Hello, this is my first post, I have been living in Thailand for 8 years and have found myself currently without an option for a long term visa for the first time.

I am a USA citizen, single, 33 years old, female, not working at the moment and I don't have a lot of money in the bank to show. I would like to stay until my return ticket at the end of November and my current tourist visa expires on May 16.

I was going to go to Laos but I have been so many times over the years that I wanted to go somewhere different like Vietnam. From my research I can see that you can only get a double entry tourist visa from Laos at the moment. Does anyone know if this is true? Is there somewhere else I can go like Vietnam or Cambodia and get a double entry tourist visa? Does anyone have adivce about doing this/recently gone?

My other question is if I get the double entry in Laos, will I be able to leave and go for holiday in Cambodia or Vietnam without losing my double entry? If I went exactly when the first 60 days were up, instead of going to Immigartion for an extension would I lose any time on the visa?

Please forgive my ignorance, I appreciate any advice given.

Thank you!

A 60 day stay can be extended to 90 days so you would lose that option by leaving at 60 days and returning with the second entry. You can always purchase a re-entry permit for 1,000 baht if you want to keep your current permitted to stay date upon return and not use a new entry from visas. If you have been living here 8 years and using tourist visas recently you may not be able to obtain a 2 entry anywhere under current policy.

A freind just returned from Cambodia middle of April. Tried to get a double entry but was refused. He was told to use a visa service. He did, only to be given a single anyway. Check it out carefully if your going to Cambodia.

A 60 day stay can be extended to 90 days so you would lose that option by leaving at 60 days and returning with the second entry. You can always purchase a re-entry permit for 1,000 baht if you want to keep your current permitted to stay date upon return and not use a new entry from visas. If you have been living here 8 years and using tourist visas recently you may not be able to obtain a 2 entry anywhere under current policy.

Ah, ok, so if I stay 60 days and then go to immigration in Chiang Mai where I live I will get 30 more days and after THAT I could go out of the country and come back on my re-entry? I believe I remember it being that way but it has been so long and I never had any plans of leaving for holiday in between so didn't pay attention.

Thank you so much for your response, I appreciate it.

Edited May 10, 201214 yr by lopburi3
fix quote

No, if you extend and use the 30 days to stay in Thailand you can't return on a re-entry permit. A re-entry permit only keeps your current permission to stay alive, it doesn't add any days.