anymajordude

On 6/15/2023 at 12:13 AM, BritTim said:

If you can get an appointment in Vientiane, and they do not ask to see your old passport, you have a good chance of getting a tourist visa in Vientiane. With a visa, you can safely return via the Friendship Bridge to Nong Khai. Your chances of a visa exempt entry by air would be poor because immigration can see your whole history.

Thanks for the reply.

Can I return by air if I'm able to get a tourist visa in Vientiane?  Or might I be rejected at the airport even with the tourist visa?

15 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You have not stated time spent out of Thailand.

Obviously covid from March 2020 sort of does not count.

So in last 12 months what is your history staying in Thailand. 

I've been here continuously except for border runs.

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

 Be straight up. Why continuous stay required. Why not spend time in another country.

 

If I was io I would suspect you are working in Thailand and refuse entry at at airport on arrival.

 

3 years come on. 

Clearly you are under 50 ? And cannot obtain non O based on retirement 

 

How long would I have to spend outside Thailand before re-entering (whether visa exempt or with a tourist visa)?

And yes, I am under 50, but I am not working here or doing anything illegal.

8 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

IF lucky enough to be granted a tourist visa then you might have chance to enter Thailand.

Flying back visa exempt to Thailand I hoping you try.

We haven't had recent reports of refused entry and fly back to point of departure.

What are my odds of getting the tourist visa?  And would other places be better than Vientiane (Penang, Phnom Penh, etc.)?

Are you saying that I might be able to simply do a visa exempt entry by air?

Also, I don't know if this matters, but I have a new passport.  I will have to transfer my stamps next time I leave Thailand, but all of my previous extensions won't be visible in the new passport, though I assume it will still show up in their computer.

Is it possible to get an SETV in Vientiane after having been here since 2019 on border runs and Covid extensions?  I've already done my two border runs and two 30-day extensions this year.  If I fly to Laos, would I be rejected either while applying for the visa in Vientiane or upon attempting to re-enter Thailand by air?  Thanks for any advice.

1 hour ago, Sambo5000 said:

Is it safe to assume land borders will impliment same policy on 9th?

I'm not sure if it's safe to assume that.  So far the news articles seem to emphasize that this new rule only affects "air passengers".

1 hour ago, Salerno said:

Bad timing I'm afraid, restrictions kick in on the 9th. No chance to bring it forward to tomorrow?

Seems like the news articles on this so far have specified that the restrictions are for travelers arriving by air.  I haven't seen anyone addressing land borders yet.

The website for Thai Visa Service is pretty informative on policies at land borders and is updated frequently.  So far I see nothing about requiring proof of vaccination at land borders.

https://www.thaivisaservice.com/

I just went up there myself and did it yesterday.  Cabbed it there and took the metro back (I'm limping a little faster now).

I actually made an online appointment for 2:30 PM, but since I was there with everything filled out at 1:45 PM, they told me that it would just be quicker to go through the ordinary queue than to wait for my appointment time.  I think I had my passport back with the stamp at around 2:20 PM.  Pretty fast and simple.

Also, for anyone thinking of doing the online appointment, they want you to have it printed out, although there are shops right there that can print it for you.

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Understand.

Not long ago I did my annual extension at CW with banged up hip.

Taxi both ways and having an appointment (see link in previous post) .

Could be best option .

With an appointment I suppose it could work.  This might be what I end up doing.

43 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, nothing wrong with using an agent however obtaining a 30 day extension is very straight forward.

Do you have a TM30 as that may be asked for. 

 

Might be better option to do it yourself.

 

Be aware that since you entered visa exempt you would obtain the 30 extension at IT Mall Laksi.

Very close to red line. 

Well, I've injured my foot and can only walk very slowly right now.  Realistically I'd be taking a taxi to Laksi and back from the Sukhumwit area, which is around half the extra cost of using an agent (Thai Visa Centre was quoting 3,500 baht to do the extension).

How busy is Laksi right now?  I'd hate to go all the way up there only to be told to come back the next day or something like that.

I have the TM30 and have done Covid extensions at Laksi as well as ordinary 30-day extensions at CW in the past (pre-Covid).

I'm a US citizen.  I did a border run to Cambodia last month and have a 45-day stamp that will expire on 2 Jan 2023.  Is there a visa agent in Bangkok that can process the 30-day extension for me?  I tried using Thai Visa Centre but they told me that their quota is full until next year.  Thanks for any information.

12 hours ago, asia123 said:

I am sure that they were writing something on my record on computer. I am sure they will poke at the problem the next time I enter the country.

I don't know much about this, but the last time I entered Thailand (Feb 2020), I had done a border run down to Penang and back, and they did something similar to what you describe at the airport, stopped me for like 30 minutes and told me it would be my last entry and entered something on the computer.  This was after I had already done several border runs.

I know that they did in fact put something on my computer file because the notorious "dragon lady" at the K counter actually mentioned it to me when I was doing one of my Covid extensions.  Still it hasn't prevented me from staying in the country continuously for the past 2.5 years.

It would be nice to know how long you would realistically have to stay out of the country, after a period of doing back-to-back border runs, for it to be considered acceptable to re-enter Thailand visa exempt without any hassles.

2 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

That seems very generous, certainly more than 60 days!

2 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

Sorry I hadn't considered the possibility that your previous extension was due to expire on 20 / sept

Yeah, the previous one was until 21 Sep, so I got the full 60 days. 

I just used an agent to do it this time, stamped in until 20 Nov 2022.

2 hours ago, audaciousnomad said:

Thanks.  Did they say it must be exactly 2 weeks prior ? Or would 3 weeks be okay?

They were pretty emphatic that it had to be no sooner than 2 weeks before.  3 weeks would not be okay.

9 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

The wording at the top of the attachment indicates they are talking about the current period

 

You may be right, but it isn't entirely clear.  I'd say the announcement is very poorly worded.  I imagine it will be clarified one way or another.

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Bascily no.

Some offices have been reported as wanting a ticket out ot the country.

So for those of us who were told at MTT that the previous extension would be our last, you think that was just a bluff essentially?

46 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

Thanks @BritTim.   I know of one other person in the forum who received the same threat by the same IO in Bangkok(MTT).  Well, I guess if they don't extend the program on 25-Jan it's a moot point anyway since us who were here on these extensions will have to find some other alternatives.

Not sure what I'll do if they continue the extensions.  Might use an agent to do it next time just to be on the safe side.

1 hour ago, audaciousnomad said:

You're not alone.  It happened to me too. She wrote down on my form "Last Visa Extension".
 

** Trip Report **

Bangkok-MTT Counter K

Covid Extension

Applied after receiving numerous extensions since the program started during the pandemic.

I successfully got a 60-day stamp to 25-Mar. They remember my face by now, and verbally reminded me that this is the last extension.

They have said this a few times before, and shortly afterwards the covid extension program gets extended, and again I apply and have gotten extended each time.

One thing that's different from the previous times is that they said if I try again to apply once again in March, I will only be given 7 days, not 60. Not sure what to make of that, but maybe this time they really mean it?

Lastly, I was asked when I plan to leave Thailand. I verbally confirmed I will be departing after this extension. I was not required to present a flight booking.

Yeah, I think she wrote "LAST VISA" on mine (in English) and drew a box around it.  Not sure if that actually means anything or if it's just a scare tactic, so to speak.  Wouldn't they write a meaningful annotation in Thai?  The use of English could imply that it's just for you/me to read, and not something actually significant.  But I don't know.

I was also told the same thing about only receiving 7 days if I came back again.

3 minutes ago, Kevinphall said:

Oh they just say that unless they marked your passport with something it’s empty words

Maybe.  My passport stamp is identical to the previous one but they wrote something on the form I handed them, and I was told that it would be my last extension not only by the woman at the counter but also by the woman who returned me my passport, so I'm not sure what to think about that.  I suspect they made some kind of annotation on my file on their computer.