hi all, so few things , first im going to laos on 25th as thats when my visa expires is it ok to arrive on the 25th or do i need to go a day before? secondly how many times can you do this visa trip? ive heard some guys say maximum of three while other say five. what are my options after this, ie what countries can i go hassle free to get a tourist visa for thailand. thanks in advance

If the 25th is the admitted until date shown on your entry stamp or the 30 day extension you can get you can leave on that date. Your visas expiration date means nothing now.

Three is a baseline number often mentioned for getting visas back to back at Vientiane.

You could get another tourist visa in Penang.

Go the day before to be on the safe side. It appears that you can get at least 5 back  back to back two month tourist visas [can be extended for a month at immigration, so 3 months]. At Vientiene anyway.  When your passport fills up with all those stickers, which won't take long, renew your passport and you start afresh with no visa record. A clean slate as it were. It's a pity that they scrapped the double entry, six month tourist visa, but the embassy is making much more money now, so they should be all smiles......................shouldn't they?

cheers jeremy thanks for the advice, nice to know there are some helpful people out there unlike some i can mention on this site.

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I take it you mean your Thai visa will exoire on 25 September, which will be okay as you should have until midnight on the 25th to leave Thailand.

You may be questioned in the Thai consulate/embessy in Laos as to what you are doing in Thailand because this is your 3rd visa in a short period.

But you should have no problem as there is no official "miaximum" on tourist visas to Thailand.

Your re-entry to Thailand, which should be by air if you have a choice may raise a flag on the immigration computers due to the short peiod in which you have 3 visas in a row.

However, you will probably be allowed to enter Thailand, but they may ask you why you have those 3 visas in a row.

It wouldbe wise to show you are able to you have the funds to live in Thailand and you are NOT WORKING in Thailand.

But  I doubt you will be stopped from entering.

If you intend to get another tourist visa in the near future, however, i recommend you do it from  some Thai onsulate other than in Laos.

Penang Malaysia might be a good choice to consider.

 

Edited October 15, 20169 yr by IMA_FARANG
correct typos

cheers this visa im on now is a 30 day extension so will expire 25th october. you think would be better to fly to penang then this time then do laos next time? last two times went to laos i went by train, no questions asked was hassle free

3 minutes ago, stevymac said:

cheers this visa im on now is a 30 day extension so will expire 25th october. you think would be better to fly to penang then this time then do laos next time? last two times went to laos i went by train, no questions asked was hassle free

 

If you have an extension of stay then by definition, you do not have a valid visa.

You could go to penang if fancy a change, laos should be no bother for a 3rd and unlikely any bother at land border but be prepared with funds and some itinerary docs to support some tourist like plans . If planning do more tourists it best use the fussy consulates first, so could even get one in cambodia now via agent if wanted, penang is reasonably easy on tourists but passport full of them back to back may present more questions & potential for refusal .

cheers buckbee, might head to penang then, do i need an agent or can i go to the consulate myself and do it directly or is it too much hassle. anyone had any experiences of this in penang?

Most people go for agent as not much more expensive when add on you possible commute cost to consulate .

Couple of recent posts on penang if search a bit, it easy enough do yourself if want though .

24 minutes ago, stevymac said:

cheers buckbee, might head to penang then, do i need an agent or can i go to the consulate myself and do it directly or is it too much hassle. anyone had any experiences of this in penang?

 

Yup, I got an SETV in Penang few weeks ago.  My 5th back to back (a mix of laos and cambodia)

I used an agent, as buckbee just said, when you factor in travelling to the embassy, its easier just to use one of the agents along chulia street.  I stayed in a hotel on the same street; Chulia mansion.  Jim's place was the agent recommended on here, and I had no issues, no outward flight tickets, proof of money required.  I dropped off my passport on arrival in the evening, collect 2 days later after 1430 - the airasia flights fit to the schedule no probs.  Agent fee around 350baht

 

Its worth using uber there, fixed rate airport taxi to hotel 45myr, uber cost 18.

 

absolutely splendid advice! cheers chaps!