Thai Consulate In Vientiane Laos New Location

[ubonjoe]

Thanks to tau8's post with information that it was moving, but he did not have address. I sent an email to the embassy and within an hour or so I got the following reply.

"The Consular Section of the Embassy will move to a new location at No. 15, Bourichane Road, Ban Phone Si Nuan, Muang Si Sattanak, Vientiane.

Tel: (021) 214581 - 3 Ext. 600 - 601, (021) 453916, 415337, Fax:

(021) 415336

from 5 January 2009."

They have updated their website and it now has the above address plus a link to a map.

Link: http://www.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/consu...ervices_en.html

Edited January 2, 2009 by ubonjoe
updated with website info

[Briggsy]

Hopefully they might institute a more effective queueing system.

[jasperguy]

Beat me to the punch. Was just up in Vientainne.

[ubonjoe]

Beat me to the punch. Was just up in Vientainne.

Shouldn't of slept so late. (Just joking)

[ubonjoe]

Important info bump back to first page

[tropo]

Important info bump back to first page

Does anyone know if this new location will be closer or more distant from the riverfront tourist area?

[rroland]

Important info bump back to first page

Does anyone know if this new location will be closer or more distant from the riverfront tourist area?

Well, looks distant …

I don't know if I can post the map here, so the link is: hobomaps.com/vientianemain.htm (HS 214)

[ubonjoe]

That is the old location shown on the map at HS 214.

[rroland]

That is the old location shown on the map at HS 214.

oopps I should say IB 211 (somewhere at Bourichane Road)

[ubonjoe]

That is the old location shown on the map at HS 214.

oopps I should say IB 211 (somewhere at Bourichane Road)

I would call it around IC 215. Look for the Hobo that is walking on the road.

Map 1 at this link: http://hobomaps.com/vientianemain.htm

[rroland]

Important info bump back to first page

Does anyone know if this new location will be closer or more distant from the riverfront tourist area?

The distances from the river front tourist area looks quite similar.

The old Consulate (dark blue)

The new one (black)

[ubonjoe]

Thanks rroland.

Very helpfull info.

[ubonjoe]

Important info bump back to first page

again

[yeti]

It seems more difficult to access, I bet on a price increase by the Tuks-Tuks

[ubonjoe]

Important info bump back to first page

again

same

and again

[technocracy]

Jeez what an arse end middle of nowhere to put a consulate!

Guess they couldn't afford any land around the main Embassy area - actually I am surprise that map doesn't show the Embassy area where the Oz, Korean (both), Japanese Consulate, Chinese, new Sinapore, India, Sweden (soon to close apparently), Myanmar embassies (and a few others that I probably missed) are located.

Edited January 2, 2009 by technocracy

[ubonjoe]

Important info bump back to first page

again

same

and again

again

[ubonjoe]

Jeez what an arse end middle of nowhere to put a consulate!

Guess they couldn't afford any land around the main Embassy area - actually I am surprise that map doesn't show the Embassy area where the Oz, Korean (both), Japanese Consulate, Chinese, new Sinapore, India, Sweden (soon to close apparently), Myanmar embassies (and a few others that I probably missed) are located.

Looking at map is does seem away from everything.

I would like to be a fly on the wall tomorrow.

People that don't know it's moved showing up at the old location.. Taxi drivers not knowing where the new one is.

Confusion about any new procedures.

Plus lots of people after so long a closure.

[technocracy]

They couldn't of a picked a more out of the way place in Vientiane if they'd tried! I wonder if that's their idea to stop people going - just make it awkward!

It does depend on exactly where abouts on that road it is if it's near to the Lao-Singpore College then it's not THAT bad but if it up the other end then my first thoughts stand!

[Lite Beer]

They couldn't of a picked a more out of the way place in Vientiane if they'd tried! I wonder if that's their idea to stop people going - just make it awkward!

It does depend on exactly where abouts on that road it is if it's near to the Lao-Singpore College then it's not THAT bad but if it up the other end then my first thoughts stand!

It looks to be here. Admittedly the poster added the location himself so it might not be accurate.

[ubonjoe]

Looking at the map now linked to on the embassy website. It appears to be almost next door to the college.

Link to map: http://www.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/pdf/M...%20Consular.pdf

[technocracy]

Looking at the map now linked to on the embassy website. It appears to be almost next door to the college.

Link to map: http://www.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/pdf/M...%20Consular.pdf

Not exactly to scale that map - it makes it look like it's about 100 metre walk from the old one!

Anyway tomorrow I am going to drive past it to have a look about as I've said in the thread about hotels near to the consulate in the SE Asia forum as I smell a business opportunity for a farang run guest house not far from the consulate! :D

I'll take some snaps with my phone and all being well post them tomorrow . . . so watch this space!

Edited January 5, 2009 by technocracy

[Maestro]

I'll take some snaps with my phone and all being well post them tomorrow . . . so watch this space!

Good of you. Thank you.

--

Maestro

[frenchFARANGbkk]

No report yet about this new consulate ?

[ubonjoe]

No report yet about this new consulate ?

Just got first report. It sounds better than the old one.

Report : http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=2450228

[technocracy]

Didn't get chance to go up there today .. .. tomorrow should have time.

[tropo]

Anyway tomorrow I am going to drive past it to have a look about as I've said in the thread about hotels near to the consulate in the SE Asia forum as I smell a business opportunity for a farang run guest house not far from the consulate!

A change of rules and a busy consulate can become deserted overnight.

[ubonjoe]

Didn't get chance to go up there today .. .. tomorrow should have time.

Waiting to heae from you. No hurry though.

[sreiter]

Hi Joe and all the others

Greetings of friendship from the Peoples Republic of Laos!

I am sitting in a guesthouse at the riverfront and am able to access DTAG Thailand with my simcard. Today I picked up my tourist visa from the new location-some additional comments to the first report I saw under a different topic:

We (Lin, my Thai wife and I) passed there yesterday to see if it would be worth joining the crowd or wait to early morning today.

We arrived in Laos on the 5th, found a huge group of people waiting at the "visa on arrival" point on the bridge and had to wait more than two and a half hours until we finally had my passport returned and were allowed "in". Worthwhile to remember: If Thai spouses use their ID card the entry fee is 50 Baht for them- if they use their passort it's 10. So- I was concerned to find all those people at the Thai embassy. The new location is just round the corner in Burichane (?) Road when you come down the big road from Wat Phonxai(?) (First road on the left) The buildings (2)are new. It is not such a huge way away from the big monument in the centre, next time I would probably walk given

the temperatures are reasonable. As we took it easy we arrived there at about 10.30. A few touts tried to sell visa application forms outside ( I found some inside).

The Tuk Tuk driver did not know about the new location. We paid 100 Baht from the dirt track (west riverfront)- he had asked for 200. Still steep me thinks!

Back to the new location:

There were no people waiting outside, but may be 30 to 40 people lined up in front of the counter where the application is handed in. There was one guy dealing with it, but he was fairly quick. Lin joined the quewe ( I never know how to spell that!) and I filled in the form. There were a few tables to do your paperwork and free glue to stick your photographs on the form. I noticed a copy machine for general use (for a fee). I waited for may be 30 minutes. There are seats and a sunsail outside the "hand in counter" but of course people line up between the counter and the main gate in the sunshine. There are toilets too (one for each gender). Then off to pay your fees, this time inside. There is seating, airco and you have to sit and wait until your name or something similar to it is called- this took one hour at least. We left. We would have been much quicker through the system if we had come later- but you never know in advance!

Picking up today reminded me of the famous piss up in a brewery- and again arriving later would have been better-we were there at about 13.00 hours. All folks from the day before waited in the sunshine between the main gate and the exit of the "pay your fee" building. The ambassador was running up and down the line asking people why the would not sit inside or in front of the "check in" area

Lin, who has a "hot heart" challenged him in the end. He said they had put nice seats there (inside) so people should sit and wait. She asked "for what??"- as there is no system in place. He said people want a visa- so they can wait. Thats what the chairs are there for. His conclusion was that farrangs liked the sun too much, that's why they did not want to sit inside. Lin suggested to hand out suncreme if he believed that. The guy actually pulled one French guy out of the line and plonked him on a seat- to show others how it works. Only he did not understand that people would not know who is going to the counter next. Needless to say that guy sat a few minutes and then jumped back to his point in line when it came close....

So I am happy to have read that a numbering system has been ordered- that is exactly what is needed. I waited for about one hour outside and would not have enjoyed it on a hot day.

This time we paid 200 BAht for getting there (Tuk Tuk, the driver knew!)) and back to the morning market- too much money for the tuk tuk and things in the market!

Some additional notes- you meet the strangest people when waiting for vis applications - one guy asked me if I knew if his taxi would be still outside when he would have finished....may be it is the sun after all!

Other observations: There are some nice things about Vientiane and it's worth spending some time here. Frightening are the similarities to other socialist countries which for example become obvious in English texts on info boards- but good that there are some! and great signs for street names-wow! I would like to see more of the country itself. Vientiane is shockingly expensive though. We had problems to find a room and settled for one for 800 Baht- airco yes, clean-yes, but basic.It was the last room. We tried along the waterfront which might have been a mistake, we later heard of people arriving at the same time who rented for 400 somewhere inside town. We normally migrate at the cheap end of the market in regards of food- we pay a lot more here. Today we were charged 30 BAht for a small bottle of water and a little thing with "sour milk"-10 Baht in Thailand for the lot. For two beer, a fish, one rice and some cut up spare ribs we paid 340 Baht in a very basic place at the river, more when you sit in a "proper" restaurant. We were told though that it's very cheap inside the country.

That'S it- off to Bangkok tomorrow evening! Cheerio Stefan

[nusder05]

Here is your first update about the new location in Vientiane!

Well, I arrived in Nong Khai at 6am on Monday morning, made it to the new building at 8am. There was at least 100 people in line already. After 15 minutes in line another 50 were behind me! They opened the gate and we walked inside. It took around 2 hours to get to the front of the line! Then after you submit the application you are sent to the other building to pay your visa fee. There is a lady calling out names here, and I waited for around 30 minutes untill my name was called. I recieved a reciept and that was it.

The next day I arrived at 12pm, people had started to arrive already from the day before, and another large line started to form for pick up of passports. I was about 40-50 back in this line.

They opened the gate again and we walked to the same building that we did our payment the day before. It took about 45 minutes to get to the front and hand them my paper. I recieved my single entry tourist visa no problem and I didn't see any unhappy faces either. A Canadian next to me got a 2x entry tourist visa no problem as well.

The actual counsuler was inside this building letting around 20 people in at a time. He stated to some complaining people that over 500 people came yesterday, 'so be patient'. Another interesting thing that he stated was that they have 'ordered a numbering system from Bangkok'. It appeared that they processed every applicant that came on Monday.

The buildings themself are very beautiful. There are two buildings, one where we submitted the applications, and another for payments and pickup of passports. It looks to me that all our tourist visas have payed off and got them a pretty fancy place.

That's it for now, when I get home I will check back, so feel free to ask any questions about details I may have neglected.

Thanks for the info.

Was the line outside the building or inside.

The line starts outside before the gates open, when the gates open the line moves inside the gates up to the windows where you turn in the application. Your not inside of a building for this line but they do have an area with chairs and tents set up outside if people with you want to rest. (the chairs and tents are not set up along the line path however) The building that you pay and pick up your passport is inside and does have aircon, although it was not on when I was there. (It wasn't a very hot day though)

Did tuk-tuk/taxi drivers know about the new location? Did they (tuk-tuk) change their price compared to the old location (from the border and from the tourist area)?

Regarding tuk-tuk's and taxi's. I don't know about the prices from before, so I will just let you know what they charged us. From the border to the office it was 300 baht. (taxi car) Now, I of course was in a hurry, and didn't bother checking around to find a better deal, so this could be higher then normal. You will have to wait for other reports on that. They did however know where the new location was. I think that some drivers were unaware of it though because some people went to the wrong location first, guess it was hit or miss with the drivers on the first day. My fiance just checked with them before we started if they knew where the new one was. I would guess that after a few days, all the drivers will know where it is. The tuk-tuk prices from the hotel I stayed at (Mina Hotel, 700 baht a night) was about 30,000 kip to the new office. Me and my fiance went to several different malls and markets, and it was almost always 20,000 -30,000 kip.

Putting all this info into this thread also. Figured it was relevant to be in both.