bamboozled

Hi folks, does anyone have info on this border and whether one can pop in and out easily to get a stamp in the passport (for multi-entry, year Non-O visa holders?). Or maybe easier and simpler question, has anyone gone shopping in Tachilek for a few hours and come back to Mae Sai, hassle free? I did search the internet but did not find anything current. Thank you!

I figured I'd continue in this thread as it might be relevant to folk getting a visa in Laos. Does anyone have the status of the border crossing Mae Sai/Tachilek? That's my go-to for doing border bounces with a multi-entry year visa. If that border is not open or not soon to be open with easy in and out, that will make things a lot more cumbersome and expensive for me.

https://savannakhet.thaiembassy.org/th/page/cate-9736-types-of-visa?menu=5d84a44c15e39c26b4004569

https://savannakhet.thaiembassy.org/th/page/informationonentrytothailand?menu=5fb3765840deb068cd4414e2 However, what's required for entry into Laos, I'm not sure. Oh, I see the OP had the original link showing that if you are vaccinated, you can enter as before, free and easy. Yay! So the only remaining question is....who's first and what flavor is the pudding?

Ozfarang for the win!!! Wow, now THAT looks promising. Best thing I've seen in a long time. Hell ya, see you all in Savannakhet!

I'm no Ubon Joe, of course, but in the past, this type of visa could be stretched to 15 months by doing a border run at the very end of the year visa and getting an extra 90 days. But this old type of visa is not mentioned on the websites any longer so it's not looking good.

Yes, though I have to get my Kor Ror 2 certified copies for that. Hmm, I should probably get those first and then I can go for the 60 day without having to go back. It's a PITA last week and this with the holidays.

Hi Jack, No, I'm not sure at all they'll accept it. I will be going first thing tomorrow to check. In the meantime, I have to get all my documents in order just the same as time is short. My SCB bank did not show any international transfers from Wise, only local. Immigration would not accept the money shown in my account together with the Wise receipts. The only other shot was to get the Credit Advices from the Thai banks that processed the incoming money from abroad and then forwarded it to my SCB account (this info appears on the Wise receipts). Wise happened to use 3 different routes. Up until last December most were going through Bangkok Bank, though one was via Kasikorn. Starting in December, everything went through something called Deemoney in Bangkok who were actually incredibly helpful with online customer service and not only got together the Credit Advice for 8 transfers but also sent a hard copy via post FOR FREE. Amazing. I will report back here or in another thread tomorrow if it works or not. I won't be surprised if it doesn't....at which point 60-day extension here I come. (The wife is now out of the hospital since Thursday).

It doesn't even mention multi-entry on the website, contrary to the HCMC website which DOES mention multi-entry. That being said, they BOTH give a time period of a 90 day visa only. If I'm not mistaken, wasn't the former wording, before Covid, about a multi-entry YEAR duration visa? My hopes are fading that the year visas are still around. We can only hope that even though it is not listed that it will, in fact, be available if showing up in person. Watching....as I get my final papers together for my attempt this week at extending my Non-O. Been hell getting the bank stuff together from 4 different banks. Anyway, a different story from a different thread. ....But I digress, as they say!

Exactly. I actually got an email back from them today but it didn't clarify anything new. Just gave the link for making an appointment and for downloading the form. I sent again the question about 1 year visas.

No, all those documents for the 1-year extension. Best case scenario, I would get the 1 year Non-O extension based on marriage since Thailand is my home. The only reason I'm not shooting for that right now is because of the wife's condition which happened rather suddenly. To boot, my documents might not be up to snuff for various reasons. I had tentative plans to visit the US again this summer and if I'm going to have to do piecemeal visas it might make sense to travel there a bit earlier. In that situation, I can get the 1-year, Non-O sometime after I come back and not use it up while I'm away.

Yes, I have a Non-O. The extension....it's not out of the realm of possibility. I'm still gathering the data on my transfers. ...Got my statement and the bank letter today, probably a week too early but anyway, I have to contact Deemoney, apparently, to get them verified as international. I'm not sure I can get the landlords house book/ID/etc without her help. I'll probably head back to immigration next week armed with whatever I can muster. Thanks for your time!

Hi Sheryl, A letter from the doctor would be accepted in regard to what, getting the Non-O? The immigration officer said she doesn't have to be there but I would need a family member to attend and vouch for her and our relationship, I guess. She is hospitalized and I'm sure I can get a letter from the doctor. It's just a bit hard to see the doctor as he has limited hours of availability and I probably have to pay 1000 baht just to see him. Maybe my wife can get the letter as she meets with him, though I can't meet with her. It's not the case that she doesn't support the application just that she is not available for an unknown number of days...perhaps just a week more but it's still unclear. I'm not trying to be obscure about her condition but trying to respect her privacy and I guess mine, too. The agent said my wife DID NOT have to accompany me to get the 60 day extension nor was a doctor's letter required to explain her absence. This goes against what other folks on here have said so I'm a bit dubious. And as we all know, rules can change on a whim. I will try and get the doctor's letter just the same, needed or not. Thanks Sheryl. I'll let you all know what happens.

True, PP but who's to say I can't make a pit stop to Ankor Wat? Also, as mentioned in one of the posts, maybe I can get the online O-visa while in Cambodia. Do you know the regulations for that? Do I have to be in the US (my passport issuing country)? This would, however, be my second one in a row which might not be something they smile upon.

Yes, you're probably right that the borders will be open. But then again, they might not plus is immigration going to like the looks of all my stamps? They might not want to give me a border bounce visa exempt. Hard to know if that will be on the table or not. If I get the 3 months in Phnom Phen I have the certainty of 3 months and still the extension to visit wife if I need it. And you know, I've never been to Ankor Wat.... How far in advance of my visa expiring can I get the 60 day extension to visit wife and will it begin on the day my current visa expires, do you know? Thanks Jack!

Good points! Or a single entry at Phnom Penh if I feel like making that trip. I don't think my transfers are going to cut it so I might have to bite the bullet and deposit the 400k. A bit Ouch but sometimes we have to swallow the bitter pill.

Apart from outside home country, I think doing it back to back would be an issue. I don't see why outside home country would matter so much but that could be said for many things. Rules are rules. Yes, and what are they?

I did go to immigration and was told I cannot get the Covid extension but could get the 60 day extension without my wife being there. I hope he's right about that and another officer doesn't come in at the last minute and say no...

I had my wife look into it and she said the program was closed or full. At any rate, we couldn't avail ourselves of it. But she could certainly be wrong.

I think on the website there is a clickable link to make the appointment. But I guess that doesn't quite answer the question, does is?

I forgot to ask: what is the regulation for getting the online O visas? That is, what's to prevent me from getting it while I'm anywhere outside of Thailand, but not in the US, for example, while in Cambodia or Laos? Perhaps I would be granted the visa but then refused entry if my passport did not show I was coming from the US? I think you have to use the consulate/embassy of your home country (passport issuer) but must you be in the passport issuing country when you obtain the visa? You could of course be in transit, for example, US to Laos to Thailand....thus coming in to Thailand from Laos. Easily checked by confirming dates in passport though. I did check the e-visa website for this but up to the point of uploading documents, I didn't see any stipulation about where one had to be. I didn't want to go any further with the process and risk mucking up any future real applications so I don't know if that issue is covered later on.

Right, that seems to jibe with what he said, one 60 day extension per visa. What are my chances of getting rejected for a single entry Non-O at Phnom Pehn, do you think? Or for that matter, if I get the 60 day extension to visit wife and then go back to the US at the end of those 60 days (I'm due to go back anyway, though I would have made it a bit later) for perhaps a month and get another online Non-O? I guess my question is does immigration look down upon folks going out of the country and getting the single entry Non-O visas? I'm not sure what it is but for me, and I think for some others, having to pull that paperwork together is like kryptonite. It's not THAT hard but it's hard to get out of my own way. Thank you!

I'm just back from CM Immigration. The officer said I could not get the Covid extension because on an O visa and no exception. Who knows if a different officer would say something different. He said I could get the 60 day extension to visit wife without her presence but recommended I try to keep that for an emergency (is this not one?) because can only get 1 per visa. I thought it was 1 per year or extension but no. He said I could get the new Non-O without the wife present if I could get a family member to come with me as witness. That's not impossible, perhaps, but a bit cumbersome. I'm going to get my papers in order the best I can, and the transfer statements, in the hope that the wife gets out in time. I suppose I'll know more in a week. In the meantime, I will contact an agent and suss that out. Dr. jack also mentioned going to Phnom Pehn for a new single entry O. Do you think they would grant me that or reject it since it would be two back to back single entry non-O visas?

Hi Jack, this is exactly my point. That one-year visa does not appear to be available. So things HAVE changed, it appears.

Believe it or not, I cannot even see her because of Covid. In fact, I can not even go up to the floor of the hospital that she is on. She does not have a phone with her, either. I might be able to get a note from her primary care doctor. Thanks for the thought, Joe. If possible, I would rather get the Covid ext. which would leave the 60 day ext. to vist Thai wife open, conceivably. While I have you, is this wording in regards to Non-O visa on the HCMC website the same as always? Did it always specify the visa was for 90 days? I don't think this is the same as before because there was no need to go to immigration after 90 days in prior iterations....but to exit the country every 90 days. So, in fact, it DOES seem things have changed: " Validity of a Visa: The validity of a Visa is 3 months Period of Stay: Holder of this type of visa is entitled to stay in Thailand for a maximum period of 90 days. He or she may apply for an extension of stay at the Office of the Immigration Bureau and may be granted such extension for a period of one year from the date of first entry into Thailand."