Twice a year

If the law says "money in cash" it doesn't mean "cash, well, or any other thing you want".

It's only cash. Period.

When everyone says "cash only" it means cash only, not "cash only, well, or a bank statement or something".

Cash. Only cash. Period.

If you didn't buy a Visa BEFORE arriving, you have NOT a visa - you have a visa exempt.

If that is the case, when you go out of Thailand the visa exempt is over. You can come back in another visa exempt (max. 2 visa exempt per year if using land borders, no limit if using airport). Visa exempts are for free.

If that is not the case, and you DID buy a Visa BEFORE coming to Thailand, then you can get a re-entry permit in the airport before going through inmigration (1000฿ if I'm right), or you can just leave the country and come back in a (free) visa exempt.

Visa = you have a BIG sticker with the Visa, AND a stamp with the date you enter and the date of permited stay. It should be 2 months.

Visa exempt = you ONLY have the stamp with the dates, and it's ONE month.

Anyway, remember to have the three proofs when you re-enter: onward flight, acommodation and 20K฿ IN CASH.

Last time I went to update I asked the same question to the officer. He said "every time you stay out of CM province".

5K is roughly the cost of doing by yourself, but going by plane... And it's so easy that I cannot imagine what is the agency doing...

In addition, in the Vientiane Consulate is strictly forbidden to use agents, you should queue and apply by yourself...

The METV allows you to enter multiple times until the date of validity. Each enter is good for 60 days. You can extend an enter by 30 days.

So, if you leave the country and enter again the last day of validity, they will stamp for 60 days, plus 30 days extension. As the validity is six months, 6 months + 60 days + 30 days = 9 months.

Maybe it's worth to say that you don't need US$, but if pay with THB the price is higher. And, they only accept crispy new notes, reject notes with tear, writes...

For the Thai consulate, it's mandatory to pay baht - it's easy to get baht in any exchange in Vientiane.

The hotels do the TM30, NOT THE TM28

I have updated twice my TM30. The same TM30, updated with the new date - and they update the TM6 number in the system if you came from abroad.