Tourist Visa Advice - Vientiane

[gzmr]

I had a non b visa that expired in January. I'm up here in the north so it's been pretty convenient to head to Mae Sai every two weeks and get the 15 day entry stamps so that's what i've been doing for the past two months (a total of 5 stamps). I was thinking of leaving Thailand so I wasn't really sure of what my plans were going to be so I didn't want to head to a consulate and get a tourist visa and then just end up leaving halfway through.

Now, i've just gotten a job offer that I'm pretty interested in that will begin in May but they won't be able to process the visa until closer to that time. So my question is...If I go to Vientiane to get a Tourist Visa to get me through till May will it be rejected because of all the 15 day stamps from the last 2 months? I really don't care if it has to be a single entry. That would work fine. I'm just worried that I'll make the journey all the way there and then my application will be rejected and I've wasted my time and money. I don't have any tourist visas in my passport - just the 1 year non b and the exemption stamps. If I just continue to go to Mae Sai to get the exemption stamp I'd have to do it probably four more times and risk them turning me away there as well, so I'm really not sure what my best option is.

Also, is Vientiane the best one to go to. I've heard that Mukdahan/Savannakhet might be the one that's most lenient at the moment. Does anyone have any experience with this one lately?

Any advice or opinions would be appreciated...

[bobl]

I'm in a similar position I had a project in Africa due to start December/January so I was hopping in and out on 15 day stamps while I chilled here with my tg but it got put back a month, then two, now it's been put off until maybe August/September...

While the drive up to Mae Sai is pleasant enough of a distraction, it gets a bit tedious (from Chiang Mai) so I'm biting the bullet and trying my luck for a double entry in Vientiane. I leave tomorrow am flight to Udon... If I fail I'll end up with another rather expensive 15 day stamp... Haha...

Ask me again on Tuesday I'll post a visa run report...

Sod's law states that if I'm successful in getting the double entry, the project will be brought forward again and I'll have to bugger off to Africa... Such is life...

[gzmr]

yeah, it sounds like you're in the same situation as me. I'll be interested to hear if you have success. Hopefully so! I'll be heading there next Thursday so hopefully I can hear some good news from you before heading down there...good luck!

[bobl]

Short answer - all ok. Only the visa form, 2 pics, passport - and I used the agent so it couldn't have been less painful.

There was a fairly long queue when I got to the consulate at 07.30 (about 15 people there already!) so I thought stuff this - found the fellow across the street with the visa forms and paid him. 12:15 next day he brought my pp back to the hotel...

This passport has no previous Thai Visas in it. Lots of African visas and a few pages worth of 15 & 30 day stamps from Th. Double entry no problem.