tourist visa reports from Laos?

[happysanook]

Recently there was a story regarding issues with being allowed back into the country in the South.

What about Laos? Particularly savannakhet...

[ubonjoe]

None that I know of.

[ironbark]

Came through Nong Khai a week ago on 60 day double entry tourist visa without any issues. But my passport is full of back to back 14 day visa exempt stamps because I actually live in vientiane and do visa runs into Thailand once a month. Us Laos expats are nervously waiting for the August deadline to see what it means for us.

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[POSA290103]

I'm going to Mukdahan Immigration on Fri to get a 30 day extension on my TR 60day double entry visa. I won't be using the second half of the visa since I have to return to work and only need a couple of weeks longer than the first two months. I hope this isn't going to be a problem. I only have a couple of pages left in my passport and will get a new one after returning to the US. My passport still is legible but went through the wash while working in Baghdad. Laos immigration said not to come back with that passport, get a new one, when I was getting my Thai visa two months ago. At the time I wasn't sure but thought I'd be working by now. I figured at the time that I could just get the extension and all would be fine. I have a copy of my offer letter stating the project will start on or about Aug 10th and I 'm waiting for my employer to send my Airline tickets. It would be good to have them also. All this new enforcement and changes in policy have me concerned. I'm not a frequent border crosser and don't have any back to back stamps in almost 3 years. I am here on vacation between jobs and won't return for atleast another year. I have a Thai wife and son but haven't gone the marriage visa route because I don't live here yet. My stays are as I said, "on vacation between jobs" didn't see the need for a long term marriage visa.I was out of Thailand for over two years on my last contract and it would have been impossible to renew every year. I'll post my observations and outcome from this visit to Mukdahan on Friday night. Wish me luck!

[ubonjoe]

There have been no report that I can recall of a extension being denied. Everything is about entries and most exempt entries.

You can also get 60 day extensions to visit your child for any type of entry.

[POSA290103]

There have been no report that I can recall of a extension being denied. Everything is about entries and most exempt entries.

You can also get 60 day extensions to visit your child for any type of entry.

Thanks Ubonjoe, you are a wealth of information!

[Heelbiter]

Bit off the main subject but a piece of advice required! I will be traveling to Phnom Penh September for 1 week holiday travelling from Bangkok, can I apply at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh for an O type multi entry visa based on my age will there on holiday I am 52 years old British citizen. If so what documentation will I need to bring with me? good advice appreciated.

[ubonjoe]

Bit off the main subject but a piece of advice required! I will be traveling to Phnom Penh September for 1 week holiday travelling from Bangkok, can I apply at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh for an O type multi entry visa based on my age will there on holiday I am 52 years old British citizen. If so what documentation will I need to bring with me? good advice appreciated.

You will not get a multiple entry non-o visa there.

The only nearby location that has been reported as doing them is Penang and 800k baht in the bank was needed.

[blorg]

Came through Nong Khai a week ago on 60 day double entry tourist visa without any issues. But my passport is full of back to back 14 day visa exempt stamps because I actually live in vientiane and do visa runs into Thailand once a month. Us Laos expats are nervously waiting for the August deadline to see what it means for us.

Did you get the visa in Vientiane? What documentation did they require- specifically did they require any evidence of flights in and out of Thailand or a bank statement? Second is no problem but I'd plan to enter over land and plan to leave Thailand to Malaysia by land. I'm thinking of heading up to Vientiane to get another visa, I'm at the end of my current tourist visa (60 days + 30 extension) and had planned to leave Thailand permanently but I've developed some possible medical problems that I want to get investigated and fixed before I leave so sort of stuck here for a bit longer.

I also have a long history of tourist visas and 15 day exempt stamps; if you actually plotted the in/out time it would be clear I couldn't be working here as they are all over different parts of the country and I have actually stayed out of the country for an extended period almost every time (before my current 90 day visit I was out of Thailand about 2.5 months) but I have been in and around Thailand (Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines) for about 2 years now. With the crackdown I'm concerned as to what is the best way to go about this.

My current stay is up on 1 August so at least I'd be trying to do this before the D-day of 12 August or whenever it is.

[ironbark]

Came through Nong Khai a week ago on 60 day double entry tourist visa without any issues. But my passport is full of back to back 14 day visa exempt stamps because I actually live in vientiane and do visa runs into Thailand once a month. Us Laos expats are nervously waiting for the August deadline to see what it means for us.

Did you get the visa in Vientiane? What documentation did they require- specifically did they require any evidence of flights in and out of Thailand or a bank statement?.

Yes, came thro VTE. No extra documentation needed for a tourist visa and none asked for.

Curiously, a couple of months back when the stricter enforcement was first announced the Immigration officer at the Bridge for the first time in ten years asked me why I was going into Nong Khai so many times. I told the truth, that I was actually on a visa run "from Laos" and I usually go back the same day or I stay a few days to do some shopping. The dates on the stamps showed this, he gave a grunt and passed me.

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Edited July 14, 2014 by ironbark

[blorg]

Came through Nong Khai a week ago on 60 day double entry tourist visa without any issues. But my passport is full of back to back 14 day visa exempt stamps because I actually live in vientiane and do visa runs into Thailand once a month. Us Laos expats are nervously waiting for the August deadline to see what it means for us.

Did you get the visa in Vientiane? What documentation did they require- specifically did they require any evidence of flights in and out of Thailand or a bank statement?.

Yes, came thro VTE. No extra documentation needed for a tourist visa and none asked for.

Curiously, a couple of months back when the stricter enforcement was first announced the Immigration officer at the Bridge for the first time in ten years asked me why I was going into Nong Khai so many times. I told the truth, that I was actually on a visa run "from Laos" and I usually go back the same day or I stay a few days to do some shopping. The dates on the stamps showed this, he gave a grunt and passed me.

Thanks for that, I think I'll give Vientiane a go in that case.

[hullupullo]

About 20 farangs waiting in Savannakhet for Laos Visa on Arrival to open. Still closed at 9:45. Nobody knows what is going on.

Edited July 15, 2014 by hullupullo

[melack]

About 20 farangs waiting in Savannakhet for Laos Visa on Arrival to open. Still closed at 9:45. Nobody knows what is going on.

Please update when you know whats happening, was planning a trip to Savannakhet tomorrrow.

Thanks

[Mario2008]

Nothing marked on their calender.

[hullupullo]

Ok, 1 man come open office 10am. Said all were in some meeting and nobody told he he has to get to work. But visa to Laos ok(no $ accepted, 1500baht everyone), then minivan rush to embassy. It was nightmare, full of laotian gettin visas, maybe 5-600 of them. So I just give my application 15min ago, TR single entry. Man flipped trough passport, didn't asked anything, give ticket. And yes, they still said passport back today 3.30PM. Lets see how that will go.

[hullupullo]

Everybody got visa today and everybody got back in Thailand.

[sodapak]

Vientiane all good.lol.

[blorg]

Vientiane all good.lol.

@Sodapak- what was your visa history? I'm hoping to get a new single entry tourist visa but I'm coming straight off 90 days in Thailand now with the visa transferred from old to new passport, wondering if that might be an issue. Previous to that I was out of Thailand for 2.5 months but if you look back in my old passport I have LOTS of visa-exempt border runs (pages of them- although I GENERALLY stayed out for two weeks to a month before coming back) and also maybe about four visas. Phnom Penh gave me hassle over the pages of border runs last visa but ended up giving it to me.

I've spent maybe 50% of the last 2.5 years in Thailand, and the other 50% out of it, but I'm concerned this may present an issue, I have actually seen Vientiane reject a Russian before over "too many visas" when I got my very first Thai visa there.

[IMScott]

Don't have a visa, just been doing border runs for the past 7 months. Any issues getting a tourist visa in Laos back to Thailand? Double entry or single? Age 40 American. Thanks

Edited July 18, 2014 by IMScott

[ubonjoe]

Don't have a visa, just been doing border runs for the past 7 months. Any issues getting a tourist visa in Laos back to Thailand? Double entry or single? Age 40 American. Thanks

You can get a tourist visa in Laos.

I have seen no reports of anybody being turned back at the Lao border it they had a tourist visa.

[IMScott]

Don't have a visa, just been doing border runs for the past 7 months. Any issues getting a tourist visa in Laos back to Thailand? Double entry or single? Age 40 American. Thanks

You can get a tourist visa in Laos.

I have seen no reports of anybody being turned back at the Lao border it they had a tourist visa.

Sounds good. Going there Sunday via an Agency from Pattaya. We'll see if they let me in. First time getting an actual visa. Been riding on border stamps the whole time. Thanks

Edited July 18, 2014 by IMScott

[lovelaos]

Came through Nong Khai a week ago on 60 day double entry tourist visa without any issues. But my passport is full of back to back 14 day visa exempt stamps because I actually live in vientiane and do visa runs into Thailand once a month. Us Laos expats are nervously waiting for the August deadline to see what it means for us.

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If you live in Laos, why would you have anything to worry about??? You don't live in Thailand, therefore, Thai immigration will not be the slightest bit interested in you. Think about it.

[SamSipEt]

Bit off the main subject but a piece of advice required! I will be traveling to Phnom Penh September for 1 week holiday travelling from Bangkok, can I apply at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh for an O type multi entry visa based on my age will there on holiday I am 52 years old British citizen. If so what documentation will I need to bring with me? good advice appreciated.

You will not get a multiple entry non-o visa there.

The only nearby location that has been reported as doing them is Penang and 800k baht in the bank was needed.

I have lots of tourist visas in my passport and have finally decided to get a long term visa and had planned on visiting Phnom Penh for a few days towards the end of September to get a single entry 90 day O visa which I would then get a one year extension based on retirement in Bangkok. Are there any known problems with this at the moment or should it be plain sailing

[ubonjoe]

Bit off the main subject but a piece of advice required! I will be traveling to Phnom Penh September for 1 week holiday travelling from Bangkok, can I apply at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh for an O type multi entry visa based on my age will there on holiday I am 52 years old British citizen. If so what documentation will I need to bring with me? good advice appreciated.

You will not get a multiple entry non-o visa there.

The only nearby location that has been reported as doing them is Penang and 800k baht in the bank was needed.

I have lots of tourist visas in my passport and have finally decided to get a long term visa and had planned on visiting Phnom Penh for a few days towards the end of September to get a single entry 90 day O visa which I would then get a one year extension based on retirement in Bangkok. Are there any known problems with this at the moment or should it be plain sailing

You will need to show financial proof of 800k bath in the bank or 65k baht income to get the single entry non-o based upon being 50 or over in PP. It will take 4 days to get it unless you use an agent.

[SamSipEt]

Bit off the main subject but a piece of advice required! I will be traveling to Phnom Penh September for 1 week holiday travelling from Bangkok, can I apply at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh for an O type multi entry visa based on my age will there on holiday I am 52 years old British citizen. If so what documentation will I need to bring with me? good advice appreciated.

You will not get a multiple entry non-o visa there.

The only nearby location that has been reported as doing them is Penang and 800k baht in the bank was needed.

I have lots of tourist visas in my passport and have finally decided to get a long term visa and had planned on visiting Phnom Penh for a few days towards the end of September to get a single entry 90 day O visa which I would then get a one year extension based on retirement in Bangkok. Are there any known problems with this at the moment or should it be plain sailing

You will need to show financial proof of 800k bath in the bank or 65k baht income to get the single entry non-o based upon being 50 or over in PP. It will take 4 days to get it unless you use an agent.

Thank you for the info and no problem with those requirements.

[GoonDizzy]

I went on Tuesday. Bedlam. About 600+ there (about 20 farang). Seemed a mix of Laoatians, Bumese and Vietnamese. Some dude told me the ones doing all the pushing were Vietnamese. It had to be seen to be believed. The poor IO was trying his best to make them queue. Everytime he got them to step away from the window, they would regather and just push in again, crowding the window at times. Madness. When they opened the gate to collect visas, there was a stampede of these nutters. Almost all of the 'farang' were told that their visas were not ready. All the Laos/Cambodian/Vietnamese/ Burmsese got theirs and were off.

All of the farang thought that getting a bus back would be impossible due to about 600 Asians getting there first. I was worried about even getting one for the next day. Got to Mukdahan Bus station and....there was a VIP bus with seats available. Seems that they laid on extra buses. There were buses departing for BKK every few minutes. Got the non O single entry I wanted without any problems. It was bucketing down in Sav from the moment I arrived (8am ish) until about 1pm. A bit of flooding was seen in parts of the city. All in all, a pretty miserable experience. The taxis/tuk tuks will try and rip you off. Shops/restaurants will probably overcharge. The only saving grace was a wonderful find. Beer Laos Gold. Really nice stuff.

[Issangeorge]

Back in the 80s I a retired friend (52) who would travel back and forth between Malaysia and Thailand. At that time the age for a retirement visa was I believe 55. He was able to get a two month plus one month tourist visa for Thailand and I believe Malaysia was 3 months on arrival. There may be a lot more of that happening again.

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