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Is it safe to re-enter Thailand via Laos after extending my visa exemption?

visa extension visa exemption re-entry Thailand immigration Nong Khai border Indian passport tourist visa

Feb 8, 2024

9 months ago

ORIGINAL POSTER

I am currently on visa extension(after 30 days of visa exemption, for a total of 60 days). I plan to stay in Thailand for 15 more days after my visa ends. 

Would it be a good idea to go to Laos for a night or two and then re enter Thailand via the Nong Khai border using visa exemption or is it too risky? 

Last year I had spent a total of around 135 days in Thailand if that matters(Indian passport). 

TIA.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The user is currently on a visa extension in Thailand and wishes to know if they can re-enter Thailand through the Nong Khai border after a short trip to Laos. Many comments suggest it should be fine, with some mentioning the possibility of applying for a tourist visa from the embassy, which might offer a more secure option than relying on visa exemption due to the user's travel history. The user has previously spent a total of 135 days in Thailand and intends to stay for another 15 days, expressing that they do not plan to return to Thailand for the next 6-8 months.

Bart **************

When were the 135 days? Was that all in the second half?

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Chom ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Bart *************

march - april : 1 month.

June - 15 days

July - 15 days

Sept - 2 months

Dec - 14 days + ongoing.

Today I exited Thailand and the nong khai immigration lady asked me to use flight if I want to enter Thailand again instead of land border(i have never entered Thailand using land border before). Have applied today for the 60 day visa at the embassy in Vientiane. Perhaps that would work at the load border rather than visa exempt?

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Bart **************

I think it's correct that you receive a warning that exempting isn't lasting forever, but the lady totally lost it when she said flying would solve it. The correct advice would have been to apply for the proper visa, matching your purpose of stay.

You probably get the visa, but your odds with exemption would have been slightly better I'm afraid. You're now asking for 60 days with tourism purpose. That history doesn't seem excessive yet, but asking for just 30 days, which is shorter, wouldn't yet get you to the edge, whereas the 60 days might.

You buy nothing for those odds though. Either you get it or you don't. If you get it, 60 days is more than 30, and as it may very well be your last tourism-purposed entry for the time being, you'd be greatly helped with having those 30 extra days. Another advantage of the visa which doesn't really apply to Vientiane but more like in general is that you don't spend significant $ on transport before getting to know whether you are allowed to enter. Applying for the visa 'moves' the check on your travel history from the border to the embassy. The border is normally not supposed to refuse you if you passed that check (they could in theory but they're not supposed to do that). In Vientiane getting to the border is just as easy as going to the embassy so there's no big advantage, but coming from let's say Mumbai, you'd prefer the visa over flying and have immigrations at Suv do the check.

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Chom ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Bart *************

also I intend to stay only for another 15 days.

From what I understand is that immigration also cares more about the number of days stayed in Thailand rather than how many days the visa actually allows you to stay.

I don’t intend to come back to Thailand in the next 6-8 months so I guess but rather explore the nearby countries more like Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

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Bart **************

then you should be totally fine 👍

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Chom ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Bart *************

before December, all the 15 days entry were on visa on arrival, not exempt.

Actually, I had read that most times when the IO warns/denies visa exempt entry, they usually either ask to get a tourist visa from the embassy or to get another proper visa.

So it seems that a visa from the embassy is better than visa exemption in general. Probably the IO might also be a bit more lenient because they know that someone already checked the documents and travel history and gave the traveller a green signal. But if that would be true in my case or not i am not sure.

I got the visa this time because of the lady’s warning. It just seemed having a visa from the embassy would reduce the reasons the land border could give me for rejectin.

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Chom ******

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Steve *******

You should be fine and no need to stay the night, it won't make any difference

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Chom ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

i read on reddit that the IO told someone to not just turn around and come back again but rather alteast spend a night outside the country.

Also, my passport was recently made eligible for visa exempt which makes me more skeptical.

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Maxim ***********

There is no such thing as spending the night to increase your odds. I live 45 min from Nong Khai border, you can leave and come back 15 min later no problem.

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Steve *******

The only border crossing that I know of that requires you to stay 1 night is the Poipet crossing in Cambodia and that's only if you don't use an agency. Crossing at any Thai/Laos border doesn't require an overnight stay.

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Steve *******

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Michael ********

If you got time look for cheap flights can get some good deals. Depends where you are in Thailand. It can be cheaper as no visa fee for malaysia or Singapore or certain countries in vietnam

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Chom ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

I read that airports are more strict than land borders.

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Chom ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Immigration doesn’t really like border/visa runs and can deny you entry.

I am trying to minimise the chances of that happening.

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Michael ********

why what are you doing wrong to be worried

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Nigel **************

yes that seems to be true these days

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Nigel **************

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Brandon ************

Using that specific border, you shouldn't have any issues at all with your plan.

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Chom ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Brandon ***********

So 135 days in the last year doesn’t raise red flags, right?

I am mostly worried that they might see the extension and then ask why I came back within 1 day when I already stayed for 60 days(45 this year).

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Brandon ************

at that specific land border, you never really have to worry about anything as long as you haven't done your 2 visa exempt entries this year.

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Brandon ************

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