My girlfriend would like her mother to bring her younger sister for a few weeks to Thailand. Her younger sister is 5 years old and she is written in 'paan deen' of her mother. (That is some sort of a document that allows Lao people to come to Thailand for visits up to 3 days.) She would like her mother to bring the younger sister and depart alone, and then to come back in 3 weeks and get her back. I'm not sure, would it be possible?

Children under 15 do not pay overstay fines for normal entries using a passport. But I am not sure how it would be handled with a border pass.

In my opinion it would not be wise to do it that way. It would be better if she got a passport and then got the 30 day entry Laotians get on.arrival.

She was concerned that when her mother will pass inside Thailand, will it be registered that two people passed in? (And then she might be asked when exiting Thailand? Is it a valid concern?)

It is good to know that people under 15 do not pay oversay fines - does it matter if they travel on a passport of their parents, or even if they travel on their own passport they do not pay fines?

Very few countries issue parents passports with their children on the same passport now. But it it would not matter the children would not be charged an overstay if they are under 15 in either case.

If she is entering on the same border pass as her mother there she would stamped out of Laos on it and into Thailand on it. It could well be a problem for the mother to leave without her.

That is exactly what I thought might happen. Would appreciate if someone could provide insight on how likely that it would be noticed, and what might happen if it will be noticed.

If there are two names and photos on the border pass Thai immigration would certainly see that one person was missing when her mother attempts to depart the country without her.

The mother is not required to travel with her child. My concern is whether the Immigration's computer will log somewhere that she went with her child, and that information will be readily available to the immigration's officer upon leaving the country. (And also of course on the Lao side while entering.)

Previously you wrote they would be traveling on the same document.

If they are on separate border passes I am not sure that Thai immigration would link the the two together on arrival. But the problem that remains is her overstaying on the border pass.

Also a border pass only allows a person to visit the area near the border. If they plan on traveling beyond that area they could be stopped at a checkpoint.

We are staying near the border. There is only one pass. The pass is valid for two persons, mother and her daughter. But that doesn't mean that mother cannot travel alone. Mother can come using this pass either alone or accompanied by her daughter.

Please re-read my previous message in the light of this.

Would appreciate if any experienced member will share his opinion.