U-Turn Over The Friendship Bridge Instead Of Extension To Temporary Stay ?

[crazydrummerpauly]

Hi everyone,

I should have included this in my previous post about the Form TM7, 'Extension of Temporary Stay',

but forgot.

Ok, this question is - somebody suggested that instead of sitting nervously waiting to be treated like

a human being at the Nong Khai immigration office, I could do the 1-hour or so U-Turn over the

Friendship Bridge into Laos and back into Thailand, to get a much-needed extension to my 60-day Tourist Visa

which will expire on June 26. Can anyone either confirm or deny that this is a normal process, and that

some kind of entry to Thailand with a minimum of 15 days will be granted (I have to fly to Heathrow on

June 30th. so only need 4 days extra stay.)

Thanks in advance, and Many thanks for the answers posted to my previous questions !

[tropo]

The "u-turn" across the Friendship bridge will cost you somewhere between $30 - $35 depending on your nationality or 1,500 baht if you don't have US currency PLUS waiting in line 4 times (Thai out and in, Laos in and out). Sometimes the queues can be long and getting the Laos VOA can be very slow if there's a lineup. An extension at Nong Khai will set you back 1,900 baht. 4 days overstay will cost you 2000 baht.

Take your pick.

[devaram]

You should just go to thai immigration and get a 30 day extension for 1,900 baht.

Do not overstay as you can be arrested or scammed by the police.

[crazydrummerpauly]

You should just go to thai immigration and get a 30 day extension for 1,900 baht.

Do not overstay as you can be arrested or scammed by the police.

Yes, I completely agree about avoiding overstays - the BIB (or Immigration) will

take liberties anytime WITHOUT giving them an easy opportunity to get nasty.

Thanks.

[crazydrummerpauly]

The "u-turn" across the Friendship bridge will cost you somewhere between $30 - $35 depending on your nationality or 1,500 baht if you don't have US currency PLUS waiting in line 4 times (Thai out and in, Laos in and out). Sometimes the queues can be long and getting the Laos VOA can be very slow if there's a lineup. An extension at Nong Khai will set you back 1,900 baht. 4 days overstay will cost you 2000 baht.

Take your pick.

Thanks for this. I take your points about waiting to be processed at the Bridge, but all my previous trips

have been fairly easy, though always with some waiting it's true. By the way, the US Dollars need to be in

very good, crisp condition - I've had them refused at the Lao window because they had a few creases -

"They might get stuck in machine" (!) For me, the NongKhai Imm. Office is a nightmare, due largely to

the role played by the aggressive highly non-attractive (it's rude to say 'ugly') female officer whose entire

ambition is to be abusive to as many farang as possible every day EXCEPT for the ones she can earn

cash from by, e.g. selling CHEAP PENS at a huge mark-up, or LAND / HOUSES !... and I really can't bring

myself to walk in there with a big bag of Oranges or Bananas to butter them all up like I'm visiting a zoo !

(It works though I'm reliably informed).

In addition, I don't really care about the money/ relative costs involved of going one way or another half

as much as I care about the grim Imm. Office experience at NongKhai. I drink only moderately, so the

cash involved in the Visa game needs to be put in the context of my saving around 140,000 Baht a year

based on half-a-dozen Leos a day - which is only half the consumption of some of my acquaintances

round here ! ( That 140k is approximately the annual salary of a Thai teacher in a Government School. )

Thanks again.

[reefsurfah]

The "u-turn" across the Friendship bridge will cost you somewhere between $30 - $35 depending on your nationality or 1,500 baht if you don't have US currency PLUS waiting in line 4 times (Thai out and in, Laos in and out). Sometimes the queues can be long and getting the Laos VOA can be very slow if there's a lineup. An extension at Nong Khai will set you back 1,900 baht. 4 days overstay will cost you 2000 baht.

Take your pick.

Thanks for this. I take your points about waiting to be processed at the Bridge, but all my previous trips

have been fairly easy, though always with some waiting it's true. By the way, the US Dollars need to be in

very good, crisp condition - I've had them refused at the Lao window because they had a few creases -

"They might get stuck in machine" (!) For me, the NongKhai Imm. Office is a nightmare, due largely to

the role played by the aggressive highly non-attractive (it's rude to say 'ugly') female officer whose entire

ambition is to be abusive to as many farang as possible every day EXCEPT for the ones she can earn

cash from by, e.g. selling CHEAP PENS at a huge mark-up, or LAND / HOUSES !... and I really can't bring

myself to walk in there with a big bag of Oranges or Bananas to butter them all up like I'm visiting a zoo !

(It works though I'm reliably informed).

In addition, I don't really care about the money/ relative costs involved of going one way or another half

as much as I care about the grim Imm. Office experience at NongKhai. I drink only moderately, so the

cash involved in the Visa game needs to be put in the context of my saving around 140,000 Baht a year

based on half-a-dozen Leos a day - which is only half the consumption of some of my acquaintances

round here ! ( That 140k is approximately the annual salary of a Thai teacher in a Government School. )

Thanks again.

Agree with your statement, "the NongKhai Imm. Office is a nightmare, due largely to

the role played by the aggressive highly non-attractive (it's rude to say 'ugly') female officer whose entire

ambition is to be abusive to as many farang as possible every day .." experience it myself one time..and they do give you a "fake" smile.

[TerryLH]

You could get an extension at the Udon or Khon Kaen immigration offices.

[tropo]

You should just go to thai immigration and get a 30 day extension for 1,900 baht.

Do not overstay as you can be arrested or scammed by the police.

Yes, I completely agree about avoiding overstays - the BIB (or Immigration) will

take liberties anytime WITHOUT giving them an easy opportunity to get nasty.

Thanks.

Of course it's a personal choice, but if I was in your shoes I would just overstay 4 days and take care of it in 5 mintues at Suvarnabhumi on the way out. With a ticket out in hand I don't believe there's much risk. I've seen fairly long extensions taken care of in a strictly business like manner at borders on many occasions. There's really nothing to sweat about and I get the feeling they're quite happy for the extra revenue.

My second choice would be going to the Nong Khai Immigraiton office. I can't see why a sour immigration officer would make for any real problems. Asking for an extra 4 days is not asking for much. I never expect much from them in the courtesy department, which means I'm never disappointed and sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised when one is courteous.

[crazydrummerpauly]

Thanks to everybody who contributed to this thread - a range of opinions and judgements

which covered all bases.

I wish I had Tropo's tough-mindedness about Imm. Officers - but it needs to be said that

the atmosphere of disgust which is meted out to applicants at the Nong Khai office goes

WELL beyond a lack of 'courtesy'. Maybe I''m too thin-skinned these days, but I have felt

that I was on the receiving end of outright hostility and non-cooperation at the N.Khai office

more than once. The first time I was face-to-face with THE She-Devil there, she continued

to have her nobbly old feet massaged by another woman WHILE me and my TGF were trying to

politely submit the application. Shudder. She seems to be one of a certain class of Thai

civil-servant who gets even nastier if an ex-pat has an attractive, educated Thai friend

on their side - envy ?

Anyway, avoiding the Imm. Office, and not wanting to go down the other road, of simply paying

the 500-Baht a day fine at Suvarnabhumi ( 2,000 for 4 days ) because I would rather not have

anything in my passport which suggests disrespect for the Thai system - I did do the U-Turn over

the Friendship Bridge in order to get the basic 15-Day visitor stamp. To see how fast and easy

this could be, I decided to run at it yesterday evening, Saturday, to see how different it is

on a Saturday evening.

The first thing to report is how QUIET it was. I left central N.Khai at 19.30 and was back with

the job finished by 21.00. That included 2 slow tuk-tuk rides, so someone with personal transport

could probably do the whole thing in about 1 hour starting from a N.Khai address. No baking sun,

no long queues, no crowds squeezing onto hot buses - in fact there was a mild party atmosphere

amongst all the locals, Thai and Lao, doing some commuting one way or the other. Local people

way in the majority - maybe only 10% farang.

Costs: Tuk-tuks x 2 : 120 Baht. ( 60 Baht each way )

Entry Visa into Lao : $36 ( $1 extra for 'overtime' rate - between 6 and 8am and after 4 pm)

Buses across the bridge x 2 : 40 Baht. ( 20 Baht each way )

15-day permit into Thailand : Free.

Total: 120 + 1,200 ($36) + 40 = 1,360 Baht.

Cost of the Extension To Temporary Stay (30 days) route at the Immigration Office : 1,900 Baht + 120 Baht tuk-tuks

Total: 2,020 Baht.

In conclusion, for anyone who, like me, gets the crawling flesh on turning left into the N.Khai Imm. Office

and seeing that line of unsmiling faces, the EVENING jaunt across the Friendship Bridge is a LOT more fun, actually

less expensive ( but I realise its for 15 days ), and even throws up definite opportunities for some flirting with

many very alluring local girls on the buses - a HUGE CONTRAST to feeling those She-Devil eyes boring into the back

of one's skull at the Imm.Office - even if one is clutching a complementary bunch of bananas! Shudder....

(NB: the speed across the Bridge is dependent on having and having already filled-in the little forms involved.)