Tourist Visa Vientianne: Got A Red Warning Stamp

[welovesundaysatspace]

I am posting this thread to update about the Vientiane tourist visa:

I went to Vientiane two weeks ago to get another double-entry tourist visa. I didn't think there could be any problem, as I had only one tourist visa before, which even was more than one year back. Indeed I got the visa with both entries, but there is a red stamp in my passport now saying something like "The passport holder travelled to Thailand on a tourist visa several times in the past which might lead to a refusal of a visa in future."

I heard of these warning stamps before, of course, but I thought they apply for those who try to stay in Thailand as long as possible by as many tourist visa in a row as possible. I was really surprised, because my "visa history" is something like this:

- 05/2008-05/2009: 1 yr multi ED visa

- 05/2009-08/2009: abroad

- 08/2009-09/2009: 30 days stamp

- 09/2009-09/2009: 15 days stamp

- 09/2009-12/2009: ED visa

- 12/2009-03/2010: dbl entry tourist visa

- 03/2010-05/2010: ED visa

- 05/2010-01/2011: abroad

- 01/2011-02/2011: 30 days stamp

- 02/2011-06/2011: abroad

- 06/2011-07/2011: 30 days stamp

- 07/2011: dbl entry tourist visa with red stamp

Could it be that they just did not read the passport thoroughly? The ED visa, for example, looks like a tourist visa (same button, just an "ED" where there is a "TR" on a tourist visa), and was also issued in VTE.

[Mario2008]

They not only look at the number of tourist visas, but at the whole picture in Vientiane.

[visarunner]

in a way you got lucky .

People with similar history got refused or received a Single Entry Tourist Visa from Vientiane.

However if you plan to apply for Non Immigrant Visa you can still go/apply in Vientiane.

The warning stamp covers only Tourist Visa from Vientiane, but other Embassies/Consulates in the region might refuse

you another Tourist Visa as well.

[stacker10]

make new passport and start over.It works.i have done it

[kibal]

They not only look at the number of tourist visas, but at the whole picture in Vientiane.

In other words you mean they skim through it almost like a hand-motion comic and if they see what appears to be numerous Thai markings, they judge you accordingly (?). That's what the young lady seemed to be doing to my passport back in March 2010 and she was very wary of only one previous tourist visa plus numerous 30-day exempt stamps (5 or 6), looked like she hit jackpot. She let me through, but had me hanging there for a few minutes at that glass window - outdoor seating area.