Soneva

No the there isn't make sure you get up early there is no bus in the afternoon. Only about 4 buses in the morning then the sleeper at 8pm.

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I would fly one way to ZVK from VTE ($85~ USD) Lao Airlines, if your arrival lines up with the M,W,F flight schedules.

If you want to take a bus, you’ll just need to add a travel day for that, but it will save the cost of the domestic flight.

Again, if you are residing in Thailand long term, and your iPhone X is staying in Thailand, you have no business claiming a tax refund on it. That is not what a VAT refund is intended.

For those of us living in Thailand, it is our responsibility to pay the appropriate tax on what we consume. Thailand incurs costs directly or indirectly as a result of anyone living in this country, and paying sales tax is therefore part of the deal of being allowed to stay here long term.

And, if one can afford a ฿30,000~+ telephone, I think one can afford to pay the concomitant sales tax. It is dishonest and against the law to claim a refund on that sales tax, and then bring that telephone right back into Thailand after you get your visa.

Anyway, I have shared my advice and my opinion on this. So, good luck with whatever you decide to do. It is definitely a convoluted run around of a travel itinerary.


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The published fares are $85 one way, or $150 round trip between VTE and ZVK.

However, at that point, you should consider flying directly to ZVK from BKK.

Moreover, if you are already in Khon Kaen, I do not see the need to even fly into Laos, it’s better to just cross the land boarder.

Re the tax refund on the iPhone. Actually, if you intend to keep that iPhone in Thailand and use it here, you should not receive a tax refund on it. The purpose of such refunds is to encourage visitors to shop here and receive a VAT refund when departing with what they purchase. If you are residing in Thailand, the VAT refund is not intended for you.

And, in this case, it seems if you go to the trouble of flying out of BKK, you will end up spending more than the ฿3,000 refund amount anyway. So I would suggest recalculating your plan to save time, effort, and money.


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You can fly from Vientiane to Savannakhet on Lao Airlines (weekends and M, W, F).  The early morning flight from VTE-ZVK has you in in plenty of time to immediately submit the visa application on arrival in Savannakhet.

Bus from VTE would take many hours.  The flight path travels over Thailand and takes about 45 minutes.

For a tourist visa, when showing an airline ticket out of Thailand, does that need to be within 60 days?

Or will 90 days be accepted?

Is this date calculated from the visa application date, or intended entry date into Thailand?


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For a SETV application at Savannakhet, what are they looking to see for the return ticket out of Thailand?

Specifically, does it have to be dated within 60 days, or 90 days of entry into Thailand (assuming one intends to extend the stay permission by 30 days).

Do they need to see transportation arrangements into Thailand as well? I suppose not because most people enter by bus to Mukdahan.

You can apply for an extension, pay 1900 baht and be granted 7 days to leave the country after the application is denied.
A one or two overstay will not affect applying for a visa later.
If only one day you will not be fined 500 baht for the overstay if leaving from either airport in Bangkok.l

I am sorry to bump this thread.  

I have a SETV that has been extended to 90 days.  If extenuating family circumstances force me to overstay by a few days, can I go to my local immigration office and get an additional seven days?  They know me well, and I could explain the circumstances.  

Or, am I better off just overstaying and then paying the fine at BKK airport?  It wouldn’t be more than a day or two over.  

Would a slight overstay affect my next entry?

doubtless , you are correct;
so here we are;
prisoners to people of people that can actually impact us, people , if polled, want, All of us gone

Unfortunately, based on my last experience at BKK, I suspect my profile has triggered that increased scrutiny.  

Per your helpful advice, BritTim, I have decided to use a land boarder on my upcoming visa run. 

Going forward, I am not sure if I should simply continue to use land boarders, or if using BKK and possibly having an “interview” at some point may actually help me . In reality I have nothing to hide, as I am not working illegally and have foreign income that exceeds whay they require for retirement type visas, for example.  

On future visa runs to Ho Chi Minh, for example, it has occurred to me that I could just make a stopover in Vientiane on the way back and cross into Thailand by land.  It’s more hassle than flying directly back to BKK, but I actually like spending time in Laos anyway.

The dilemma is that on one hand I feel safer with the land boarder option, since even in the worst case scenario I could just extend my stay elsewhere and then try again at a different boarder crossing or on a different day.  However, on the other hand using BKK is the most convenient option, and as you have pointed out an interview could actually help if it satisfies the IO that one is not likely working illegally.

I guess I’ll have to find out in due course.  The good thing is that, even at the airports, actual denial of entry seems quite rare and would usually be preceded by official warning on a prior entry. 

BTW, how is immigration at the smaller international airports?  Entering by air to CNX airport is also an option from places like Yangon.

On 2/2/2018 at 10:33 PM, yogavnture said:

right . that word u know how your computer does that . well im sure immigration computers do the same thing . ive been using BKK as a home base (in winter) for 18 years and never had an issue because i follow the rules and i dont work here.  once you get on thier radar you are screwed

Could you please clarify what you mean by “on their radar”?

I don’t think being asked questions or receiving comments from an IO necessarily means one is “on the radar.”

I cannot speak to the invitation letter (have never seen this), but they were accepting short hotel-bookings from others when I was there - a week should be fine.  I used my rental-contract (1-year) for a condo, when I applied.  Note that you will also need proof of a flight-out within 90-days plus proof of 20K Baht worth of savings, via a bank-statement (can be a non-Thai account).

Ever lived in a real Muslim country like Saudi?
Makes a difference.
 
Malaysia is by no means a "Muslim" country in comparison.
I never stayed in Indonesia to compare.

Please can someone explain to me why anyone would chose to live or spend their holiday in Thailand compared to Malaysia? I am currently traveling through SE Asia and spent enough time in both countries to be able to compare the pros and cons of living and holidaying in both of them.
 
Malaysia
 
.) 90 days visa free stay. Visa run to neighbouring countries possible with another 90 days extension thereafter
.) No ATM fees
.) EVERYONE speaks English (for me personally the greatest of all benefits)
.) Food, beverages, literally everything has English description
.) Same prices for locals and foreigners, no "farang prices"
.) Same food portions for locals and foreigners, no "farang portions"
.) Food in general is DELICIOUS and comes in all variations (Malaysian, Indian, Chinese, Indonesian). Admittedly the only meal I do miss here is Mango sticky rice
.) People seem more genuine, friendly and willing to help foreigners, answer questions. Willing to interact with foreigners (I guess due to being able to communicate in English)
.) Sandy beaches are less frequent than in Thailand but still easy to reach, see Langkawi or other islands
.) Shopping malls, cinemas, supermarkets etc are as shiny and humongous as in Thailand
.) Price level comparable to Thailand or cheaper. Although Malaysia's GDP per capita stands at 9,502 USD, compared to Thailand's 5,907 USD - this source here says Bangkok is overall 21% more expensive than Kuala Lumpur https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/kuala-lumpur/bangkok
 
I am not going to list the benefits of Thailand as I can't think of any right now except the promiscuity of Thai ladies and perhaps being able to drink alcohol in public places. Also I'd like the Thaivisa community to give some input which country in their opinion wins the race and why.
If anyone is wondering why I started this topic: pure curiosity!

For the SETV application in Savannakhet, I can provide photocopies of house registration along with a photocopy of the owner’s ID card.

I have never used an “invitation letter” before. Is this simply a letter from my Thai family saying that I am invited to stay with them? Is there a usual format for such a letter, or any specific details it should include apart from the obvious?

If I decided to provide hotel bookings instead, would this have to be bookings for the entire visa validity period, or would a simple hotel booking for the first week or so suffice?


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If you are worried that you will  "be without something I need to complete the process" then why not go to Vientianne instead?
 
Nothing required apart from forms, 3 photos and 1000 Baht, it really couldn't be any easier, I returned from there yesterday with a SETV
 
There is no requirements for sufficient cash and bank statements, as well as my next airline ticket out of Thailand

On the 20K Baht rule:

• MUST be in cash or travelers checks if asked for it by an IO upon entering the country.  "Proof" or having it "on plastic" will not work for this requirement, when entering the country.
• MUST NOT be in cash or travelers checks when showing proof-of-funds to apply for a Tourist Visa at a Thai Consulate.  Only bank-statements / books are accepted for this.  An online-statement printout is OK, but you might be asked to show a bank-card to prove the printout is genuine.

Apart from the items you mention, you should also have proof of where you will be staying in Thailand. This can be hotel reservations that you subsequently cancel if you do not have anything else suitable to hand. The official requirements in Savannakhet are quite strict, but it is a reliable place to get your visa as long as you have the needed documents.

Where do you plan to get your visa? Requirements vary widely from consulate to consulate.
 
As a general rule, if you are entering Thailand with a visa, you only need to be concerned about having the cash.

I have done some searching online. From what I can see, the requirements for the SETV are:

Proof of at least ฿20,000. I will have at least this amount in cash.

A flight out of Thailand. I will use my next ticket to Yangon for this purpose. I will schedule departure within 60 days, but later change that to 90 days later once visa is extended, as it will be a flexible ticket.

I will travel with Bank Statements showing foreign income and ATM withdrawals in Thailand as further proof if necessary.

Are there any other things I am missing? Apart from the obvious such as photographs and photocopies of passport, which I presume is the same process as in Vientiane.


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I am sure Turkish Airlines provides fast track passes to J pax.

I would suggest if the OP is staying at an hotel, to book arrival transportation through the hotel. That way a car is waiting for you, and you will be immediately escorted to your room(s) upon arrival, bypassing front desk check in.


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The border crossing from Vientiane to Nong Khai is very friendly.
While Luang Prabang is definitely a place to visit, getting from there by land into Thailand is not trivial. At one time, there were luxury boat trips from there up into Northern Thailand, but the lower water levels in the Mekong means those are long gone. There are some other options for returning by land, but the easiest is probably just to retrace your steps to Vientiane, and return through Nong Khai.

There is nothing terribly wrong with flying direct to Savannakhet. Bear in mind that the arrival time means you cannot apply for a visa until the next day, and it is expensive compared to other ways of getting there.
 
Other options for getting to Savannakhet are

• A fly-ride service to Mukdahan on the other side of the Mekong River using Nok Air or Air Asia, followed by a bus across the Friendship Bridge 2 into Savannakhet. The fly-ride service flies to one of the nearest airports, and then about two hours in a decent minivan into Mukdahan. This what I recommend for the return. Unfortunately, none of the flights leave Bangkok early enough to apply for the visa the same day. As a result, another option to consider is
• Overnight VIP bus from Bangkok to Mukdahan. This is a long trip (and I share your dislike for long bus journeys). However, on the better VIP buses it is tolerable, and works perfectly for arriving at the consulate around 9:00 am in the morning to do the application.

Do not concern yourself about it looking suspicious going by air and returning by land. It makes sense as you otherwise need another night in Savannakhet, and the fly-ride service has you back in Bangkok the same evening you pick up your passport.

Just to add to Tim's comment, there are several regional embassies which do seem quite easy to deal with too - Penang, Savannakhet, Hanoi, HCMC, HK etc, as well as others slightly further away such as Denpasar in Bali. The best way to research any destination is to google "Thai tourist visa Hanoi" or something similar and you should see recent trip reports, both from this forum and on people's travel blogs etc.
 
In any case, the real risk of being refused entry comes from not being able to show the 20000 baht funds if asked, or proof of address, means of financial support etc on entry.

You probably should not try Vientiane again until ready to replace your passport.
 
There is an art to avoiding red stamps. Part of it is knowing which consulates only consider previous visas they issued (Vientiane, for instance) and those who consider all tourist visas issued in the region (I think Penang now falls into that category).
 
Based on recent reports, you should be safe with 2 from Hong Kong, 2 from HCMC, 1 or 2 from Hanoi, 2 from Yangon and unlimited numbers from Savannakhet.