BritTim

The 30-day waiver (similar to visa exempt, but via a bilateral agreement) afforded to Lao citizens is not eligible for the 30-day extension at an immigration office. On the plus side, it is not subject to the limit of two per calendar year imposed on regular visa exempt entries. What I am unsure of is whether (at least at some immigration offices) a 60-day Covid extension might be possible. Although not a long term solution, this could be a money saver in the short term. Probably worth checking.

It is safe to do two per year via a land border, though you should avoid the Aranyaprathet/Poipet border. By air, there are no specific limits. If you have been in Thailand for only less than two months, and were not in Thailand for a long time prior to that, then doing this by air is also safe, possibly even preferable, as it conserves those reliable visa exempt entries by land. You might really appreciate this if the job and work permit do not work out for some reason (not uncommon). Like Jack, I would usually suggest the Covid extension which should not normally create a problem with the Non B visa application, though it possibly might at a rogue immigration office.

Wait for @ubonjoeto confirm this, but I believe there is a solution. As long as the couple are legally married under under Thai or Lao law, it should be possible to get a Non O visa followed by one-year extensions without the need to show any financial proof. If they are not yet officially married, I would imagine that (given their ages and long term relationship) getting permission to marry from the Lao authorities, and registering their marriage with the local amphoe in Thailand ought to be possible. Having done this, the only cost would be the annual extension.

A child born to a Thai mother automatically has Thai nationality. Depending on the rules in your own country, dual citizenship is also a possibility.

The Non O (marriage) and/or extension based on marriage is only one of the requirements. It is an alternative to, for instance, a Non B visa. You must also meet the other requirements, such as working for a registered business with other employees in addition to your wife.

If the insurance will do the trick (obviously with a reasonable premium) that is surely preferable financially than paying an agent. The insurance might not be a great deal, but has some potential value. On the other hand, the agent will certainly be easier, as there is no negotiation involved with the bank.

About a year ago, the Pattaya 2 Road branch in South Pattaya would accommodate you if you expressed a willingness to buy a cheap accident insurance policy (about 3,000 baht for a year, and possibly not worthless if you ride motorcycles in Pattaya). Possibly the best branch to try.

There is no under consideration period for the 30-day extension. However, depending on the immigration office, it is possible for you to be unlucky and asked to return to collect your stamped passport the following day. Be aware of this if it may create a problem (such as an intention to go somewhere else the next day).

The visa correctly states Length of stay in Thailand: 90 days. Certainly, Length of EACH stay in Thailand would be even clearer. The expiry date of the multiple entry visa is clear. EDIT: It is worth mentioning that confusing the visa and permission to stay is common. In many countries the visa and permission to stay are the same thing. I believe this is one of several reasons why officials at points of entry of many countries have full discretion to cancel your visa, while Thai Immigration does not officially have the power to do so.

I am not sure if you yet understand the differences between Visa, permission to stay, extension of permission to stay and re-entry permit. A multiple entry Non O visa allows you to enter Thailand as often as you like until the expiry date of the visa. Each time you enter, you are given a fresh 90-day permission to stay. Nothing except the visa itself (and currently a ThaiPass which is soon to go away) is needed for this. The permission to stay is granted by Immigration when you enter the country. Its expiry is unrelated to the expiry date of the visa. Optionally, you can choose to extend the duration of your permission to stay, without leaving Thailand, by extending the permission to stay at an immigration office after meeting necessary conditions. As Jack informed you, as long as your Thai wife accompanies you, a one-time per entry 60-day extension to your permission to stay is easy to get. The re-entry permit simply ensures that your current permission to stay is not cancelled when you leave Thailand. If you have a permission to stay that expires on August 10 2022 protected by a re-entry permit, you will then still have a permission to stay expiring August 10 2022 when you return to Thailand prior to that date. In your case, if leaving and re-entering Thailand at least once every four to five months is convenient, I endorse Jack's view that fully utilising your multiple entry visa may be the best approach for now.

It is very unlikely that The Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-visa system and the Immigration Bureau's systems are linked in any way. Historically, they have been jealously protected separate fiefdoms.

In addition to the above, I understand that in India, for instance, denied visas always result in a voided sticker. This is because the application is not made direct to the embassy/consulate, but is made through VFS with the application fee not being refunded. The voided sticker is proof that an application was really forwarded to the embassy/consulate, and the VFS employee did not just pocket the money.

Unfortunately, as long as ThaiPass exists, it must always be complied with, regardless of your visa/re-entry permit status. It is true even if you intend only being out of Thailand for a few minutes during a border bounce.

When using the e-visa system, this is definitely true. It can be a little different if applying in a country like India where the e-visa system is not currently used, and where a rejected application (which is common and cannot be appealed) results in a very prominent cancelled visa in your passport.

Assuming the multiple entry visa has not expired, there is usually no point getting a re-entry permit. The only exceptions I can think of are where you have applied for a one-year extension of the permission to stay on your current entry from a multiple Non O visa, and the permission to stay exceeds what you would get from a fresh entry using the visa; and where you have a multiple entry tourist visa, but have subsequently applied for a "conversion" non immigrant visa, so you are now on a non immigrant entry which you want to retain for convenient future extensions. These cases are unusual and the normal reason for getting a multiple entry visa in the first place is to avoid the need for fresh visas or re-entry permits for subsequent arrivals in Thailand.

In general, I 100% agree with you. The main time you should do the re-entry permit at the local immigration office is when you contemplate leaving Thailand through a border crossing that does not have a handy re-entry desk.

I cannot imagine any official deciding you are not a genuine student because of about a week outside the country. I am sure you will be fine.

A denied tourist visa is unlikely. You apply using the e-visa site, and it is very convenient.

It is worth trying to get a tourist visa. In most home countries, the chance of a rejection is low. (If you identify where you are planning to apply, someone might be able to tell you whether it is a difficult embassy.) With a visa, Immigration is only supposed to deny you entry pursuant to conditions specified in Section 12 of the Immigration Act (though officials at some places, including both Bangkok airports, have been known to manufacture reasons for rejection). Officials, reasonably, are empowered to decide if your request for a visa exempt entry meets their notion of "normal tourism", and no airport is completely safe. Visa exempt entry twice per calendar year is safe at almost all land crossings. If you do run into problems, there are many land borders where you can enter without any worries. Also, I have never read a report of Chiang Mai airport Immigration denying entry improperly to those with visas.

The reason why I made the distinction between those considering border bounces and those deciding when to return home is that it is usually important to lock in a good airfare well in advance when flying to, for instance, Europe or the US. While you might be lucky finding a good price on Bangkok to London a week before you travel, these days it is not typical.

A whole three days notice this time. Nice of them Some people will have been able to wait and see before rushing to do a border bounce. However, it may still be too late for those who had to decide whether to try to stay longer or return to home country.

In addition to the re-entry permit, if your trip outside Thailand is going to be for more than a few days, it is prudent to get a letter from your school to confirm that your trip has no impact on your status as a student, and you remain enrolled. It has been known for Immigration, when you return, questioning how a genuine student can skip a significant period of study.

Which embassy admitted that they do not know the answer? They inspire confidence. It is extremely unusual for a Thai official to admit to ignorance on anything. They will usually confidently state an answer without having the foggiest idea what they are talking about. Anything else would involve loss of face.

If you have trouble getting a good exchange rate for USD to THB in Vientiane, ask around to find out where you can get a good rate. In my experience, with both baht and dollars being the normal currency used for significant purchases (kip typically being only for small items) you should be able to get a very good rate if you choose the right place.

The simple answer is that no one knows yet. Based on announcements made last year (when the STV was expected to be withdrawn) extensions might not be allowed after September. However, I would not be surprised to see a different decision this year, even if the STV is not retained into next year. Unfortunately, Thailand is not good at giving advance notice on such things.