Do visa exemptions still look bad in your passport?

[finy]

I'm in Siem Reap right now and want to come back to Thailand (Samui).

I have three options:

1 - Get a visa exemption and make my way straight to Laos for a double visa.

2 - Make my way to Laos from Cambodia which will probably be worse than torture.

3 - Just get a single visa and go from Samui to Laos in 3 months.

Obviously 1 is the best and easiest option, but I don't want 'extra' visa exemption stamps in my passport if they'll look bad in the future.

I'll hopefully be able to stay for a year or so before I need to leave for a while again.

What do you think is the best option?

[Suradit69]

1 - Get a visa exemption and make my way straight to Laos for a double visa.

If you come into Thailand by land on a visa exempt entry, depending on your nationality, you'll get 15 or 30 days that you can extend for an additional 30 days at Immigrations, so there's no need to make your way straight to Laos for 45 to 60 days from arrival. That would involve a single visa exempt entry. You don't mention how many others you already have in your passport, but usually unless the number is high and/or they involve back-to-back entries, it shouldn't be a problem especially if your next entry would be on a visa obtained in Laos.

Of course, if you're staying in Samui you'll need to factor in travel costs if you head back to Samui and then need to travel out again to Laos.

Edited May 3, 2015 by Suradit69

[BritTim]

It is my impression that a handful of visa exempt entries really do not matter at all. If the number of visa exempt entries in a (one year?) period exceeds some threshold, the immigration officer receives a notification that some extra scrutiny is warranted, to verify whether you might be working in Thailand. Even that is no big deal unless you appear to have been staying in Thailand full time, and cannot demonstrate funds coming from abroad to support your stay.

[finy]

Thanks, good to know a few exempts aren't the end of the world.

With going to Samui I'd prefer the 6 month visa. I don't really fancy traveling to Laos after a few months, but I'll try to figure out what would be easiest before I come.

Maybe a single entry in Cambodia and one in Penang would be easier.

[nzexpat]

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Thanks, good to know a few exempts aren't the end of the world.

With going to Samui I'd prefer the 6 month visa. I don't really fancy traveling to Laos after a few months, but I'll try to figure out what would be easiest before I come.

Maybe a single entry in Cambodia and one in Penang would be easier.

What exactly is meant by " I'd prefer the 6 month visa"

Which 6 month "visa" are you hoping to obtain.

[finy]

Just the double entry so I would just need to do one trip to the Malaysian border in 6 months.

[BritTim]

You know, Seam Reap to Savannakhet may not be quite as much of a bear as one might think. There is a direct Lao Airlines morning flight (about US$140) to Pakse. From there, the bus takes about 4 hours (and is cheap). Disclaimer: I have not actually done this.

[IMA_FARANG]

You know, Seam Reap to Savannakhet may not be quite as much of a bear as one might think. There is a direct Lao Airlines morning flight (about US$140) to Pakse. From there, the bus takes about 4 hours (and is cheap). Disclaimer: I have not actually done this

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If you are willing to pay the fare you can take that Lao air flight from Bangkok to Savannakhet.

It is officially the flight from Bangkok to Vientiane but it makes a stop in Savannakhet, and you can get a Lao visa on arrival there at the airport in Savannakhet. You can book the flight on-line from the Lao air website if you want.

All you need is the money and the time.

Easily done.

[jspill]

What exactly is meant by " I'd prefer the 6 month visa"

Which 6 month "visa" are you hoping to obtain.

Double entry tourist visa. Stickler for the correct nomenclature? We all knew what he meant.

[No Apologist]

OP - you'll hear a number of different things here, and everyone means well. 'Technically' speaking...I think it's not 'supposed' to make a differece.

That being said...

Having 'too many' exemptions in my passport - which can be very arbitrary, depending on the immigration-officer you encounter - has had a very negative effect, for me over the last year or two. I'm sure that's effected by other things, too - like, are they surrounding a retirement visa, or a long-term work visa, I guess. In my case, they aren't.

A number of times in the last year, I've been accused by I/O's of 'working illegally' (when I never have) - and it usually seems to be all the visa-exemptions from that past. In my case, it also didn't seem to matter that I've spent about 1/2 of my time each year in EU/UK (where I actually do work, and save money).

So, even though you'll hear different things - my own experience, is that I wish I had far less exemptions in my passport, today. Just something to keep in mind.

Edited May 4, 2015 by No Apologist

[HerbalEd]

Over the past 30-plus years I have had scores of visa-exempt stamps in my passport, plus lots of extensions, and they have never once been mentioned by Thai immigration upon entering or exiting Thailand.

[dundas]

I fly to Thailand two or three times a year using visa exemption entries, and so far I've never been questioned.

[misterphil]

I normally have a Non O visa but a few months ago i had to enter and get a visa exemption. The immigration officer asked "no visa?" I told him i'd been very busy at work and no time to get one. His reply was "next time ok".

I recently entered with a Non O and it was checked thoroughly. Its got tick marks next to my name, the dates, circled around the M, and every other point checked and it even has my wifes name in the Remarks.

Ive been genuinely living here for years and Ive noticed immigration is getting stricter.

So those that arent beware.

[nzexpat]

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What exactly is meant by " I'd prefer the 6 month visa"

Which 6 month "visa" are you hoping to obtain.

Double entry tourist visa. Stickler for the correct nomenclature? We all knew what he meant.

Unlike some most of us are NOT clairvoyants!

Always best to explain exactly what is meant and thus avoid unnecessary confusion/misunderstanding.

Edited May 4, 2015 by nzexpat

[lordblackader]

I fly to Thailand two or three times a year using visa exemption entries, and so far I've never been questioned.

The important part is that they're not all back-to-back.

Sign up at the Mae Sai border these days about back-to-backs, can't remember the exact wording (I should have taken a picture) but it's clear that's where they take issue these days

[finy]

I'm worried about what No Appologist was talking about.

I had to leave when the coup happened and I had over 2 years of visa exempts from Mai Sai, many different tourist visas, and a few overstay stamps.

Luckily I have a clean passport now, but I don't want to waste it on a stamp I'll use for 1 day to get the bus up to Laos if it will bite me in the ass.

I don't want to get a flight as I have all the time in the world and I'd rather not waste money.

I think I'll just get a single from Cambodia and head to Laos 3 months later. Not worth the risk.

[humqdpf]

Going from Phnom Pehn to Vientiane is not torture when you fly. There are direct flights with Vietnam Airlines and Lao Airways.

[elviajero]

I'm worried about what No Appologist was talking about.

I had to leave when the coup happened and I had over 2 years of visa exempts from Mai Sai, many different tourist visas, and a few overstay stamps.

Luckily I have a clean passport now, but I don't want to waste it on a stamp I'll use for 1 day to get the bus up to Laos if it will bite me in the ass.

I don't want to get a flight as I have all the time in the world and I'd rather not waste money.

I think I'll just get a single from Cambodia and head to Laos 3 months later. Not worth the risk.

Why is it necessary to enter Thailand if you're going to Laos?

If you have plenty of time why don't you bus to Savannakhet from Cambodia and get a double entry tourist visa. That'll give you 6 months with a couple of extensions and one border run to Myanmar. Seems to me that saves you both time, money, and an unnecessary visa exempt entry.

[AloisAmrein]

I always do my travels to Thailand on visa-exempt entries, because I not want to feed the money-making visa machine. I mostly stay 3 months in the area, on the last day I go to Laos (visa-exempt entry too) and then I return to Thailand overland, I then I repeat that. So far no problems, neither in Thailand nor in Laos. Or I fly to Vietnam. I have done this now for several years.

[nzexpat]

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I always do my travels to Thailand on visa-exempt entries, because I not want to feed the money-making visa machine. I mostly stay 3 months in the area, on the last day I go to Laos (visa-exempt entry too) and then I return to Thailand overland, I then I repeat that. So far no problems, neither in Thailand nor in Laos. Or I fly to Vietnam. I have done this now for several years.

It would be helpful to others if you were to mention your Nationality.

To imply that the options you mention are freely available to anyone who asks is disingenuous.

[finy]

I'm worried about what No Appologist was talking about.

I had to leave when the coup happened and I had over 2 years of visa exempts from Mai Sai, many different tourist visas, and a few overstay stamps.

Luckily I have a clean passport now, but I don't want to waste it on a stamp I'll use for 1 day to get the bus up to Laos if it will bite me in the ass.

I don't want to get a flight as I have all the time in the world and I'd rather not waste money.

I think I'll just get a single from Cambodia and head to Laos 3 months later. Not worth the risk.

Why is it necessary to enter Thailand if you're going to Laos?

If you have plenty of time why don't you bus to Savannakhet from Cambodia and get a double entry tourist visa. That'll give you 6 months with a couple of extensions and one border run to Myanmar. Seems to me that saves you both time, money, and an unnecessary visa exempt entry.

It's meant to be torture.

I don't mind VIP buses and trains, but only in Thailand.

But you're right, I could bus it from PP to Laos.