Double-entry Slipped Through Our Fingers

[JohnLocke]

My wife and I, for the first time in two years of doing 3-month tourist visa runs in neighboring countries finally got a glorious, for-free, double-entry tourist visa in Vientiane.

Our visa stickers say "double entry" and "must enter by July 26th". We naturally assumed that meant - start your six months by July 26th.

In fact, it means, start your three months ASAP, and then go to Mae Sai (or wherever) and get back into Thailand by July 26th to activate the second three months.

Because we went to the Immigration office and extended the first two months to get that third month, the small stamp the officer gave us said "permitted to stay until July 27th". Unfortunately, we were greedy for even one extra day, and we went to Mae Sai on the 27th and lost our remaining 3 months of our double-entry visas. Had we done our Mae Sai run one day earlier, we would have been O.K.

So, fair warning to anyone who's new to double-entry tourist visas - it's the printed date on the visa sticker itself which determines when you must get in and out to activate the second half of the double-entry visa.

Finally - a big question: does anyone have any idea if we go back to Vientiane in two weeks, can we possibly get ANOTHER double-entry tourist visa? Or will we have an issue even getting a single-entry visa since we were there back in April? Should we go somewhere else instead?

Cheers.

[lopburi3]

You should be able to obtain new visas in Vientiane.

[Lite Beer]

Yes. The validity is 90 days. You have to make the second entry by then.

You can go to Vientiane again and apply for another one.

[JohnLocke]

Yes. The validity is 90 days. You have to make the second entry by then.

You can go to Vientiane again and apply for another one.

That's good news, thank you.

Also, I know I was stating something that's surely been posted here in myriad topics a few dozen times at least. But, as we learned the hard way, it probably bears incessant repeating to help other poor saps.

[JohnLocke]

I've already stumbled upon two postings saying it better and more concisely than I did in this post. Kudos to Ubonjoe and Tropo.

"You just have to be sure and do the 2nd entry before the enter before date on your visa."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Triple-Entry...11#entry2808911

and here:

"A 2x or 3x tourist visa from Vientiane is only valid for 90 days. You have to use your last entry before the last day (use before date) printed on your visa sticker, no matter how many entries you have."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Triple-Entry...21#entry2809221

[tropo]

I've already stumbled upon two postings saying it better and more concisely than I did in this post. Kudos to Ubonjoe and Tropo.

"You just have to be sure and do the 2nd entry before the enter before date on your visa."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Triple-Entry...11#entry2808911

and here:

"A 2x or 3x tourist visa from Vientiane is only valid for 90 days. You have to use your last entry before the last day (use before date) printed on your visa sticker, no matter how many entries you have."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Triple-Entry...21#entry2809221

There has been a debate on whether you can get your entry if you enter ON the enter before date. I believe it maybe possible depending on the immigration officer you strike on the day, but most of us err on the side of caution and enter the day before this date (I did that yesterday). It's not worth risking an entire visa and an additional 90 days (60 days + 30 day extension) for the sake of one extra day.

[wtk]

enter by July 26th

Because we went to the Immigration office and extended the first two months to get that third month, the small stamp the officer gave us said "permitted to stay until July 27th". Unfortunately, we were greedy for even one extra day, and we went to Mae Sai on the 27th and lost our remaining 3 months of our double-entry visas. Had we done our Mae Sai run one day earlier, we would have been O.K.

actually you would have had to come on 25th. it says enter BEFORE, not on the same day

sometimes you might get lucky and get the 60 days on the same day but play it safe and come one day before

i have read some reports about people not getting the 60 days the same day anymore

[Maestro]

...Our visa stickers say "double entry" and "must enter by July 26th"...

If your visa really says “must enter by...”, then they changed the text on the visa sticker. The last tourist visa from Vientiane I saw said “enter before...”

Source: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Tourist-2-jo...image10220.html

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Maestro

[tropo]

...Our visa stickers say "double entry" and "must enter by July 26th"...

If your visa really says “must enter by...”, then they changed the text on the visa sticker. The last tourist visa from Vientiane I saw said “enter before...”

Source: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Tourist-2-jo...image10220.html

--

Maestro

All of my many tourist visas read "enter before".

[JohnLocke]

I stand corrected - indeed, "enter before". Well done chaps.