alternate between Vientiane and Phnom Penh?

[bodo]

If I alternate between Vientiane and Phnom Penh to get a SETV : is there a limit to the amount of times I can do this, both for the embassies and for Thai immigration?

[visarunner]

if does not help you if you alternate.

Phnom Penh will not give more than 3 tourist visa in total.

Means they will count visa from other places too.

Vientiane will give a total of 3-5, including visa from other places.

[elviajero]

Both Embassies have individual unpublished limits, but Thai immigration do not.

[gilo]

if does not help you if you alternate.

Phnom Penh will not give more than 3 tourist visa in total.

Means they will count visa from other places too.

Vientiane will give a total of 3-5, including visa from other places.

Is this a typo error or a change in policy as I thought that Vientiane traditionally only counted the number of visas that they had previously awarded excluding those obtained from elsewhere. If they are counting those from other places that may be potentially problematic for those who have previously found Vientiane "tourist friendly".

[darrendsd]

if does not help you if you alternate.

Phnom Penh will not give more than 3 tourist visa in total.

Means they will count visa from other places too.

Vientiane will give a total of 3-5, including visa from other places.

Is this a typo error or a change in policy as I thought that Vientiane traditionally only counted the number of visas that they had previously awarded excluding those obtained from elsewhere. If they are counting those from other places that may be potentially problematic for those who have previously found Vientiane "tourist friendly".

They will give at least 3, they do not count SETV's from other Embassy's

There have been reports that Phnom Penh are counting visas issued at other Embassy's and will not issue you a visa if you have 3 or more, not sure if using a agent would help with this

[JackThompson]

if does not help you if you alternate.

Phnom Penh will not give more than 3 tourist visa in total.

Means they will count visa from other places too.

Vientiane will give a total of 3-5, including visa from other places.

Is this a typo error or a change in policy as I thought that Vientiane traditionally only counted the number of visas that they had previously awarded excluding those obtained from elsewhere. If they are counting those from other places that may be potentially problematic for those who have previously found Vientiane "tourist friendly".

They will give at least 3, they do not count SETV's from other Embassy's

There have been reports that Phnom Penh are counting visas issued at other Embassy's and will not issue you a visa if you have 3 or more, not sure if using a agent would help with this

Anyone would be well-advised to use an agent in PhnomPenh, IMO. I also was under the impression that PhnomPenh counted other consulate's visas, but this was countered (in another thread) by more recent reports indicating that they only count their own. Their policy has been quite variable, over the years, so be prepared for the unexpected.

Whether alternating between PhnomPenh (or other Thai consulates), and Lao consulates will increase the total number of Tourist Visas one can receive in Laos is an open question. I am currently alternating between as many different locations as possible.

[itsuptome]

if does not help you if you alternate.

Phnom Penh will not give more than 3 tourist visa in total.

Means they will count visa from other places too.

Vientiane will give a total of 3-5, including visa from other places.

Is this a typo error or a change in policy as I thought that Vientiane traditionally only counted the number of visas that they had previously awarded excluding those obtained from elsewhere. If they are counting those from other places that may be potentially problematic for those who have previously found Vientiane "tourist friendly".

They will give at least 3, they do not count SETV's from other Embassy's

There have been reports that Phnom Penh are counting visas issued at other Embassy's and will not issue you a visa if you have 3 or more, not sure if using a agent would help with this

The advice historically given on this forum was that Vientiane would issue up to three consecutive tourist visas, at which point one could go get a visa of any kind somewhere else to "break the chain," and then get another three from Vientiane. Has this changed?

My understanding was that this is also in true in Penang and Savannakhet although there have been some recent reports about Penang tightening up a bit. Other consulates in the region are stricter (or less predictable) to varying degrees.

[elviajero]

The advice historically given on this forum was that Vientiane would issue up to three consecutive tourist visas, at which point one could go get a visa of any kind somewhere else to "break the chain," and then get another three from Vientiane. Has this changed?

My understanding was that this is also in true in Penang and Savannakhet although there have been some recent reports about Penang tightening up a bit. Other consulates in the region are stricter (or less predictable) to varying degrees.

There is no published limit so no one can be sure. Vientiane would likely put a stamp in your passport, once you've hit the limit, warning that future applications might (almost certainly will) be denied. Whether "break the chain" still works is also unknown. IMO anyone that has a warning stamp is unlikely to get another visa even if 'breaking the chain'. Only a new passport would solve that problem.

[visarunner]

"break the chain" does not help in Vientiane.

Having seen many passport over the years I can say that:

Penang give three consecutive SETV and than put a red mark on that last visa or agent there ask extra to secure the very last visa.

If you go with such a passport to Vientiane you will, most likely, be given one final SETV and also receive the "red mark".

Some people were successful in securing another SETV from Savannakhet, but not from Phnom Penh.

My agent in Phnom Penh said max THREE, and sometime Embassy ask for proof of finance as well and call peopele for interview, even if apply via agent.

Going back to your home country, at least, in the old days, would give you another visa, if you go to a friendly consulate.

Since the implementation of METV I have seen very few METV from UK, but some from Germany, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, US, NL, Australia and recently a couple from South Africa.

In general there are less people now staying in Thailand on SETV.

[JackThompson]

"break the chain" does not help in Vientiane.

Having seen many passport over the years I can say that:

Penang give three consecutive SETV and than put a red mark on that last visa or agent there ask extra to secure the very last visa.

If you go with such a passport to Vientiane you will, most likely, be given one final SETV and also receive the "red mark".

Some people were successful in securing another SETV from Savannakhet, but not from Phnom Penh.

My agent in Phnom Penh said max THREE, and sometime Embassy ask for proof of finance as well and call peopele for interview, even if apply via agent.

...

I have not heard of anyone getting a red/blue stamp at Vientiene on their first TouristVisa from that location. I am not claiming it never happened - but certainly the first I have heard of it. That said, a red/blue stamp is an unwelcome addition to one's passport, so it would be wise to wait until the end of a passport's TouristViisa-useful-life before going for that 3rd one from the same consulate.

The last news from Phnom Penh was that they were not counting TouristVisas from other Consulates, though they had been reported to do so in the past. The 3-limit rule, as of the last report, was "3 from them."

New news from Penang indicates they are (beginning in the last month) starting to count "time in Thailand," with agents asking for extra fees to overlook it. I recently received a TouristVisa at Penang, with 9-mo of Thai-time in my passport, and without any extra fees. Looking back through the posts here, I see they started doing this once before, for a couple months in 2014, then returned to not doing so, until this latest policy-change.

In any case, the available options seem to amount to a bit over 2 years per passport, if starting at the least-friendly consulates (this varies), and working one's way to the most-friendly at the end. Follow the latest reports, but be ready for anything.