Border Run Alternatives

[Denim]

Could also get off the train at Had Yai and from there a shared taxi either all the way to Penang or just the border. I have crossed here on foot both ways a few times.

[yahboo11]

I am newbie so I apologize for this question but would be appreciative if someone could answer this question. I am a US citizen would like to spend 6mos in Bangkok. I plan on getting a 2mo tourist visa in the States then apply for a 30 day extension after 60days.  After this do I fly out of the country to like Saigon or Penang or KL n apply for another 2 mo tourist Visa n then apply for a 30 day extension?  

 

Also I heard u need a 6mos lease to get a bank account open. This is the reason for this trip. Otherwise, I would just spend a few mos then travel to Chiang Mai or spend a few mos in Saigon.

 

Thx in advance

 

Dan

[ubonjoe]

No problem to get a single entry tourist visa in the states and then another one at a nearby embassy or consulate.

There is no requirement to have a 6 month lease to open a bank account. You will just have to try different banks and branches to open an account.

[BritTim]

20 minutes ago, yahboo11 said:

I am newbie so I apologize for this question but would be appreciative if someone could answer this question. I am a US citizen would like to spend 6mos in Bangkok. I plan on getting a 2mo tourist visa in the States then apply for a 30 day extension after 60days.  After this do I fly out of the country to like Saigon or Penang or KL n apply for another 2 mo tourist Visa n then apply for a 30 day extension?  

What you suggest is possible and a good option.

 

21 minutes ago, yahboo11 said:

Also I heard u need a 6mos lease to get a bank account open. This is the reason for this trip. Otherwise, I would just spend a few mos then travel to Chiang Mai or spend a few mos in Saigon.

What is required to open a bank account varies greatly from branch to branch. At many branches, you will find it impossible to open an account unless you have a work permit or visit with an existing respected customer of the branch.

[Beardog]

Hi,

I am losing my non imm type OA visa this year(due to finance issues) My yearly report is July 7th but I have a flight back to the states & have a return in September.

I have no clue what they do in this situation as 15 years on a OA visa. will they require a return back to the U.S. Or will I be able to do border runs & get my visa stamps?

Do I still get my 1000 baht to return into Thailand or will I have to get a new tourist Visa from The U. S, to get back into Thailand in September? I just did my 90 day report. Not married the gal I am with & myself decided better not to get married. How often do I have to do a Cambodia boredr run to stay here in Thailand. I return every year back to the states for 2-3 months.

Any help would be appreciated. I don't want any surprises when I return in Sept.

Thanks

Barry   

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, Beardog said:

Hi,

I am losing my non imm type OA visa this year(due to finance issues) My yearly report is July 7th but I have a flight back to the states & have a return in September.

I have no clue what they do in this situation as 15 years on a OA visa. will they require a return back to the U.S. Or will I be able to do border runs & get my visa stamps?

Do I still get my 1000 baht to return into Thailand or will I have to get a new tourist Visa from The U. S, to get back into Thailand in September? I just did my 90 day report. Not married the gal I am with & myself decided better not to get married. How often do I have to do a Cambodia boredr run to stay here in Thailand. I return every year back to the states for 2-3 months.

Any help would be appreciated. I don't want any surprises when I return in Sept.

Thanks

Barry   

While in the US, get either a single entry or multiple entry tourist visa. That will give you an initial 60-day stay when you return to Thailand, and will not be a problem. What you should do long term depends on many factors which you do not reveal in your post.

You do not need a re-entry permit (costing 1,000 baht) because you will be returning to Thailand with a visa.

By the way, you have not been staying in Thailand on an "OA visa". You have been getting an extension of your permission to stay on the basis of retirement.

[jacko45k]

15 hours ago, Beardog said:

Hi,

I am losing my non imm type OA visa this year(due to finance issues) My yearly report is July 7th but I have a flight back to the states & have a return in September.

I am presuming you have been living here for so long on an Extension of stay, the Original visa itself having long expired. And that the money in the Thai bank or income to Thailand requirements are not possible, to get another Extension based on retirement.

You can do a few border runs  to obtain 30 day Visa Exempt entries, 2 maximum in the year using a land border. no official limit by air....  but I would not rely on this for too many attempts. Each can be extended for 30 days at immigration. There is also the option of obtaining Tourist Visas in nearby countries, single entry gives 60 days stay with a possible 30 day extension.

As you return to  the USA regularly, could you get a Non-Imm OA Viisa while there from the Embassy or an official consulate? You can get nearly 2 years in Thailand from one of those. Look up the requirements on the Washington website. A multiple entry tourist visa from the USA is another option.

Edited June 5, 2019 by jacko45k

[Kwasaki]

OK I'll try and explain this best I can, my wife has a friend living with a Swedish husband in their house in Maesot and they have official Thai marriage papers.

 

The Swedish husband by all accounts has a 3 month visa acquired in Laos based on marriage but doesn't have any money and has been staying in Thailand year on year but has been going to Laos every 3 months pays money comes back for another 3 months, I don't understand that way at all.

 

He can only read and speak very little English and does have a computer in house but his wife is asking my wife for my help on what to do, but I don't fully understand what he can do in his situation. 

 

His recent Laos visit he and his wife were told by a taxi driver he can pay him 2000 baht he will then take him to someone who will get him a 1 year stay for 20,000 baht, sounds like a agent or a scam to me.

 

So question is what should he be doing in the best way to continue to stay in Thailand with his wife without any savings and a small income.

  

[BritTim]

Going to Laos for a single entry Non O every 90 days is not the cheapest approach. Particularly if living in Maesot (an excellent place for a cheap border bounce) he should go to Savannakhet and get a multiple entry Non O. He will only need to do this once every 15 months. Each 90 days, he can cross the bridge from Maesot to Myawaddy (a border pass costs US$10) and come back receiving a fresh 90-day stay. Going to Savannakhet for a multiple entry Non O will cost about an extra 4,000 baht over the Vientiane trip for a single entry, but he will then save at least 5,000 baht a time for each of his 90-day entries before needing another Non O. In total over the year, it will come to less than the 20,000 baht it is suggested an agent would cost.

[Denim]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

The Swedish husband by all accounts has a 3 month visa acquired in Laos based on marriage but doesn't have any money and has been staying in Thailand year on year but has been going to Laos every 3 months pays money comes back for another 3 months, I don't understand that way at all.

 

It sounds like something might have been lost in translation as going to Laos every three months is , as BritTim explained ,  an expensive and tiring way of doing things.

 

I will second BritTims advice on going to Savannakhet just the once and getting the multiple entry non O based on marriage the price of which is 5000 baht without the need to show savings in the bank.

 

However , recently the consulate has been swamped with people applying for visas that previously applied at Vientienne until that place introduced an appointments only system to replace the walk in service. The cues are now very long and the consensus of opinion is that if this continues then the Savann consulate may feel obliged to change its rules. What any changed might involve is anybodies guess.

 

There is a thread about this here :

 

 

 

 

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, BritTim said:

Going to Laos for a single entry Non O every 90 days is not the cheapest approach. Particularly if living in Maesot (an excellent place for a cheap border bounce) he should go to Savannakhet and get a multiple entry Non O. He will only need to do this once every 15 months. Each 90 days, he can cross the bridge from Maesot to Myawaddy (a border pass costs US$10) and come back receiving a fresh 90-day stay.

Yeah he lives in Maesot so I don't understand what his doing I'll probably help conveying your info with a Swedish buddy who understands English better than he does. 

Thanks for your help. ????

 

 

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, Denim said:

There is a thread about this here :

Thanks for your help.

From what I can make out after speaking with him seems it's turned out like he was going Laos every 3 months and using agent and the agent didn't tell him about multiple entry Non O we can guess why, it was the taxi driver that was trying to tell him. ????

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Thanks for your help.

From what I can make out after speaking with him seems it's turned out like he was going Laos every 3 months and using agent and the agent didn't tell him about multiple entry Non O we can guess why, it was the taxi driver that was trying to tell him. ????

Make sure he understands that Vientiane and Savannakhet are both in Laos, but the multiple entry Non O is only available at Savannakhet. If he has been using a visa run company, they might be going to Savannakhet now, but would almost certainly have been using Vientiane in the past (and may still be).

[Scott3000]

Hi!

 

Any news on the SETV situation in Savannakhet?

 

I seem to recall somebody posted last month that they were mobbed with 500 Filipinos and considering limiting the number of visas issued and/or implementing an appointment system.

 

Thanks!

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, Scott3000 said:

Any news on the SETV situation in Savannakhet?

I seem to recall somebody posted last month that they were mobbed with 500 Filipinos and considering limiting the number of visas issued and/or implementing an appointment system.

It seems there are only long lines on Mondays and Thursdays when the visa run company goes there.

No mention of them limiting the numbers or an appointment system.

Vientiane is OK if you have enough time to make an appointment 2 or 3 weeks in advance.

[Scott3000]

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It seems there are only long lines on Mondays and Thursdays when the visa run company goes there.

No mention of them limiting the numbers or an appointment system.

Vientiane is OK if you have enough time to make an appointment 2 or 3 weeks in advance.

This sounds better than expected, especially for Vientiane, as I am considering a visa run in mid-July.

 

Is there any additional documentation requirement than late last year? At that time, no bank statements were required in Vientiane, and Savannakhet required one recent statement showing more than 20,000 THB.

 

Thanks!

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, Scott3000 said:

Is there any additional documentation requirement than late last year?

No changes at Vientiane. Register here and look for appointment dates now. https://thaivisavientiane.com/#

Ignore any visa requirements on that since they are not correct.  

[Scott3000]

Thanks ubonjoe!

[junejet]

Hello, I flew in from HK three days ago. I was told by an immigration officer at Suvarnabhumi airport that he’ll not let me in next time if I don’t use Visa from my home country. I don’t have visa this time and I have 2 TV, 1 ED visa and several 30-day stamp on my passport. I understand that he has right to let me or not let me in to the country, but I don’t think it makes sense to use visa only from my home country. Hence, I want to know if I miss a new Thai immigration policy or something. I’ve never tried coming into Thailand by land, so I’m thinking to get a TV in Vientiane and take a bus to Nongkhai. 

Edited June 10, 2019 by junejet
Typo

[BritTim]

5 hours ago, junejet said:

Hello, I flew in from HK three days ago. I was told by an immigration officer at Suvarnabhumi airport that he’ll not let me in next time if I don’t use Visa from my home country. I don’t have visa this time and I have 2 TV, 1 ED visa and several 30-day stamp on my passport. I understand that he has right to let me or not let me in to the country, but I don’t think it makes sense to use visa only from my home country. Hence, I want to know if I miss a new Thai immigration policy or something. I’ve never tried coming into Thailand by land, so I’m thinking to get a TV in Vientiane and take a bus to Nongkhai. 

There is no publicly announced immigration policy change affecting people entering Thailand with tourist visas. However, at certain entry points, unofficial rules are being applied. Exactly what these amount to is not clear, and they may well differ between entry points (and even different immigration officials). The general thrust seems to be that some senior immigration officials feel that some with tourist visas are not "genuine tourists" and should not have been issued tourist visas. The most important factors appear to be total time in Thailand, and/or whether illegal working might be plausible.

 

To deal with your specific situation, if you can get a tourist visa in Vientiane and enter at Nong Khai, based on reports to date, there should be no problem at all.

[elviajero]

13 hours ago, junejet said:

I’ve never tried coming into Thailand by land, so I’m thinking to get a TV in Vientiane and take a bus to Nongkhai. 

At the moment that is probably your best option.

 

The airport IO’s are — as part of the ongoing clampdown — under orders to look out for long term tourists, review time spent in the country, and deny entry should the IO/supervisor deem it necessary.

 

You could try flying in again; on another day another IO might just waive you through with no questions asked.

[Scott3000]

17 hours ago, junejet said:

Hello, I flew in from HK three days ago. I was told by an immigration officer at Suvarnabhumi airport that he’ll not let me in next time if I don’t use Visa from my home country. I don’t have visa this time and I have 2 TV, 1 ED visa and several 30-day stamp on my passport. I understand that he has right to let me or not let me in to the country, but I don’t think it makes sense to use visa only from my home country. Hence, I want to know if I miss a new Thai immigration policy or something. I’ve never tried coming into Thailand by land, so I’m thinking to get a TV in Vientiane and take a bus to Nongkhai. 

I have been avoiding both Bangkok airports, BKK and DMK, for visa exempt entry since I was interrogated at DMK in 2016. The two times I have entered by air, one was with an SETV in October, 2016, the other visa exempt in October, 2017, were via CNX -- the second time at extra cost in both money and travel time to me. I keep up with postings on this thread, and others have posted to the same effect.

In your case, it's probably much less costly to enter by air visa exempt to a different airport than it would be for you to go to your home country. And I have gotten two SETV's in the past 9 months by the method you suggest: At Vientiane and entering by land at Nong Khai. Last September, I entered by Nong Khai by one of the airline buses; in December, I didn't even bother to take the bus across the border, rather just share a taxi after checking out of Lao immigration, then flying out of Udon Thani airport. The flow through Thai immigration at Nong Khai has been much more efficient by personal vehicle than by bus, but both were free of hassle or inconvenience.

 

But by all means, with a number of visa exempt entries and SETV's in my passport since late 2017, I certainly would not enter Thailand visa exempt by BKK or DMK, without living outside the country for at least a year.

 

Hope this helps!

Edited June 11, 2019 by Scott3000
to clarify my posting

[Jadam]

Is it still possible to convert TR visa and/or visa exemption to Non-B (teaching) at Chaengwattana?  In the past has been easier/cheaper to send people to Penang but that's getting to be more and more of a hassle these days.

If so, does anyone have a current list of required documents?

[ubonjoe]

31 minutes ago, Jadam said:

Is it still possible to convert TR visa and/or visa exemption to Non-B (teaching) at Chaengwattana?  In the past has been easier/cheaper to send people to Penang but that's getting to be more and more of a hassle these days.

If so, does anyone have a current list of required documents?

It can be done. General list of required documents is here. https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_73

In order to apply the applicant has to be living in Bangkok. All offices can accept the applications now.

If in Bangkok why not get them in Vientiane or Savannakhet instead of Penang.

[wozza]

Help UJ I have an OA visa issued on April 18 2018 with enter before April 17 2019 , I entered on July 19 2018 with permission to stay till July 18 2019 . I exited thailand at the osmach Chong chin and apon re entry they would only give me 30 days exempt , have I made a mistake with the dates or have they in denying me the 365 day extension I’m still here waiting a reply at the border from TV 

[BritTim]

45 minutes ago, wozza said:

Help UJ I have an OA visa issued on April 18 2018 with enter before April 17 2019 , I entered on July 19 2018 with permission to stay till July 18 2019 . I exited thailand at the osmach Chong chin and apon re entry they would only give me 30 days exempt , have I made a mistake with the dates or have they in denying me the 365 day extension I’m still here waiting a reply at the border from TV 

It appears you entered Thailand on June (not July) 19 and received a permission to stay until July 18. You were given a 30-day visa exempt entry which is correct unless you had a reentry permit to keep a previous permission to stay intact. Your expired O-A visa is irrelevant. Did you have a reentry permit and, if so, what was the expiry date of the reentry permit? If you had no reentry permit, there is no mistake.

Edited June 27, 2019 by BritTim

[Nong Khai Man]

40 minutes ago, wozza said:

Help UJ I have an OA visa issued on April 18 2018 with enter before April 17 2019 , I entered on July 19 2018 with permission to stay till July 18 2019 . I exited thailand at the osmach Chong chin and apon re entry they would only give me 30 days exempt , have I made a mistake with the dates or have they in denying me the 365 day extension I’m still here waiting a reply at the border from TV 

Did YOU have a Re-Entry Permit when you came back through Osmach Chong Chin ?? Wherever THAT Is ??....If You Didn't then that's PROBABLY Why you only got 30 Days Stamped in !!

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, wozza said:

Help UJ I have an OA visa issued on April 18 2018 with enter before April 17 2019 , I entered on July 19 2018 with permission to stay till July 18 2019 . I exited thailand at the osmach Chong chin and apon re entry they would only give me 30 days exempt , have I made a mistake with the dates or have they in denying me the 365 day extension I’m still here waiting a reply at the border from TV 

When did you exit and re-enter at the land crossing? If it was after April 17, 2019 and you did not have a Re-Entry permit it was correct to give you 30 days as your Visa has expired. 

Edited June 27, 2019 by jacko45k

[wozza]

1 hour ago, Nong Khai Man said:

Did YOU have a Re-Entry Permit when you came back through Osmach Chong Chin ?? Wherever THAT Is ??....If You Didn't then that's PROBABLY Why you only got 30 Days Stamped in !!

Yes my bad , no entry permit , I was reading the permission to stay stamp date and not the visa date , thanks , looks like a trip home or apply for an O marriage visa 

[Cheesus]

Hi. I applied for SETV in Vientiane and today went to collect my passport but I was told they won't give me visa because of long stay in Thailand. Last time I applied for visa in Vientiane was almost 2 years ago and i thought in worst case they would give visa with the warning. Anyway now I'm wondering if it's safe to cross through Nong Khai border by land without visa for 15 day exempt. Is immigration there restrictive as in BKK airport? Do I need 20k THB or flight outside of Thailand?