Vientiane or Savannakhet?

[banglassie]

Hi fellow stone table experts,
I used to get a lot of excellent advice her some years ago from @ubonjoe Not sure if he is still around, but I am sure some well versed people are always around.
Premise: I have a non Imm O (the actual visa in a passport I lost, but a stamp from Div 1 in Chaeng Wattana and from Muang Thong Thani and I got a new 1-year extension of stay. However, BOI won't acknowledge my non Imm O as long as I am on an extension of stay with studying as my reason to stay (letter from embassy of enough money/month) because they count it as Student Visa (however extensions of stays are based on the original visa, not the extension of stay), however, I got different leads from MTT and CW. Until I realized I that Laos is most probably open now(?)
So...
Questions:
          1) I used to go to Savannakhet to get a non Imm O ME for 5000 without proof of income, is that still a thing?
          2) I am in no need of ME, so could I go to Vientiane with only my marriage certificate k.r.2, k.r.4. Passport copies, tabian ban for the wife, copies for me, pictures and all the usual stuff, and get a single entry Non Imm O without proof of payment?
If so, I can go and get a new Non Imm O and cancel the old extension, and then my company would have 2-3 months to fix it, no? And I know I can work on a Non imm O based on family/marriage etc. Is that still a thing in Vientiane

        3) If it is still a thing, do I need to book a time before, like I did before covid? Haven't been in Vientiane for ages.
        4) is there any additional documents I need to cross into Laos? (vaccine or ATK on border etc.?)
Appreciate all inputs, I am really on the last limb while actually having everything in order as long as I can fix it on the budget I have left, so the faster, the better
(cheapest route from Bkk to Nong Khai would be gold to know as well, have been using trains, sombat, 999 and Nakhonchaiair. Flights are fine, but it will cost a few hundred extra, and I am in the situation where a few hundred is worth more than a night of your life on a bus or a train

 

Thanks to any serious answers. Appreciate you alot.
 

[ubonjoe]

Are you applying for a extension of stay based upon working for a BOI company? If needing a new visa it would be best to apply a non-b visa with supporting documents from your employer. The immigration office that issues extension of stay for BOI companies might not accept a non-o visa to apply for the extension.

Your questions.

I. Yes

2. You could get a visa at the embassy in Vientiane. You extension based upon attending a school would end on the day your leave the country without a re-entry permit to use for entry.

3. Yes

4. If fully vaccinated you do not need a covid 19 test to enter Laos or to return to Thailand.

5. Going by bus or train is least costly way travel to Nong Khai.

 

[banglassie]

Thanks a lot!

 

Yes, a non B could be good, however my company prefer Vietnam for those visas.
But a Non O based on family/marriage makes me able to work as well, and if I rmb correct only 40k a month or 400k in a bank seasoned, is needed as proof, rather than 60k/month or 800k in a Thai bank.

Seeing they had issues with my extensions, I feel a new visa would be easier, and a Non O not make me too tied up to the company.

 

So if possible I would rather apply for a single entry non imm O (cause that's paperwork I know inside out), and then let BOI make a WP, since it will be a new Non O visa with "Thai wife" stamps (I still find it hilarious that many women I know got "Thai wife" stamped as well, even though they are married to Thai men 555)

Then make the extension before 90 days or however long a single entry non Imm O is with paper from my work at Caeng wattana Division 1, since if some documents are missing I can easily get someone to come and help me or send the correct documents with Grab or Lineman and have them within an hour.

 

Went to Mukdahan with a new passport and forgot to transfer all stamps and the receipt from the embassy, which was quite a pain, so rather make it as easy as possible while abroad since I understand Laos less as a nation and as a language, so usually more prone to lose money there, so prefer to make my 1-year extensions inside Thailand).

[KhunBENQ]

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

4. If fully vaccinated you do not need a covid 19 test to enter Laos or to return to Thailand.

And absolutely no Covid related checks when I went on July 17.

(Nong Khai - Vientiane)

[BritTim]

17 hours ago, banglassie said:

So if possible I would rather apply for a single entry non imm O (cause that's paperwork I know inside out), and then let BOI make a WP ...

I strongly recommend you check with BOI that they will allow you to use their services with a Non O visa. Yes, I know working on a Non O visa (Thai spouse) is allowed, but as @ubonjoe warned, that does not mean BOI will be OK with it.