torrow Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 (edited) I have 4 tourist visas already from Laos, 2 from each consulate. My last was from Savannakhet. I need 1 more (hopefully my last). Which consulate would be better for me to get another tousrist visa, Savannakhet or Vientiane? Edited April 19, 2018 by torrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 Either one will issue you another tourist visa. Vientiane might be best since they do not ask for tickets out and financial proof. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritTim Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 Savannakhet is a sure thing. Vientiane is easier, and a more interesting town. However, if they decide to take visas from Savannakhet into account (which they have occasionally done) you might get the dreaded "travels frequently to Thailand on tourist visas" stamp. This would not matter if it is really the last tourist visa you will need. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Ray Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 I do sometimes wonder why the Thai authorities make it so difficult for tourist visas. Even if people are border hopping for work, does it really mean that Thai workers are suffering by not having the opportunity to do the job? I think the competition for jobs is more between falang and falang, not Thai and falang. They would do better to concentrate on the corruption allowing people to continue working and running businesses here without any valid visa. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Restinpeace Posted April 20, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted April 20, 2018 41 minutes ago, Classic Ray said: I do sometimes wonder why the Thai authorities make it so difficult for tourist visas. Even if people are border hopping for work, does it really mean that Thai workers are suffering by not having the opportunity to do the job? I think the competition for jobs is more between falang and falang, not Thai and falang. They would do better to concentrate on the corruption allowing people to continue working and running businesses here without any valid visa. They simply don't want a large community of farang or misc southeast asian "grey market" workers staying in Thailand indefinitely. It's not so much about jobs or even economics. It's really about social issues. During the time I lived in Thailand the visa rules were quite permissive. It was permissive for a long time before I stepped foot in Thailand. They tried it that way and they didn't like how things ended up. So now..they are going in the Trumpian direction. It's their country and their culture I don't fault them for it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elviajero Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 Vientiane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elviajero Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 56 minutes ago, Classic Ray said: I do sometimes wonder why the Thai authorities make it so difficult for tourist visas. They don’t. They’re really easy to get for tourists. The authorities are simply trying to stop people staying long term using tourist visas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambo5000 Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 I got the dreaded red stamp and on my last trip to Vientien was refused a tourist visa, I entered back into Thailand on a visa exempt and extended it for one month at Chaeng Watthana, time has come and visa expires tomorrow, i'm thinking of trying Cambodia for another visa exempt, would Vientiane or elsewhere be better? It would be my 2nd visa exempt this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambo5000 Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 I got the dreaded red stamp and on my last trip to Vientien was refused a tourist visa, I entered back into Thailand on a visa exempt and extended it for one month at Chaeng Watthana, time has come and visa expires tomorrow, i'm thinking of trying Cambodia for another visa exempt, would Vientiane or elsewhere be better? It would be my 2nd visa exempt this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 6 minutes ago, Sambo5000 said: It would be my 2nd visa exempt this year. You should not have a problem getting your last visa exempt entry for this year. Since the limit of of 2 per calendar year at land border crossings went into effect they have been less strict on being able to do them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritTim Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 19 minutes ago, Sambo5000 said: I got the dreaded red stamp and on my last trip to Vientien was refused a tourist visa, I entered back into Thailand on a visa exempt and extended it for one month at Chaeng Watthana, time has come and visa expires tomorrow, i'm thinking of trying Cambodia for another visa exempt, would Vientiane or elsewhere be better? It would be my 2nd visa exempt this year. I would suggest a visa from Savannakhet as your safest bet, especially if you do not plan leaving Thailand any time soon. Overuse of visa exempt entries by air is not to be recommended, and you should keep your last visa exempt of this year by land for emergencies (like your visa denial in Vientiane which you should have expected). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambo5000 Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 15 minutes ago, BritTim said: I would suggest a visa from Savannakhet as your safest bet, especially if you do not plan leaving Thailand any time soon. Overuse of visa exempt entries by air is not to be recommended, and you should keep your last visa exempt of this year by land for emergencies (like your visa denial in Vientiane which you should have expected). I'm sorry, but I don't understand your post. This would be my 2nd visa exempt by land this year, so if I wanted to I could get more visa exempt entries but only by air? Being (presumably) my final land border exempt entry this year would Vientien or Cambodia / Savannakhet all be viable options? Sorry for my lack of understanding and thanks for your reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StayinThailand2much Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, Classic Ray said: I do sometimes wonder why the Thai authorities make it so difficult for tourist visas. Even if people are border hopping for work, does it really mean that Thai workers are suffering by not having the opportunity to do the job? I think the competition for jobs is more between falang and falang, not Thai and falang. They would do better to concentrate on the corruption allowing people to continue working and running businesses here without any valid visa. You're right, of course, and most countries in the region do exactly as you suggested, following common sense. Thailand, however, decided to do things differently, and, as it is their country after all, and foreigners won't ever have a word in it (e.g. via local elections, or, god forbid, a foreigners' lobby), all foreigners can do, is live with it. Edited April 20, 2018 by StayinThailand2much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StayinThailand2much Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 51 minutes ago, Sambo5000 said: I'm sorry, but I don't understand your post. This would be my 2nd visa exempt by land this year, so if I wanted to I could get more visa exempt entries but only by air? Being (presumably) my final land border exempt entry this year would Vientien or Cambodia / Savannakhet all be viable options? Sorry for my lack of understanding and thanks for your reply. There is a limit of two visa-exempt landborder entries per (calendar?) year. Officially, there's no limit on visa-exempt entries by air. However, after doing that a couple of times, esp. in a shorter timespan, this may raise eyebrows, and you may be quizzed at airport immigration 'what you are doing in Thailand' and/or denied entry at the discretion of the individual IO. In your case, if you haven't had (several) visa-exempt entries by air already, it would most probably be an option. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrendsd Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Sambo5000 said: I got the dreaded red stamp and on my last trip to Vientien was refused a tourist visa, I entered back into Thailand on a visa exempt and extended it for one month at Chaeng Watthana, time has come and visa expires tomorrow, i'm thinking of trying Cambodia for another visa exempt, would Vientiane or elsewhere be better? It would be my 2nd visa exempt this year. Did you get the red stamp on your last TV from Vientianne then went back to try for another another or was the red stamp from somewhere else? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambo5000 Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 1 hour ago, darrendsd said: Did you get the red stamp on your last TV from Vientianne then went back to try for another another or was the red stamp from somewhere else? Correct, it was from my previous outing to Vientianne, never knew it was in my passport till embassy told me and refused application. Could I try for a tourist visa somewhere else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrendsd Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 25 minutes ago, Sambo5000 said: Correct, it was from my previous outing to Vientianne, never knew it was in my passport till embassy told me and refused application. Could I try for a tourist visa somewhere else? It has been said Savvanakhet will be ok, others will confirm If you get a new PP you can go back to Vientiane in the future and get more from there 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritTim Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 6 hours ago, Sambo5000 said: I'm sorry, but I don't understand your post. This would be my 2nd visa exempt by land this year, so if I wanted to I could get more visa exempt entries but only by air? Being (presumably) my final land border exempt entry this year would Vientien or Cambodia / Savannakhet all be viable options? Sorry for my lack of understanding and thanks for your reply. If you want to spend the majority of your time in Thailand, I advise you to get tourist visas, and reserve your visa exempt land entries for emergencies. Perhaps, an example will make things clear. Suppose at the time you were denied a tourist visa in Vientiane, you did not have the option of entering by land with a visa exempt entry. These would have been the consequences: You would have needed to book an (expensive) air ticket for the next day from Vientiane to Bangkok. On arrival in Bangkok, the immigration official has the discretion to deny you entry. This is pursuant to a Ministerial Order issued in the middle of 2014 that people using visa exempt entries to stay extended periods in Thailand should be denied entry (though the Prime Minister subsequently advised that this policy should be applied "flexibly"). Since the "two per year" limit for visa exempt entries by land has been introduced, officials at land crossings have ceased strict checking based on other criteria which makes such entries a good "when all else fails" option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritTim Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Sambo5000 said: Correct, it was from my previous outing to Vientianne, never knew it was in my passport till embassy told me and refused application. Could I try for a tourist visa somewhere else? Savannakhet will be OK. Make sure you have printed bank statements to show them. Many other consulates in the region (including, at least Penang and Phnom Penh) will not give you a tourist visa if you have a red stamp. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambo5000 Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 15 minutes ago, BritTim said: Savannakhet will be OK. Make sure you have printed bank statements to show them. Many other consulates in the region (including, at least Penang and Phnom Penh) will not give you a tourist visa if you have a red stamp. Great news, but for now I have to make use of my final land crossing exempt visa, a delayed bank transfer has left me with just enough money to do a quick in and out visa run to Cambodia tomorrow. I am hoping there wont be any complications with this, although been a couple years since i tried similar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambo5000 Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 So yesterday I took a trip to Poi Pet to get a new 30 day visa exempt, I knew I was pushing my luck but due to certain circumstances I was left with few other options and I had to do a quick in and out same day visa run. Upon immigration checkpoint back into Thailand the officer shook his head in a suspecting manner and told me to go and take a seat for further interrogation... I was questioned as to what I am doing in Thailand and basically whether I am working or not, I told him honestly that i'm not working and explained my circumstances to him, also provided some other evidence to back up my case. He was satisfied with my story but handed me a form where I had to fill in my name, passport number and how much money I have. He then took my passport, did some further scanning of it and wrote something in it although of this i'm not sure. I was allowed on my way with the officer muttering something about 30 days.. Will this incident affect my chances of future successful visa attempts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 17 minutes ago, Sambo5000 said: Will this incident affect my chances of future successful visa attempts? It will not affect getting a visa. But it is certainly your last visa exempt entry at a land border crossing this year. That may be what he noted in your passport. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambo5000 Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 Great news, thanks ! Will I be able to extend visa at chaeng watthana? Following the advice from some other forum members I will probably attempt a tourist visa from Savvanakhet next, do you think this is wise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 3 minutes ago, Sambo5000 said: Will I be able to extend visa at chaeng watthana? You can extend your 30 day visa exempt entry there without a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midas Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 On 4/20/2018 at 10:08 AM, Restinpeace said: They simply don't want a large community of farang or misc southeast asian "grey market" workers staying in Thailand indefinitely. It's not so much about jobs or even economics. It's really about social issues. During the time I lived in Thailand the visa rules were quite permissive. It was permissive for a long time before I stepped foot in Thailand. They tried it that way and they didn't like how things ended up. So now..they are going in the Trumpian direction. It's their country and their culture I don't fault them for it. What social issues are you referring to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elviajero Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 4 hours ago, Sambo5000 said: I will probably attempt a tourist visa from Savvanakhet next, do you think this is wise? Unless you qualify for a Non-Immigrant Visa or want to pay for a PE Visa your only choices are to fly in for visa exempt entry or get a Tourist Visa. You are best advised to get a Tourist Visa, and only attempt visa exempt entry if absolutely necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chainarong Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 On 20/04/2018 at 11:08 AM, Restinpeace said: They simply don't want a large community of farang or misc southeast asian "grey market" workers staying in Thailand indefinitely. It's not so much about jobs or even economics. It's really about social issues. During the time I lived in Thailand the visa rules were quite permissive. It was permissive for a long time before I stepped foot in Thailand. They tried it that way and they didn't like how things ended up. So now..they are going in the Trumpian direction. It's their country and their culture I don't fault them for it. Yep it certainly ran away from them and thats the problem in Thai, they let everything go for too long then try to rectify it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambo5000 Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 On 4/20/2018 at 7:06 PM, BritTim said: Savannakhet will be OK. Make sure you have printed bank statements to show them. Many other consulates in the region (including, at least Penang and Phnom Penh) will not give you a tourist visa if you have a red stamp. Thanks, how much do the bank statements need to show? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 3 minutes ago, Sambo5000 said: Thanks, how much do the bank statements need to show? At least the equivalent of 20k baht in Savannakhet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambo5000 Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 On 6/9/2018 at 8:03 AM, ubonjoe said: At least the equivalent of 20k baht in Savannakhet. Will the Bank passbook / Book bank suffice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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