6 minutes ago, novacova said:

Without paying the ~4000฿ fee for expedited service? Where exactly is this report? And did the report specify that the same day in&out crossing was done “without paying for expedited service”? The info here seems weedy and unclear. It’s easy for someone to report “yeah I crossed in and out the same day, no problem” leaving gaps in the information. 

 

   Yes, you could just leave and come back the same day and no need to pay anything extra .

   I am just going form my own experience and I do keep an eye on the situation and this is the first time that I recall them enforcing the rule .

   I am quite sure that this new visa run service is a new thing and began recently when they starting enforcing the two day out rule .

Interesting thread. As has been pointed out here many times since overland visa exempt entries became "unlimited", you either pay a border bounce service or you take your chances with whatever policies the checkpoint you've chosen has come up with.

22 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Interesting thread. As has been pointed out here many times since overland visa exempt entries became "unlimited", you either pay a border bounce service or you take your chances with whatever policies the checkpoint you've chosen has come up with.

 

   I would prefer it if they would just charge 2000 Baht for a 60 day Visa exempt and kept the same rules instead of keeping changing them or at least give a few months notice of any rule changes 

47 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   I would prefer it if they would just charge 2000 Baht for a 60 day Visa exempt and kept the same rules instead of keeping changing them or at least give a few months notice of any rule changes 

No, the preferred method would be if the rules were uniform across the country, at every border and point of entry.  At least then you would know what to expect.  A few months notice of a rule change doesn't mean much when each individual border can set their own rules regardless of the official rule.

Maybe the ETA will change this and maybe it won't. Guess we will have to wait and see.

1 hour ago, BrandonJT said:

No, the preferred method would be if the rules were uniform across the country, at every border and point of entry.  At least then you would know what to expect.  

 

   "No" , I didn't suggest otherwise to your preferences 

8 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

I would prefer it if they would just charge 2000 Baht for a 60 day Visa exempt and kept the same rules instead of keeping changing them or at least give a few months notice of any rule changes 

 

Well it's Christmas soon, that makes a nice addition to your wishlist for Santa... ;)

17 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   This thread title does say Chiang saen and its about the Chiang Saen crossing  though , that's why I thought that you were referring to the Friendship bridge at Chiang Saen , rather than the other bridge at Nong Khai

And perhaps that causes a little confusion.  Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong are both in Chiangrai province heading into Laos and neither crossing is near the other.  So:

(1)  You attach a paper that you say you got at the Chiang Khong crossing.  So why is the thread title about the Chiang Saen crossing? Do you know that the same 2-night rule applies at Chiang Saen?

(2)  Are you saying that the 2-night rule applies to those of us with a one-year Thai visa/extension (retirement/marriage), DTV, etc.?  

9 minutes ago, CMBob said:

And perhaps that causes a little confusion.  Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong are both in Chiangrai province heading into Laos and neither crossing is near the other.  So:

(1)  You attach a paper that you say you got at the Chiang Khong crossing.  So why is the thread title about the Chiang Saen crossing? Do you know that the same 2-night rule applies at Chiang Saen?

(2)  Are you saying that the 2-night rule applies to those of us with a one-year Thai visa/extension (retirement/marriage), DTV, etc.?  

 

   Chiang Saen and Chiang Kong crossings are 21 Kilometres apart , which is very close to each other 

The person who wrote the OP crossed at Chiang Saen and I crossed at Chiang Kong , hence the difference .

   I don't know the answer to question 2 . Maybe those with those kind of visas can answer 

Reading all the above posts, confirms one of the reasons I left Thailand for Cambodia - the Thai bureaucracy regarding visas and border runs. No such border run hassle here.

 

When I lived in Lanna 20 years ago, I used to drive to Chiang Khong for border runs. In those days there was no Frienship Bridge and one had to use a ferry to cross the Mekong. The old Immigration Office was in town and was well known for its "courteous" service. I used to leave my passport with an Immigration Officer who told me to go and relax with a beer/meal at a Thai riverside restaurant. At a specified time, I returned to the IO to collect my passport duly stamped out/in Thailand and in/out Laos. I never left Thailand. The cost - 1000 baht and no hassle having to cross on a ferry! Happy days for ex-pats then. 

 

I just got back from Laos   on a visa run and they wouldnt let me back into Timbuktu  because I didn't have a flight ticket to the UK and I didnt have an ATM card so I couldn't buy an online flight . I was at the border for four hours trying to blag my way back into Timbuktu  , but they wouldn't let me back in unless I had a flight ticket to UK , they told me to go back to Laos I was sat back in departures ready to go back to Laos and talking to the other people going to Laos and warning them that they need to spend two nights in Laos and too have a flight back home . Some chirpy scouser shows up on his way to Laos and he was coming straight back to Timbuktu  and without a flight home . I warned him that he needs to be in Laos for two days and a flight back home. He said , "Don't worry about that , I paid 4000 Baht to a visa company and I am coming straight back" , and he did , crossed into Laos , straight back to Timbuktu and straight through immigration . The Immigration officers must have been on the take , getting back-handers from the Visa company .THE IMMIGRATION OFFICERS WERE ON THE TAKE.

I went back to the same immigration officer for the 5 th time that day , the one who told me to go back to Laos and get a Thai visa . (I know knew that he was on the take) and told him that I need to pay 2000 Baht for a Thai tourist visa in Laos , and I looked him in the eye and said quietly " Couldn't I just pay here and now for visa" , he looked at me and I nodded my head , I told him to think about it and I would be back in a few minutes , I went and discreetly put 2000 Baht in my passport and went back to the immigration officer and handed my passport over , he stamped me in and I got another 60 days visa

  

   * Name changed for obvious reason
 

 

 

9 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

I went and discreetly put 2000 Baht in my passport and went back to the immigration officer and handed my passport over , he stamped me in and I got another 60 days visa

 

Well played, Sir! Can't say I'm surprised. 

21 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   I was there for four hours today at the border on the Thai side and saw the people being refused entry for not having spent two days in Laos and being refused enter for not having a flight back home  and seen them getting on the coach back to Laos .

   Those who paid extra for the visa came and went to Laos and straight back to Thailand within 30 minutes

Another "conspiracy theory" about Immigration's motives and actions confirmed.

6 minutes ago, Rob Browder said:

Another "conspiracy theory" about Immigration's motives and actions confirmed.

 

    You lost me , where is the so called conspiracy theory ?

8 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

    You lost me , where is the so called conspiracy theory ?

When reporting on immigration corruption and motives, there is a cadre here who try to make-believe Immigration is only carrying out their duties with pure intentions.

They often label user's 1st hand reports of problems as "fake / made-up," "he must have been dressed poorly," etc.  

They also reject the OBVIOUS and logical explanation for WHY immigration does what they do - payoffs, usually via-agent - labeling these "conspiracies." 

Those who believe their gaslighting, ***-kissing appeals to "authority," often suffer needlessly when dealing with immigration later.

 

39 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

he stamped me in and I got another 60 days visa

 Well done.

 

As I have stated several times on TVF/AN over the years, it is not what you need to know to get what you want, it is WHO YOU KNOW to get what you want. There was always someone who, for a few "bob" could provide a hassle free service. No problem these days living in Cambodia. I ignore "sad" emojis in response to my actions.

1 hour ago, Rob Browder said:

Another "conspiracy theory" about Immigration's motives and actions confirmed.

 

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

    You lost me , where is the so called conspiracy theory ?

No theory. The Lao and Thai immigration at that border are in cahoots to conspire toward border crossers.

11 hours ago, CMBob said:

And perhaps that causes a little confusion.  Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong are both in Chiangrai province heading into Laos and neither crossing is near the other.  So:

(1)  You attach a paper that you say you got at the Chiang Khong crossing.  So why is the thread title about the Chiang Saen crossing? Do you know that the same 2-night rule applies at Chiang Saen?

(2)  Are you saying that the 2-night rule applies to those of us with a one-year Thai visa/extension (retirement/marriage), DTV, etc.?  

 

1) When all of this started a few months ago, it was 1 night in Laos at Chiang Saen, or 2 nights in Laos at Chiang Khong.  Chiang Khong switched to 1 night for a while but appears to have switched back to 2 nights.  Up until now I've never heard anything different about Chiang Saen, so that one appears to still be at 1 night in Laos.

 

2) Reports are that the "overnight" rule is only applying to those without a visa, and entering visa exempt. While one report says that the Thai said told them they could not return the same day without spending the night, but they returned immediately with their multiple entry non-O and were let in normally.

On 11/21/2024 at 4:56 PM, Nick Carter icp said:

I just got back from Laos   on a visa run and they wouldnt let me back into Timbuktu  because I didn't have a flight ticket to the UK and I didnt have an ATM card so I couldn't buy an online flight . I was at the border for four hours trying to blag my way back into Timbuktu  , but they wouldn't let me back in unless I had a flight ticket to UK , they told me to go back to Laos I was sat back in departures ready to go back to Laos and talking to the other people going to Laos and warning them that they need to spend two nights in Laos and too have a flight back home . Some chirpy scouser shows up on his way to Laos and he was coming straight back to Timbuktu  and without a flight home . I warned him that he needs to be in Laos for two days and a flight back home. He said , "Don't worry about that , I paid 4000 Baht to a visa company and I am coming straight back" , and he did , crossed into Laos , straight back to Timbuktu and straight through immigration . The Immigration officers must have been on the take , getting back-handers from the Visa company .THE IMMIGRATION OFFICERS WERE ON THE TAKE.

I went back to the same immigration officer for the 5 th time that day , the one who told me to go back to Laos and get a Thai visa . (I know knew that he was on the take) and told him that I need to pay 2000 Baht for a Thai tourist visa in Laos , and I looked him in the eye and said quietly " Couldn't I just pay here and now for visa" , he looked at me and I nodded my head , I told him to think about it and I would be back in a few minutes , I went and discreetly put 2000 Baht in my passport and went back to the immigration officer and handed my passport over , he stamped me in and I got another 60 days visa

  

   * Name changed for obvious reason

 

    Stayed in Thailand for 3 months and did another border bounce at the same location , this time paid an agency 4300 Baht for guaranteed entry.

   Went straight into Lao and back again and got stamped into Thailand with no questions asked .

   Asked the immigration  about doing the same visa run again and they said they will only do two consecutive land border crossings and so next time I will have to fly in .

   Worked out that they would be pocketting 240 000 Baht a month from this entry  service