19 minutes ago, ujayujay said:

THB 5,500 – For Westerner (Includes Laos visa, transfer and general fees), 1 picture 3.5×4.5cm

I did exactly this and it was easy and quick!

5500b at that price a return flight from Bangkok with "safe entry service" Becomes attractive. 

On 7/17/2025 at 6:29 AM, DrJack54 said:

Not off topic question at all. 

The 30 day extension will be issued by local immigration office. 

I seem to be asking stupider questions as I get older.But how to handle the end of a current visa extension (marriage or retirement)? I'm looking at maybe switching from one to the other.

 

EG: "extension of stay permitted up to 16 September". If you leave AND return on 16th, your extension hasn't actually finished (until midnight). If you do it on 17th, you have one day's overstay. I don't understand how "bouncers" can do this wthout staying OUTSIDE TH for a night.

 

Or, if your extension is single-entry, does it just cancel itself once you leave TH? So the clock resets, as it were, when you get a new visa-exempt on return?

2 minutes ago, isaanistical said:

.But how to handle the end of a current visa extension (marriage or retirement)? I'm looking at maybe switching from one to the other.

If I'm understanding you correctly you are asking about changing the reason your extension is based on. 

For example from retirement to marriage or m to r. 

You do not let the current extension expire. 

You apply for new extension prior to expiry. 

You would need to satisfy financial requirements for both. 

Best to post actual details of plan for best advice. 

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

If I'm understanding you correctly you are asking about changing the reason your extension is based on. 

For example from retirement to marriage or m to r. 

You do not let the current extension expire. 

You apply for new extension prior to expiry. 

You would need to satisfy financial requirements for both. 

Best to post actual details of plan for best advice. 

Sorry, I may have put it wrong. I may take a break fromone-years, because we are considering moving out of TH within a few months, so thinking about a visa-exempt for 2+1 months, perhaps repeated once, before - if we don't move - going back to a marriage visa (financials well understood).

But it's also a general question about border-bouncing. Your sample itinerary as above, for example, has just an hour or two in Lao (or Cambo when it's open).If anyone bouncing has some kind of expiring permission to stay, how to end that without overstaying into the first day of no permission? Does that make sense?

16 minutes ago, isaanistical said:

how to end that without overstaying into the first day of no permission? Does that make sense?

So seems that you have a current permission of stay (extension based on marriage) 

If you exit Thailand without a reentry permit then that permission of stay is killed off. 

You could then enter visa exempt and receive 60 day stamp which can be extended by 30 days 

And yes you could repeat that. 

Seems to me you are making a rod for your back. 

My suggestion would be to obtain another 12 month extension based on marriage even if plan to leave Thailand in coming months. 

Have you ever obtained a 60 day extension to visit wife. 

If not you could do that 

 

2 hours ago, ujayujay said:

Visa run with Thai visa service Van to Savannakhet :

Day 1 – Departure from Bangkok, Soi 50, next to BTS Station ON NUT – 19:30 to 20:00

Day 2 – Border Crossing & Return

06:00 to 09:00 Arrive at Mukdahan border, cross into Laos and have breakfast at a local restaurant

You're sleeping in the van? That sounds horrendous

3 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Have you ever obtained a 60 day extension to visit wife. 

If not you could do that 

er,no. Never even heard of it, but I've only been here 70 years............. Thanks. It could provide a very good solution.

10 minutes ago, isaanistical said:

Never even heard of it, but I've only been here 70 years......

Here is thread outlines that 60 day extension. 

Has links to other threads and Today Daniels provides clear list of docs. 

Wife needs to attend. 

Gives you couple of months without border bounce and killing off your current permission of stay. 

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1355517-visit-thai-family-60-day-extension/

 

On 7/17/2025 at 12:28 PM, isaanistical said:

Question is, does an IO ever cause trouble over the 30-day extension - as they often seem to do at airports on issuing the innitial 60-days?

Or is the 30-days always automatic?

as they often seem to do at airports on issuing the innitial 60-days?

Or is the 30-days always automatic?

 

Never had any trouble extending VFEs, or tourist visas.

21 hours ago, BrandonJT said:

You're sleeping in the van? That sounds horrendous

 

Many years ago, some border-run companies used to go with actual buses, which was quite comfortable. That changed after visa-policy changes reduced the number of border-runners.

4 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Many years ago, some border-run companies used to go with actual buses, which was quite comfortable. That changed after visa-policy changes reduced the number of border-runners.

 

Indeed, I went on a few border runs on a big bus in 2006, just before land border entries were restricted. When that happened, many border runners switched to tourist visas, which fragmented things (some flew to Penang, others went to Laos, etc.). I liked those big busses a lot better than the vans they've been using since.

On 7/20/2025 at 2:25 PM, BrandonJT said:

You're sleeping in the van? That sounds horrendous

Yes - awful even when I was young - lousy experience then feel "hung over" for days afterwords from lack of sleep. 

I would arrange to meet them at/near the border, and take my own transport on a nice VIP bus or fly/ride.