Bobhelm, you are forgetting the 2 entries...
A tourist visa with 2 entries can be good for almost 6 months. This is how it works:
1) You enter Thailand and normally get 60 days.
2) You go to an immigration office to extend another 30 days. That's 90.
NOW, you must VERIFY WHEN YOU VISA IS ENDING. It's normally 90 days...
3) So, just before the end of 90 days, you go OUT again of the country, laos, cambodia, and don't have to go at the consulate or embassy. You come back and get ANOTHER 60 days. Just by crossing a border. Because your 2 entries are not completed and your visa is still valid.
4) Then, you extend again another 30 days at the immgration office INSIDE Thailand.
So, 60+30+60+30. Be sure to renew your 60 days by going OUT and IN for your second entry BEFORE your visa expired.
A 2 entry tourist visa is possible in Vientiane. When you apply, just write "Tourist Visa X 2." You will pay 2000 baht I think. This is not possible everywhere but popular in Vientiane now.
Have a look at one here:
http://www.isaanlawyers.com/images/tour ... ntiane.jpg
Look at the 2 entries in red on the left. First entry on 23 June. Visa was done on 13 June 2008. It's good for 90 days (until the 12th September). Look that it's written 2 entries on the visa...So, after the extension of 13 days, this foreigner has to go OUT and IN before the 12th September to get another 60 days. I deleted personal information and passport number for confidentiality.
From Canada, you can often get a non-B or non-O with 2 entries, but rarely or not a one year multiple entries. In that case, it's 90 days at your arrival, out of the country, come back inside, get another 90 days. = 180 days.
Sebastian.