All great advice and agree doing it locally sounds like a faff.

How long does it take at Savannakhet Lao to get the visa?

Is there an airport nearby that one would fly to?

Thanks so much for you reply.

- How long would it take to get the visa in Savannakhet Lao?

I have two small children and it's a lot to ask my wife to take care of them for any length of time on her own and travelling with them is also challenging. I have a long stint in Thailand (probably 1-month +) over Xmas and have kept 500k in my Thai bank account for years for exactly this purpose so this would be the opportune time to submit my passport for 15-days.

- In the 2-month period you mention before I can apply for the yearly extension does that mean I can't leave the country or do I have to apply for a reentry permit each time I plan to travel?

- Once I have the yearly extension, would this leave me with a single entry visa or a multiple entry?

- If single would I require a further step to convert it to multiple entry or is this not possible?

Thanks again. Really appreciate it.