Slotman

Hi,

I just came back from Savnnakhet where I went for my visa for the first time. Usually go to Vientiane but thought I'd have a change.

Go to VTE on my own, but took the Mrs with me to Savnnakhet, to give her a break from the rugrats.

Anyway.......

If you drive your car, but dont have a car passport, there is a carpark before you get to the border on the left side. Cost is 250thb per night. In Nong Khai same thing at a cost of 100thb per night, which is reasonable. I parked the car in the immigration carpark, for what turned out to be 2 nights. Picked the car up with no problem at all. If the carpark owners charged 100thb per night, as in Nong Khai, the lot would be full (as in Nong Khai).......another instance of Thai business sense....... 

Crossing the border is easy & I find the most stressing part to be the bandits at the Laos side in their TukTuks, quoting way too much by far every time (Both in VTE & SKT).

We were quoted 100thb per person to go to town, which isn't far at all. Apparently this is the 'standard' charge for the trip. I started walking to town with the Mrs.....2 mins later, the bloke came in his TukTuk & offered to take us both for 100thb....He drove round the corner & we jumped in his Starex van......

TOURISTS & EXPATS ALIKE SHOULD STICK TOGETHER & NOT PAY STUPID PRICES! YES, IT IS CHEAP COMPARED TO WHEREVER YOU'RE FROM, BUT PRICES ARE 200-300% ABOVE THE NORM. WHICH THESE GUYS EXPECT. Anyway, each to their own.

You can save a few baht if you pay your visa fee to get into Laos in $US. Standard fee 1500thb or $35USD. Bankok Bank exchange rate as of today is 34thb = $1USD (Big notes).

This will save you 310thb........which is almost the price of a room.

The absolute best way to do the crossing is to catch the Thai-Laos bus from Mukdahan to Savannakhet. This will cost you 50thb & after you get through, it drops you at the bus station in town. Best place to stay for the money in town is Avalon Residence. We stayed at the Soulinsouk Hotel (550thb) round the corner (very typical Laos hotel room. but does the job), cos Avalon was full. (Walk in price for Avalon was 680thb).. met a guy at the Embassy who booked thru bookingdotcom & he paid 450thb for a single. So I'd suggest to book a room.

Not a lot to do in town. We went to the big market & generally strolled around.... BeerLaos still great & cheap. 

Go to the Thai Embassy at around 9am, when it opens. The sign says 8:30am....... BUT opening time is 9am sharp. There were around 6 people in the queue when I got there @ 8:50am. Waited around 20 minutes in the queue, only due to a pair of numptys not having the correct paperwork in front. I find it very annoying when 'grown up' seasoned travellers struggle to put a few documents together!!

Ok....The documents I needed for a non O Dependancy visa (based on children) Always take a black biro type pen or two.

1) PASSPORT

2) 3 PASSPORT SIZED PHOTOS. The 3 photos are: 1 for when you cross into Laos.........2 for Thai Immigration. I always have a few spare.

3) THE FORM FROM THAI IMMIGRATION (get from the front window & fill in yourself) MAYBE PRINT ONE OUT BEFORE YOU GO & FILL IT IN TO COPY LATER? I TRIED USING ONE I TOOK WITH ME ONCE....THE PAPER THEY USE IS VERY THIN & THEY LIKE YOU TO USE THAT PAPER ONLY.

4) 2 x PHOTOCOPIES OF YOUR MAIN PASSPORT PAGE - SIGNED BY YOU

5) 2 x PHOTOCOPIES OF YOUR LAST STAMP PAGE INCLUDE YOUR ARRIVAL CARD FROM THAILAND - SIGNED BY YOU

6) ONE PHOTOCOPY OF THE GIRLFRIEND'S ID CARD & TABIAN BAN (WE TOOK 2 TABIAN BAN BECAUSE WE ARE REGISTERED AT 2 ADDRESSES) - ALL SIGNED BY YOUR GIRLFRIEND

7) PHOTOCOPIES OF CHILDREN'S BIRTH CERTIFICATES

8) ORIGINAL COPIES OF THE CHILDREN'S BIRTH CERTIFICATES - NOTE: I HAVE NEVER BEEN ASKED FOR THESE BEFORE IN VIENTIANE. PASS THEM OVER & THE PERSON BEHIND THE COUNTER WILL RETURN THEM IMMEDIATELY.

9) 2000 THAI BAHT. THIS IS PAID AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION, WHEREAS IN VIENTIANE YOU PAY WHEN YOU PICK UP NEXT DAY.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SHOW ANY INCOME/FUNDS.

Go pick up your passport/visa the next day at 2pm. Small queue & takes hardly any time.

I would advise to get the bus from the bus station to Mukdahan....or you can jump off at Thai immigration & pick your car up from their carpark & be off home!

Turned out a bit long winded! Sorry chaps.

I do a run every 3 months like this. Any advice on extensions, without showing 400k in the bank? A guy over there mentioned the 5000thb multi-entry & doing a day border run every 3 months. I thought you had to show funds. Any advice welcomed.

Slotman.

Yeah, he probably kept ordering more and more rounds of drinks, thinking his new friends would pay the tab for all the drinks he was ordering. I recall being told that certain people from a certain place have a habit of doing that. Happy to sit and drink as long as someone else was buying the rounds, but when it came their turn they would suddenly disappear (at least until someone else signaled for another round at which point they would miraculously reappear).

I go out drinking with my Thai friends all the time. I sometimes have a hard time trying to pay the bin as one of them has already scooped it. We've come up with a bit of system - each bar/club we go into, someone different pays the bill. If we sit in one place a long time and guys are buying drinks for friends/ladies, then everyone chips in. Never had, or seen, an argument over who was supposed to pay the bill but maybe that's because none of the people I hang out with try and take advantage of each other.

Please enlighten us.... "Certain people from certain places"???

I'm sure there are lots of people from lots of places who are tight <deleted>..... Don't tar everyone from certain places with the same brush....

I believe that the Thai guys were ripping him off...... simple as that.....

Oh & well done for having wealthy Thai friends..... You is da man.......