Visa Extension Or Visa-Run, And Any Recomended Routes?

[kiddeemak]

Sa wa dee kap

Staying near Pattaya atm, my 30 day Visa is coming to an end, can I get an extension here or do I need to do a visa run?

Any recommended companies to go with?

Thanks for the help again guys, this is all new to me

[lopburi3]

You do not appear to have a visa if 30 days - that would be visa exempt entry for most. If you have a ticket out within a week you could get 7 days to leave from immigration with an extension request at 1,900 baht but other than that you need to exit by land for 15 days or return by air for 30 days stay or obtain a tourist visa from a Consulate for 60 day stay and can be extended 30 days so it will depend on what your plans are.

[kiddeemak]

I dont have a ticket to leave, in fact I am hoping to stay here as long as possible. (Im just a 26 year old guy with no wife or family here, from UK)

Is obtaining a visa from consulate easy?

Thankyou for your time

[lopburi3]

A two entry tourist visa should be available from Vientiane (best route from Bangkok) with one or two nights stay (submit in morning and pick up afternoon next workday) but beware of holidays. Cost is 2,000 baht for visa and you will need a visa for Laos at border. Very easy to do as dozens do every day and the longest you would qualify for without study or other reasons for stay. Best to take full size bus to Udon (1 hour drive to border) or Nong Khai (border town) as visa service vans are not comfortable for that long a trip and you can easily do yourself. Other option is use train from Bangkok or fly to Udon. There is a lot of information on getting visas in Vientiane here if you search with full details. If you do use a visa service have no idea which is best.

[kiddeemak]

Very comprehensive answer, and much appreciated, jing-jing.

Will check the price of flights because the long drives on Thai roads make me queasy.

Kop khun mak krap

[kiddeemak]

Just so I understand, why wouldn't it be better to go the Burma or Cambodia route, seeing as they are closer on the map?

[lopburi3]

You would likely not obtain a 2 entry visa and no good transport or hotels at reasonable price in Burma and in Cambodia you would wait 4 days for issue normally. And you must go to a Consulate - not the border - Laos the city of Vientiane is near the border crossing.

[kiddeemak]

Thankyou again, I understand now

[Litha]

Hey all,

Just wanted to find out - 1 day overstay my 15 day entry stamp, do I still have to pay the 500bht fine? I read on here that 1 day you don't get penalised. My stamp says March 26th (Tuesday) but something important came up that I have to be here on that date and can only leave the evening of 26th via train to Laos (to apply for my 2 mth TR in Vientiane) which means I arrive March 27th (Wednesday)!

Last year I overlooked my passport and missed 1 day, but was fined 500bht. This was at the Thai-Malaysia border in Sungai Kolok. (btw that was in the old passport (expired) which was cancelled, and have a new one now)

Anyone has any feedback? Thanks!

[lopburi3]

You will have to pay 500 baht and passport will likely be marked as overstay. It is only if leaving from an airport that the first day is not charged if that is all the overstay is (to allow for flight delays).

[Litha]

Thanks lopburi3. Just hope that the overstay remark on the passport would not be a hindrance to getting my TR in Vientiane! I will def take the train to Vientiane on Tuesday 26th (tomorrow) which is the day my stamp runs out but will arrive in Laos the next day which is Wednesday. So, just a few hours "overstay" technically. Keeping my fingers crossed! (This will be my 2nd time getting the TR - the first was last year in October, and then I left for Cambodia in December, and spent 3 mths there and now just getting back into Thailand again and plan to stay at least until end of May and will leave for Borneo to work there)

Is there also a limitation on how many times you're allowed a TR here? Thanks again!

[lopburi3]

You can likely obtain a two entry tourist visa from Vientiane if you ask for it. They may stop issue if you have 4 or 5 such visas but with only one you should not have any problem and overstay stamp is not a factor.

[Litha]

Cheers lopburi3! It's too bad that there are no buses from here to Nong Khai in the mornings...it would've worked if I could take such a bus (leaving on Tuesday morning early and arriving in Nong Khai the same day, thus not having a 500 baht penalty!) I checked online - none such buses unfortunately!

Oh well. Will be poorer by 500 baht but can't be helped! :\

[lopburi3]

Suspect you must be talking specific VIP bus runs as am sure there is bus service all the time to Udon and Nong Khai from Bangkok; and you should be able to get to Bangkok easily.

[rct99q]

Of late the trains have been running a tad late into Nong Khai. Last week 3 of the 7 arrivals were after 11am. Just a heads up if you are running to the consulate that morning you need to be in the compound before 11:30am (i usually say 11am to be sure because they have been known to shut the gate).

Now if they catch the overstay when they are stamping you out they will direct you to the payment office which is off to the left of the passport booths. IF there are a lot of people with overstays and sometimes happens it can be a bit of a wait.

If you have not got your Laos visa already remember you will need your passport, address of the hotel/guest house you are staying at in Laos. If you don't know or don't have one yet then find one from the internet or lonely plane and copy the address and phone number. You should have $30 usd for the visa and 2 passport size photos. Have a pen handy as well. There will probably be a bit of a line up so go to the booth 2 to get an application form and start filling in your visa application. Get in line 1 for the payment and then proceed around the corner to line 3 to collect.

Tuk-tuk from the Nong kHai train station to the bridge is about 50 baht

Bus service across the bridge is 15-20 baht depending on the time of day

Shared tuk-tuk into Vientiane 100-150 baht

price of a private taxi this time of year should be no more than 300 baht

(i was over the border twice last week and paid 200 baht both times for a taxi but they were slow days

Good luck