MickGC

This is awesome information! Thank you so much! As for staying the night…just thought it might be nice!

There is secure "undercover" parking 100 meteres on the left before the crossing in Nong Khai. It was 100 Baht per day last time. I heard there is secure parking at the Savannakhet crossing as well.

As with the poster that posted a video, there is paid parking at border crossing Mukdahan to Savannakhet, over the Friendship Bridge.

I've left my car there twice, without problem. It's on the left side as you drive toward the border. You can walk from the car park to the immigration building.

A bit further up, between the paid parking and immigration building there is also a car park area, not covered, not paid.

I've left it there once too without problem.

As for crossing the border there: first by a bus ticket, for the bus that takes you, and everybody else, over the bridge to the other side where

the Laos immigration is. Ticket is 50 baht per person. The ticket booth is behind the restrooms. That's before you get to the immigration booths

where you 'stamp out'. Then you walk behind the booths to the waiting area for the bus.

Mind you that the bus is usually full every time, meaning if you don't get in early, you will have to stand. The trip is under 5 minutes.

The bus goes every half hour or even longer than that.

The bus will drive over the bridge and stop at the other side, where you get off at Laos immigration. There you will have to get a visa application form which you will

have to fill in and hand in with your passport and 1 passport size photograph (the form mentions 2 photos but they always give one back).

This is all done at the front booth on left hand side. The Laos visa costs 1500 baht if you don't pay with dollars. Wait to get your passport back.

Once you have your passport with visa, go to the Laos immigration booth to enter Laos. Once you have passed that, you will see Laos people

that will offer taxi or tuk tuk service. It's usually more expensive then in Thailand.

My surprise was (and I was probably ripped off) that each passenger has to pay 120 baht to get a tuk tuk from the border to the Thai consulate,

even if you share a tuk tuk with others. I thought a discount would be reasonable.

But since you are doing only a border run and are not getting a new visa, I guess you will go from the border to a hotel.

Since you are only doing a border run.......why stay overnight?

Anyway, hope this helps.

arminbkk is spot on with his information. Have done that trip numerous times. For some unknown reason Canadians need to pay US$42 for a Laos visa at the border (highest country charge) whereas its US$35 for British and US citizens and most Europeans and US$30 for Aussies. Swiss are for free. Guess the Generals have their bank accounts in Switzerland. The standard rate for all nationalities is Baht 1500 if not using $US. With a Canadian passport you may as well use Thai Baht as very little saving using dollars. The safe undercover parking is off to the left just before you enter the main gates. There are ATM's and a bank there. Also has a private transport office where you can book other forms of transport to take you across the bridge rather than lucky dip with the 50 baht regular bus. Having a Thai partner, he can sort all that out. Much better option than the regular bus.

Lots of keyboard warriors on here today.

Hi Chris,

I didn't go to all replies but the first few I read where not correct.

Your last entry stamp will only be until the end of your visa.

You won't get a 90 days stamp when you enter a few days before the visa expires.

I suggest that you get a visa extension in time.

Good luck with.

That is not correct.

If you have a multiple entry visa you will get a 90 day entry up to the date it expires. The visa sticker has a enter before date on it and that is what it means.

The visas expiration date is only the last day you can use the visa it does not limit the amount of time you can be in the country.

ubonjoe is absolutely correct again. My one year multipleO visa based on marriage expires this week but because I crossed into Laos last week and got a new entry stamp back into Thailand, I now have another 3 months before I need to sort out a new multiO visa. Thus these 12 month visas are good for 15 months.

The lottery should be a live TV program screened for each draw - the method for selecting the numbers should be the same as they do in the west - why should it be any different, oh wait !!! could it possibly be that near enough everything in Thailand must have a way to corrupt it and control it especially when it involves large sums of money - go figure

It is live on TV. Don't watch the broadcast myself as it goes on and on for ages, but I do buy my tickets twice a month. I'm no mathematician but what are the odds of finding a ticket seller even having a ticket with the 4 numbers mentioned. Then finding every combination with the second two numbers included would be all but impossible. Maybe the student protesters should go back to class and do the calcs.

http://lottery.kapook.com/

Roi Et is a lovely town. No need to go and live at the family farm. Rent a nice place in town for 5000 Baht a month. Will take no time at all to meet up with other local falungs to talk BS over a beer or two. Maybe visit the outlaws on the weekend. Better still, stay in town and let them come visit you.

Side story to this F...in idiot here walked straight through Lao immigration without the stamp,no problem until I tried to come back through .

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

Lol. How did you manage to do that? Guessing you were travelling by car. Have used this checkpoint numerous times and there has always been an immigration officer at the main entry gate checking passports for valid visas. Was over there yesterday for my 90 day stamp and the usual suspects were there to check my passport.

Straight back through to the exit gate, across the road to the duty free shop for my 5 litre cask of rough red then across to the bus stop and the ensuing rugby scrum to get on board the local bus. Usually not a problem, but yesterday there was about 150 punters trying to board and only the usual 80 or so standing room only places available. Was lots of Vietnamese crossing, probably for work. Being much bigger than this lot and using some old rugby skills, I managed to acquire a seat. Was loads of fun. Love Laos and love the people up this way.

Name ten famous Lao bands.

I'm sure you can find at least 10 here. Famous in my neck of the woods anyway. http://www.laopress.com/images/artists/type/pop/

Forget the bus. Taxi's use meters after midnight. As the previous poster stated, no meter no go. Most won't knock back a good fare to Don Muang. If a decent driver, give a nice tip. They work long hours and get paid crap. Fare would be 5 to 10 time more back home depending what country you hail from. Bugger <deleted>*king around with buses unless you are a backpacker with your arse hanging out your pants. Cheers.

I say go for it. It's an investment in the future, as are most expensive infrastructure projects around the world. Will eventually connect to the Chinese (big investors in the project) and other proposed SE Asian HS rail networks. Get with the future folks. Don't be negative thinking dinosaurs all of your lives.

Do you have a Australian marriage certificate also. That would be enough in Savannakhet.

Does your wifes ID card show her as being married? If it does it might be possible to get a Kor Ror 2 marriage registry at a Amphoe that might satisfy them with a copy of the Thai marriage certificate.

Thanks for the advice. Wasn't sure if I could use the Australian certificate. Misplaced it as well but think I can easily get a new one by applying online at Births, Deaths and Marriages department.

Thanks to Mario also

Just to confirm for future reference, applications for copies of Australian marriage certificates can be made online at the department of Births, Deaths and Marriages for a fee of A$60 - about Bt1750. This includes international registered postage to your overseas address.

Do you have a Australian marriage certificate also. That would be enough in Savannakhet.

Does your wifes ID card show her as being married? If it does it might be possible to get a Kor Ror 2 marriage registry at a Amphoe that might satisfy them with a copy of the Thai marriage certificate.

Thanks for the advice. Wasn't sure if I could use the Australian certificate. Misplaced it as well but think I can easily get a new one by applying online at Births, Deaths and Marriages department.

Thanks to Mario also

I would like to try the Savhannakhet route myself. Only problem is I don't have the original Thai marriage certificate. Misplaced during one of my many moves. We were married at the Thai consulate in Sydney 25 years ago. Does anyone know if it would be possible to get another original certificate here in Thailand. I'm assuming the Sydney consulate sent the details to Thailand. My last 7/8 multiple O's were obtained from the Thai consulate in Brisbane. They offer a fast efficient service. Last year I had to come back in 2 hours to collect. Pub across the road so that was not a problem.

"We will stop closing Bangkok and give every intersection back to Bangkokians. We will stop closing Bangkok from Monday. I have to apologise business operators for disruptions to their activities and Bangkokians for making more traffic congestion during the Bangkok Shutdown," he said."

No doubt he will be compensating everyone who lost money from the donations that were made to his "war chest"

Erm....

Why would you have to compensate someone for making a donation?

The rallys are continuing, only the intersections are to be reopened.

Their donations have been well invested in the fact that this government is now dead n the water.

Read my post above.

Yet another who will be squealing like a stuck pig in a week or two.

Erm,

Are you a resurrected poster with a new username?

Businessess, big and small in Bangkok have lost millions because of this "shutdown" by Suthep and his Thaugs- that's who should be compensated and if you seriously think the "donations" were used wisely then I guess you have access to info most people don't.

Nibbles is back !!!! Don't worry, he will soon start insulting everyone with a differing opinion to himself and get banned again. Sorry, my wrong, he's started the insults already.

Thanks for the new names to add to my Ignore page. Thai Visa's best feature.

When people speak the truth or offer another point of view, then press ignore. That way you can maintain control of your own ideology without having your inhumanity and inner hate for what is right questioned. Press the ignore button? What a good idea!

I think you might find Frank James is referring to the personal insults directed against him. More and more of that happening on the Thai News forum these days. Can not post anything on here with a differing opinion to the majority of posters (most from BKK, Pataya & Phuket - see Thai Visa Poll) without being branded a "red shirt".

I may be wrong ( some would say I usually am), but aren't Chiang Rai ( wonderful place) and Chiang Mai actually part of Thailand. Why shouldn't she go there?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Only sensible post on here so far. The rest are by the same posters constantly try to outdo each other with their anti government rants. Give the man a beer.

Grow up people. Whats the big deal. Just Google translation errors. Clutching at straws trying to denigrate YL based on this trashy piece of reporting from high class rag Coconuts <deleted>.

disgraceful fake monk at it again

Really? How is he fake? Care to defame his character any more?

Are you the type of person that would prefer nice and lazy monk's sitting around a dirty temple with rubbish every where?

Thai Monks need to be more like him and less lazy.

He has a right to be there considering the grave lies coming out of that building

But only if they are on your side of the fence.

Wow. Great film Thanks for sharing.

Why don't we just have a new election and accept who the majority of Thai voters choose as their leader. Sorry, I forgot. Already tried that. Not acceptable. Especially to so many members here on TV forum. Come to this country and reinvent yourself. You are higher up the financial ladder now. Get yourself a cheap Isaan servant to do your household chores in your condo/house you could not afford back home. You are above that now. Your pension pays 6 times the average Isaan monthly wage. Bloody hell, the government had the hide to raise their wages to Bt 300 a day.

I like sweet pineapple for breakfast every morning.

Care to show links to that information, considering, AFAIK, the Election Commission haven't released any results except for voter turnout.

Individual polling stations across Thailand have released results themselves. It's against forum rules to post these links so if you are interested in further education please go find them yourself.

It is not against TV rules to give any factual links that are not under a copyright infringments

Try another one to get out of you BS statement

If they are from rival newspapers or websites that contain forums, it is.

Learn to read.

Jeezus. They are really ganging up on you mate. I think they are disappointed the elections were held and were actually successful given the amount of effort put into trying to shut them down. I know this post will get picked to pieces by the cocks (roosters) on here, but I have a thick skin.

It cannot be said democracy has failed in Thailand. It can be said democracy shall have failed if the election is cancelled and Suthep's fascist council takes absolute dictatorial control of the country for an indefinite period of time to step by step implement its secret agenda. Compromise is needed to preclude this occurring and there remains time to compromise.

Fahlang don't need to take sides but fahlang do clearly and vociferously take sides. I take the side of having a legitimate election as has been constitutionally scheduled. I regard Thaksin as a dictator and Suthep as a raving fascist.

I think that puts me in with the vast and moderate political middle of Thailand where 20 to 30 million Thais live. That's because I didn't come to Thailand to support Thaksin's dictatorship or Suthep's raving fascism.

Democracy hasn't really existed as a concept anyway.

It's a bit like the Hong Kong one country two systems. It sounds all nice and fluffy but it's nonsense. By the time Thailand has swallowed a bit of democracy, and digested it a bit.

Well safe to say, it doesn't look much like democracy to me. So it is vitally important to keep it going forward instead if backward to authoritarian governments or coups.

A lot of people have too much to gain from this revisionism. I don't trust it one bit.

I am Thai and I happen to know from FACT that those THAIS that dont want to live in a Shinawatra distatorship under his fascist money grabbing heel have a right NOT to do so - the red shirt Farang should go home and leave us in peace

This is how the anti government lot really think about the average forienger living here. Is preached from the stage almost every night by at least one of the protest leaders. Does not matter how much you love this country and people, how long you have been living here or how much you have invested in your Thai family, you will always be an outsider. Many posters here were probably living in Thailand before love1012 was even born. Is very depressing sometimes. Carefull what you wish for you lot, you just might get it.

.

BEROCCA !!

60 sec a day tops on CNN and BBC

don't know about CNN as we don't get them. But we do get BBC and when they report you wonder what country they arte talking about. Maybe they are still mad that they didn't get a chance to rape Thailand as they did many other countries.

I think the British reporter uses the same speech writers Yingluck does.

Don't know why so many on TV gets so stressed out over Thai politics. Been following it closely for 25 years and I'm still clueless. Same as all you lot. Admit it. The locals don't give a flying <deleted> what foriegners think and you have absolutly no influence on either partys thought process. So we are only arguing amongst ourselves. Same as football. You are never going to convince the opposition you are on the winning side. Arguments here are becoming ad nauseam.

The Thaksin clan are coming to see that they are being outflanked by the people, Thaksin and his clan don't like that. Thaksin and his clan are used to all and sundry bowing to their demands.

Now the people are voicing and indeed showing their opinions regarding the Thaksin clan, hence the urgent need for a declaration of a State of Emergency or perhaps the imposing of martial law courtesy of the female lead puppet in the Thaksin P.T.P. puppet show.

If such a state of emergency was declared, or is to be declared one is led to wonder whether it might well cause the P.R.D.C.protests to actually intensify as opposed to calming matters down.

There is distrust of the Thaksin P.T.P. puppet and its moves to possibly impose a state of emergency. Distrust breeds anger, anger breeds protest and protests often breed violence, that violence factor is already plain to see wherever it may be coming from.

Thailand is teetering on the brink of serious civil disorder in many ways, any move by the Thaksin puppets will I fear lead us all into a very nasty period of violence where the only victims will be the people of Thailand. Thaksin and his clan will be safely away with no doubt their ill gotten gains.

Whatever ruling body may emerge from the chaos to bring stability and peace back to Thailand it will be facing a mammoth uphill task to restore peace and unity twixt the Thai people.

The very idea of the taking of a big stick to the current problems will indeed provoke more violence and more hatred. Perhaps the best method would be to inform the Thaksin clan and their cronies that the best road to a stable country would be for them to leave.

That was the game play regarding Chatchai Choonhaven on February 23, 1991 when he was told that by leaving for America he was indeed a wise man making a wise, a relatively peaceful deposing of a somewhat corrupt administration which has indeed been left in the shade by the Thaksin levels of corruption.

Softly softly catchee monkey.

Congratulations !! You managed to mention Thaksin 10 times in one post. Must be a new TV record. Give the man a cigar.