VodkaWizard

Sanemax,  Are you sure that is the case for all laos borders?  say he said he arrived from vietnam to Laos and then lost hes passport in Laos, do you really think they have all records in a database from every single remote border in that country?  And even then ,how to tell if there weren't a computer breakdown at the time he entered? With a new passport I doubt they will throw you in jail anyway

23 minutes ago, sanemax said:

 

 It is all computerised these days .

The computer will show them when you arrived ...........well, it wont show them when you arrived

Quote

 

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

So, he is "on overstay" in Myanmar, now, as far as the paperwork is concerned?  Does he still have the passport he used to enter Myanmar?  Maybe that should be his next stop, and settle things there?  Or maybe that would only add to his legal troubles / risk.  Best advice is talk to a good lawyer.

That is the problem . he doesnt have the old passport,and he cannot go to Myanmar because of the situation with business dealings in that country. 

2 hours ago, BritTim said:

I cannot imagine any approach that is not going to involve significant sims of money (for bribes or legitimate fines) or jail time, or both.

 

Even if you try to find a doctor that will testify that you had an accident on an adventure holiday in Myanmar, suffered total amnesia as a consequence, and only just regained your memory, and (unlikely) immigration believe you, there will still be fines to be paid.

 

If you can afford it, look for a fixer, but expect it to cost a bundle for your situation.

Do you have any knowledge of which borders that would be best for a this kind of bribe (in exchange for a exit stamp)?

So they just check the stamps mostly? or will the immigration people look closely to see if your face fit the picture in your passport? 

4 hours ago, dabhand said:

 

 

Your joking scenario reminds me of a somewhat similar situation that I experienced on the Thai / Malaysian border at Sungai Golok some 25 years back.

 

I have two UK passports for work related reasons and, working in Malaysia at the time , near the Thai border, I was spending most weekends in Thailand and thus rapidly using up the pages to my 'main' passport. So, I thought, why not use my little used 2nd passport as an option.

 

Well, I crossed the bridge into Thailand and handed over immigration card and passport and waited for the usual stamping. Wrong. The IO spent a bit of time looking through the passport - not too long as there were very few stamps to actually see. He then asked me where had I come from. By that time I realised my plan had come unstuck and was thinking the worst. Anyway, rather than try any 'smart' explanation, I sheepishly pulled my other passport from my bag and pointed back towards the bridge as an answer to his question.

 

Rather than be in any way awkward, despite my wild thoughts of being hauled away for a spot of interrogation, the IO handed me a blank form that I filled in and received the desired entry stamp with no further words spoken. Needless to say I have not tried a repeat of that scenario at any land borders. No problem if arriving by air but not by land!! 

49 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

How and where did he enter Thailand?

That would help a lot to answer your post.

He entered Thailand from Myanmar with boat. about 3 years ago.

58 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Regardless of any corruption, if your friend entered Thailand without permission he's at fault and illegal.

• If he is illegally in Thailand then he will not be able to leave without at least paying penalties, and maybe after prosecution and deportation.
• He will not be able to legally enter Laos without an exit stamp from Thailand.
• He will have problems trying to leave Laos if he entered Laos illegally.

Thanks for the info.

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

What country is your friend from and what visa is he trying to get? Most countries can enter laos without a prearranged visa. Thailand wont stop him leaving.

I dont understand the need for your friend to sneek in and out of laos ?

They won't stop him even when he does not have a thai visa? 
My friend is from austria and preferably he would want a thai visa. However he would not want to pay any large sums of money for it. 

I am posting here for a friend of mine that didn't obtain a valid visa for thailand (due to corruption by officials). So now he's  not sure if he could get a visa legally here, or if it would be better to go to a nearby country where immigration is easier.  If he for example went to Laos without crossing any official checkpoints,  Would the immigration there let him leave without a lao-visa in hes passport?   Or is every entry computerized like it is in thailand? 

My advice to him so far is to get a new passport in laos,and then exit a smaller border crossing from there. However I am not a expert on these things so though I would ask here.

Any advice or ideas would be much appreciated, thanks!