That time again

Yorky said:
Do you obtain your multi-entry from Laos?

I have had them from Singapore and Manila in the past - long distant past.

Also had one from Brisbane but that's a different story.
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Yes, Savanakhet. Used to get them in Boston from the Consulate every year.
 
gotlost said:
Thai immigration will try to scam you on this side.
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How? I get my 1 year visa at the Thai Consulate in Savanakhet Laos. Marriage based 1 year multiple entry Imm O. 5K baht. Every 90 days in and out of Cambo re-entering Thailand, less than an hour's drive from my place to the border... no charge or fees applied coming into Thailand. Multiple entry makes it easy to avoid the Imm offices for just about anything. Plus I have a couple Imm officers we are friendly with. Higher ups. No brag, just a fact. No issues at all really even during the whole Covid border crossing closings. Happy to be back to being able to cross borders again. And I can go back and forth to Cambo, Laos, Malaysia, etc as many times within the year as I want and never have to go get 'permission' to leave and come back valid at any Imm office. My feeling is the less contact you can have dealing with the Imm offices the better it is for you. :)
Once a year I take the family to Laos for a 3 day mini holiday. It is sanuk for us and I get an easy, inexpensive visa renewal each time. Plus a break from Thailand and cheap large bottles of Beer Lao. I like Laos, nicest commies in the world. LOL
 
When the Thai government stopped us being able to do marriage based one year visas through the US Thai consulates (I used the Boston one many times) I heard about the Savanakhet option through friends who had used this option. Came into Thailand that trip on a tourist visa, decided to give this a try. My wife and I grabbed a bus up to Mukdahan, grabbed a nice hotel there (there are plenty of cheap dodgy places you can stay if wanted) and did the bus ride to the Laos border, did the crossing, went to the Consulate with our paperwork and 5K baht cash that morning, got a hotel for the night and went back next day and got my new 1 year marriage based multiple entry O visa and crossed back into Thailand that same day. Since then we drive up to Mukdahan each year and stay a few days. Savanakhet is cool, some nice restaurants, decent hotels, and good pubs around, coffee shops with pastries, great French breads, cheap big beer Lao, etc. Thai consulates can do what they want for issuing visas. They are not under the control of the Immigration offices rules and regulations. I don't know why more of the married to Thai retired farangs don't do the same.
 
Cent said:
When the Thai government stopped us being able to do marriage based one year visas through the US Thai consulates (I used the Boston one many times) I heard about the Savanakhet option through friends who had used this option. Came into Thailand that trip on a tourist visa, decided to give this a try. My wife and I grabbed a bus up to Mukdahan, grabbed a nice hotel there (there are plenty of cheap dodgy places you can stay if wanted) and did the bus ride to the Laos border, did the crossing, went to the Consulate with our paperwork and 5K baht cash that morning, got a hotel for the night and went back next day and got my new 1 year marriage based multiple entry O visa and crossed back into Thailand that same day. Since then we drive up to Mukdahan each year and stay a few days. Savanakhet is cool, some nice restaurants, decent hotels, and good pubs around, coffee shops with pastries, great French breads, cheap big beer Lao, etc. Thai consulates can do what they want for issuing visas. They are not under the control of the Immigration offices rules and regulations. I don't know why more of the married to Thai retired farangs don't do the same.
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And best of all if one is healthy enough to travel across a border multiple times annually and legally married in Thailand - is initially you do not have to show any monies seasoned in a bank !

Does that remain correct @Cent ?

If so it almost makes sense to get married.
The Laos Consulate deal remains one of the best steals in the house.

But Cent, does the Consulate allow you to do an extension based on that visa annually ??
 
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Cent said:
How? I get my 1 year visa at the Thai Consulate in Savanakhet Laos. Marriage based 1 year multiple entry Imm O. 5K baht. Every 90 days in and out of Cambo re-entering Thailand, less than an hour's drive from my place to the border... no charge or fees applied coming into Thailand. Multiple entry makes it easy to avoid the Imm offices for just about anything. Plus I have a couple Imm officers we are friendly with. Higher ups. No brag, just a fact. No issues at all really even during the whole Covid border crossing closings. Happy to be back to being able to cross borders again. And I can go back and forth to Cambo, Laos, Malaysia, etc as many times within the year as I want and never have to go get 'permission' to leave and come back valid at any Imm office. My feeling is the less contact you can have dealing with the Imm offices the better it is for you. :)
Once a year I take the family to Laos for a 3 day mini holiday. It is sanuk for us and I get an easy, inexpensive visa renewal each time. Plus a break from Thailand and cheap large bottles of Beer Lao. I like Laos, nicest commies in the world. LOL
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When you use are local crossing they still are known for scaming U out off 1000 baht.
 
Cent said:
When the Thai government stopped us being able to do marriage based one year visas through the US Thai consulates (I used the Boston one many times) I heard about the Savanakhet option through friends who had used this option. Came into Thailand that trip on a tourist visa, decided to give this a try. My wife and I grabbed a bus up to Mukdahan, grabbed a nice hotel there (there are plenty of cheap dodgy places you can stay if wanted) and did the bus ride to the Laos border, did the crossing, went to the Consulate with our paperwork and 5K baht cash that morning, got a hotel for the night and went back next day and got my new 1 year marriage based multiple entry O visa and crossed back into Thailand that same day. Since then we drive up to Mukdahan each year and stay a few days. Savanakhet is cool, some nice restaurants, decent hotels, and good pubs around, coffee shops with pastries, great French breads, cheap big beer Lao, etc. Thai consulates can do what they want for issuing visas. They are not under the control of the Immigration offices rules and regulations. I don't know why more of the married to Thai retired farangs don't do the same.
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You ARE married to a Thai. You are retired with time on your hands to do the jump over to Savanakhet. Cheap to do really if you just take a bus up. 2 days away from your local pub with nice pubs over there. :) Plus why use a retirement visa, which calls for you to prove you have 800K baht rather than 400K baht? The only reason I can see is the 90 day in and out of country part of it. That costing around 2K baht each time. Being close to a border crossing makes it pretty painless 4 times a year. I make it a day out and enjoy the process, meet people every time I am there, stop to eat and see others on the way back, and have a bit of fun with the process. A lot to it is the way you approach it. Feeling it is all a pain in the ass and being negative about it is not the way to go in my opinion. LOL
 
Coffee said:
And best of all if one is healthy enough to travel across a border multiple times annually and legally married in Thailand - is you do not have to show any monies seasoned in a bank !

Does that remain correct @Cent ?

If so it almost makes sense to get married.
The Laos Consulate deal remains one of the best steals in the house.

But Cent, does the Consulate allow you to do an extension based on that visa annually ??
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Correct Mr. Coffee. No income verification needed. And if you cross the border before your visa expires you can get another 90 days. So 15 months as opposed to 12.

So how do the unhealthy do it? Use a visa agent? For either retirement or marriage visa you need to present yourself to Immi or use a visa agent at a premium cost to yourself? How does that work?
 
gotlost said:
When you use are local crossing they still are known for scaming U out off 1000 baht.
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Never happened to me. Land border crossing up Kap Chong/Chong Chum way is easy enough and costs nothing for the re-entry (or upon exiting Thailand) in my experience over the years. Maybe I don't look like a newbie or sucker? Never happened to date. And I do it alone without my wife to translate or stand up for me to the Immi agent.
 
Cent said:
You ARE married to a Thai. You are retired with time on your hands to do the jump over to Savanakhet. Cheap to do really if you just take a bus up. 2 days away from your local pub with nice pubs over there. :) Plus why use a retirement visa, which calls for you to prove you have 800K baht rather than 400K baht? The only reason I can see is the 90 day in and out of country part of it. That costing around 2K baht each time. Being close to a border crossing makes it pretty painless 4 times a year. I make it a day out and enjoy the process, meet people every time I am there, stop to eat and see others on the way back, and have a bit of fun with the process. A lot to it is the way you approach it. Feeling it is all a pain in the ass and being negative about it is not the way to go in my opinion. LOL
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Stright out. Have you been scamed at Chong Chome Crossing on either side or at Sisaket?
 
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