Everyone you got told, Wendy, is factually incorrect. There is no such rules.

@Josh *******

Nong Khai and Mukdahan are a piece of cake (with no proof of funds or wtv ever asked). I've crossed these border a lot in the last 12 years.

Exchanging THB for LAK on the Thai side is a rookie mistake. LAK is a dead currency outside of Laos. The rate in Laos is better than XE.

@Simon ***********

@Nongnuch *******

You are both right and wrong. The price depend of your passport origin.

Visa exempt, Tourist Visa, Volunteer Visa, Non-O (Marriage). But 80% of it was visa exempt or tourist visa. I'm currently on Single Entry Non-O but before that I did 2x visa exempt by land in 2023. Fear mongering is counter productive and mostly factually incorrect. What matter is not google or what a 65 years old angry old fart who haven't done a visa run in 20 years think. What matter is a mix of personal experience and report from people who did said visa or border run. You will notice in this group that the reports are always from BKK, Phuket and Poipet, never from anywhere else. The small anecdotal evidences from any other port of entry has been debunked everytime it's been presented (whether because of person was trying a 3rd land entry on visa exempt in a calendar year or didn't have 20k baht).

You guys were stopped in either BKK, Phuket, or Poi Pet. It's been the big 3 since 2017. No other airport nor border care about your entry history.

I've been living in Thailand for around 12 years and I'm only 37. Never been denied entry, and rarely been ask proof of fund or onward ticket. I simply avoid BKK and Phuket airport, and Poi Pet land entry. You can enter from anywhere else very easily.

@Andy *********

Refusal entry by land is not a thing except in Poi Pet. Not a single report of anyone refused elsewhere ever.

@Pablo *******

There is no long term visa for you unless you get married (which I did). You are too young for retirement and ed visa is less and less of an option. I did visa exempt and tourist visa for 8-9 years. I got married in 2022. So you can still do a mix of visa exempt and tourist visa and be okay but find a wife asap, since you are young you have no other long term solution. It's getting pricier every year to use agent for ed visa or business visa, and never know went they will crackdown again like they did with volunteer visa.

@Pip ***

Your friend did an air run, border run is by land.