TI's sudden change of rules for retirement visas makes me uneasy - maybe there's a new crackdown coming for tourist visas as well.  (I agree that the consulate docs were doomed.) I'm not keen on leaving just yet.  Hope Lao tourist visas can continue. Any ideas, opinions? Thanks.

I am not aware of any sudden change to rules for any visas related to retirement (the main ones being an O-A visa applied for in your home country, or an Non O applied for at an immigration office in Thailand) or an extension of stay on the basis of retirement applied for at an immigration office. Individual consulates and immigration offices may change their rules (especially when a new senior official takes charge) but I know of no overall changes. Perhaps, you could clarify exactly what you are referring to.

 

For the moment, the situation in Vientiane appears stable. They will freely give you three or four tourist visas, but then stamp your passport as a regular applicant for such visas and not give you any more. At that stage, you will need to apply in Savannakhet. There could be changes to the rules when applying for tourist visas in Vientiane, and these could occur at short notice, but there is nothing currently to suggest that is imminent.