Lao borders (some at least) now requiring overnight stay?

[anotherfarangishere]

2 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

It's a very busy border, so if there had been any change, you would have heard about it already. 

Does make sense. Thanks!

[racket]

On 8/26/2024 at 10:26 AM, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

Myanmar should keep its borders closed to self-entitled farang who are only there to abuse Thailand's rules.

 

Since the 3 Pagodas Pass border has been closed to farang for the past 17 years, chances are Mae Sai and Mae Sot could be the same...

 

Of course, people like you will still be moaning about Mae Sai being closed in 17 years from now...

 

I don't get it....what are all these people on visa-free stays doing in Thailand all day long? What is it that prevents them from spending even a night or two in a neighboring country?

 

Must be related to heavy drinking and girls as I can't see any other legit reason.

 

Legitimate tourists don't have that much time. Those who are working online will have a DTV or LTR visa if they're wealthy. Those who are not working online but working in Thailand will have a non O married to a Thai or non B plus work permit or smart visa or some other long term visa. Retirees will have a retirement visa.

 

You’re missing the point. If it were Laos preventing people from exiting or leaving the country, that could be a violation of international law. I wasn’t referring to Thai immigration. Additionally, I’ve never heard of the borders you mentioned. From what I’ve read online, they’ve primarily been used by tourists and locals for quick in-and-out visits. You seem more experienced with border runs than I am, which suggests you might be the one relying on visa-free stamps to stay in Thailand. As for heavy drinking and girls, it sounds like you’re projecting your own experiences. People have been working online since the early 2000s… Welcome to the real world. 

[Saigon]

On 8/25/2024 at 8:19 PM, racket said:

 

That’s true, but it’s a bit unclear which side of the IO is enforcing these rules. My initial thought was that the Laos IO wouldn’t stamp them out unless they stayed in the country for two days. If it’s the Thai IO, that’s a different situation, but it seems odd since Laos would be the only one benefiting from retaining the tourists. That’s why I find it strange to force people to stay.

 

It's defo the IOs on the Thai side!

[anotherfarangishere]

On 8/24/2024 at 7:03 AM, Tod Daniels said:

It appears at this time it's limited to Chiang Khong; as in there were no reports from Chiang Saen where you cross by boat or Nong Khai & Mukdahan/Savannakhet was stamping people out/back like normal.  

I confirm that on August 30, there wasn't any problem at Nong Khai border.

[Tomtomtom69]

On 8/26/2024 at 10:50 PM, BoganBob said:

 

If the Thai-Lao crossings continue to allow 2 visa exempt land border crossings per year then that would be the one remaining advantage. Flight to Kuala Lumpur is probably cheaper and definitely faster but airport immigration is crap shoot whereas land crossing from Laos was viewed as "safe" thing to keep in back pocket if you needed it. I guess the thing to keep a close eye on is if that is changing with transition to 60 days visa exempt stamp. Will land crossings become more like airports in terms of scrutiny?   

 

Yes, most likely. 

[Tomtomtom69]

On 8/28/2024 at 4:44 PM, racket said:

 

You’re missing the point. If it were Laos preventing people from exiting or leaving the country, that could be a violation of international law. I wasn’t referring to Thai immigration. Additionally, I’ve never heard of the borders you mentioned. From what I’ve read online, they’ve primarily been used by tourists and locals for quick in-and-out visits. You seem more experienced with border runs than I am, which suggests you might be the one relying on visa-free stamps to stay in Thailand. As for heavy drinking and girls, it sounds like you’re projecting your own experiences. People have been working online since the early 2000s… Welcome to the real world. 

 

There is no inherent right for a foreigner to enter either Laos or Thailand. 

 

In May 2022, Laos even banned anyone arriving from certain sub-Saharan African countries from entering due to monkeypox. Call that a human rights violation if you will, but it's their call and their right.

 

There's no good reason to be doing continous border runs. Get a proper visa, find another country to live in or go back home. Simple as that.

 

Border runners ruin it for everyone else to the point that legitimate people with long term visas arriving by car are questioned as to their intentions when they arrive at some border crossings. 

[mokwit]

20 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

There's no good reason to be doing continous border runs. Get a proper visa, find another country to live in or go back home. Simple as that.

What type of visa are you on?

[Rob Browder]

2 hours ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

There's no good reason to be doing continous border runs. Get a proper visa, find another country to live in or go back home.

There is no reason those doing visa runs should not be encouraged to stay and keep spending money in Thailand.  They are violating no law by doing so.

 

2 hours ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

Border runners ruin it for everyone else to the point that legitimate people with long term visas arriving by car are questioned as to their intentions when they arrive at some border crossings. 

This Stockholm Syndrome thinking is pathetic.  The IOs at those borders want "tribute" payments, through their agent-partners, from those who stay in Thailand a considerable period of time, and their bosses allow this behavior. 

 

That is ALL this is about - the same as with changing the requirements/hassles for extensions of stay in the country. 

[Tod Daniels]

No issue bouncing out/back at the Malay borders

[BillyBobzTeeth]

20 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

No issue bouncing out/back at the Malay borders

 

Has anyone been to the Wang Prachan border in Satun recently, can anyone confirm if the "Fee" still needs to be paid to come back the same day on Visa Exempt? 

[Tomtomtom69]

On 9/2/2024 at 2:22 PM, Rob Browder said:

There is no reason those doing visa runs should not be encouraged to stay and keep spending money in Thailand.  They are violating no law by doing so.

 

This Stockholm Syndrome thinking is pathetic.  The IOs at those borders want "tribute" payments, through their agent-partners, from those who stay in Thailand a considerable period of time, and their bosses allow this behavior. 

 

That is ALL this is about - the same as with changing the requirements/hassles for extensions of stay in the country. 

 

Border running on visa exempt is a breach of the rules.

 

Only reason you defend this practice is because you're living here on visa exempt and it benefits you.

 

One day, could be your next border run or the one after that, your number will be up and refused entry.

 

Just the way it works. Again, you can't get away with this in a western country and Thailand is increasingly not tolerating it either.

 

Qualifying for a long term visa extension isn't difficult. 

[Caldera]

3 hours ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

Border running on visa exempt is a breach of the rules.

 

Cite those rules then. I don't think you can.

[Rob Browder]

17 hours ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

Border running on visa exempt is a breach of the rules.

 

Only reason you defend this practice is because you're living here on visa exempt and it benefits you.

 

One day, could be your next border run or the one after that, your number will be up and refused entry.

 

Just the way it works. Again, you can't get away with this in a western country and Thailand is increasingly not tolerating it either.

 

Qualifying for a long term visa extension isn't difficult. 

Those who do will have no problem if they use known corruption-free entry points, or pay the agent-fees at the corrupt ones. 

 

I haven't used a tourist-type entry IN MANY YEARS.  But, attacking me personally is a way to avoid the fact that every Westerner coming in to spend more money in Thailand benefits Thai people - employees and business-owners.  I do not understand why some people hate more opportunity for poorer-background Thais so much, but it is clear they do.

 

This is not at all similar to "Western" countries, because those coming in often come to work illegally, because they get paid many times more as an illegal worker in the West, than a legal worker at home. Apples vs Oranges.

[racket]

On 9/2/2024 at 12:10 PM, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

There is no inherent right for a foreigner to enter either Laos or Thailand. 

 

In May 2022, Laos even banned anyone arriving from certain sub-Saharan African countries from entering due to monkeypox. Call that a human rights violation if you will, but it's their call and their right.

 

Regarding foreigners living in Thailand on visa exempt entries - often they're criminals escaping from the law back home or somewhere else.

 

There's no good reason to be doing continous border runs. Get a proper visa, find another country to live in or go back home. Simple as that.

 

Border runners ruin it for everyone else to the point that legitimate people with long term visas arriving by car are questioned as to their intentions when they arrive at some border crossings. 

 

You don't have any evidence or data to support the claim that people doing border runs are criminals.

 

First, criminals would have been stopped from entering Thailand long ago, thanks to biometrics, so they wouldn't be here in the first place. Second, people do border runs for various legitimate reasons. They might need more time to process an existing or new visa, or they simply want to extend their vacation in Thailand before returning home.

 

No one is ruining it for anyone else. If you intend to stay long-term, you can obtain a visa and comply with its requirements. If your stay is short-term, you can use border runs to extend your stay, up to the limit of two per calendar year.

 

Regarding your first point about monkeypox, entry rules can be enforced by any country—this is nothing new. However, I was referring to exiting, not entering. It sounds like you just unpacked your suitcase here...

[BoganBob]

Got back from this border run today. I didn't use the private bus service and instead just took Green Bus. Information for anyone who is interested:

 

They give you this little business card when handing back your passport after getting exit stamp at Thai immigration. Transfer bus across the bridge is 25 baht. After 4 PM there is a $1 overtime service fee to get stamped in at Laos immigration. Shared songthaew charges 80 baht to get to town. Stayed two nights in Huay Xai. At return to Thai immigration there was girl a few people ahead of me on her second land border run (I don't know how long total she'd been in country) who got sent to interrogation room. She wasn't dressed very well at all and was a black Westerner. Two Europeans who were dressed in typical backpacker attire breezed thru the other line so I switched lines. IO asked me where I was staying (I said Chiang Mai) and stamped me thru. I was dressed nicely, did have my TM.30, an "onwardticket" bought from one of those sites, 10k baht cash, and an itinerary, but wasn't asked to show anything. The Songthaew  (60 baht) took 10 min to fill up and in that time the black Western girl was eventually let through though she was using van service and the guy from the company had gone in to assist with her. Apparently they had asked to see onward ticket and she didn't have one.  

[Santzes]

Is there a reason why people seem to be going to Chiang Khong even though apparently Chiang Saen is only one night and a little closer to Chiang Rai?

[BoganBob]

31 minutes ago, Santzes said:

Is there a reason why people seem to be going to Chiang Khong even though apparently Chiang Saen is only one night and a little closer to Chiang Rai?

 

The private border van companies all go to Chiang Khong. And there are two direct Green Buses daily plus a bunch of buses that go to Chiang Rai which you can then just hop on the Chiang Khong local bus that runs every hour. With Chiang Saen there is just one Green Bus daily that doesn't leave till after noon. Plus I think people are just more familiar with it generally because going there and then taking slow boat to Luang Prabang is popular thing among backpackers. 

[Rob Browder]

On 9/4/2024 at 3:15 PM, racket said:

If your stay is short-term, you can use border runs to extend your stay, up to the limit of two per calendar year.

That "two per calendar year" rule was only for land-borders, and no longer in-effect.  This has been tested/verified with several entry-reports exceeding that limit at known safe/non-corrupt points of entry, since the rule-change earlier this year.

[Jack1988]

It's still only 2 times per year at chiang khong- huay xai laos border

Edited September 6 by Jack1988

[Rob Browder]

2 hours ago, Jack1988 said:

It's still only 2 times per year at chiang khong- huay xai laos border

As usual, every immigration office and entry-point will make things "their own way."  I would not try Poipet/Aranyaprathet, either. 

 

But, prior to the recent change, the "2-land-border entries per calendar-year" rule was universal at all land-borders - reflecting the policy published in the official Gazette, which was specific to land-border entry points.  This was never policy at the airport entry-points.

[Santzes]

7 hours ago, Jack1988 said:

It's still only 2 times per year at chiang khong- huay xai laos border

How about Chiang Saen?

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, Jack1988 said:

I think the same 

Won't remove you post.

The point is post first hand report or post nothing 

[Jack1988]

right now, the best borders with no issues are to cambodia or malaysia

[Pattaya57]

6 minutes ago, Jack1988 said:

right now, the best borders with no issues are to cambodia or malaysia

You really shouldn't post like you have expert knowledge. Are you saying for example Nong Khai - Laos friendship bridge has issues?

[DrJack54]

Have removed some  posts and replies.

 

[Jack1988]

8 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

You really shouldn't post like you have expert knowledge. Are you saying for example Nong Khai - Laos friendship bridge has issues?

lol, did i mention nong khai- laos bridge? You are saying that! My agency said that the best borders are cambodia or malaysia. Maybe because they deal with immigration officers

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, Jack1988 said:

lol, did i mention nong khai- laos bridge? You are saying that! My agency said that the best borders are cambodia or malaysia. Maybe because they deal with immigration officers

You are trolling the thread.

Please refrain.

Recent reports of Nong Khai same day exit reentry. 

@Pattaya57 post correct

[eastbaybob]

I have a Multi Entry Non Immigrant O visa and just used the Chiang Saen crossing to get another 90 days.  First I was told by Thai Immigration that I had to spend the night in Laos but then he saw my visa.  With the visa I didn’t have to spend time in Laos, just got stamped in, stamped out and back to Thailand for another 90 days.  As I was leaving I saw some guy without a visa and he told me they were going to require him to spend the night there so he didn’t go.

 

Boat to Laos is 70 baht each way. The boats need to have 3 or 4 people before they leave and it might take a while now as fewer people are doing their runs here, and if you’re waiting for a boat and another boat drops off passengers but you’re the only one waiting for a boat they will leave empty. Lao visa is $40 US or 2000 baht, and they want crisp bills and they will reject old looking USD.  Lastly, Thai immigration is really good up there.

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, eastbaybob said:

As I was leaving I saw some guy without a visa and he told me they were going to require him to spend the night there so he didn’t go.

First up thanks for report.

So this other guy wasn't prepared to spend one night in Laos and walked away.

Weird 

[Pattaya57]

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

First up thanks for report.

So this other guy wasn't prepared to spend one night in Laos and walked away.

Weird 

Yep, I'm sure most border runs are done with 1 or 2 days remaining on entry stamp so why would you decline to stay 1 night in Laos when so close to end of stay?

Edited Sunday at 12:21 PM by Pattaya57