I need a step-by-step guide to get from Chiang Mai to Savannakhet for a multi-entry non o marriage visa

[tstcman]

So with the Thai government stopping the income verification letter, I need to do a Visa Run to Savannakhet. I'm not really pleased about it because in the past when I had to do it I always did it at the other more popular Consulate in Lao. So that when I knew and was comfortable with this one I have no clue I've never been there and I have no idea how to get from Chiang Mai to there. I need to either take a bus or if I have to a flight which I really don't want to because I looked it up and it's over 300 US dollars for a round trip ticket. So is there a bus that I can take from Chiang Mai to that city that starts with an M sorry I can't remember it on the other side of Savannakhet. Thank you for your help.

[tstcman]

City of thinking of in Thailand at the cross the River is Mukdahan, Thailand. As far as I know that's the city I need to go to so that I can cross the Friendship bridge I guess it is to get into the Laos side so I can go to the consulate.

[Briggsy]

Have the income letters from the embassy actually been stopped yet or is it 31 Dec?

[tstcman]

For the United States Embassy and consulates they stop January 1st and I will be getting one on December 6th but just in case that they don't accept it here in Chiang Mai at the immigration office I'm trying to prepare myself for having to do this Visa Run which I'm not looking forward to I haven't left the country in over a year.

[BritManToo]

I've written this about 5x, so here it is again,

Air Asia to Khon Kaen 7:15 am around 1,000bht

KK airport bus to bus station 3,  20bht and 45 mins.

Mad Van from Bus Station 3 to Mukdahan, 240bht and 3 hours.

Mukdahan bus station to Savannakhet bus station 50bht, stops and collects at all immigration booths.

 

Stay 2 nights in Suvannakhet,

Then collect passport, walk to bus station, Suvanakhet bus station to Mukdahan, 50bht, stops and collects all the way

Overnight bus to Chiang Mai about 750bht, change at KK bus station. Best to buy your ticket on the way in as the bus fills up.

[ubonjoe]

It is not Thai immigration that is stopping the proof of income from embassies it was their decision.

Lot of ways to get to Mukdahan. Try a route from CNK via DMK to Mukdahan (fly/ride via 3 regional airports) on Nok Air.

[tstcman]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I've written this about 5x, so here it is again,

Air Asia to Khon Kaen 7:15 am around 1,000bht

KK airport bus to bus station 3,  20bht and 45 mins.

Mad Van from Bus Station 3 to Mukdahan, 240bht and 3 hours.

Mukdahan bus station to Savannakhet bus station 50bht, stops and collects at all immigration booths.

 

Stay 2 nights in Suvannakhet,

Then collect passport, walk to bus station, Suvanakhet bus station to Mukdahan, 50bht, stops and collects all the way

Overnight bus to Chiang Mai about 750bht, change at KK bus station. Best to buy your ticket on the way in as the bus fills up.

Do you have a ballpark figure of how much all this cost you. I have about 20,000 baht Maybe about 25,000 put away for this trip do you think that would be enough for all this?

[tstcman]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

It is not Thai immigration that is stopping the proof of income from embassies it was their decision.

Since I see a US flag in your avatar I assume you would be getting a income affidavit form the US consulate in Chiang Mai. You can get one until the end of next month and they will be accepted for 6 months from the date they are issued by immigration.

Yes I know that they will be but it seems like it's been hit or miss at The Chiang Mai immigration office when it comes to how they accept the income verification form right now. Some people they ask for bank statements as well some people that don't and I can't give them bank statements because my money comes from my social security disability Pension and my school and my online business and none of that comes to my Thai bank account that goes to my us PayPal account and my u.s. bank account through the US government. Which is why I have always used the income verification form alone because they throw a fit when I try to use my PayPal print out statements of how much I make a month.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, tstcman said:

Do you have a ballpark figure of how much all this cost you. I have about 20,000 baht Maybe about 25,000 put away for this trip do you think that would be enough for all this?

I would say more than enough.

[BritManToo]

5 minutes ago, tstcman said:

Do you have a ballpark figure of how much all this cost you. I have about 20,000 baht Maybe about 25,000 put away for this trip do you think that would be enough for all this?

About 10Kbht including the 1 year VISA, take $35/$40 (new unmarked bills) for the Laos VISA from the immigration office. (I'm happy with Joli Guesthouse $13/night inc breakfast)

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, tstcman said:

Yes I know that they will be but it seems like it's been hit or miss at The Chiang Mai immigration office when it comes to how they accept the income verification form right now. Some people they ask for bank statements as well some people that don't and I can't give them bank statements because my money comes from my social security disability Pension and my school and my online business and none of that comes to my Thai bank account that goes to my us PayPal account and my u.s. bank account through the US government. Which is why I have always used the income verification form alone because they throw a fit when I try to use my PayPal print out statements of how much I make a month.

I had edited my post since you did a reply to another post about the  income affidavit.

I can recall your earlier posts about the PayPal problem. Could you move the PayPal funds to your US bank and then transfer 40k baht to a bank account here a few times before you apply?

[tstcman]

12 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I had edited my post since you did a reply to another post about the  income affidavit.

I can recall your earlier posts about the PayPal problem. Could you move the PayPal funds to your US bank and then transfer 40k baht to a bank account here a few times before you apply?

No because the u.s. bank is that one that they give old people and disabled people. The Direct Express Account you can't add money to it you can only take money out that the government puts in.

[lopburi3]

1 hour ago, tstcman said:

No because the u.s. bank is that one that they give old people and disabled people. The Direct Express Account you can't add money to it you can only take money out that the government puts in.

Do they offer any unrestricted accounts that you could open while here?  Do you have military service (that would open USAA and they will open without your presence)?  Believe there are a handful of other banks/credit unions that allow opening accounts for expats.  With visa you have to obtain every year and exit country every 90 days which can get frustrating in older age.  It appears you may not have local savings but 400k in Thai bank is the other option.  PayPal is not normally a cost effective means for converting USD to Baht AFAIK (exchange rate is well below TT rate) but admit have never used for that purpose.

[sanemax]

You can get a bus from CM to Mukdahan for about 700 Baht , leaves at 4-7 PM from Arcade and arrives in Mukdahan about 9 AM the following morning , although you will have to change bus in Koen Kaen and stay there for an hour .

   Get tickets from Arcade terminal 3 from next to the Green bus kiosk .

Then  get a bus from Mukahan to Sananaket for 50 Baht

[franck1972]

I usually take the bus from Mor Chit, Sahaphan company.
Good VIP bus, around 1100 B roundtrip, departs between 7 30 and 8 30 PM. 
You can also start from their hub at Vibhavadi Rangsit Soi 19.
Long trip but quite comfortable, arrives around 5-6 AM in Mukdahan.
Then take international bus to Savannakhet, 50 THB.
If after Lao immigration the bus is already gone, organise a Tuk Tuk with somebody else, around 100-150 THB each.
I usually stay at Avalon Hotel, new, and clean, very friendly staff. Price around 7-800 B depending where you book.
It's located about 10-15 mn walk from the embassy, has plenty nice little restaurant around.

Coming back to  Thailand :

Take tuktuk from consulate to border, then after Lao immigration buy bus ticket to Mukdahan station.
In Mukdahan, bus leaves between 7 30 and 8 30 to BKK, arrives 5-6 AM.

[Danthai]

Can multi Entry Visa from Laos be converted in Thailand to visa for marriage or retirement in Chiangmai without leaving country again? Thank you.

[JackThompson]

51 minutes ago, franck1972 said:

I usually take the bus from Mor Chit, Sahaphan company.

OP is coming from Chang Mai - but for those who find this thread and are coming from Bangkok, that is the ONLY decent VIP bus I found from Bangkok. 

 

The "Transit Company" bus looks very nice, but when I took that route, they were using buses with seats that recline in such a way, that only a shorter-person can fit their legs/feet into the little hole in the unit in front of them.

 

If traveling alone, pick a seat by-itself when you book (1+isle+2 layout), and have some privacy.  I prefer this method of travel, overnight, to having to deal with the airport - though flights are cheap.

[JackThompson]

1 minute ago, Danthai said:

Can multi Entry Visa from Laos be converted in Thailand to visa for marriage or retirement in Chiangmai without leaving country again? Thank you.

The Non-O-ME VISA can be used as the starting-point for an Extension Of Stay based on marriage to a Thai from immigration - yes.  You can apply in the last 30-days of any of the permitted-stays obtained from entering with the ME-Visa.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, Danthai said:

Can multi Entry Visa from Laos be converted in Thailand to visa for marriage or retirement in Chiangmai without leaving country again? Thank you.

There would be no conversion needed.

You could apply for an extension of stay (not a visa) at immigration during the last 30 days of any the 90 day entries from the non-o visa if you can meet the requirements.

[lopburi3]

5 minutes ago, Danthai said:

Can multi Entry Visa from Laos be converted in Thailand to visa for marriage or retirement in Chiangmai without leaving country again? Thank you.

As said yes but no need for multi entry if financials can be inplace within 60 days of entry - single entry would work fine.

[finnishmen]

1 hour ago, franck1972 said:

I usually take the bus from Mor Chit, Sahaphan company.
Good VIP bus, around 1100 B roundtrip, departs between 7 30 and 8 30 PM. 
You can also start from their hub at Vibhavadi Rangsit Soi 19.
Long trip but quite comfortable, arrives around 5-6 AM in Mukdahan.
Then take international bus to Savannakhet, 50 THB.
If after Lao immigration the bus is already gone, organise a Tuk Tuk with somebody else, around 100-150 THB each.
I usually stay at Avalon Hotel, new, and clean, very friendly staff. Price around 7-800 B depending where you book.
It's located about 10-15 mn walk from the embassy, has plenty nice little restaurant around.

Coming back to  Thailand :

Take tuktuk from consulate to border, then after Lao immigration buy bus ticket to Mukdahan station.
In Mukdahan, bus leaves between 7 30 and 8 30 to BKK, arrives 5-6 AM.

back at thailand vientien , lao, take tuk tuk go buss station, buy ticket to udon thani and ready, you can go back thailand cheap about 400 B, borden go out add income card and go officer stamp you passport new visa.

[JackThompson]

19 minutes ago, finnishmen said:

back at thailand vientien , lao, take tuk tuk go buss station, buy ticket to udon thani and ready, you can go back thailand cheap about 400 B, borden go out add income card and go officer stamp you passport new visa.

The OP needs to go to Savannakhet - not Vientiane - because the Non-O-ME Visa based on marriage is not available at the Thai consulate in Vientiane (only the single-entry variant). 

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Jeez, can't people read? The OP wants to go from Chiang Mai to Savannakhet via Mukdahan, not Timbuktu via Nakhon Nowhere!

[connda]

23 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I've written this about 5x, so here it is again,

Air Asia to Khon Kaen 7:15 am around 1,000bht

KK airport bus to bus station 3,  20bht and 45 mins.

Mad Van from Bus Station 3 to Mukdahan, 240bht and 3 hours.

Mukdahan bus station to Savannakhet bus station 50bht, stops and collects at all immigration booths.

 

Stay 2 nights in Suvannakhet,

Then collect passport, walk to bus station, Suvanakhet bus station to Mukdahan, 50bht, stops and collects all the way

Overnight bus to Chiang Mai about 750bht, change at KK bus station. Best to buy your ticket on the way in as the bus fills up.

Just curious, but why not from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani then to Nong Kai and use and use the Thai embassy in Vientaine?  The bus ride from Udon Thani to Nong Kai is an hour and change vs the 3+ hours slog from Khon Kaen.  Plus Vientiane is a pleasant city to visit and tour.  Suvannakhet?
Then the trip back to Chiang Mai via bus?  Lord, I'd rather pull my fingernails out then make that trip again. 
Or simpler yet.  Book a hotel in Vientiane, fly to Vientiane round trip from CM (CM+BKK+Vientiane), and spend part of your trip taking care of the visa and the rest touring that part of Laos?  Just some thoughts.  Not sure why the OP is stuck on Suvannakhet although if he wants to go BritManToo just paved the way.

 

 

[lopburi3]

1 minute ago, connda said:

Just curious, but why not from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani then to Nong Kai and use Vientaine and use the Thai embassy in Vientaine?

You might get the answer by reading post 22.

[connda]

4 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

You might get the answer by reading post 22.

Well, there ya have it. 

Personally I'd still go to Vientiane, get the single entry, then go to the immigration office locally to get it changed to a multiple entry. 

[lopburi3]

1 minute ago, connda said:

Well, there ya have it. 

Personally I'd still go to Vientiane, get the single entry, then go to the immigration office locally to get it changed to a multiple entry. 

Good luck with that - there is no such thing available from an immigration office.  Poster does not appear to have the financials to obtain an extension of stay (which is what is available from Immigration for one year stays).

[connda]

38 minutes ago, PerkinsCuthbert said:

Jeez, can't people read? The OP wants to go from Chiang Mai to Savannakhet via Mukdahan, not Timbuktu via Nakhon Nowhere!

We live in a world of options.  A helpful person shows different ways of accomplishing the same thing.  Hence the offer of a different option.  Now, how that offends anyone is beyond me.  Some folk want to live in a uni-dimensional world I guess.

[connda]

1 minute ago, lopburi3 said:

Good luck with that - there is no such thing available from an immigration office.  Poster does not appear to have the financials to obtain an extension of stay (which is what is available from Immigration for one year stays).

In that case, I guess he's going to Savannakhet.  I'll just shut up now. 

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, connda said:

A helpful person shows different ways of accomplishing the same thing.

But you showed him how to go to a place that doesn't offer the VISA he wanted.