Savannakhet Thai Consulate absolutely thronged with people

[MJCM]

1 hour ago, JaiLai said:

What difference will going on a Friday make?

 

It appears whatever plan of attack you might have for beating the Q's you're gonna be scuppered.

 

If you apply on a Friday, you have to wait in Savannakhet till Monday 2pm to pick up your passport as Sat / Sun the consulate is closed !

 

So that will be 3 nights stay instead of the usual 1 night stay, but I suspect when applying on Friday it will be very quiet ????

Edited June 4, 2019 by MJCM

[JaiLai]

If you apply on a Friday, you have to wait in Savannakhet till Monday 2pm to pick up your passport as Sat / Sun the consulate is closed !
 
So that will be 3 nights stay instead of the usual 1 night stay, but I suspect when applying on Friday it will be very quiet [emoji6]

I understand the additional nights due to the weekend, my question is why do u suspect it will be quieter on Fridays?


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[MJCM]

25 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

 

I understand the additional nights due to the weekend, my question is why do u suspect it will be quieter on Fridays?


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I Guess you have you never been there. 3 Nights is a looooooong time in a place like Savannakhet.

 

We went 2 nights (arrived mid afternoon on day 1), did the consulate visit on early morning on day 2, did the tours came back to the Hotel at around 1pm, and went to dinner on the river at 6pm went back to the hotel and waited in the Hotel till early afternoon of day 3 to pick up passport.

 

If you like drinking beer Lao, it's oke, but 3 nights ??? No Thanks

 

Edit: So to answer your question "why do u suspect it will be quieter on Fridays?". Not a lot of people want to stay there for 3 nights if they can do it in 1. So .....

Edited June 4, 2019 by MJCM

[Nong Khai Man]

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

 

I Guess you have you never been there. 3 Nights is a looooooong time in a place like Savannakhet.

 

We went 2 nights (arrived mid afternoon on day 1), did the consulate visit on early morning on day 2, did the tours came back to the Hotel at around 1pm, and went to dinner on the river at 6pm went back to the hotel and waited in the Hotel till early afternoon of day 3 to pick up passport.

 

If you like drinking beer Lao, it's oke, but 3 nights ??? No Thanks

 

Edit: So to answer your question "why do u suspect it will be quieter on Fridays?". Not a lot of people want to stay there for 3 nights if they can do it in 1. So .....

Yeah !! Even 1 Night there is 1 Night Too Many.......

[KhaoYai]

8 hours ago, JaiLai said:

 

What’s required for marriage extension?

Are they multiple exit / entry?

Thanks


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Sounds to me (also reading your later posts) that if you are coming and going a lot you would be better off with a 12 month Multi Entry Non O based on marriage. That would allow you to stay for 90 days (+ a potential 30 day extension) each visit - no limit on how many visits. These are normally obtained from the Thai Embassy in your home country but I believe that they can also be obtained at Savannakhet and Vientiane.

 

The requirements vary from office to office - if you decide on this route, someone will be able to advise you on what's required at the place you intend to make the application.  The amount of paperwork is far less than for an extension but you DO have to leave every 90 days (or less).

Edited June 4, 2019 by KhaoYai

[JaiLai]

1 minute ago, KhaoYai said:

Sounds to me (also reading your later posts) that if you are coming and going a lot you would be better off with a 12 month Multi Entry Non O based on marriage. That would allow you to stay for 90 days (+ a potential 30 day extension) each visit - no limit on how many visits. These are normally obtained from the Thai Embassy in your home country but I believe that they can also be obtained at Savannakhet and Vientiane.

 

The requirements vary from office to office but are normally - if you decide on this route, someone will be able to advise you on what's required at the place you intend to make the application.  The amount of paperwork is far less than for an extension but you DO have to leave every 90 days (or less).

This is what i have had for several years, i'm trying to figure out if a 1 year ME extension may work.

 

If not i'll pop over the HCMC when the time comes.

[KhaoYai]

2 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

This is what i have had for several years, i'm trying to figure out if a 1 year ME extension may work.

 

If not i'll pop over the HCMC when the time comes.

I don't think there is any such thing as a 1 year ME extension - only re-entry permits. You would also be subject to either the money in the bank or income requirements on an extension.

[SEtonal]

13 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Sounds to me (also reading your later posts) that if you are coming and going a lot you would be better off with a 12 month Multi Entry Non O based on marriage. That would allow you to stay for 90 days (+ a potential 30 day extension) each visit - no limit on how many visits. These are normally obtained from the Thai Embassy in your home country but I believe that they can also be obtained at Savannakhet and Vientiane.

The 1 year Non-Imm O Multiple Entry visa allows for a stay of 90 days plus a potential 60 day extension for close to 150 days on one entry.

 

At Vientiane, the Non-Imm O Multiple Entry visa is only available to residents of Laos.  However, the Non-Imm O ME visa is available in Savannakhet and HCMC. 

[Kenchamp]

You can be sure that Saigon is about to get busier. That's where i'd be going if i decide to revert back to a non o marriage visa. 

[SteveK]

I had no problem wasting a weekend in Savannakhet. I went to a massive temple complex a bit of out the town, spent a night at the casino, and took a few long walks by the river. New York it is not, but some interesting restaurants and bars to go to. Macchiato de Coffee even cooked me an imported Australian fillet steak, cooked actually rare with blood coming out, it was sensational.

Edited June 4, 2019 by SteveK

[KhaoYai]

43 minutes ago, SEtonal said:

The 1 year Non-Imm O Multiple Entry visa allows for a stay of 90 days plus a potential 60 day extension for close to 150 days on one entry.

60 day extension on a Non O ME? I wasn't aware of that - good news for those on one then.

[Essecola]

15 hours ago, ocddave said:

Just dump it on the curb side, watch how fast it disappears.

The management and folks nearby would be, how to say, 'non plussed' , if i wuz to leave a load like that on the pavement. It's a nice place, nobody would like it. It's a bit shyytte to need to just dump stuff but when there needs dumping, it still needs to be in the right place and way etc

[ocddave]

1 hour ago, Essecola said:

The management and folks nearby would be, how to say, 'non plussed' , if i wuz to leave a load like that on the pavement. It's a nice place, nobody would like it. It's a bit shyytte to need to just dump stuff but when there needs dumping, it still needs to be in the right place and way etc

I'm just saying that here in Thailand, nothing goes to waste, I am amazed what the workers will take from my trash in my townhouse community. You put anything out there, and in about 5 minutes, GONE!

[Cereal]

The system was rife for corruption as soon as someone thought (or didn't) think about it. Waiting 2 months for a visa appointment when not so long ago I didn't need one at all makes me so pi$$ed.

 

What we need now is more cheap flights to Thailand!

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, Cereal said:

Waiting 2 months for a visa appointment when not so long ago I didn't need one at all makes me so

You can makes an appointment about 2 to 3 weeks  before you plan on going to Vientiane. Not sure who said it is 2 months.

For a tourist visa there are appointments available now for Friday June 21 and Tuesday the 25th.

For non immigrant visas there appointments available for this Friday and next Wednesday.

 

[nightfox]

12 hours ago, SEtonal said:

The 1 year Non-Imm O Multiple Entry visa allows for a stay of 90 days plus a potential 60 day extension for close to 150 days on one entry.

 

At Vientiane, the Non-Imm O Multiple Entry visa is only available to residents of Laos.  However, the Non-Imm O ME visa is available in Savannakhet and HCMC. 

I always thought that the 60 day extension was only possible when your Non O was about to expire, not every 90 days + 60 days?

[BritTim]

3 minutes ago, nightfox said:

I always thought that the 60 day extension was only possible when your Non O was about to expire, not every 90 days + 60 days?

You can extend any permission to stay (even from a visa exempt entry) for 60 days to visit your Thai spouse. Your visa, and its expiry date, are irrelevant.

[Cereal]

15 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can makes an appointment about 2 to 3 weeks  before you plan on going to Vientiane. Not sure who said it is 2 months.

For a tourist visa there are appointments available now for Friday June 21 and Tuesday the 25th.

For non immigrant visas there appointments available for this Friday and next Wednesday.

 

Reality is different than what the online thing often says. I live here and the wait as it stands is about 2 months these days. Falangs here are up in arms over it all.

 

Personally, I don't care, I hate going to Thailand. However, we have family there so I may just buy a 6 month multi-entry visa which costs 5000 baht.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, Cereal said:

Reality is different than what the online thing often says. I live here and the wait as it stands is about 2 months these days. Falangs here are up in arms over it all.

What I wrote is what the appointment website states for available appointments when I wrote my post.

I do not see how you could get more real than that.

 

[SEtonal]

2 hours ago, nightfox said:

I always thought that the 60 day extension was only possible when your Non O was about to expire, not every 90 days + 60 days?

I should have written that is for the Non-Imm O ME based on marriage. 

[VictorInBKK]

I remember when I went there in 2014 for a double-entry TV. The old officer at the Lao side of the border scolded the younger one when he realized he didn't overcharge me for the 35$ Lao visa on arrival. I was their only chance at that specific time in the morning so I understood his rage. At immigration there were 20 applicants tops each day and all smiles at the counters. This time I guess I'll have to camp at 6am with some beerlao bottles and sunscreen. Better to book an appointment for Vientiane, Penang or KL and book cheap flights 2 months in advance if that's even possible now.

[johnny1966]

Seems from todays report that Thursdays should be avoided. 100's in the cue to the consulate.......do they even let you in if they cannot process so many people?

[lamyai3]

2 hours ago, johnny1966 said:

Seems from todays report that Thursdays should be avoided. 100's in the cue to the consulate

Thursday would be the last day of the week you could apply and get the visa back the next day, but otherwise it shouldn't really be busier than an earlier weekday. Due to the public holiday on Monday it was likely more crowded this week than usual. 

[thai006]

dam  savabnakhet look like total chaos now  ????   did you know if at vientiane i need show proof financial for non 0 single entry   have thai child >? 

[ubonjoe]

7 hours ago, thai006 said:

dam  savabnakhet look like total chaos now  ????   did you know if at vientiane i need show proof financial for non 0 single entry   have thai child >? 

No you don't. You need to make an appointment at Vientiane about a week or so in advance for a non immigrant visa application.

[freedomnow]

"Darn" Savana was such a breeze before...

 

If you have to stay over a weekend, I suggest heading down to Pakse town (marginally better) and Bolaven (coffee planters) Plateau by motorbike (watch out if rainy season though..massive new potholes can develop)...

 

Some "damn fine coffee" up there due to its unique micro-climate....coffee taste closer to what you would get in Vietnam...there is nothing much in Savana if there longer than 2 days..endless grids of dusty house roads or the under-developed old town where the entry to the town used to be.

[nightfox]

On 6/5/2019 at 9:29 AM, BritTim said:

You can extend any permission to stay (even from a visa exempt entry) for 60 days to visit your Thai spouse. Your visa, and its expiry date, are irrelevant.

Good to know, but I think I will just stick to doing in and out boarder runs every 90 days instead of extending it for another 60 days as I haven't been in a Thai immigration office in over 5 years as I'm sure I will be fined for not reporting my address, not worth it paying almost 4,000bht in fines and fees when it only cost me $30 for a Lao visa and 240 bht return bus fare to Mukdahan as I live in Kalasin.

[Tayaout]

1 hour ago, nightfox said:

Good to know, but I think I will just stick to doing in and out boarder runs every 90 days instead of extending it for another 60 days as I haven't been in a Thai immigration office in over 5 years as I'm sure I will be fined for not reporting my address, not worth it paying almost 4,000bht in fines and fees when it only cost me $30 for a Lao visa and 240 bht return bus fare to Mukdahan as I live in Kalasin.

Fine look close to 10,000.

 

 

[BritTim]

13 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

Fine look close to 10,000.

 

 

The 10,000 baht fine is for hotels.

[sibille]

On 6/4/2019 at 4:35 PM, JaiLai said:

Totally agree about Savannaket, perhaps the most boring place on the planet... 

no - this is absolutely not true - savannkhet is a very nice big town (second biggest in laos after VTE), direct on the mekhong-river! go there for the sunset with some beer laos and of course the best eggs in the world...(balut or kai luuk).
rent a motorbike and drive in to the backyards towards the vietnamese border! there is also a very beautiful lake not far from savannakhet.

also shopping and dining - good experience - the best way is - drive in with your own vehicle!!!

for accomodations you have the choice in some very comfortable hotels/motels/guesthouses for a very fair price!