Will I be ok to do a visa run in Vientiane in between holliday dates in December?

[ikebukuro5]

I need to do a visa at just abou the worst time of the year...beginning of december, on December 5th actually.

 

Accordign to the website, hollidays are, 5th, 10th, and 31st.

 

http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/en/embassy/calendar.php?month=11&year=2018&PAGEN_1=3

 

I was thinking of landing on the 6th and pickup visa on 7th, there will be a gazillion people there...and I'm worried I won't be able to get in...

 

Then if I miss that chance, there is also a holliday on Monday, so could be stuck in Laos for days...

 

Any feeback on this, do they turn people away if too busy, even if you make it to embassy before 12:00 noon?

 

 

[JackThompson]

I was thinking the gates closed before noon normally - 11:00 or 11:30?  They don't normally stop accepting applications early - but could always make an exception.  It's a case of, "Who can you complain to," if they do?   In any case, I would get their crack-of-dawn if trying to make that slot - just to be sure.  

 

Better would be to do the run earlier - sacrificing a few remaining "permitted stay" days.  That week looks like trouble, with the holiday mid-week.  But if you can stand another night in Vientiane, applying the 4th, and picking-up the 6th, could have lower than average queues - which can be high this time of year, even in a non-holiday week.

[ubonjoe]

Vientiane stops giving out queue numbers at 11:30. If you have a number your application will be accepted on that day. I have read reports of them working until the afternoon to take care of everybody.

It will be busy on the 6th because  that is a normal day for the visa run vans to be there. Getting there early might help but later can be less busy after the early arrivals have been take care of.

[thaiguzzi]

14 hours ago, ikebukuro5 said:

so could be stuck in Laos for days...

Lucky you.

Make the most of a nice little holiday.

I love the place.

[ikebukuro5]

Sounds good, now if I want to be let's say #1-10 in the queueu, at what time should I get there?

 

6:00 am, 7am? 5am?

 

Thanks