30 Day Extension Ending. What's Next, 1 Week Extension Or Border Run?

[BigSkookum]

I had a 180 day triple entry tourist visa, with the third 60 day entry beginning Jan 16; it ended March 18, I got a one-month extension on the 15th, so now have April 15 as "the day"........right at the start of Songkran. Can the 30day extension be extended by one week at this point, or will I have to plan a border run? I understand that at land boundaries, only a two-week non-visa entry can be gotten, it's not clear to me if I have to have proof of an exit ticket with me. Gonna have to do that after a one-week extension anyway I guess.

I know that if I want another tourist visa, or anything like an education visa, I'll have to go to a consulate or embassy in another country, and may choose to do that after the one-week extension or two-week post-border run non-visa entry, or just do it as of the 15th, not sure whether to Penang, Phnom Penh or Vientiane, or may just take the Tiger flight to Manila from Krabi (I'm in Koh Samui). Sounds like tourist visas from those places are for only 60 days, maybe even only 30, so investigating this week what it will take to get an education visa........

Advice/input please. Thanks.

[arthurwait]

Immigration offices will be closed for a week over Song Kran.

[ubonjoe]

Your best choice would be to get a 2 entry tourist visa in Vientiane or Savannakhet Laos all other locations will only issue single entry visas.

For Vientiane you can fly to Udon Thani and then it's a short trip to the bridge in Nong Kai. Nok Air has flights listed for Vientiane that are fly/ride via Udon.

Since your permit to stay ends in the middle of the holiday you would need to do it the week before.

You could do the 7 day extension (1900 baht) but might need to show a ticket out of the country within those 7 days to get the extension.

You don't need a ticket out to do a border run to get a 15 day entry.

[ubonjoe]

Immigration offices will be closed for a week over Song Kran.

The 12th, 15th and 16th is not a week.

[arthurwait]

Immigration offices will be closed for a week over Song Kran.

The 12th, 15th and 16th is not a week.

Are they open on the 13 and 14 ?

[ubonjoe]

That is Saturday and Sunday and they are never open on those days.

[arthurwait]

That is Saturday and Sunday and they are never open on those days.

[attrayant]

Your best choice would be to get a 2 entry tourist visa in Vientiane or Savannakhet Laos all other locations will only issue single entry visas.

[snip]

You don't need a ticket out to do a border run to get a 15 day entry.

Am I reading you right that you can get a double entry tourist visa in these two consulates without showing an onward ticket?

[ubonjoe]

Yes you do not need to show an onward ticket to get a tourist visa at both locations.

[technologybytes]

That is Saturday and Sunday and they are never open on those days.

Like the man said, they ARE closed for a week !!

[BigSkookum]

Well, considering the govt offices closed on Songkran, will that apply also to embassies and consulates in other countries? If so, sounds like I better go there and back again before Songkran starts - ? Or will foreign offices of the govt still be open? I'm thinking Manila, as I have a friend there, flying from Krabi on Tiger....would cost me the same (or less) than the journey via Bangkok to Vientiane plus a few nights there; slightly less, and less harrowing, to do Penang or KL....but for more money I'd make it Bali, if it's something more than a border run; will likely get an ed visa, and actually intend to take my lessons seriously (cooking or language maybe).

Hell of a note if I got to Manila or wherever and found out I had to wait a week to be able to get a visa and so miss Songkran altogether......was shopping for water pistols (big honking rayguns actually) just this afternoon....

[ubonjoe]

Thai embassies observe both Thai and Local holidays.

The embassy in Vientiane will be closed the 8th for Thai holiday and 15th, 16th, for Songkran plus the 17th for Lao New Year.

Source: http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/en/embassy/embassy_time/index.php?month=04&year=2013&bxajaxid=

Since you will only get a single entry in Manila I suggest you make a trip to Vientiane and apply the morning of the 10th (9th will be a mad house) and get your visa back on the afternoon of the 11th.

[BigSkookum]

good to know that Manila only issues a single-entry thanks, I'm looking into a course this week so prob will do the ed visa via Penang or Kota Bharu, unless someone here knows a hitch about that; the site I just consulted was samuipedia.com, they said Kota Bharu is more lenient on paperwork though that may not be relevant if I have the necessary course registration.......package for the visa run to either location is 5500 baht incl. two nights hotel in Malaysia.......just started pricing out the Vientiane run but for an ed visa that's not really necessary....or is it preferred?

[ubonjoe]

Just remember that Kota Bharu is closed Friday and Saturday. Open Sunday to Thursday.

[BigSkookum]

The Kota Bharu run is timed for that, with this one company anyway.........but hm as I recall it leaves here Wednesday night, gets in Thursday morning, you apply then and they handle it....maybe they have some kind of express arrangement with the consulate to get them all back the same day, 'cause if Friday they're closed that just doesn't work.....

These single-entry tourist visas at Penang and Kota Bharu -are they for 60 days or 30? If they're 60 day ones I think I might do that, been pricing tickets to Vientiane/Udon and Phnom Penh and even Chennai and not liking what I'm seeing......might be worth my while just to do the visa run to Malaysia if it's a 60 visa I can get, single-entry is fine at this point, extendable by thirty days yes? Will give me breathing room for an ed visa, which I'm informed by a school here takes 5 weeks or more to get........

[Mario2008]

The Ed-visa takes the same time, but the school must get paperwork together which costs a lot of time. The hold-up is with the paperwork from the school (and more specific the education ministry).

[ubonjoe]

If I recall correctly Kota Bharu does have one day service if application is made early in the morning.

Tourist visa will be for 60 days. And then 30 day extension with no problem.

It should not take very long for school to get documents together for a single entry ED visa but probably longer than you now have.

[BigSkookum]

OK thank you about Kota Bharu info, the 60 day plus 30 extension will do just fine for now; a long and pricey trip was starting to be a difficult thing to want to do, the long haul to Malaysia will be bad enough......I'm a huge guy don't like buses, let alone minivans ;-)