SETV in Vientiane after long stay in Thailand.

[ketilnm]

On 6/9/2023 at 2:05 PM, BritTim said:

Most likely, you would be returned to your last departure point. If you try to fly from Vientiane to Chiang Mai, you might go via Luang Prabang, but more likely would go via Bangkok, and go through Immigration there. I do not believe there are direct flights from Vientiane to Chiang Mai.

 

If returned from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang, it should be possible to arrange flights from there to Norway.

Thank you.

Is it another alternative here, for me to go to immigration in jomtien,  apply for a 30day extension, witch will not be granted, (as my last visa exempt i alredy have extended with 30 days) but will i get 7 days to leave Thailand?

Edited June 10, 2023 by ketilnm

[Caldera]

13 minutes ago, ketilnm said:

Thank you.

Is it another alternative here, for me to go to immigration in jomtien,  apply for a 30day extension, witch will not be granted, (as my last visa exempt i alredy have extended with 30 days) but will i get 7 days to leave Thailand?

With the usual caveat that it's at immigration's discretion: Yes, you can apply and would be denied another 30-day extension, but be given 7 days to leave the country.

Edited June 10, 2023 by Caldera

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, ketilnm said:

Thank you.

Is it another alternative here, for me to go to immigration in jomtien,  apply for a 30day extension, witch will not be granted, (as my last visa exempt i alredy have extended with 30 days) but will i get 7 days to leave Thailand?

As long as you are not already on overstay, that will always be given to you.

[Daithi85]

Is the 180 day rule been enforced in Vientiane?

I've been told by 1 visa run company that it's not possible for me to apply for a TV in savannaket as I've stayed in Thailand longer than 180 days.

Any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

[JoseThailand]

38 minutes ago, Daithi85 said:

Is the 180 day rule been enforced in Vientiane?

I've been told by 1 visa run company that it's not possible for me to apply for a TV in savannaket as I've stayed in Thailand longer than 180 days.

Any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

180 days within the past 365 days?

[StayinThailand2much]

On 6/9/2023 at 12:53 PM, Caldera said:

If you're denied entry, they'd bounce you back from Chiang Mai Airport, you wouldn't be able to get on a domestic flight to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

That would be interesting. What if there are no flights from Chiang Mai to Norway? Obviously, there wouldn't be 'automatic' admission in Laos for the OP either...

[Daithi85]

17 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

180 days within the past 365 days?

They didn't say anything about 365 days,all they said was because I've spent more than 180 days here that I wouldnt be able to go along with them on the visa run.

[JoseThailand]

29 minutes ago, Daithi85 said:

They didn't say anything about 365 days,all they said was because I've spent more than 180 days here that I wouldnt be able to go along with them on the visa run.

180 days in your whole life?

[Daithi85]

2 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

180 days in your whole life?

180 days in row I would guess 

[JoseThailand]

1 minute ago, Daithi85 said:

180 days in row I would guess 

What does "in a row" mean? If you left for one day and returned, is it considered "in a row"?

[Daithi85]

15 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

What does "in a row" mean? If you left for one day and returned, is it considered "in a row"?

If you have been here for more than 6 months this company says they can't take you along for the visa run.

New rules since may they told me.

That's all I was told.

[BritTim]

It is well known by now that Savannakhet has started being much stricter about granting tourist visas. There have been no reports that suggest a tightening of the guidelines in Vientiane. However,

1. you need an appointment to apply in Vientiane; and
2. over six months consecutively already might be treated as a red flag by the officials.

If you have no previous tourist visa in your current passport that was issued in Vientiane, my guess is that they will give you one. No guarantees.

[Tod Daniels]

12 hours ago, BritTim said:

It is well known by now that Savannakhet has started being much stricter about granting tourist visas. There have been no reports that suggest a tightening of the guidelines in Vientiane. However,

1. you need an appointment to apply in Vientiane; and
2. over six months consecutively already might be treated as a red flag by the officials.

If you have no previous tourist visa in your current passport that was issued in Vientiane, my guess is that they will give you one. No guarantees.

I totally concur with what Brit Tim says.. You will NOT get a tourist visa in Savannakhet and in fact you won't even get in the gate once they see your entry/stay history. They are turning away DROVES of people every week now

However if you follow the guidelines for the tourist visa in Vientiane <- that means have proof of confirmed lodging for the 60 days you will be in thailand, have proof of a bank account with 20K baht in it for the last 3 months, have proof that you are flying OUT of thailand in 60 days, you should (no guarantees of course) be able to pull a single entry tourist visa from Vientiane for 1000baht. They won't even let you in the gate if you can't get it.

Another consulate that appears NOT to take into consideration entry/stay history (at least not to the degree that HCMC, Hanoi & Savannakhet do) is Penang Malaysia so that might be another option for you ..  

[NanLaew]

Another option for the OP if he's denied a SETV and knocked back by immigration at Chiang Mai, since there are few long-haul international flights out of Lao airports, the OP could possibly hop to Hanoi or Saigon in Vietnam where there are better long-haul flight options that avoid stopovers in any Thai airports.

 

Turkish Airlines o/w HAN - OSL via IST next Thursday for less than €700.

 

Good luck.

[stratocaster]

16 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

What does "in a row" mean? If you left for one day and returned, is it considered "in a row"?

There is a recent story of a guy refused a SETV in Savannakhet for staying 90 days continuous in Thailand. When he pointed out that he had done a border bounce 30 days previously they showed him his stamps that he left Thailand on the 23rd and entered Thailand on the 23rd, so as far as they were concerned that is a continuous stay.

[SebBkk]

You can get a SETV in Vientiane with long history (more than 180 days in Thailand, 2 previous land border etc). I did it last week. Better to  have all the requirements requested (proof of lodging, proof of flight ticket out of Thailand, bank statement last 3 months). But if you are lucky you can give your documents at one of the 2 counters where the IO asks only for bank account statement…

[Daithi85]

1 hour ago, SebBkk said:

You can get a SETV in Vientiane with long history (more than 180 days in Thailand, 2 previous land border etc). I did it last week. Better to  have all the requirements requested (proof of lodging, proof of flight ticket out of Thailand, bank statement last 3 months). But if you are lucky you can give your documents at one of the 2 counters where the IO asks only for bank account statement…

Does the balance need to show just 20,000 on the day of applying or not under 20,000 for the past 3 months?

[BritTim]

35 minutes ago, Daithi85 said:

Does the balance need to show just 20,000 on the day of applying or not under 20,000 for the past 3 months?

My sense is that they want to see general evidence that you are not broke. Nothing in the account until two days previously, and then exactly 20,000 baht to meet a threshold would be looked at with scepticism. If you have a fluctuating balance over the three months with the amount generally above 20,000 baht, I think that would be accepted. They are not going to deny you because the balance occasionally drops below 20,000 (unless they really want to deny you for other reasons).

[anotherfarangishere]

On 6/8/2023 at 7:35 PM, BritTim said:

Since you have already burned your land based visa exempt entries...

What is this exactly ? Does it mean that now they "officially" can't refuse you two times a year crossing the border and coming back immediately ? (Mae Sai, Nong Khai...)

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, anotherfarangishere said:

What is this exactly ? Does it mean that now they "officially" can't refuse you two times a year crossing the border and coming back immediately ? (Mae Sai, Nong Khai...)

They can question you at land borders.

Asking for proof of funds.

Perhaps even ridiculous onward flight.

Generally given the 2 visa exempt land border entries per calendar year then you should be fine.

 

Of course there are rogue crossings such as Poi Pet where all bets are off. 

[ketilnm]

7 hours ago, SebBkk said:

You can get a SETV in Vientiane with long history (more than 180 days in Thailand, 2 previous land border etc). I did it last week. Better to  have all the requirements requested (proof of lodging, proof of flight ticket out of Thailand, bank statement last 3 months). But if you are lucky you can give your documents at one of the 2 counters where the IO asks only for bank account statement…

How long have you been in Thailand?

 

Thanks.

[farangbuffalo]

20 hours ago, SebBkk said:

You can get a SETV in Vientiane with long history (more than 180 days in Thailand, 2 previous land border etc). I did it last week. Better to  have all the requirements requested (proof of lodging, proof of flight ticket out of Thailand, bank statement last 3 months). But if you are lucky you can give your documents at one of the 2 counters where the IO asks only for bank account statement…

How long was proof of lodging for? The entire 60 days or just a few days?

 

 

[Tod Daniels]

5 hours ago, farangbuffalo said:

How long was proof of lodging for? The entire 60 days or just a few days?

 

 

They were making some people who didn't have proof of lodging for the whole 60 days BOOK hotels right there before you could apply 
Just make a booking for the whole 60 days you'll get for the tourist visa and then cancel it after you get the visa issued

 

[SebBkk]

5 hours ago, farangbuffalo said:

How long was proof of lodging for? The entire 60 days or just a few days?

 

 

Just a few days

[ketilnm]

2 hours ago, SebBkk said:

Just a few days

How long have you been in Thailand?

 

 

[CartagenaWarlock]

On 6/8/2023 at 10:15 AM, DrJack54 said:

News flash he is not a Russian

I read in Facebook that Russians can do unlimited land border crossing without a visa. Is that true?

[DrJack54]

14 minutes ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

I read in Facebook that Russians can do unlimited land border crossing without a visa. Is that true?

I believe so.

The post of mine that you quoted was me pointing out that the OP is not Russian.

Read back in thread there was troll stating "stand your ground " etc.

Turned out to be Russian.

 

For vast majority of passports you can only stay in Thailand for limited time using visa exempt and tourist visas

Edited June 14, 2023 by DrJack54

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

I read in Facebook that Russians can do unlimited land border crossing without a visa. Is that true?

Since visa exemptions are under bilateral agreement, the two by land per calendar year limitation does not apply. I think there were some restrictions prior to the Russo-Ukrainian war, but Thai immigration is being lenient with Russians right now.

[CartagenaWarlock]

17 hours ago, BritTim said:

Since visa exemptions are under bilateral agreement, the two by land per calendar year limitation does not apply. I think there were some restrictions prior to the Russo-Ukrainian war, but Thai immigration is being lenient with Russians right now.

Are there any other countries that are allowed unlimited access?

[BritTim]

3 minutes ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

Are there any other countries that are allowed unlimited access?

Malaysians have unlimited entries when crossing the border from Malaysia. That is an exception to the general rule for standard visa exemptions. All the countries that allow visa exemption under bilateral agreement will have different restrictions. I am not familiar with all the individual agreements.