Question re getting a Thailand Visa
 

I'm trying to understand the requirement for a visa for Thailand. We will arrive by plane in Thailand and stay 8 days before departing for Cambodia. We will renter Thailand 1 week later via land and stay an additional 20 days. If you enter Thailand via land one is given a 15 day Visa.
As an example we arrive on the 2nd of a month, stay until the 9th. We return to Thailand via land on the 18 of the same month and depart on the 6th of the next month. We will be in Thailand a total of 28 days.

As I understand the Thai Embassy website when arriving via plane US citizens have 30 days to stay in Thailand without getting a Visa. My question is whether that is 30 days on the ground in Thailand (which we meet) or 30 days from arrival in Thailand (which we do not meet. Any one know what we need?

Here is your problem: You do get 30 days visa-free entry (it's not really a visa) in Thailand from your date of arrival by air, BUT if you leave the country, you have used up that entry. As you have noted, if you enter overland, you only get 15 days (again, not a visa, but a visa-free entry).

Options include flying back into Thailand which will get you another 30 days, moving your trip to Cambodia slightly later so you'll only have 15 days in Thailand after you return to Thailand overland. You may also extend your 15 day visa by applying for an extension at the Thai immigration bureau.

From the US embassy website in Bangkok: "Thai immigration officials will place an immigration stamp in the passport permitting a 30-day stay in Thailand if arriving by air or a 15-day stay if arriving by land. This time limit may subsequently be extended for an additional 7 days by paying a 1,900 baht fee to the Thai Immigration Bureau office. The headquarters of the Thai Immigration Bureau is located at Government Center Chaengwattana Building B, No. 120, Moo 3, Chaengwattana Road, Tungsonghong Sub-District, Laksi District, Bangkok 10210, 66-2-287-3101 through 66-2-287-3110."

Thanks! I was afraid of that. It would be less expensive just to get a tourist Visa before we leave -- its $35USD and we can take care of it in advance.

But, with the tourist visa, once you leave the country to go to Cambodia, that visa is "used up." So even if you get a tourist visa before you go, it doesn't take care of the problem. You could get a tourist visa while you are in Cambodia - that's another option.

I was thinking I would get the 30 day entry when we fly in and use the "tourist" visa when we enter overland from Laos. Don't know if that's doable or not. I live in DC, so I may just call/visit the embassy to sort this out.
Do u know if I could get a Thai tourist Visa in Laos also? Thanks for your thoughts.

You can get a Thai tourist visa in Laos, but depending on where you are, they may have to send it to another city and that usually takes a few days.

Do ask at the embassy, but I don't believe you can opt to get the visa-free entry when you fly in, then use a visa you already had when you return to the country overland.

We'll be in Luang Prabang. I emailed the embassy with a question, and I'll c wwhat they say via email.