Vientiane to Udon Airport in 2.5 hours?

[Hal65]

Is this a comfortable travel window or too risky? I am assuming leaving the consulate at 4pm (I go late), taxi to border, immigration line, then another taxi to udon airport.

 

The Air Asia flight leaves at 6:55pm which is a little under 3 hours, but of course you need to board earlier.

 

[CanuckThai]

You should be ok.  I drove a fellow expat to Udon airport from Vientiane (the border).  He was on a similar flight schedule, it was no problem.  A taxi should be a breeze to get you there on time (and time to check in).

[madmen]

Book a seat on a van. Should get you there in half the time. Just keep feeding somchai the driver with no doze

[elliss]

8 minutes ago, madmen said:

Book a seat on a van. Should get you there in half the time. Just keep feeding somchai the driver with no doze

 good idea .  or take a tuk to the bridge , do the buiss , then cross over the bridge to LOS ,

      many  mini buses waiting to take you to udon ,  or take a tuk to lotus , and have the regular bus to udon ,

[DJ54]

If no check in luggage and only carry on go the Air Asia and 

choose your seat  and check in on-line. 

 

Not ong ago took a person to the airport on Air Asia terminal two

now. 30 minutes bedore flight carry on they missed the flight because check in closes 30-45 mins? before flight. 

 

I was driving they couldn’t or I would have checked them in. 

 

Have a good trip

[marquis22]

11 hours ago, madmen said:

Book a seat on a van. Should get you there in half the time. Just keep feeding somchai the driver with no doze

And take 2 mins to stop and buy him an amulet 

[Lee4Life]

11 hours ago, madmen said:

Book a seat on a van. Should get you there in half the time. Just keep feeding somchai the driver with no doze

The vans to the airport only leave at certain times from the bridge area, they also have been known to stop and pick up passengers at other areas, if you hit the vans just right you will be o.k., but taxi from the border is more certain if you are pushed for time.

 The airport vans leave from the "Nok Air Transfer" sign near the covered walking area when walking away from Thai Immigration. Be careful not to take a van which goes to the Udon Bus Station, of which there are many, as then you will have to get local transport from the bus station to the airport, which is across town.

[CMBob]

I just did that yesterday.  Depends on method of transport.  I took a taxi from Vientiane hotel to the bridge.  Was a bit of a line at exit Immigration (took maybe 20 minutes).  After exiting, I chose to have my own taxi to Udon Thani airport....cost was 1000 baht....versus doing the bus across the bridge and figuring it out from there.  Turned out to be a good idea....taxi dude actually steered me through Thai immigration (meanwhile kept my luggage in the taxi) and that helped a bit (he was keen on getting me in the shortest line....which in fact was the diplomatic one).  Trip from Vientiane hotel to the bridge took about 45 minutes, getting through Lao exit immigration took about 20 minutes, getting through Thai Immigration took about 10 minutes, and ride from there to the Udon Thani airport was about an hour.  Whole deal was maybe 2 hours and 10-20 minutes.  So, yea, 2 hours and 40 minutes is realistic.  Given I went through this on a Sunday, I suspect that the two immigrations might be a bit faster on weekdays (both were faster going into Laos this past Thursday).

Oh...and taxi dude handed me a TM6 form which I filled out going over the bridge so that saved a couple of minutes.

Edited December 3, 2018 by CMBob

[Cobman]

Its not possible 45minutes you have to check in latest. The roadwork in Udon take off 20-30 minutes of your time at 6pm its the worst traffic time in and around Udon. Why you not fly from Vientiane ?

[Cereal]

That's a very tight window. I'd give it more time if at all possible. You didn't mention several important variables:

- Where are you leaving from in Vientiane?

- What time are you leaving Vientiane?

- Expected arrival time at bridge?

- Anticipated line ups at bridge for paperwork?

- Contingency time allowance for screw ups.

 

If everything works smoothly and efficiently, 2.5 hours is good. A little hiccup and you are toast.

[bananafish]

I've done it twice and just about made it on time both times.

The first time I made it to the airport 10 minutes before my flight was due to leave, they checked me in and I literally got to the departure gate and walked straight into the line to board.

 

The second time I arrived 35 minutes before my flight was due to leave, plenty of time I thought. But no, this time the monumental prick at the checkin desk told me I was too late, I must be 45 minutes early. There was nothing I could do, I had to book a night in a hotel in Udon and get a flight the next day. 

When I asked to speak to his manager obviously that got me nowhere, TiT. Any other person and I would have been allowed to board, but this camp faggot obviously had a bad day and took it out on me. 

[bananafish]

The trick to do the journey at speed is to get one of the hawking taxi drivers as soon as you exit Laos immigration. They'll be standing around there, they will take you across the Thai immigration in the car lane, which is way faster than queueing with everyone else.

[3stan]

ITs possible, but your chances of making it on time are better if you do it the fastest way (with taxis). So, not so cheap.

[UKJASE]

i was in VTN not long ago, and we left the consulate about 4, and the guy i was with missed his flight to chiang mai which was 6.30 i think.  plus he ws worried the whole time before, so not pleasant for him.

 

i would try and be away from the consulate by 3 pm, then it should be no dramas.  join the queue early when applying, then you will be nearer the front when collecting your visa.

 

applying on tuesday and wednesday are the quietest i seem to remember ubonjoe telling me 

[DJ54]

Check in on line the day of your flight. Then you won’t be squeezed 

for 45 minutes early.....  

 

Online Check In needs to be done no later than 1 hour before flight

for Airasia and 4 hours if Airasia X 

 

if yiu bought too much on the way to airport then try give baggage at gate. They’ll charge you for baggage that isn’t allowed to carry on.

[Hal65]

Good advice by all. I have condensed it into the following options:

 

1. Leaving the Thai consulate at 4pm, I tuk to the border while checking in on my phone (or even earlier), get through Laos immigration, then taxi through the Thai immigration car lane straight to Udon Airport for 1,000. 

 

2. Forget this whole thing and take the 5pm Vientiane bus to the bus station and then tuk to the airport for a 9:30 pm flight. Kills another 2-3 hours sitting around in the heat/long immigration lines, but the time windows are spacious

 

3. Direct flight from VTE to BKK and hope that immigration lets me through (officer tried to catch me this last time with language tests. I got lucky this time as I was on a beginner level Chinese ED visa. This never happens at the border, only BKK)

 

I think I'll try #1, you guys have given me good ammunition to make it work ????

Edited December 3, 2018 by Hal65

[Burma Bill]

It is possible but if there are queues at both Laos and Thai Immigration Offices then NO.