I read recently (in this post - http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=145389) that Vientiane, Laos is now limiting back-to-back tourist visas to two visas in a 12-month period. I got a tourist visa in Vientiane on April 3, 2007, and then got another tourist visa on Sept. 25, 2007 (last month). After extending this visa four times in Maesai, I will need to get another tourist visa on about March 16, 2008. Since that date is less than 12 months from when I got my 1st of 2 back-to-back tourist visas, does that mean that Vientiane would deny a request to give a tourist visa to me next March? If that's the case, I'll need to go to somewhere else (like Penang or Kunming).

Thanks for any help anyone can give.

I think I read that the key is not to get back-to-back TV's but to visit a border in-between and get the 30-day freebie entry stamp.

Look like a tourist -- not a pseudo-resident...

I think I read that the key is not to get back-to-back TV's but to visit a border in-between and get the 30-day freebie entry stamp.

Look like a tourist -- not a pseudo-resident...

To Taking a Vacation - Thanks for your response. I do make the border runs in between tourist visas (three runs to Maesai, once a month, so I need to get a new tourist visa only every six months). So is your understanding that if I do that, the tourist visas I get (every six months) are not technically back-to-back? That would mean that I could get a new visa next March without any problem.

I think I read that the key is not to get back-to-back TV's but to visit a border in-between and get the 30-day freebie entry stamp. Look like a tourist -- not a pseudo-resident...

To Taking a Vacation - Thanks for your response. I do make the border runs in between tourist visas (three runs to Maesai, once a month, so I need to get a new tourist visa only every six months). So is your understanding that if I do that, the tourist visas I get (every six months) are not technically back-to-back? That would mean that I could get a new visa next March without any problem.

I can't speak with specific experience of Vientiane, Laos, but such was not the case in Penang. People had received warning stamps after 3 TV's irrespective of having done border runs in between or not.

Did you get a warning stamp in your passport? I would hazard a guess that you'll still get another visa if you haven't received that warning yet?

Edited October 22, 200718 yr by tropo

I think I read that the key is not to get back-to-back TV's but to visit a border in-between and get the 30-day freebie entry stamp. Look like a tourist -- not a pseudo-resident...

To Taking a Vacation - Thanks for your response. I do make the border runs in between tourist visas (three runs to Maesai, once a month, so I need to get a new tourist visa only every six months). So is your understanding that if I do that, the tourist visas I get (every six months) are not technically back-to-back? That would mean that I could get a new visa next March without any problem.

I can't speak with specific experience of Vientiane, Laos, but such was not the case in Penang. People had received warning stamps after 3 TV's irrespective of having done border runs in between or not.

Did you get a warning stamp in your passport? I would hazard a guess that you'll still get another visa if you haven't received that warning yet?

No warning stamp in Visa