Taking Thai neice on a trip to Laos

[bobo42]

My wife and I have recently been taking our Thai neice on our road trips with us a lot. For the longest time she's been asking us to take her with us next time we go to Laos. I've always said "no way" due to the problems/impossibilities with logistics and paperwork - but the truth is, I have no idea what's involved, or if it is even possible. Does anybody know if is possible for her to travel with us? What kind of paperwork would be involved? My wife is Thai, our neice is her blood relative (daughter of younger sister), she is 7 years old. Any info is appreciated.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Passport? Letter from parent, perhaps signed by both, giving permission to travel with you to Laos? Copy of tambien ban and both parent's ID cards, signed.

That should do it, I'd think....

Mac

[durhamboy]

I would think it shouldn't be a problem. Thais do not need a visa to visit Laos - I think they just pay around 40 baht at the border at the Nong Khai crossing which is where I assume you would enter Laos. Probably your wife and niece would go ahead of you as you, assuming you are not Thai or Lao, will need a visa on arrival. Take all the stuff like authority letters from parents but only produce them if they start asking questions which I doubt that they will. If it does come to that, it's worth remembering that Lao and Thai are almost completely different languages so the Lao immigration officer may not understand a letter anyway!

[bobo42]

Passport? Letter from parent, perhaps signed by both, giving permission to travel with you to Laos? Copy of tambien ban and both parent's ID cards, signed.

That should do it, I'd think....

Mac

Yeah, I was thinking sonething like this might work, but I just wanted to see if there was some official procedure, or if anybody's done anything like this before. Thanks for the reply though, I'm betting you're probably correct.

[bobo42]

I would think it shouldn't be a problem. Thais do not need a visa to visit Laos - I think they just pay around 40 baht at the border at the Nong Khai crossing which is where I assume you would enter Laos. Probably your wife and niece would go ahead of you as you, assuming you are not Thai or Lao, will need a visa on arrival. Take all the stuff like authority letters from parents but only produce them if they start asking questions which I doubt that they will. If it does come to that, it's worth remembering that Lao and Thai are almost completely different languages so the Lao immigration officer may not understand a letter anyway!

Seeing as she doesn't have her own Thai ID card yet, I'd think that getting her a passport might be the safer route, just so she'd have some definitive identification. I was more concerned about the Thai side of immigration rather than the Laos side. I would think there would be some kind of procedure that would be carried out when a minor is exiting the country without their parents. Seems like something that would require some very specific paperwork/permission, but maybe its not as complicated as I think.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

"... Lao and Thai are almost completely different languages so the Lao immigration officer may not understand a letter anyway!"

Actually, they're pretty close and most Lao, especially in the cities, do quite well with understanding Thai. One reason is that Thai TV is more "muan" or sanok than Lao TV and the Lao even way upcountry, watch the Thai soaps all the time.

Mac

[hansnl]

I would think it shouldn't be a problem. Thais do not need a visa to visit Laos - I think they just pay around 40 baht at the border at the Nong Khai crossing which is where I assume you would enter Laos. Probably your wife and niece would go ahead of you as you, assuming you are not Thai or Lao, will need a visa on arrival. Take all the stuff like authority letters from parents but only produce them if they start asking questions which I doubt that they will. If it does come to that, it's worth remembering that Lao and Thai are almost completely different languages so the Lao immigration officer may not understand a letter anyway!

If you really think the Lao immigration officers don't understand Thai, you might be surprised.

My wife does not speak Lao or Isan, but they understand her very much in Lao, and she understands them.

And reading Thai or Lao is not really a problem for the wife, or the immigration officers...on both sides of the border.

Anyway, Thai people even don't need a passport, they can obtain a 3-day pass (might be 5 days now) for entrance in Lao on the border.

Just bring the ID-card.

[bobo42]

"... Lao and Thai are almost completely different languages so the Lao immigration officer may not understand a letter anyway!"

Actually, they're pretty close and most Lao, especially in the cities, do quite well with understanding Thai. One reason is that Thai TV is more "muan" or sanok than Lao TV and the Lao even way upcountry, watch the Thai soaps all the time.

Mac

Yeah, I kind of wanted to comment on that too. My wife doesn't speak Lao, but she's able to understand and be understood just fine while in that country. She has the most trouble reading Lao, but if she puzzles at the characters for a while, she's able to read pretty well. Based on this, I'd say that the 2 languages are very, very similar. Perhaps they were thinking of Khmer, which is totally different than Thai.

[sawadeeken]

ThaiVisa now has.......... 'ASK A LAWYER' give it a try................

[paulchiangmai]

I would think it shouldn't be a problem. Thais do not need a visa to visit Laos - I think they just pay around 40 baht at the border at the Nong Khai crossing which is where I assume you would enter Laos. Probably your wife and niece would go ahead of you as you, assuming you are not Thai or Lao, will need a visa on arrival. Take all the stuff like authority letters from parents but only produce them if they start asking questions which I doubt that they will. If it does come to that, it's worth remembering that Lao and Thai are almost completely different languages so the Lao immigration officer may not understand a letter anyway!

Seeing as she doesn't have her own Thai ID card yet, I'd think that getting her a passport might be the safer route, just so she'd have some definitive identification. I was more concerned about the Thai side of immigration rather than the Laos side. I would think there would be some kind of procedure that would be carried out when a minor is exiting the country without their parents. Seems like something that would require some very specific paperwork/permission, but maybe its not as complicated as I think.

If she is seven years of age then she can get her own ID card, my daughter was seven last Nov' and we got hers with no problem at Doi Saket .

[SlideRiceFC]

"... Lao and Thai are almost completely different languages so the Lao immigration officer may not understand a letter anyway!"

Actually, they're pretty close and most Lao, especially in the cities, do quite well with understanding Thai. One reason is that Thai TV is more "muan" or sanok than Lao TV and the Lao even way upcountry, watch the Thai soaps all the time.

Mac

Yeah, I kind of wanted to comment on that too. My wife doesn't speak Lao, but she's able to understand and be understood just fine while in that country. She has the most trouble reading Lao, but if she puzzles at the characters for a while, she's able to read pretty well. Based on this, I'd say that the 2 languages are very, very similar. Perhaps they were thinking of Khmer, which is totally different than Thai.

Actually I think he was referring to the written language since a letter from the parents would obviously be written in Thai.

[sirchai]

I would think it shouldn't be a problem. Thais do not need a visa to visit Laos - I think they just pay around 40 baht at the border at the Nong Khai crossing which is where I assume you would enter Laos. Probably your wife and niece would go ahead of you as you, assuming you are not Thai or Lao, will need a visa on arrival. Take all the stuff like authority letters from parents but only produce them if they start asking questions which I doubt that they will. If it does come to that, it's worth remembering that Lao and Thai are almost completely different languages so the Lao immigration officer may not understand a letter anyway!

Thais do need a document for a one day/a few hour stay in Laos, which can be obtained at the border. A passport photograph, and somebody has to fill out the form in Thai.

She's old enough to get her an ID card and it won't be a problem to get her in. I'd make sure to have a letter from her mom in Thai that she's aware, with a phone number on it.

[Showbags]

We did this few years ago with our niece.

No ID or passport, got 3 day pass only as first time....apparently with more visits, like second time etc can then stay longer period each time.

She basically passes through with the Thai wife, not sure what was signed if anything on her behalf....but easy enough.

[Pattaya Pat]

We did this few years ago with our niece.

No ID or passport, got 3 day pass only as first time....apparently with more visits, like second time etc can then stay longer period each time.

She basically passes through with the Thai wife, not sure what was signed if anything on her behalf....but easy enough.

'our niece'??

Don't you mean your wifes niece?

[Showbags]

^ who gives an avatar...

But...she does call me Daddy

Edited March 28, 2014 by Showbags

[bobo42]

ThaiVisa now has.......... 'ASK A LAWYER' give it a try................

The guidelines do not appear to extend to visa/immigration related questions, so I'll just have to leave it here. Some good info so far. If anybody has anything more concrete about the requirements, please let me know.

[tiffanystoyz]

Like one poster said let Thai wife cross with her that way Border police won't think you might be Pedo. That could make trip uncomfortable for all.