Here in Vientianne and going to consulate tomorrow, and trying to figure out how early is early enough to arrive and beat the Visa companies, but not so early that I'm just standing in line for no reason.

 

I know bridge opens at Nong Khai at 6am, and Consulate is 30 minutes away from the border, but beyond that I don't know how much time the Filipinos and ASEAN people take to actually get through Nong Khai.

 

Anyone got a good pulse for what time the Visa companies start arriving?

They usually get to the bridge before the border opens.

1 minute ago, elviajero said:

They usually get to the bridge before the border opens.

Any idea what time they actually start arriving at the consulate, though?

 

I'm already through the border, spending the night in Vientianne.

Get there on Friday, enjoy Vientiane on the weekend and get your visa on Monday. No crows guarantied. I know it's not your present situation but keep it in your mind for the next one. Good luck with your visa.

 

49 minutes ago, nowhereman said:

Get there on Friday, enjoy Vientiane on the weekend and get your visa on Monday. No crows guarantied. I know it's not your present situation but keep it in your mind for the next one. Good luck with your visa.

 

Thanks, mate. Definitely considering it for the next run, or at least any day not Monday or Thursday.

Brought back some nice memories ... I went and stayed a couple of days. From memory it's very busy so get to the gates before opening. Drop in application in the morning and come back next day, in the afternoon I think. 

 

I went to a nice restaurant at the end of the road looking over the Mekong river ... nice food and an ice cold beer lao. Great time.

I was crestfallen when I saw the queues on my last trip.  Then I was approached by a company outside the gates, paid a few hundred baht and they did all the paperwork and jumped the queue for me.  I was in and out of there within 20 mins.  This was last year.

As long as you get your paperwork in before 12 noon everything should fall into place.

 

Assuming all is OK, pick up your passport after13-00 next day.

 

Last time I was there I had number 514, but can get passport back same day; saves a night stay in Vienteine.

Edited September 3, 20187 yr by owl sees all
Edit

10 hours ago, nowhereman said:

Get there on Friday, enjoy Vientiane on the weekend and get your visa on Monday. No crows guarantied. I know it's not your present situation but keep it in your mind for the next one. Good luck with your visa.

 

That's the way to do it and book into the hotel just down the road from the Consulate.

Isn't ther OP asking what time to be at the gates to avoid the queue?

Last time I went 2 months back I arrived at 8 am (on a Thursday) and the queue was already all the way to the gate. My ticket number was 386.

The next day collection wasnt too fast either as its done by your ticket number, I arrived at 13.30 and got my passport at 15.20.

I will try to get there a lot earlier next time when I apply, mybe 7am although I would not be surprised if it's already busy at that time. 

As they don't accept the downloaded form you have to fill the form out there so I grabbed a few copies to save a little time on that and the same goes for the landing cards for Laos at the airport. Every little helps....

Please let us know how you get on tomorrow mate. 

good luck!

 

 

 

Edited September 3, 20187 yr by esclub
typo

1 hour ago, owl sees all said:

As long as you get your paperwork in before 12 noon everything should fall into place.

 

Assuming all is OK, pick up your passport after13-00 next day.

 

Last time I was there I had number 514, but can get passport back same day; saves a night stay in Vienteine.

you cannot get your passport back the same day now

1 minute ago, esclub said:

you cannot get your passport back the same day now

I did last year. PM me if you want to know how.

3 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

I did last year. PM me if you want to know how.

I'm sure it would be of interest to all in this thread, any reason why you can't share here?

3 minutes ago, esclub said:

I'm sure it would be of interest to all in this thread, any reason why you can't share here?

Mods.

You don't beat the crowds by arriving early, you better arrive late:The queue gets shorter and shorter, almost gone by 11, that is at least my experience. 

3 hours ago, esclub said:

mybe 7am although I would not be surprised if it's already busy at that time. 

 

 

 

Just got back from the embassy and can report that a 7:30 arrival time was not early enough. When I got there, gates were open, all seats were filled, and line full all the way back to the security guard. Maybe 7 does the trick, maybe not. As has been stated by others, main priority for a run to Vientianne should probably be to avoid Monday and Thursday, but for those of us that have no other choice, I can at least confirm that arriving at 7:30 won't cut it.

 

Fyi, I was able to submit with a downloaded form, no questions asked. Would be curious about the form for the Lao visa, though.

55 minutes ago, Glenn128 said:

Just got back from the embassy and can report that a 7:30 arrival time was not early enough. When I got there, gates were open, all seats were filled, and line full all the way back to the security guard. Maybe 7 does the trick, maybe not. As has been stated by others, main priority for a run to Vientianne should probably be to avoid Monday and Thursday, but for those of us that have no other choice, I can at least confirm that arriving at 7:30 won't cut it.

 

Fyi, I was able to submit with a downloaded form, no questions asked. Would be curious about the form for the Lao visa, though.

I take it that Mondays and Thursdays are visa run days by agents then making them more crowded?

Yes, sometimes the day cant be helped. I will be applying on a Wednesday next time so hopefully that will be better. 

From one of the previous comments on the thread the border is open at 6.30 so maybe 7 will do it.....or 6.45...

I handed in a completed downloaded form and got to the front of the queue and they made me fill out the new form a couple of years back, when I was in the queue last time I was told by a couple of people that they dont accept the downloaded ones, so  you may have been lucky. I have a few anyway so may be worth while for next time for others.

4 hours is a long wait you have had today, what was your ticket number?

 

6 hours ago, esclub said:

you cannot get your passport back the same day now

They have done a deal with the locals. A 1 night earner 

11 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Mods.

Don't act like james bond...it's not a secret you pay them 500-1000 thb as tip and done...

I think they do accept downloaded forms, but no one changes there application form as often as Vientiane :Every time I go there they have a new form with some Insignificant changes, and won't accept the old one whether downloaded or kept from last visit

My advice, don't go early, go late and definitely not Mondays. 

For not queuing,  you need to camp in front of the gate the night before.

A f*** nightmare. Did it one, never ever again to Vientiane.

On 9/3/2018 at 11:58 AM, Glenn128 said:

Just got back from the embassy and can report that a 7:30 arrival time was not early enough. When I got there, gates were open, all seats were filled, and line full all the way back to the security guard. Maybe 7 does the trick, maybe not. As has been stated by others, main priority for a run to Vientianne should probably be to avoid Monday and Thursday, but for those of us that have no other choice, I can at least confirm that arriving at 7:30 won't cut it.

 

Fyi, I was able to submit with a downloaded form, no questions asked. Would be curious about the form for the Lao visa, though.

 

All wrong in there, SO SO wrong :

 

Like someone else said earlier, you don't beat the queue by arriving early but by arriving late.

I always arrive there not before 11:15 and i can tell you, last 3 times it did not took me more than 3 minutes, and i really really mean literally 3 minutes, just the time needed to pickup and fill the form.

 

Same for pickup, don't get there early, all wrong, get there at the last minute around 3:15PM and you should get your passport within 2 minutes.

It won't matter if they already called your number earlier, you can just get to the counter and pickup the passport straight.

21 hours ago, Dreckenfousnoll said:

Don't act like james bond...it's not a secret you pay them 500-1000 thb as tip and done...

Have to be careful in there.

 

Thanks for the compliment.