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Friendship Bridge 1 - Laos visa fee waived or reduced?

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Recently ran into a Dane on his way back from Vientiane. He mentioned he only had to pay 50THB entry fee to Laos.

 

When I crossed in January it was still 1500THB. 

 

Can anyone confirm this? 

Yes. Scandinavians now visa exempt.

Welcome to the exclusive club (I am Swiss, "always" been).

 

The title "Free visas" is a bit misleading. It's visa exempt, just stamp in/out.

  • Author
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2 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Yes.

 

Thanks! Now the question is, how to get a Scandinavian passport by tomorrow? 555

Australia built one of the Friendship bridges, doesn't that count for something??

32 minutes ago, Rawairat said:

Australia built one of the Friendship bridges, doesn't that count for something??

You do only pay $30 for a visa on arrival while other countries pay $35 to $42.

  • Popular Post

If you pay with USD it's way cheaper than paying in THB

Some days ago i was at the bridge from Chiang Khong (AH 3), with no intend to cross the border at this time. 

Arrrived at the bridge an immigration officer ask me if i would like to cross the border. I told him it's too expensive to pay for a visa and only cross the border for some hours. After asking for my home country (Germany) he said  i could go with the bus and don't pay for visa, only for bus. I did not went to Laos, because it was not planned at this day. 

 

Now it seems a little bit more clear what he talked about. But Germany is not listed on the website linked above and not on the website from the Laos Immigration Office.
http://www.immigration.gov.la/visas.html

10 minutes ago, chiangraifalang said:

After asking for my home country (Germany) he said  i could go with the bus and don't pay for visa, only for bus.

Perhaps he meant you could cross into no mans land and return without needing a visa to enter Laos. At one time there were crossings that allowed it without going through Thai immigration either out or in.

6 hours ago, Rawairat said:

Australia built one of the Friendship bridges, doesn't that count for something??

Not if they tampered with the Screws first, ive heard they have been doing it with Cricket Balls!   :cheesy::cheesy::cheesy:

5 hours ago, jackdd said:

If you pay with USD it's way cheaper than paying in THB

How much in Dollars ? U.K. Passport.

10 minutes ago, Acemaker said:

How much in Dollars ? U.K. Passport.

$35

6 minutes ago, Nong Khai Man said:

Joe, Just Read that & It seems like I Should'nt be paying for a Lao Visa......I'm 69 TOMORROW U.K Passport.....

If you are reading this on that page I think you missed the paragraph after 1 to 4.

 

Quote

90-day visa 

FREE of charge (you still need to get the visa, but you are not charged a visa fee), provided that you are:

  1. 65+ years of age, or
  2. Under 15 years of age, or
  3. Monk/priest (all ages), or
  4. Physically and/or mentally disabled (all ages)

If you are a Lao person and fall into one of the groups (1-4) above, you can apply for a visa FOR FREE either at Lao embassies/consulates outside Laos or at Lao international airports, or Lao international border checkpoints where visa on arrival is available.

 

 

51 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

If you are reading this on that page I think you missed the paragraph after 1 to 4.

That could be read as separate rules as well. Visa for free for all nationalities, which also includes Lao people.

 

Then again, what is the situation where Lao person would need to apply visa to their home country?

 

Has anyone contacted the website and asked for clarity?

 

3 minutes ago, oilinki said:

That could be read as separate rules as well. Visa for free for all nationalities, which also includes Lao people.

Then again, what is the situation where Lao person would need to apply visa to their home country?

Has anyone contacted the website and asked for clarity?

This just before that info. It is clearly for Laotians.

 

Quote

Natives of Laos residing abroad

Apart from the lists above, Laotians holding passports of other countries are exempt from Lao visa fee, regardless of their current nationality or citizenship status.

This program has been in place since 1 January 2011. More details below.

 

13 minutes ago, oilinki said:

 

Has anyone contacted the website and asked for clarity?

 

i was leaving that to you

I'm off to Laos tomorrow. If I take my birth cert' which shows I am over 65 will it cut any ice? UK subject.

11 hours ago, owl sees all said:

I'm off to Laos tomorrow. If I take my birth cert' which shows I am over 65 will it cut any ice? UK subject.

As wrote before it is only for Laotians. If it was for everybody your passport would be accepted as proof of your age.

28 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

That's interesting. I thought that Lao law does not allow Laotians to hold the passport of another country?

That was the case prior to 2011. I think they are still not allowed to hold dual nationalities. Many Laotians lost their citizensonship many years ago. As a way to encourage them to visit and invest in Laos they started the visa fee exemption program.

If you read further down the page they can get a 60 day visa free at Lao embassies and consulates. They can also get a 60 day visa on arrival but have to pay the fee based upon on the country they hold a passport for. They can also get free extensions of the 60 day entry.

Thanks Ubon. It's nice to be able to learn further background of the Lao policy. That way the visa rules makes sense. 

23 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

$35

Thanks.

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