Going To Vientiene

[sumrit]

I'm going to take my (Thai) wife and daughter to Vientiene for a few days next week, and they both have passports, but my wife has just asked if we can take her seven year old nephew with us as well. He doesn't have a passport but I understand Thai people don't need one to go to Laos, they just need ID.

I presume we must take the tabien baan with his name on as ID but does anybody know if we need to take any other information or ID with us and are we likely to have any problems crossing the border with him as he's not our child?

One other thing, how long can he stay in Vientiene if he goes without a passport, we're thinking of going for four or five days and I've been told Thais traveling on ID only are limited to short trips only but I don't know how short?

cheers

Brian

[Thanyaburi Mac]

I'm going to take my (Thai) wife and daughter to Vientiene for a few days next week, and they both have passports, but my wife has just asked if we can take her seven year old nephew with us as well. He doesn't have a passport but I understand Thai people don't need one to go to Laos, they just need ID.

I presume we must take the tabien baan with his name on as ID but does anybody know if we need to take any other information or ID with us and are we likely to have any problems crossing the border with him as he's not our child?

One other thing, how long can he stay in Vientiene if he goes without a passport, we're thinking of going for four or five days and I've been told Thais traveling on ID only are limited to short trips only but I don't know how short?

cheers

Brian

Brian

As to the nephew I'd think that as a minimum you'd need a letter of permission from his parents, both of them preferably. Another letter from your nai ban might also help. Even something from the amphur.

Several years back my wife and I took her adopted nephew along on a trip to Vientiane, same deal, looking for a border pass for him. It was a bit of a struggle at Nong Khai to get the border pass as we'd not brought along the Thai adoption paper from our changwat social welfare office. We did have the tambien ban, his school ID card. Eventually they relented and we got the border pass.

The border pass is good for 3 days 2 nights, I believe, but usually can be extended for a day and a night. If there's a problem with that, your wife could cross back to Nong Khai with him, get a new border pass, then rejoin in Vientiane. Thai nationals get a FREE visa on arrival to Laos, not like the farangs.

Mac

[sumrit]

Brian

As to the nephew I'd think that as a minimum you'd need a letter of permission from his parents, both of them preferably. Another letter from your nai ban might also help. Even something from the amphur.

Several years back my wife and I took her adopted nephew along on a trip to Vientiane, same deal, looking for a border pass for him. It was a bit of a struggle at Nong Khai to get the border pass as we'd not brought along the Thai adoption paper from our changwat social welfare office. We did have the tambien ban, his school ID card. Eventually they relented and we got the border pass.

The border pass is good for 3 days 2 nights, I believe, but usually can be extended for a day and a night. If there's a problem with that, your wife could cross back to Nong Khai with him, get a new border pass, then rejoin in Vientiane. Thai nationals get a FREE visa on arrival to Laos, not like the farangs.

Mac

Thanks for that info Mac. I don't think we'll have time to organise everything as the parents don't live near the grandparents (where the nephew lives) and we're going on Thursday. My wife should have said earlier so we had time to check/organise everything first.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Brian

As to the nephew I'd think that as a minimum you'd need a letter of permission from his parents, both of them preferably. Another letter from your nai ban might also help. Even something from the amphur.

Several years back my wife and I took her adopted nephew along on a trip to Vientiane, same deal, looking for a border pass for him. It was a bit of a struggle at Nong Khai to get the border pass as we'd not brought along the Thai adoption paper from our changwat social welfare office. We did have the tambien ban, his school ID card. Eventually they relented and we got the border pass.

The border pass is good for 3 days 2 nights, I believe, but usually can be extended for a day and a night. If there's a problem with that, your wife could cross back to Nong Khai with him, get a new border pass, then rejoin in Vientiane. Thai nationals get a FREE visa on arrival to Laos, not like the farangs.

Mac

Thanks for that info Mac. I don't think we'll have time to organise everything as the parents don't live near the grandparents (where the nephew lives) and we're going on Thursday. My wife should have said earlier so we had time to check/organise everything first.

Brian

Well, you might ask anyway at the Border Pass issuing point in Nong Khai just what they'd require for an accompaning nephew, not adopted.

Mac