stoney79

Thanks JD.

You must have been in another country for them to count you as having left Thailand... so yes you must go into Laos

I will soon be going out of the country since the first entry of my double entry visa is almost

finished. Once you pass through Thai immigration at the Thai-Lao friendship bridge on your way out of the country, do you actually have to enter Laos before you return to make the 2nd entry valid?? Or can you just walk across the street and enter Thailand again without ever having gone into Laos?? Just wondering as this would make things quite a bit easier.

Stoney 79

Hi all,

I'm going to be doing a visa run this week to Vientiane and I'm rather excited as it'll be my first time in Laos as I've gone to Penang in the past. I've read through this entire thread in the last few hours, a lot of great info - thanks to all who shared!

I was wondering if anybody would have a guesthouse or hotel that they'd recommend in Vientiane? My budget is from 500 BHT - 1,000 BHT though cheaper is always better. I guess I fall into the flash packer category of traveler, what I prefer in a room is quiet, air con, clean, and secure. Doesn't have to be fancy at all.

Thanks for any advice!

I've stayed at Aroon Residence near the embassy, The Riverine on the river, and I've also heard Vayakorn is a great questhouse. All about in your price range.

The restaurants around the Nam Phu fountain are good and cheap. French, Italian, and Lao. Provencal, Opera, Nam Phu Restaurant. Les Caves .......Restaurant has grilled specials every night. The Rib steak is a specialty, looks like of an overstuffed lambchop. Try Scandanavian Bakery next to Provencal for early morning baked goods and sandwiches.

Chop Chai Der restaurant around the corner (50 ft.) from the fountain is VERY popular and cheap. Then on Setthatirath Rd. there is Le Central French Restaurant. Vayakorn Hotel is nearby.

We also liked Kua Lao Restaurant in an old style house on Samsenthai Road.

Especially speaking to the deep-in-the-Isaan-stayers, why don't you give your lady a special treat, buy her a passport for THB 1035 and do your next trip to Vientiane. She can talk to the Laos folks and will feel comfortable there. You, as a dine-and-wine-man, will love Vientiane restaurants and won't have to put up with that noisy Karaoke music that we sometimes have to put up with here in Isaan. You will also appreciate a smaller crowd of street vendors in Vientiane. And not to forget, tax-free shopping (liquor, wine, hand bag, leather ware) just inside the Laos border and downtown shopping will please you as well as your lady.

thais do not need a passport to go to loas, they can check in with there ID card and get a 3 or 4 day visa i do not remember the exact days

Yes, my Thai friend made a special border pass at an office just using her Thai id card. It gave her two nights and three days. (The tuk tuk guys at the bridge on the Thai side know where to go in Nong Khai for this).

We stayed an additional day and some Lao hotel staff said you can either pay at the Immigration Police office in Vientiane, or when you check in at immigration at the bridge. The office in Vientiane did not accept her payment as it was too late in the day. When we arrived at the bridge the next day Lao immigration said to go inside in the office and pay. We ended up paying 200 baht for the extra day. He said it is no problem if you want a few extra days, just you have to pay this amount x the number of days you stay over.

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.