Chiang Mai to Laos tourist visa run

[Vixiena]

Hi guys,

 

My tourist visa is due to expire soon, so I will need to make my visa run. I have never had to do this before so I'm looking for a bit of advice please.

 

I would like to know where in Laos I will need to travel to and when would be the best time to go.

Also if anyone knows the cheapest way to get there, and where in Chiang Mai I will need to go from that would really help. 

 

Thanks.

[MaeJoMTB]

Overnight bus from CM to Mukdahan (probably need to change at Khon Khen). 600bht

Bus from Mukdahan to Suvannakhet in Laos. Get back on the bus after each immigration until the bus station in Suvannakhet. 50bht. Walk the 200m from bus station to Thai consulate. Ignore all the m/c taxi and taxi touts that insist you need to use them, the bus is all included in your 50bht.

Take $35 for the Laos visa on entry (else it's 1,500bht).

 

Apply for VISA between 9am-11am, collect visa next day after 2pm

 

Easy. But a long journey.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2017 by MaeJoMTB

[Vixiena]

Thank you!

How long would you say roughly that the process takes as I will need to book the time off work.

[MaeJoMTB]

If you took the Sunday night bus, managed visa application Monday, collected Tuesday (Check no national holidays).

The bus would arrive back in CM around 7:30 Wednesday morning.

 

Working on a Tourist VISA ..... naughty.

Edited December 12, 2017 by MaeJoMTB

[Vixiena]

Yeah it's unpaid in return for accommodation  

[Vixiena]

46 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

If you took the Sunday night bus, managed visa application Monday, collected Tuesday (Check no national holidays).

The bus would arrive back in CM around 7:30 Wednesday morning.

 

Working on a Tourist VISA ..... naughty.

I'm struggling to find a site to book tickets from that go from Chiang Mai to Mukadahan. I can find tickets to Khon Khen from Chiang Mai  but not from from Khon Khen to Mukahan. I have also tried to find tickets from Undonthani as someone told me you can get a bus from there to Mukdahan but no luck :/ is the a specific site I should be using?

[MaeJoMTB]

1 hour ago, Vixiena said:

I'm struggling to find a site to book tickets from that go from Chiang Mai to Mukadahan. I can find tickets to Khon Khen from Chiang Mai  but not from from Khon Khen to Mukahan. I have also tried to find tickets from Undonthani as someone told me you can get a bus from there to Mukdahan but no luck :/ is the a specific site I should be using?

It's called the bus station. The site is just down the road from Central Festival Mall.

[sanemax]

You could go to Vientiane as its closer .

You can get a direct bus from CM to Nong Khai for about 900 Baht or a bus to Udon Thani for less than 600 Baht and an hours mini bus from there for 50 baht

   Theres a night bus from UT to CM at about 8 PM and from CM to UT its leaves at about the same time

[Farangdanny]

1 hour ago, MaeJoMTB said:

It's called the bus station. The site is just down the road from Central Festival Mall.

Why not pay a good agent to get you a 12 month VISA, no hastle.

[MickeyMaow]

I know you want to go the cheapest way and you want to be farang kee nok  and all that, but honestly do yourself a huge favour and fly. You can get a return flight to undon for around €100 and it’s only 200 baht to the border from the airport. You can then share a taxi to Vientiane for as little as 100 baht. 

 

 

[orchis]

1 hour ago, MickeyMaow said:

I know you want to go the cheapest way and you want to be farang kee nok  and all that, but honestly do yourself a huge favour and fly. You can get a return flight to undon for around €100 and it’s only 200 baht to the border from the airport. You can then share a taxi to Vientiane for as little as 100 baht. 

 

 

this is the easiest  way. go from udon to friendship bridge in nongkai and then after the border to vientiane to the thai consulate there. enough info thru google.

[Cereal]

The easiest way to go would be to fly to Luang Prabang. It's about $200 return. Fly in and return the next day. You'll be back in your comfy bed in Chiang Mai before you'd even get to Laos taking all that bus crap. Flying to Vientiane is about $240 return.

 

There's no way in hell I'd spend dozens of hours on buses in Thailand. It's got the deadliest roads in the world. Be safe, don't be cheap.

[SiSePuede419]

"I would like to know where in Laos I will need to travel to..."

 

Nevermind.

Edited December 13, 2017 by SiSePuede419

[jamieoutlook]

2 hours ago, Cereal said:

The easiest way to go would be to fly to Luang Prabang. It's about $200 return. Fly in and return the next day. You'll be back in your comfy bed in Chiang Mai before you'd even get to Laos taking all that bus crap. Flying to Vientiane is about $240 return.

 

There's no way in hell I'd spend dozens of hours on buses in Thailand. It's got the deadliest roads in the world. Be safe, don't be cheap.

Return airfares to Udon Thani are under 3000baht.

From Udon Thani to Vientiane and back is easy and cheap.

[jamieoutlook]

Double post

 

Edited December 13, 2017 by jamieoutlook

[jamieoutlook]

1 hour ago, SiSePuede419 said:

"I would like to know where in Laos I will need to travel to..."

 

Nevermind.

Mae Sai is on the border of Laos now?

[kevbap]

I am currently booking my Laos (Savannakhet) trip, this time flying to Udonthani, taking a bus to Mukdahan then hopping over the border to the consulate. my 2 trips before were via flying to Khon Kaen bus/min bus to Mukdahan.

after this trip i might do the flying to Ubon and bus to Mukdahan, i have to say a hate Mukdahan and always stay in a nice hotel there as i dont like the town.

Flights are cheap using AIr Asia/ Nok Air..........if you need anything further including my friend Tony's number and Line , he is an agent in Savannakhet, he is Thai but was brought up in the U.S. he always helps me and my mates, really good guy, just message me ok?

Good luck and post your trip advice