@John *****

How so? The King signed the tax exemption on the LTR.

@Anna ****

I like your thinking. I am just not sure a transit visa can be applied to transiting from and to the same country again. Usually I would think it is meant to be transiting through: in from one country out to another country. But keep us posted on your findings.

Also, not sure if a Laos Transit Visa can be applied for online - of if that would require a cumbersome visit at a consulate.

I am not sure Laos would issue a Transit Visa if returning to the same country you came in from. It defines on their official website: "Transit visa (TR-B3) - issued to: Foreigners and stateless people whose travel is to transit to other countries"

I am not sure the ansers so far really cover your case / your idea. Form what I understand you want to do a border bounce into Laos to spend more time in Thailand after your return, right? And you don't like having to pay 2000 baht for a 30 day Lao visa on arrival for just a 5 minute stay in Laos. I get that. I don't like that, too. So your idea is to get a Lao transit visa beforehand instead - which you claim is cheaper or free? I like the idea. But I don't know if it works. Maybe someone else does.

If you go down this road, make sure to have "preferential shares" considered. This way, while not having majority shares (which cannot happen in Thailand with a normal comapny as a foreigner), you will preserve majority votes for yourself. Still, it remains risky. Because should authorities / courts deem that your whole construct is only to circumvent / achieve owning land - then they are within their legal rights to take action. Not sure how much enforcement happens - but rumors have it more and more.

If your pension (+ passive income) is high enough, get the LTR visa in the pensioner category - comes weith a guaranteed tax exemption for foreign income.

@Henrik *************

Sure. But it might have been “used” at that entry. Exactly my point. It might have been used - and likely so when it was handed over to the IO. Then the IO probably just used the stamp for visa exemption (30 days) instead of the 60 day stamp by mistake.

@Henrik *************

Bad advice. Just because merely 30 days were stamped in the passport does not mean the e-visa wasn’t invalidated in the system at the time of that entry.

@Nongnuch *******

Agreed. The details aren’t clear, yet. I doubt it will end up being 180 days per entry. Then again, the Elite getting obsolete would be a good thing. Ridiculous to ask people to pay that much (Elite) for the privilege to spend money in the country. In parts they made the Elite obsolete with the LTR already - which in many ways is the better deal already.