Vientiane Still Good For Tv?

[bobbobbit]

I need to get a TV at the end of this month. I live in Chiang Rai. Does anyone know the latest with regard to the availability of tourist visas at Vientiane, and if possible any useful information on how to get there from CR. Also any hints on cheap accom/what to do in Vientiane. Thanks in anticipation

[lopburi3]

Vientiane at last reports was a good place to obtain a single entry tourist visa and believe there may be direct bus service to Udorn from Chiang Mai from other reports but you can probably find out more using the Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai forums.

[PREM-R]

I posted this about a recent visit to Vientiane, it may be of use to you

Visa in Vientiane

I stayed at this hotel, for 600 baht per night Seng Lao Hotel (email senglaohotel at yahoo.com), but there are many hotels and guesthouses available in all price ranges.

Edited February 15, 2007 by PREM-R

[bobbobbit]

I posted this about a recent visit to Vientiane, it may be of use to you

Visa in Vientiane

I stayed at this hotel, for 600 baht per night Seng Lao Hotel (email senglaohotel at yahoo.com), but there are many hotels and guesthouses available in all price ranges.

Thanks to both the above members for the advice

[thaiman]

the last visa i obtained from lao came with a red stamp saying that i could poosibly be rejected if i return for another one. I'm not sure what this means. maybe someone can elaborate here.

[JR Texas]

I posted this about a recent visit to Vientiane, it may be of use to you

Visa in Vientiane

I stayed at this hotel, for 600 baht per night Seng Lao Hotel (email senglaohotel at yahoo.com), but there are many hotels and guesthouses available in all price ranges.

Thanks to both the above members for the advice

JR Texas to Bobobbit: I was there recently, but came from the south. You pay US$35 or about 1500 baht for a visa on arrival when entering Laos. Then the taxi is 300 baht to the Thai Embassy (consulate or whatever it is).

There are a couple of guys outside the embassy who will fill in the forms for you for 100 baht but will ask for 5000 baht to do it all for you (let them fill in the forms for 100 baht and then take it inside yourself).

One person said this was illegal, but it is obvious that Thai Immigration is perfectly aware of it and I had a long talk with the guys (later).

You enter the gate and turn left and give your items to an officer (this takes place outside). He tells you to go inside and wait. You wait. Later they call you to the counter and tell you how much money to pay (in my case more than U because I was getting a non-. You get a receipt and must come back the next day at 1:00 pm (1300) to pick it up.

Back to my discussion with the two guys working outside. You did not mention wanting a double entry TV, but they told me that it is not possible to get a double entry tourist visa in Asia.....the new rule, according to them. Certainly you can't get it in Laos. It was clear to me that they had connections with the guys inside (i.e., immigration officials). I hope this is not true as it will really hurt a lot of people.

Hotels: Bouchadakham Hotel for 550 baht (really low end but it did have some hot water and CNN and AC and nice people). I was told that the Mina Hotel is better (700 baht).

Food: Go to the river and walk past the Presidential Palace and you will find a Vietnamese restaurant facing the Mekong.........they make really good sandwiches using French bread....if only Thailand would wise up to this and make us some good sandwiches.

Not much to do but eat and see some old temples........

[waveydavey]

I need to get a TV at the end of this month. I live in Chiang Rai. Does anyone know the latest with regard to the availability of tourist visas at Vientiane, and if possible any useful information on how to get there from CR. Also any hints on cheap accom/what to do in Vientiane. Thanks in anticipation

I got a single entry TV in Vientiane last week with no problems at all. I previously had a triple-entry TV followed by one VOA in my passport.

Getting there is a pain from Chiang Rai however. I decided to have a bit of a holiday and crossed into Laos via Chiang Khong, 2 hours by bus from Chiang Rai then had a pleasant 2 day cruise down the Mekong to Luang Prabang which is a nice place to spend a couple of days. I then caught the bus to Vientiane (7 hours approx, cost next to nothing). You can break the journey and stop in Vang Viang, which is very scenic, for a night or 2. There are plenty of places to stay in Vientiane in all price ranges. I wont recommend one however as mine wasn't that brilliant. Not a huge amount of things to do in Vientiane, there are some reasonable bars on the riverfront though. Cant remember the name of the one I liked I'm sorry, but it was a rooftop sports bar, next door to a Chinese restaurant on the waterfront. There's some bouncer-types hanging around outside but its fine when you get inside (after climbing 4 flights of stairs).

Coming back, got the public bus from Vientiane to Udon (2.5 hours, cost 75 baht), from there I actually went to Khon Kaen (2 hours) and caught a bus to Chiang Rai from there (12 hours, only one per day, leaves 6pm) but you may be able to get a direct bus from Udon. I left Vientiane at 10.30am and reached Chiang Rai at 6am the next day.

[Sunny Valentine]

The farang wife of my bar manager (living for over two Years in Nong Khai on 30 Day stamps and the ocasional TV) just came back from Vientiane the day before yesterday, with the 2nd TV in a row. No problems at all, she reported. She had about 60 Days on 30 Day stamps, plus 90 Days on a TV plus extension so far, got stamped in yesterday atthe border with 60 Days.

Sunny