I'm here in Chiang Rai, Thailand and have a double entry Tourist Visa.

I'm on the my 2nd entry right now, which expires on Jan 1st, 2013. I'm looking to visit Laos in a week or two but was wondering if this will make my tourist Visa invalid? Looking to go up to 5-7 days. What I mean is when I leave Thailand and enter Laos, when I come back is my Tourist Visa still valid til Jan 1st? Or how exactly would it work?

You need to purchase a reentry permit to keep your permissionto stay valid. Cost single, 1000 baht,multiple, 3800 baht. If you don't have the rentry permit you will only get a visa exempt entry, 15 days.

Depending on where your goin in Laos, you may be best to nip in the consular and get a new tourist visa, you'llbe sorted then

Depending on where your goin in Laos, you may be best to nip in the consular and get a new tourist visa, you'llbe sorted then

A valid point. You say your visa expires Jan 1st, 2013. If that expiry includes the normal 30 day extension then you will only lose a few weeks by getting a new dual entry TV while you're already there (will save a visa run). If you're talking about the 60 day visa expiry, excluding extension, then going to the embassy in Vientiane makes sense. A 30 day extension costs 1,900 baht, a new dual entry TV costs 2,000 baht.