Why should I fly to a city in Thailand close to the border to get a visa, and what are the advantages of stopping at the Thai Embassy?

@James *********

, seeing as this is your first visa run (meaning you don't have a passport full of back-2-back visa exempt and tourist visa stamps, you have an extremely LOW chance of being questioned when you fly back into thailand from Lao.

Still IF you're in the least worried about it just cross into thailand by land at the Nong Khai border then make your way to the Udon Thani airport. From there you're home free because you're flying domestic so you don't see passport control people

If you have a bit of time, I can only recommend flying into Vientiane and staying for a while. I have no patience for all that stressy stuff :)

Because the border crossing at Nong Khai is one of the easiest borders to enter Thailand with. Just because you get a tourist visa doesn't guarantee you entry into Thailand especially if you fly into Don Mueng from Vientiane with a new Tourist visa, they can still deny your entry.

Great post. Very helpful. I need to run to Vientiane on 2nd/3rd September from Chiang Mai. Based in Chiang Dao at that time so trying to figure out timing re flights and buses. I will need to get to Chiang Mai first by bus at 6am. Any advice much appreciated. Thanks

KL is a fabulously multicultural city. Hard to beat it for shopping and dining out experiences. It loses Bangkok in the value for money stakes and infrastructure.

I just returned from KL.. I looked online at what I needed for the 60 day..I had everything..got to kl Sunday ....went right through on Monday ..picked it up Tuesday...came back to Chiang Mai Wednesday...my philosophy is if I'm going to go somewhere that I have never been...see a few sites....😊

If your in Pattaya, flights to KL from U-Tapao are cheap. Fly out in the morning and fly back in the afternoon with Airasia around 3pm. Gives time to collect your passport and visa and make the afternoon flight. The flights are not everyday though so check your times.

Oh, there are NO meter taxis operating from U-Tapao. A taxi using Grab from KL airport to the Embassy is around 65 Ringgit.

Tip number 2. DO NOT bring anything back from Malaysia you are not supposed too. No extra cigarettes, drink etc. You cannot get out of U-Tapao after collecting your luggage without having your bags scanned, inc your hand luggage. I fly that route frequently and many people are fined and have there stuff confiscated. The fine for extra cigarettes is 20,000 baht a carton and you will lose them.

Tip 3. Be sure your hand luggage flying from KL only weighs 7kg or less flying Airasia. They weigh ALL hand luggage at the barrier in KLIA 2 terminal building before you go through immigration.

Remember there are THREE thai consulates in Malaysia you can use;

Kuala Lumpur, Penang & Kota Bharu

1. Because people are poor/cheap. Fly where you want to go.

2. If you go to a Thai embassy you can apply for a tourist visa. If you just fly out then back in you just get an entree stamp.

I can only add to answer of question 1: Most of the tourists who stay inside Thailand and want to stay longer by getting a new tourist visa, don't want to spent time abroad. It is already a hassle that they have to travel and loose their holiday time inside Thailand.

If you only wanted 30 days so you would not have to visit the embassy , just leave the country and re enter for a new 30 day stamp.

For the 60 day visa the embassy has to approve these, or for the 30 day extension (whilst in Thailand), and there is a fee for both of these but not the initial 30 days

1. It's usually a lot cheaper, obviously that's not an issue for some people plus on returning overland at Nong Kai it's a considered a fairly relaxed border crossing

2. Yes

IF you're going to use the thai consulate in Kuala Lumpur make sure you read and meet the requirements

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The difference in the cost of flights from Bangkok to Vientiane versus Bangkok to Udon Thani is apparent. AND for the most part the time points that the flights land and take off from the airport in Vientiane are not conducive to getting to the consulate after you land before they stop accepting applications OR getting your passport from the consulate the next afternoon and making it to the airport to catch a flight.