I have been coming to Nong Khai regularly for the last 2 years, but have not yet enjoyed the delights of attending the Thai Embassy in Laos to get a new visa.

I arrived back on 20th October on the second part of a double entry tourist visa. I wish to stay until 19th February and my return ticket to europe is dated as such.

I prefer to do it myself without the use of agents. Can any of you guys who have done this before, reccomend a schedule that will get me over and back with the least amount of time and hassle?
I will be driving up to the bridge so will need to park up somewhere close. I will also be taking my girlfriend so no problems with language.

I would also like to know of a reasonable hotel.

Thankyou!!

charlie, couple of questions first, as I am unsure exactly what you need.

Are you in Thailand, or Europe at the moment?
When you are in Thailand, where do you spend most of your time, The North East, or Bangkok way?

Hi Bob,
I am in Thailand now.Arrived back on 20th October. I spend most of my time up near you just outside Nong Khai, with the odd trip to Bangkok (visas for GF, meet friends etc)

I had to get a double entry visa last time due to having spent too much time here (the 90 days in 180 rule)

I am here for a longer period this time as I am looking to find somewhere to put down a base for my GF and I.

I dont have any work to go back to at the moment , so far more enjoyable to winter out here than in wet and windy Inverness!!

OK, thanks Charlie. (agree 100% about winter in Thailand against winter in UK ).

Arrive 20th. October should have got a 60 day tourist - so OK until about 19th. December??
If you are in Bangkok on that day then you should be able to get a 30 day extension to it, without having to show your air ticket. Worse case scenario is that they will only give you 7 day extension, but the last I heard they were still giving 30 extensions in BKK. A 30 day extension certainly (from personal experience) not be granted at Nong Khai immigration.
If you did get a 30 day extension in BKK then it is just a quick trip over the bridge & back (no Embassy required) to get a 30 day visa exemption stamp & that will take you to February no problem.
If you decide against the trip to BKK then you have a choice.
A quick trip over the bridge for a 30 day visa exemption & then another one when that expires - should JUST take you to your departure date. As you are on a double entry tourist (120 days)I cannot see that this would in any way come near the 90/180 day rule.
So I cannot see that you do actually need to go to the Thai Embassy in Laos this visit.

Sorry car parking is easy. Just before you reach the bridge, on the left hand side, you will see a row of shops. Do a "Uy" just before the bridge & come back to that row of shops, drive behind them & you will see 1 secure parking area directly in front of you, if you drove on past this one & behind the shops then you would see another to your left hand side. I have used both without any issues. I think it is 80 baht for overnight parking & 40 baht just for the day (but don't quote me on that ). You could actually "free park" somewhere here if you can find a space, but I have never thought it was worth the hassle of coming back to no wheels to save a few baht....

I am on a double entry tourist, but using the the 2nd entry on this trip. I got the visa in may and came here 23 may to 25th june. I then returned back to the UK after getting GF visas sorted for holiday. I have now returned with GF using my visa which will run out in 60 days.

As you have suggested, I could go down to BKK and get another 30 days extention, but that wont really help me. I really need to get another visa to allow me to stay until february 19th, and I am assuming that Laos is my best option?

Charlie you don't actually need to get another visa, you can just go to Laos every 30 days after your current visa expires (that might mean 3 trips, the last one only for a couple of days stay in Thailand) without hitting the 90/180 rule.
What date does your current visa expire on???

The last date for my visa woukd be the 15th december.

I assume from your last post that the time on my visa does not count toward the 90/180 rule? and that I would be starting again once I did a border crossing and re-entered Thailand on a 30 day tourist?

Well, yes & no Charlie.... Sorry

The time on your tourist visa counts towards the 180 days, not the 90 days.

As you went out of Thailand on July and your Tourist visa expires on 15th. December, when you actually go into Laos the first time you will have actually spent zero days on a visa exemption visa in the last 120 days.
A 30 day visa exemption will get you to 14th. Jan. On the 14th. Jan you will have spent 30 days on a visa exemption in the last 120. Another 30 day visa exemption should get you to 13th. February. At the end of that one you would have only spent 60 days on a visa exemption in the last 120 days & so are entitled to another 30 days visa exemption - take you to early March.
So you do actually need 3 trips over the bridge & back (even though you only need the last one for a few days) but you do not actually need to go to the Thai Embassy at all. Also, because you do not need the total 90 days this method would give you, you do not actually wait until the last day that your visa(s) expire on, if a few days earlier would be more convenient.
This does mean that you have to go to Laos 3 times, but not Vientiane or the Thai Embassy.
If you go to the Thai Embassy & get a new tourist visa you will still need to go (either to Nong Khai Immigration or Laos) another time when that 60 days are up.
If you want information on how to do that, then just shout & I will post again.

Thanks for the help Bob.