15 Day Border Runs To Nong Kai

[alexander69]

Today i had the pleasure of going to the border at nongkai to get another 15 day stamp.All was well but when i got to the thai side to get my stamp back into the LOS the guy in the box said what no VISA<I have two 15 day stamps already>he said 15 days ok, i said sure no problem but how many 15 day stamps can i get.The answer was very clearly 4.

I just want to share this with the people on this forum<of course none of this information is set in concrete as we know> but these are the words i heard today.

So also i ask how many double entry tourist visas can you obtain at the thai consulate in Loa before they refuse them?

Any facts or experiences greatly appreciated.

Good luck all here in the LOS and keep smileing.

[Mario2008]

Reports are important and gives us much needed information. We simply can't tell if there is a policy change based on only 1 report, we do need conformation. Many times people come with stories about a change, but it turns out that their extension or visa application was denied on good reasons as they simply did not qualify, etc. And sometimes it turns out that there is indeed a change in policy, as more and more reports come in about the same.

So thanks for giving this report.

[alexander69]

Reports are important and gives us much needed information. We simply can't tell if there is a policy change based on only 1 report, we do need conformation. Many times people come with stories about a change, but it turns out that their extension or visa application was denied on good reasons as they simply did not qualify, etc. And sometimes it turns out that there is indeed a change in policy, as more and more reports come in about the same.

So thanks for giving this report.

Yes i understand what you say, i am just giving the information told to me today.We know its a whirlpool of facts? and different cases.Welcome to the land you know you live in.Lets all be happy and try to work out the solutions to help each other out.

[Andrew65]

A tip at that crossing, always try to have US Dollars with you, it's only a few hundred Baht, but they will sting you if you pay in Baht rather than USD.

[john stevens]

intresting point about just how many 15 day visa stamps your aloud ............ been living back here for the last 3 years and touch wood have never had any problems gettting a 15 day stamp ...... how can they refuse a 15 stamp ..... your coming back here as a tourist .... intresting anyway ......

or is it the fact that it seems the thai's are getting anti- expats living here ...... been here 12/13 years now and things are not the same ...

i'm not as some say here old and grumyp ... not unless 59 is old .... ohhhh and the wife is not some young bit of skirt ..... now thing thinking she's old and grumyp ..... 52 ...... may be married to long lol .......... ---------------

[rct99q]

Not sure about the grumpy part but 59 is old.

As for the OP, are you sure the immigration officer was not referring to a Tourist Visa in getting a maximum of 4. There are a few ex-pats that live here in NK and cross over every 15 days. Would be a bit of a shocker if this turns out to be true.

[ubonjoe]

There have been reports for other border crossings about the 4 consecutive entry rule.

For Vientiane it should not be a problem to get up to 3 double entry visas. My advise is to have some proof on income from outside the country to submit with application. The best would be a bank book showing foreign fund transfers into the account.

The reason given by immigration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is that they suspect people making multiple border crossings and tourist visas is that you are working illegally in the country.

[jrtmedic]

Staying in Thailand long term based on frequent border crossings to secure serial visa exemptions /multiple tourist visas whilst not illegal would seem not to be in accord with the "spirit" in which the Thai government offer these means of entry to the country.

I predict the Thai authorities will in the near future further restrict the availability of land border visa exempt entries by reducing validity to 7 days or refusing an entry by giving a limited period entry during which a person would be expected to leave. Further visa exempt entry would/could then be refused in the absence of a valid Visa.

Similarly serial applications for tourist visas are likely to be subject to increased scrutiny -- I would not be surprised if refusals became more common unless an applicant is able to demonstrate a satisfactory source of income derived from outside Thailand.

There are a number of visa/visa extension categories available to those who wish to remain in Thailand for an extended time. Non of these are difficult to obtain for those who meet the criteria.

[GuyL]

There have been reports for other border crossings about the 4 consecutive entry rule.

For Vientiane it should not be a problem to get up to 3 double entry visas. My advise is to have some proof on income from outside the country to submit with application. The best would be a bank book showing foreign fund transfers into the account.

The reason given by immigration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is that they suspect people making multiple border crossings and tourist visas is that you are working illegally in the country.

One of my friends was indeed granted 3 consecutive double entry tourist visas during year 2012 in Vientiane, but was denied a fourth one.

[visatropico]

I have been told in Satun, I can make up to 14 borderruns (15 day's) but they can't tell me what happens if I reach them, I'm at 11 now, neatly marked by the immigration officer.

does anybody know anything about this???

[Mario2008]

1 post removed. Please keep the discussion limited to one thread only. It is confusing if you start discussing the same in different threads.

[Suradit69]

intresting point about just how many 15 day visa stamps your aloud ............ been living back here for the last 3 years and touch wood have never had any problems gettting a 15 day stamp ...... how can they refuse a 15 stamp ..... your coming back here as a tourist .... intresting anyway ......

or is it the fact that it seems the thai's are getting anti- expats living here ...... been here 12/13 years now and things are not the same ...

i'm not as some say here old and grumyp ... not unless 59 is old .... ohhhh and the wife is not some young bit of skirt ..... now thing thinking she's old and grumyp ..... 52 ...... may be married to long lol .......... ---------------

"coming back here as a tourist .... intresting anyway ......or is it the fact that it seems the thai's are getting anti- expats living here"

If you're getting 15 day visa-free entries repeatedly for months or years, you're not a tourist and if you claim to be an expat living here long-term, then you are not meant to be doing that by running across the border every 15 days. How you can take this situation and decide it means "the Thais" are at fault is another miracle in farang-think.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Suradit69

[louse1953]

Reports are important and gives us much needed information. We simply can't tell if there is a policy change based on only 1 report, we do need conformation. Many times people come with stories about a change, but it turns out that their extension or visa application was denied on good reasons as they simply did not qualify, etc. And sometimes it turns out that there is indeed a change in policy, as more and more reports come in about the same.

So thanks for giving this report.

Yes i understand what you say, i am just giving the information told to me today.We know its a whirlpool of facts? and different cases.Welcome to the land you know you live in.Lets all be happy rand try to work out the solutions to help each other out.

You cant "live" here on 15 day visa.

[heazille]

I have work contact with many expats re various things including visa's.

2 different people have now told me that NongKai now say 4 stamps only and 1 was told not to come back.

If your living here then you do need to get a visa, even if a double entry Tourist visa, clearly a 15 day stamp is not a visa.

Re the other post, my experience there is Baht no longer accepted and you must have Dollars

Cheers

R

[ubonjoe]

There have been reports for other border crossings about the 4 consecutive entry rule.

For Vientiane it should not be a problem to get up to 3 double entry visas. My advise is to have some proof on income from outside the country to submit with application. The best would be a bank book showing foreign fund transfers into the account.

The reason given by immigration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is that they suspect people making multiple border crossings and tourist visas is that you are working illegally in the country.

One of my friends was indeed granted 3 consecutive double entry tourist visas during year 2012 in Vientiane, but was denied a fourth one.

Why would they need 3 in a year. Unless they are not getting 30 day extensions for each 60 day entry 2 visas would give a person almost a year.

[Mario2008]

Post commenting on spelling removed per forum rules.

[rexaco123]

To answer Alexander69's question, I was recently in Vientianne to apply for another double entry tourist visa. When I arrived at the Thai consulate building, I ran into a tout I had used in the past and the first thing he told me was that the visa application form I had downloaded from vientiane.thaiembassy.org was no longer valid as the wording on the back had changed. He had the new form and filled it out for me while I went and got my queue number. I gave him 100 baht and some chicken wings from the pizza restaurant nearby for doing that for me.

The next afternoon I returned to pick up my passport at about 1 pm and that was way too early. I don't think the consulate opened their gate after lunch break until around two or two-thirty in the afternoon by which time there was a sizable line of people standing in the hot sun waiting to enter. I had been biding my time at the outdoor (but under roof) restaurant across the street and used my tout to collect my passport for me while I nursed a beer and listened to the good music being played by a couple of dj's at the restaurant. When he returned with my passport, he told me that next time I would have to bring a new passport as I had reached the limit of 6 thai visas in my current one. I consider his information reliable.

[fredob43]

I did a run at Mai Sot the other day had a chap in front of me having problem's with his 15 day visa, turn's out that he had been on his 4th run and all they gave him was a 7 day red stamp and then told to leave via plane back to Germany and get a new visa. No if's but's or maybe's.

[lopburi3]

I suspect he was told if he exits he will not be allowed to return and will be arrested and deported so was given the option to apply for an extension of stay for 1,900 baht and that was disapproved resulting in a 7 day to leave stamp. He can go wherever he wants as long as he leaves Thailand.

[TerryLH]

"Why would they need 3 in a year. Unless they are not getting 30 day extensions for each 60 day entry 2 visas would give a person almost a year."

How does that work?

60+30+60+30 = 180

[lopburi3]

Each visa is for two entries I believe was the point (double entry visas was the post) so 2x your example.

[ubonjoe]

"Why would they need 3 in a year. Unless they are not getting 30 day extensions for each 60 day entry 2 visas would give a person almost a year."

How does that work?

60+30+60+30 = 180

Getting 2 tourist visas that allows 2 entries each would total to 360 days.

[TerryLH]

Got it.

Terry

[alexander69]

Not sure about the grumpy part but 59 is old.

As for the OP, are you sure the immigration officer was not referring to a Tourist Visa in getting a maximum of 4. There are a few ex-pats that live here in NK and cross over every 15 days. Would be a bit of a shocker if this turns out to be true.

My understanding was that he was talking about 15 day entry stamps not visas

[alexander69]

To answer Alexander69's question, I was recently in Vientianne to apply for another double entry tourist visa. When I arrived at the Thai consulate building, I ran into a tout I had used in the past and the first thing he told me was that the visa application form I had downloaded from vientiane.thaiembassy.org was no longer valid as the wording on the back had changed. He had the new form and filled it out for me while I went and got my queue number. I gave him 100 baht and some chicken wings from the pizza restaurant nearby for doing that for me.

The next afternoon I returned to pick up my passport at about 1 pm and that was way too early. I don't think the consulate opened their gate after lunch break until around two or two-thirty in the afternoon by which time there was a sizable line of people standing in the hot sun waiting to enter. I had been biding my time at the outdoor (but under roof) restaurant across the street and used my tout to collect my passport for me while I nursed a beer and listened to the good music being played by a couple of dj's at the restaurant. When he returned with my passport, he told me that next time I would have to bring a new passport as I had reached the limit of 6 thai visas in my current one. I consider his information reliable.

So you have managed to achieve 6 double entry tourist visas.If so well done.

[alexander69]

To answer Alexander69's question, I was recently in Vientianne to apply for another double entry tourist visa. When I arrived at the Thai consulate building, I ran into a tout I had used in the past and the first thing he told me was that the visa application form I had downloaded from vientiane.thaiembassy.org was no longer valid as the wording on the back had changed. He had the new form and filled it out for me while I went and got my queue number. I gave him 100 baht and some chicken wings from the pizza restaurant nearby for doing that for me.

The next afternoon I returned to pick up my passport at about 1 pm and that was way too early. I don't think the consulate opened their gate after lunch break until around two or two-thirty in the afternoon by which time there was a sizable line of people standing in the hot sun waiting to enter. I had been biding my time at the outdoor (but under roof) restaurant across the street and used my tout to collect my passport for me while I nursed a beer and listened to the good music being played by a couple of dj's at the restaurant. When he returned with my passport, he told me that next time I would have to bring a new passport as I had reached the limit of 6 thai visas in my current one. I consider his information reliable.

So you have managed to achieve 6 double entry tourist visas.If so well done.

how much did you pay the tout to go in and pick up your passport while you relaxed with a beer lao

[rexaco123]

To answer Alexander69's question, I was recently in Vientianne to apply for another double entry tourist visa. When I arrived at the Thai consulate building, I ran into a tout I had used in the past and the first thing he told me was that the visa application form I had downloaded from vientiane.thaiembassy.org was no longer valid as the wording on the back had changed. He had the new form and filled it out for me while I went and got my queue number. I gave him 100 baht and some chicken wings from the pizza restaurant nearby for doing that for me.

The next afternoon I returned to pick up my passport at about 1 pm and that was way too early. I don't think the consulate opened their gate after lunch break until around two or two-thirty in the afternoon by which time there was a sizable line of people standing in the hot sun waiting to enter. I had been biding my time at the outdoor (but under roof) restaurant across the street and used my tout to collect my passport for me while I nursed a beer and listened to the good music being played by a couple of dj's at the restaurant. When he returned with my passport, he told me that next time I would have to bring a new passport as I had reached the limit of 6 thai visas in my current one. I consider his information reliable.

So you have managed to achieve 6 double entry tourist visas.If so well done.

how much did you pay the tout to go in and pick up your passport while you relaxed with a beer lao

Paid him another 150 baht and took his buddy's van back to Udon Thani along with other passengers. In recounting the Thai visa stamps in my passport, I have three visas from Vientiane and two from the States, for a total of five. Perhaps I misunderstood and he meant the sixth would be refused. I'm not going to push it. My passport is nearly full anyway so I will acquire a new passport before it's time to return to Vientiane.

[bangkokburning]

If its costing you 35usd and especially b1500 every two weeks you might want to wise up and find another plan. Barring that, another country.

That is just the visa cost, assume you are living b100 away from the border.

[SteveReilly]

You can get as many 15 day entries as your passport will allow. Dont ever read thaivisa posts on visa rules etc as they will just confuse you and cause unnecessary fear.

[alexander69]

You can get as many 15 day entries as your passport will allow. Dont ever read thaivisa posts on visa rules etc as they will just confuse you and cause unnecessary fear.

You can get as many 15 day entries as your passport will allow. Dont ever read thaivisa posts on visa rules etc as they will just confuse you and cause unnecessary fear.

Steve, the immigration at the border told me only 4 stamps so i almost have to believe him..I understand what you are saying about confusion though.