How early do I need to get in line at Thai embassy in Vietiane to avoid long queue?

[ikebukuro5]

I'm in Laos tonight and heading to Thai embassy in the morning, I hate lineups and want to be one of the first ones in line.

 

How early do I have to get there? 6 am, 5 am?

 

Getting up early is fine with me, will bring my laptop and work as wait at the gates.

 

It's a holiday now, so very busy time...

 

Anybody have experience or recommendations on this?

 

 

[ubonjoe]

If you can get there before the visa run vans arrive in the morning so you can get a lower number.

Perhaps be there at 7 am.

[ikebukuro5]

Thanks, what time do gates open?

[ubonjoe]

55 minutes ago, ikebukuro5 said:

Thanks, what time do gates open?

At 08:30 as far as I know.

[sanemax]

It can get bust from 5-6 AM.

To avoid the queues , go at 10-30 AM

Still have to queue a bit, but less than if you got there at 5 am

[elviajero]

Next time avoid going on Monday or a Thursday as that’s when the Bangkok visa runs are there.

 

If you don’t like queues go late morning;, 10:30 — as suggested above — is a good time to go.

[Huayrat]

20 minutes in a big line is all i waited on a wednesday.. It goes down really quickly

[sometimewoodworker]

I went on a Wednesday, had time for breakfast that started at 6:30 strolled across at about 7 when I could see a couple of people waiting and was in the first 10 in the queue AFIR the gates opened at 7:30 or 8:00 for us to go in and collect our numbers, there were checkers who started around half an hour later and the staff started processing paperwork at either 8:30 or 9.

 

I then strolled back over to the hotel in time for a second breakfast, though there wasn't much apart from coffee.

 

The advantage of getting a low number is that that waiting is in the cool time of day and you can be on your way to the border shortly after 2pm

Edited December 5, 2018 by sometimewoodworker

[sanemax]

4 hours ago, ikebukuro5 said:

I'm in Laos tonight and heading to Thai embassy in the morning, I hate lineups and want to be one of the first ones in line.

Be aware that the queue is in the open sun and it can get rather hot, evening at that time in the morning

[dave s]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

Be aware that the queue is in the open sun and it can get rather hot, evening at that time in the morning

 

I went on the Monday of the first week of October, to turn my papers in. I had planned to go very early, but then I couldn't get to the embassy until about 10:30. Just inside the door of the first embassy building on the left they have a camera and photocopy machine set up. You may at least need a photocopy of the stamp in your passport from Laos immigration. For 80 baht they will take your photograph, make the copies you need, type in the application form to the computer, and neatly print it for you. When I came out of the leftt building and got in line, it was about 11:00 and the guard had closed the front gate. There is a patio on the right side with white benches and blue chairs that the line snakes through. In the morning, the embassy staff sit at a long white table at the front, where they take your papers and give you a three digit number. Then you sit and wait while people inside the back room do a quick check, and may call you up to window #2 if they see a problem. Otherwise you just leave -- note on the clock that the end of the line cleared out about 2:30. Take something to read, and a spare battery for your cell phone, if you go on Monday. The numbers are not handed out in order, but the next afternoon they will call your number in the order that you turned your papers in. So again I was almost last, and left for the airport around 3:30; take your bathing suit, it's about 45 degrees inside the Wattay terminal. The second day they call people mostly to window #2, a few people to window #3, rarely to window #1. The line turns just before the patio, after coming straight up from the entrance gate. It was mobbed on Monday morning, but I arrived around noon on Tuesday and no one was left from that morning.

 

Edited December 5, 2018 by dave s

[Ks45672]

Unless things have changed You will probably be mobbed by agents/fixers who can take your passport to the front of the queue no matter what time you arrive .... For a small fee...

 

I've used them a few times and always a good experience  

 

Don't forget to haggle! Most will ask for double or triple the price they want to see if your stupid enough to pay it.... ???? 

 

 

[direction BANGKOK]

I used to try and arrive right before they stop taking the applications, i forget what time, noon maybe. A little unnerving but it works. I actually would give myself a buffer. That place is an absolute nightmare early in the morning, at least for me. 

 

[ajarnmarc]

7 hours ago, dave s said:

 

I went on the Monday of the first week of October, to turn my papers in. I had planned to go very early, but then I couldn't get to the embassy until about 10:30. Just inside the door of the first embassy building on the left they have a camera and photocopy machine set up. You may at least need a photocopy of the stamp in your passport from Laos immigration. For 80 baht they will take your photograph, make the copies you need, type in the application form to the computer, and neatly print it for you. When I came out of the leftt building and got in line, it was about 11:00 and the guard had closed the front gate. There is a patio on the right side with white benches and blue chairs that the line snakes through. In the morning, the embassy staff sit at a long white table at the front, where they take your papers and give you a three digit number. Then you sit and wait while people inside the back room do a quick check, and may call you up to window #2 if they see a problem. Otherwise you just leave -- note on the clock that the end of the line cleared out about 2:30. Take something to read, and a spare battery for your cell phone, if you go on Monday. The numbers are not handed out in order, but the next afternoon they will call your number in the order that you turned your papers in. So again I was almost last, and left for the airport around 3:30; take your bathing suit, it's about 45 degrees inside the Wattay terminal. The second day they call people mostly to window #2, a few people to window #3, rarely to window #1. The line turns just before the patio, after coming straight up from the entrance gate. It was mobbed on Monday morning, but I arrived around noon on Tuesday and no one was left from that morning.

 

What a great job in description, very helpful to all of us, 

who have never been there before.

Thank you very much for your time in providing this for all of us to follow.

Greatly appreciated.

[fak119]

4:3o a.m. should do the trick

[Burma Bill]

13 hours ago, Ks45672 said:

Unless things have changed You will probably be mobbed by agents/fixers who can take your passport to the front of the queue no matter what time you arrive .... For a small fee...

 

I've used them a few times and always a good experience  

 

Don't forget to haggle! Most will ask for double or triple the price they want to see if your stupid enough to pay it.... ???? 

 

 

Yes, this is what I did but some years ago now. I arrived at the Embassy around 9am and to my horror found my ticket was in the 300's. I took one look at the very long queue waiting in very hot sunshine. I crossed the road to a Laos "fixer" with his white van and he processed all the paperwork. He organised a car to take me to a lovely hotel belonging to one of his family (500 baht per night with fully cooked English breakfast). I relaxed in the shade under trees in a beautiful garden supping cool beers. At 11am the next day he returned my passport with the necessary visa at reception. I returned to Nong Khai a very happy bunny. Cost for his services was 2,000 baht which, for me, was worth every baht to avoid all the heat and hassle.

[JackThompson]

7 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Yes, this is what I did but some years ago now. I arrived at the Embassy around 9am and to my horror found my ticket was in the 300's. I took one look at the very long queue waiting in very hot sunshine. I crossed the road to a Laos "fixer" with his white van and he processed all the paperwork. He organised a car to take me to a lovely hotel belonging to one of his family (500 baht per night with fully cooked English breakfast). I relaxed in the shade under trees in a beautiful garden supping cool beers. At 11am the next day he returned my passport with the necessary visa at reception. I returned to Nong Khai a very happy bunny. Cost for his services was 2,000 baht which, for me, was worth every baht to avoid all the heat and hassle.

I have not heard of this service for a long time now.  I would not count on it being available.

[AtoZ]

Now is not usual time - Monday was holiday, yesterday was holiday, and next Monday is holiday.

 

Which means 1000+ people in line.

[thecyclist]

From my experience, late is much better than early :The line reaches its peak around 9, and gets shorter and shorter after that, by 11 it is almost gone. Camping out early morning on the sidewalk in front of a locked gate is worse than standing in line.