mlkik Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 I am here on an METV and soon will have to leave Thailand and re enter. I live in Udon and have a family member who will drive me to the bridge at Nong Khai. When I arrive at the bridge is there a bus or taxi service that I can use to cross the bridge and enter Laos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elviajero Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 Yes, you can get a buses at the border that will take you over the bridge and back again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlkik Posted September 8, 2016 Author Share Posted September 8, 2016 My Thai girlfriend will be going with me. She has a passport but seems to think she will have to fill out paperwork in Thailand before we cross the bridge into Laos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elviajero Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 2 minutes ago, mlkik said: My Thai girlfriend will be going with me. She has a passport but seems to think she will have to fill out paperwork in Thailand before we cross the bridge into Laos. Yes. She will have to complete a departure card, and then the arrival part when she returns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlkik Posted September 8, 2016 Author Share Posted September 8, 2016 Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritTim Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 9 hours ago, elviajero said: Yes. She will have to complete a departure card, and then the arrival part when she returns. That used to be true. However, I understand Thais no longer need to do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhunBENQ Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 (edited) Thais can use passport or ID card for a short visit in the border region. For ID card there is a different procedure. Forgot the details. If I remember correct the ID card method is also restricted to certain Thai provinces? Years ago I was in Vientiane with the family. My wife had a passport but still joined the rest using ID card. Quote but seems to think she will have to fill out paperwork in Thailand I assume this is what fellows have told her for using the ID card. Some form to fill and pay 100(?) Baht. 3 day pass? Edited September 9, 2016 by KhunBENQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manfredtillmann Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 it will be quicker and easier if your gf uses her thai id card. costs thb 60 or so to get back in again. remeber she has to line up at a different booth. if you have the desire to do so, try to re - enter immediately after exiting, without actually crossing the bridge and entering laos. just walk across 2 lanes and line back up again. ubon states it can't be done - so it's probably just so - but on the other hand i can't really see the difference. perhaps no one ever tried? anyway, if it fails nothing is lost and you just get on the bus and go to laos. let us know, please, it would save a lot of people a lot of time and money. cheers mft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Expattaff1308 Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 (edited) 6 minutes ago, manfredtillmann said: 6 minutes ago, manfredtillmann said: if you have the desire to do so, try to re - enter immediately after exiting, without actually crossing the bridge and entering laos. just walk across 2 lanes and line back up again. ubon states it can't be done - so it's probably just so - but on the other hand i can't really see the difference. perhaps no one ever tried? anyway, if it fails nothing is lost and you just get on the bus and go to laos. let us know, please, it would save a lot of people a lot of time and money. cheers mft Cannot be done, you have to Enter Laos (you dont need to go into the city just cross the border control) before turning around and returning to Thailand. Opportunity to visit the duty free shops before returning Edited September 9, 2016 by Expattaff1308 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thanyaburi Mac Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 BritTim My Thai wife used her Thai passport on our last trip via Nong Khai, Departure card filled out and kept on the Thai side, 22 August, on return the Arrival card all filled out, also kept by Thai Immigration, 27 August. Mac 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manfredtillmann Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 49 minutes ago, Expattaff1308 said: Cannot be done, you have to Enter Laos (you dont need to go into the city just cross the border control) before turning around and returning to Thailand. Opportunity to visit the duty free shops before returning do you KNOW that or think it is so. have you ever tried or do you know someone who has. given the infinite ways of rule interpretation in the kingdom, i feel, based on past experiences, that nothing is proven until success or failure. the bridges are unique immigration environments. you could - not that i could think of a reason why i would want to - get your exit stamp and walk back to your car and stay in the country. you could 'export' your car or bike on paper and after keep it in the country. there is a completely open, side by side situation of leaving and entering with little or no controls. two weeks ago, when i re - entered via bridge 2 at muk, anyone could have just driven through off the bridge into thailand. see my post: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/940291-driving-your-own-car-to-laos-–-nakhon-phanom-to-thakhek-and-back-from-savannakhet-to-mukdahan/ so i would just love to hear from someone who tried and failed - or not. cheers mft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordblackader Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 39 minutes ago, manfredtillmann said: do you KNOW that or think it is so. have you ever tried or do you know someone who has. given the infinite ways of rule interpretation in the kingdom, i feel, based on past experiences, that nothing is proven until success or failure. Aggressive much? You have to be stamped into another country to get a new entry on a visa if you are crossing a land border as otherwise you have not officially left Thailand even if you have an exit stamp in your passport. This has ALWAYS been the case and as for "thinking it so" my last two passports are literally full of stamps for that very purpose. But by all means noddy try breaking the laws and see how it goes for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manfredtillmann Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 so, in other words, you don't know because you have not ever tried. and you are not providing evidence for your assertions, as in 'breaking the law..., or ...you have to...'. and you call me 'aggressive' and a 'noddy'... for what? do i rub you up so much for just posting a question that you can not really answer that you have to resort to this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thanyaburi Mac Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 Guys Please keep things civil or will shut down this thread. BTW, it is possible to do the stamp out of Thailand then cross over and stamp back in, I did it back in 1998 or '96. But, things were not checked so well back then and it's highly NOT recommended to do so these days. Thankfully, that's long gone in an expired passport. Mac 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritTim Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 3 hours ago, manfredtillmann said: it will be quicker and easier if your gf uses her thai id card. costs thb 60 or so to get back in again. remeber she has to line up at a different booth. if you have the desire to do so, try to re - enter immediately after exiting, without actually crossing the bridge and entering laos. just walk across 2 lanes and line back up again. ubon states it can't be done - so it's probably just so - but on the other hand i can't really see the difference. perhaps no one ever tried? anyway, if it fails nothing is lost and you just get on the bus and go to laos. let us know, please, it would save a lot of people a lot of time and money. cheers mft Using the Thai passport is actually quicker, as there is no need to apply for the border pass. You will be prevented from re-entering on a foreign passport if you do not enter Laos first. The only exception would be if you were refused entry into Laos. Then, the Thai side would cancel your exit stamp, but that would not be too productive, would it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritTim Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 2 hours ago, manfredtillmann said: do you KNOW that or think it is so. have you ever tried or do you know someone who has. given the infinite ways of rule interpretation in the kingdom, i feel, based on past experiences, that nothing is proven until success or failure. the bridges are unique immigration environments. you could - not that i could think of a reason why i would want to - get your exit stamp and walk back to your car and stay in the country. you could 'export' your car or bike on paper and after keep it in the country. there is a completely open, side by side situation of leaving and entering with little or no controls. two weeks ago, when i re - entered via bridge 2 at muk, anyone could have just driven through off the bridge into thailand. see my post: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/940291-driving-your-own-car-to-laos-–-nakhon-phanom-to-thakhek-and-back-from-savannakhet-to-mukdahan/ so i would just love to hear from someone who tried and failed - or not. cheers mft You are quite correct that people could (and sometimes do) cross the bridge and enter Thailand without contact with immigration. At that point, they are in the country illegally. There are some sad stories about what happens to people who cannot prove they did this inadvertently. If you try to get an entry stamp at a land border, and do not have an exit stamp from the other country's immigration, you will be told to go back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manfredtillmann Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 3 minutes ago, BritTim said: You are quite correct that people could (and sometimes do) cross the bridge and enter Thailand without contact with immigration. At that point, they are in the country illegally. There are some sad stories about what happens to people who cannot prove they did this inadvertently. If you try to get an entry stamp at a land border, and do not have an exit stamp from the other country's immigration, you will be told to go back. do you know or do you think? apart, there are no in / out stamps for id card crossers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manfredtillmann Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 11 minutes ago, BritTim said: Using the Thai passport is actually quicker, as there is no need to apply for the border pass. You will be prevented from re-entering on a foreign passport if you do not enter Laos first. The only exception would be if you were refused entry into Laos. Then, the Thai side would cancel your exit stamp, but that would not be too productive, would it? using thai id prevents you from having to do the arrival / departure card, which's procurement can set you back a long time unless you are a pushy farang ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritTim Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 6 minutes ago, manfredtillmann said: do you know or do you think? apart, there are no in / out stamps for id card crossers... People who are Thai citizens have no problem with being illegally in Thailand. Everyone with a Thai ID card has an automatic right to be in Thailand. Thus, what happens with ID card holders is irrelevant to the issue of what is required of holders of foreign passports. I know you are required to enter the other country when using a land border. (It is a grey area whether you can avoid doing so when making an in/out by air.) I have more than once seen people sent back at Poi Pet, and not even the fixers at the border can get you valid Thai entry stamps without entry/exit stamps from the other country. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manfredtillmann Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 3 minutes ago, BritTim said: People who are Thai citizens have no problem with being illegally in Thailand. Everyone with a Thai ID card has an automatic right to be in Thailand. Thus, what happens with ID card holders is irrelevant to the issue of what is required of holders of foreign passports. I know you are required to enter the other country when using a land border. (It is a grey area whether you can avoid doing so when making an in/out by air.) I have more than once seen people sent back at Poi Pet, and not even the fixers at the border can get you valid Thai entry stamps without entry/exit stamps from the other country. "People who are Thai citizens have no problem with being illegally in Thailand" - thank Buddha for that one!!! do you remember what this post is about? and you Know... how, please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thanyaburi Mac Posted September 9, 2016 Share Posted September 9, 2016 OK, the mlkik's opening post Qs have been answered, shutting this thread down now. Mac 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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