Caldera

5 hours ago, elviajero said:

To sustain a long stay in a country you need a lot more than 20K. That isn't even enough to cover a 3 month stay.

The thing is that you don't really "sustain" a long stay if you're on a succession of tourist visa - you're stamped in for 60 days, maybe extend by another 30 days and need to exit and request permission to enter once again.

If they wanted to tackle this "problem" as a matter of proper policy, they could increase the required amount of pocket money to something more realistic. The fact that they haven't done that and that enforcement is very selective indicates that only particular groups of immigration officers dislike long-term tourists. It's not official policy, at least not yet.

13 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If connecting via Sakon Nakhon or Nakon Phnom they will drop you at the bridge if you ask them to.

And in case of flying in via Ubon Ratchathani, the van will go to Ploy Palace Hotel first, but you can ask the driver to take you to the bridge afterwards for an extra 200 baht.

I'm curious about on thing in the OP, "future wife". How would one qualify for that Multi Entry Non-O Visa without being married first?

Out of curiosity, OP: How many previous tourist visa did you get from Vientiane, in the same passport?

7 hours ago, Anythingleft? said:

Off topic slightly but can you get the K-Plus app quickpay to work?

Yes, I've used QuickPay with the K-Plus app a number of times. It usually works well and it's amazing how many shops and even little stalls accept QR payments already.

I've found that receiving SMS messages sent to my Thai number is hit and miss when traveling abroad (roaming). I now use Kasikorn Bank's K-Plus app that allows me to make transfers and payments without OTP verification. That works for me.

My latest SETV application in Savannakhet was in March. Supporting documents I supplied: Bank statement (online banking printout) from a UK bank, hotel reservation for one night in Mukdahan (Agoda printout), flight out 89 days after my scheduled arrival date in Thailand (AirAsia printout). That package was accepted without any questions or comments. It might be worth noting that I had six previous SETVs in that passport, including one from Savannakhet.

I always walk, I make sure I've got plenty of time and I tend to have breakfast or coffee on my way. I think walking in Vientiane is pleasant enough, unless it's rainy or very hot that is. I never aim to arrive at the consular section early when applying on day #1, I usually arrive at about 10am and can go straight to the paperwork submission table - no queue anymore that late! Obviously that means that I'm called up quite late for pick-up on day #2.

At Chaeng Watthana, I've never had to present actual proof, but they do insist that the address you fill in is complete by Thai standards (many people seem to struggle with the district and sub district). If you happen to stay at a hotel, they also want your room number, otherwise your unit number if you stay at a condo or apartment. I've seen them make people make calls to fill in any gaps, so it's best to be prepared.

When I once applied at Nong Khai immigration, it was basically the same, but they checked if the hotel had filed an address report for me. So I'd guess that you probably need to show proof if they cannot find that.

37 minutes ago, joloit said:

Is there any way to top up Rabbit Card in Rawai, Phuket?

If there's a McDonald's in Rawai, you can probably use and top up your Rabbit card there.

For what it's worth, Vientiane gave me four SETVs in my previous passport without giving me a red stamp. My passport was full before I could try a 5th time. Those weren't all back to back though, I had one from HCMC and Savannakhet in between. I don't know if that made a difference.

Unfortunately, passports end up in washing machines by accident all the time. If that were to happen to the OP's passport, I'd assume he could apply for a new one right away.

I entered Thailand in early March with a tourist visa I had obtained at a Thai consulate and was stamped in for 60 days. In early May, I went to immigration in Bangkok (Chaeng Watthana office) to extend my permission of stay by 30 days.

In mid May, I applied for a new passport at my country's embassy in Bangkok because of running out of empty pages, which I received this week. As of now, I have my old (cancelled) passport with the Thai entry and extension stamps, my new (blank) passport and a letter for immigration signed and stamped by my embassy.

My question: I'm due to fly out from Don Mueang Airport one day before my extended permission of stay will expire. Can I go straight to the airport with both passports and the embassy letter, or do I need to visit the Chaeng Watthana immigration office once again to have the stamps transferred before my flight out?

I've read a number of old threads and I'm unsure if the extension I've received means that a stamp transfer at the airport won't be possible. I got the impression that this only applies to long-term extensions, not to a 30 days extension for a tourist visa stay, but I wanted to double-check with the experts here. Thank you.