stoney79

I just got back from Vientiane yesterday. I took the train from Hua Lampong to Nong Khai, arriving at 9:30 I took the second class sleeper car for 750 Baht. There are three trains arriving in Nong Khai in the morning at 5:05, 7:35 and 9:10 a.m. If you want to get to the Thai Consulate in Vientiane the same morning, it is advisable to take either of the two earlier trains. The 7:35 train arriving in Nong Khai should allow plenty of time. The train arriving at 9:10 is cutting it too close at best.

After they drop you off on the Lao side to make the visa you wll see two windows to your left. There was a large crowd milling about and I didn't have a clue as to what to do to apply for the visa. After a while I found out that you go to the right hand window to ask for the visa application as well as the arrival/departure card. Sit down at the large tables and fill them out. Then turn the visa application and the fee in to the window on the left. Go to the window on the right when your passport is ready, about ten minutes for me. You will know when the lady sticks your open passport with picture out the window and starts tapping it on the counter. When I finally got my Lao Visa at the bridge it was already 11:45 a.m. I made my way through the Lao Immigration to turn the arrival card in and made my way to the tuk-tuk.

Therefore I went to the Thai Consulate early the next morning. The only advice I would offer there is don't staple your two pictures onto the application form. This was also mentioned in a previous post. I did and the guy accepting the forms took several minutes tearing the staples out and gluing on the photos instead. Everything other than that went smoothly and I was out of there within an hour. A great trip all in all and looking forward to going back.

Just spent a few days in Laos and done the new DIRECT NON STOP air bus trip from Khon Kaen to downtown Vientiene.

For just 180baht you get city to city with no stops or pick-ups in 3.5 hours. In the past a taxi from the Laos side to Vientiane would cost you 600baht so this has to be a great bargain.

There are already existing direct services from Nong Kai and Udon (80 baht one way) so it no longer makes sense to use the train or stopping buses.

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I would be interested in how they process the Lao visa once you get to the bridge. Do you stay on one bus all the way to downtown Vientiane?? I heard you have to change buses once you are across. Just interested because I am exploring travel alternatives for that trip.

You should not have any problem getting a multi entry non immigrant O visa, either in a western country or some of the oil countries. It is the extensions of stay that require the income and being in the country for application and then approval (probably) 30 days later that would be difficult.

If you can get the multi-entry, and if extensions are difficult, the next best thing would be to leave the country and come back.