bjhabal

I do not know if your friend was so lucky or there were some other reasons that allowed him to get the 30 days stamp.

I have entered from the same border on the same day, and had a long conversation with one of the officers who I knew for the past 5 years; at the end of this chatting I asked him if he could grant me 22 days stamp in order not to do another border run after 15 days as my reservation out of Thailand will only be due by the end of this month, but the answer was a nice apologies mixed with some sorry feelings; however he promised to bring this issue to his superiors and see if they can do something about it in the future.

Let's hope that someone up there in the immigration office thought about it and came up with the common sense, that this is what should be done.

Bishop

well, if you arrived early,just get a cup of coffee first before approaching the immigration officer.

Bishop

Thank you again Lite Beer.

Bishop

Thanks Lite Beer, as I said I was not sure about the right forum of my post regarding China, and you have every right to move it to where it belongs. Though I never opened the southeast Asia forum before, I will try to do that this time and see if I can be of any help.

Thank you again for informing me and I wish a very wonderful day.

Bishop

Just came back from Aranyaprathet-Poipet Border after spending two days in Cambodia.

I was planning to go to Malaysia and Singapore on the beginning of this month and come back after the new year's holiday but I postponed it till the end of this month just to get the right information from the border immigration.

I had a long discussion with one nice officer who apparently was not very happy with the new rules too. He assured me that though they would give only 15 days at the land crossing borders, the thirty days exempt still applies at the airports, and the 90 D/6 M condition has gone. However the problem they are facing now is that they are tired of explaining how and why this rules had come up, to every tourist entering Thailand, and no wonder as the immigration office was completely backed up with backpackers, and for the first time I have seen there were four lanes reserved for foreigners in Aranyaprathtet border and only one for the Thai, which used to be opposite.

Just for your information

Bishop

Well, I believe no one reported this situation yet except from the andaman club, Let's wait and see if other borders are doing the same thing (giving only 15 days).

Bishop

Well, It is far much safer than staying in Bangkok with the current situation.

Bishop

Yes your nationality (German) is allowed and you can cross the border and return on the same day.

Bishop

No other documents are required except the application form and your photos.

Good luck

Bishop

According to the law, yes you need the ticket; however not everybody is asking for it.

In my case, it was only once I have been asked if I have a return ticket and that was immediately after implementing the 90/180 days policy; furthermore I have noticed that all the signs used to be posted at Arnyapratet crossing border regarding the return ticket has been removed completely. But for cautious, it is better to have one, and if you are crossing to the south, then a train ticket will be sufficient enough, and you will only loose 20% of its value in case you return it back, just remember to buy it from where you will be refunding it because if you buy it in Malaysia, then you cannot refund it in Thailand and vice versa.

Bishop

My DTAC did not work, so I think yours will not work too, but you can buy a local one if you wish, that's what I did.

Bishop

If it is just for a visa run, then you do not have to enter Cambodia by your car, just park it in the parking lot near the border and do the visa run by walking. I used to do that for many years, even before they had the casinos and the parking lot at Aranyapratate-Poipet border.

If you choose this border to exit then you can also have your visa either before exiting Thailand at the Cambodian visa office, just before the last checkpoint of the incoming travelers to Thailand, or at the visa office, in between the two borders after exiting Thailand.

Have a nice trip

Bishop

As far as I know, from my own experience and people who posted in this forum, Thai embassy in KL do not give 2X TV. However as each Thai embassy and/or consulate has their own rules, in which can be changed over night, the only way to know is the day when you apply. Though I have witnessed a situation whereby the staff asked a young applicant - who where just ahead of me in the queue - for his return tickets, the same staff did not ask me for that; which logically means it is up to them to evaluate each applicant situation. Just put that in your mind, and good luck.

Bishop

Yes you can get double entry visa each entitle you for a60 days stay in Thailand but from Kota Bharu and not Satun; check the links given to you by lite beer; that's will help you a lot.

Bishop

Just came back from from there last Monday after spending 2 days in Poipet, still very well with hundreds of backpackers at the border immigration.

Bishop

Malaysia has an embassy and two consulates, one in Penang and one in Kota Bahru; however only Kota Bahru will give you a double entry visa; furthermore Kuala Lumpur is a good place for getting visa. It is very organized and I have been informed by insider that they never refused to grant a visa to any one without a serious problem; but my advise to you is that when you arrive to the embassy and register your name with the security guard at the door, who will hand you the application form, do not start filling it first; just go inside the room and collect a number, then get out and take your time to fill it up, so you won't have to wait much longer.

The rest of your questions had been answered by better teammates hereabove.

Good luck and have a nice trip.

Bishop

Thank you guys for your comment and I know exactly what are you trying to explain to me.

As I have mentioned before in another topic I am a retired airline executive with over than thirty years of experience, and my wife has over than thirty years experience too as manager and she retired as in-flight services director.

However, all of you missed my point. What I was trying to say that the gentleman can always argue with the airline staff and explain to him that he will spend some of his holiday in Malaysia or even in Cambodia for instance and return to Thailand for his flight back, just like thousands of backpackers are doing right now.

Furthermore I did not advise the gentleman to travel without a visa, but I instead encouraged him to do that for his own convenience.

I am sorry if I caused some trouble, but believe me guys, I have never posted a word in this forum without having my own personal experience in the subject; and for me, with all my life traveling around the world since the time of the two fan engine airplanes, no one ever asked me about my visa including Montreal airport where my first flight to Thailand started.

Let's not make it a big deal, and have a very good evening and sweet dreams.

Bishop

Dear jdinasia

Is there any airline on the world will ask you how long you will be staying in a specific country? They certainly will ask you how long you need the ticket for, but not where are you going to spend your entire holiday. If the gentleman came to Thailand for let's say 2 weeks and then boarded a train to Malaysia, or any other budget flight to some where else, will the airline object his planing, and tell him no, you can only travel to one country and stay there until you comeback? And why on the earth he should tell the airline how long he is going to stay in Thailand? or maybe you have the idea of the airline turning to become an immigration office as well?

You won't be denied boarding a flight if you do not have visa, and you will be granted a 30 days entry without any visa at the airport upon arrival. However getting a tourist visa, which will allow you to stay for60 days is much more convenience and certainly cheaper than making a border run to get another 30 days entry.

Good luck

Bishop

I think you are in the wrong forum. Your story has no head and no tail.

Bishop

First:

It does not need to be from Vientiane every time, you can go to KL, or Penang or Kota Bharu, etc.

Second:

You do not pay 1k, the visa is free for Singaporean National.

Third:

You do not have to do this until you die. After you get two visas (60 days + 60 days), you can go and do visa run (30 days) at nearest border without a visa, and you can do that 3 times (30+30+30 days).

And after these 3 border runs, in 3 consecutive months you go and get new visa (for 2 times) from Vientian or anywhere else.

So

You go for visas 2 times and for border run, without visa, 3 times, and you do that every time until you die or until the immigration decide to change the law.

I hope that the way I write it to you now is clearer.

Bishop

The money is to show that you are really a tourist and can live in Thailand during you visit, and not for seeking a job.

Bishop

Crossy, is right and most of the time, the immigration officer want to see the stamp of the country you have exited.

For the guy who entered Thailand with his U.S passport, then traveled around with his Thai passport; that is possible, because the Thai immigration will not look for the Thai citizen entry stamp on his passport. However in your case they will be looking for that kind of stamp.

You have mentioned that you would travel to Singapore with your second passport, and Singapore immigration will not only look for the exit stamp of the country you just arrived from, but they will ask you if you have ever entered Singapore with a different passport, so be careful.

Bishop

As ubonjoe said, do it earlier, however, waiting for the last day doesn't really hurt; I remember a time when I got the extension one day after my visa was expired and I think the immigration in Bangkok accepted my request, for the reason that the day before happened to be a holiday. But play it safe anyhow.

Bishop

Your thirty days visa is actually 29 days, as the immigration officer count the day you enter as a full day, even if it remains five minutes of that day.

You have to exit at the date written on your visa, and there is no extra day allowed.

In your case you should exit on the 1st of December as a latest.

Bishop