passport folks taking a lot more time, and asking a few more questions than they had in the past.

To be safe, I would be prepared with any supporting documents you can come up with to avoid any problems getting the tourist visa.

If you've got a lot of Thai in/out stamps in your passport, whether from land/border crossings, or from the airport, they are likely to more thoroughly check you out than maybe they had been in the past.

Also, the Consulate in Vientiane seems a little less organized than the first time I was there in Jan 2012. The electronic queue sign that shows the numbers being served seems to be out of order. And they no longer have the queue numbers available next to the service windows. Instead, one of the workers comes out from behind the wooden door next to the service windows every now and then to hand out numbers to those who need them. When they call the numbers, they'll call a string of numbers about ten at a time. But there is no electronic sign showing what numbers they are serving. This creates some confusion, since people may not have heard their number called, they often went to the window to ask, and end up jumping in and getting served out of order.

I can only say that this was MY recent experience. I hope you find this info useful.

Thanks Keoni, I wonder if you got asked alot of questions due to your situation specifically or if they have started asking more in general.

The only supporting document that I will have is a travel insurance proof for 1 year, from december 2013 to december 2014,, it's in swedish .. we'll see how that goes..

Oh and the travel insurance says "backpacker" on it ,, made for backpackers

Any more recent reports about stricter tourist visa rules in vientiane? I've been there 3 times since 2012 and got double entry each time without providing any airline tickets, financials or hotel reservations,, any reports about this changing since the crackdown?

I went to Vientiane on April 9th, 2014. The officer taking the application (double entry tourist visa) was very nice, but he did ask several probing questions to try to determine if I was a tourist.

I had a non-b that expired in January 2014, and had flown in/out of BKK several times between January and April. I told him I was planning to travel to Phuket and Hua Hin and fly out of BKK in June. He asked where I would be staying, and asked to see my reservations when I told him. I gave him print outs of my hotel reservations in Hua Hin and Phuket, and told him I would be staying with friends in BKK. I also showed him a print out of my flight reservation out of BKK in June. I also included a copy of an email accepting a job in another country in June as well.

Upon reviewing my reservations and email, he was nice enough to explain to me how the double entry visa worked (since I had never had one before). Picked up the passport with the double entry tourist visa the next day.

Having traveled a lot over the past few months, I've noticed immigration/passport folks taking a lot more time, and asking a few more questions than they had in the past.

To be safe, I would be prepared with any supporting documents you can come up with to avoid any problems getting the tourist visa.

If you've got a lot of Thai in/out stamps in your passport, whether from land/border crossings, or from the airport, they are likely to more thoroughly check you out than maybe they had been in the past.

Also, the Consulate in Vientiane seems a little less organized than the first time I was there in Jan 2012. The electronic queue sign that shows the numbers being served seems to be out of order. And they no longer have the queue numbers available next to the service windows. Instead, one of the workers comes out from behind the wooden door next to the service windows every now and then to hand out numbers to those who need them. When they call the numbers, they'll call a string of numbers about ten at a time. But there is no electronic sign showing what numbers they are serving. This creates some confusion, since people may not have heard their number called, they often went to the window to ask, and end up jumping in and getting served out of order.

I can only say that this was MY recent experience. I hope you find this info useful.

Thanks Keoni, I wonder if you got asked alot of questions due to your situation specifically or if they have started asking more in general.

The only supporting document that I will have is a travel insurance proof for 1 year, from december 2013 to december 2014,, it's in swedish .. we'll see how that goes..

Thanks for replying guys. I have not read any reports yet. The owner of a visa company says things got stricter, but he said also that it all depends on who handles it and how hardcore he is. Please do a report on your finding Hobz when you come back! What he ensured me off is that if the double does not get through you will get a single in return.. This might ease your mind a little bit!

Sent from my HUAWEI MT1-U06 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yeah i will report on this for sure when i get back.

And yes, there's an old "fact" that vientiane gives single entry when double entry is rejected, but that is due to having too many tourist visas,,

there's another thing that can happen in vientiane too, and it has happened before, it's that the application is rejected before payment is made, so no visa or stamp or anything at all,,, that has happened before this crackdown started (and was very rare, but always accompanied by questions about airline tickets, hotel reservations and thai bank books*)

being asked to show a thai bank book statement is super ironic, because what honest tourist opens a thai bank account?

i think the worst thing that could happen is that i get nothing and some kind of red stamp or something,, if that happens, i will just cross back and hope to get 15 days atleast and figure it out from there,, or maybe head straight to savannakhet the same day and apply there...

i will let you know what happens,,

anyone else have fresh reports from vientiane?

A crazy thought entered my mind,, are they preparing for some kind of civil war? Step by step closing the borders? Getting late for me tonight ..

Any fresh reports about obtaining tourist visa from vientiane? Are they stricter now since the crackdown?

Any fresh reports obtaining a double entry tourist visa in vientiane? Are they stricter now?

I've been there 3 times before, since 2012 and never asked to show any supporting documents,, are those days over now?

Why not visit Thai immigration and simply ask them ?????

Because rules and regulations are enforced and interpreted differently in all the thai embassies around the world.. Going to thai immigration and asking them about what happens in vientiane is about as productive as asking for a receipt from the traffic police when they want to fine you on the spot for not wearing a helmet.

Fresh reports from people going the embassy in question is the ONLY thing that can be relied upon.. and even then...

Why not visit Thai immigration and simply ask them ?????

Because rules and regulations are enforced and interpreted differently in all the thai embassies around the world.. Going to thai immigration and asking them about what happens in vientiane is about as productive as asking for a receipt from the traffic police when they want to fine you on the spot for not wearing a helmet.

Any more recent reports about stricter tourist visa rules in vientiane? I've been there 3 times since 2012 and got double entry each time without providing any airline tickets, financials or hotel reservations,, any reports about this changing since the crackdown?

Anyone gotten a tourist visa there in the last week or so?

Are they enforcing the rules about airline tickets, hotel reservations and financials stricter now since the crackdown?

I've been there 3 times before since 2012 and they never ever asked me about tickets, hotels or money.. Swedish passport, go figure

But i fear that my next trip TOMORROW might be different,, should i panic and spend 3-4000 extra on a bunch of airasia tickets that i wont use? Financials? Should i screenshot my swedish bank account? or what?

Any recent reports would ease my mind a bit i guess

Any recent reports (after the crackdown) about getting double entry tourist visas? Are they stricter now? Enforcing the rules about airline tickets, hotel reservations and financials? They never asked me before, been there 3 times.,.i fear after the crackdown that they will be stricter everywhere, not only about border runs. Any experience from the last week or so?

I've been getting double entry tourist visas from vientiane before, i currently have one that expires soon. I wonder if it will be harder to get a new one now after the crackdown,, i know that the crackdown is not supposed to be about tourist visas,, but i still fear that they will start asking me to produce airline tickets and stuff.

Any reports from vientiane the last week?

A wake up call in Thailand ?

There's an obscene amount of casualties on the roads but only highlighted at New Year and Songkran but nothing, other than fine words, happens.

Drought and Flooding are an annual event but ... !

Mai Pen Rai

What, the 200 baht fine for driving without drivers license is not enough?

The age off consent is 15 in Thailand. ( for the free sex )

Prostitution only 18 years old ( commercial )

Many karaokes in Thailand are having 15 year olds, tolerated and encouraged by the locals.

The real (sex)encounters are in the 24Hrs resorts...

Get over it, Japanese age of consent is 13 yrs

Switserland prostitution is legal for 16Yrs old...

Wow, I didn't know prostitution was legal in Thailand nowadays,, since 2012 in fact. And you are correct, 15-18 is no go for prostitutes.

prostitution which can tarnish the image of the City

We wouldn't want prostitutes to tarnish Pattaya's image.

hjahahahahahahahahahhahahahahah

*edit* deleted my own post because it was not constructive.

Such a shame for Thailand that everybody knows it's mafia/corruption and it's happening right out in the open and for years and years.

Yes it's a shame but what can be done about it? people can complain but I can't see anything changing in our lifetimes, the only thing to do is distance yourself from the corruption as much as possible, I have a bike so I have no need to ever use taxi's, for me there are many more things to worry about like people speeding, jumping red lights, people driving the wrong way and no lights at night.

It is possible for people that live here and friends of the people that live here to make alternative pre arrangements which will avoid problems at the airport.

There is a hell of a lot wrong with this country but if you are law abiding and careful it's a great life! so much better than the UK!!

In all seriousness the op did a good thing in a bad way, raising your voice and threatening people with YouTube is only going to end badly, luckily it didn't this time, you have to be careful in a country where life is considered cheap!!

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

It's a very difficult task to set things straight, it's good that you mentioned speeding, jumping red lights, people driving the wrong way,, because I think the same people are to blame for that too. Police, lawmakers, politicians and finally, the people themselves.

Such a shame for Thailand that everybody knows it's mafia/corruption and it's happening right out in the open and for years and years.

What corruption free country do you come from, if there is such a place

And what mafai, There is no criminal organization collecting money from you to operate a business

Go ahead and try open a competing tuk-tuk business in Phuket and see what happens... then come back and talk

Such a shame for Thailand that everybody knows it's mafia/corruption and it's happening right out in the open and for years and years.

What corruption free country do you come from, if there is such a place

And what mafai, There is no criminal organization collecting money from you to operate a business

I come from Sweden, there's no corruption like this in the open there.. there is mafia in Sweden, and there is corruption in Sweden,, but it is not allowed to go on like this in the open..