Savannakhet, a visa to die for ?

[kiwinz]

Savannakhet  06-06-19

Having read the recent post of long queues, heeded the advice to arrive there early. Thought 8am would be sufficient, HA , was l completly wrong. About 100 other hopefuls had the same idea ! !  by 8.15 that had doubled and by the time the gate opened maybe 350+.  Was a very slow process to reach the One open window for submitting paperwork. 

I happened to be on a tuk tuk passing by the Consulate around 12.30 and saw the queue still there. Spoke to a lady next day who happened to be in that queue , she said , so many people they closed the gate at 1pm,  2hrs after official time.   It's all gonna end in tears, this office is not prepared for this onslaught. 

Why mention Death in my header ?

The amount of chaos l witnessed caused by shear number of minibus (groups) ,tuk tuk's, cars and buses dropping people off , all vieing for the closest spot to main entrance. All these passengers alighting at the same time and milling about on roadside. The Loa drivers passing through,  slowing down to gwark at this new phenomenon, just added to the confussion.  But the Biggest problem by far, is the numbers of foreigners trying to cross the road between Consulate and the little shop opposite for obtaining visa forms, photocopying etc,  as well as the food place.  I saw so many people try to dash across, some obviously from countries that drive on the opp side road to Lao. SO many near misses.  It sadly, won't be long before theres a fatality.  The officials hopefully will control this somehow.

Next day back to collect PP.  The tuk tuk driver l used the day before said l should get there before 12 as its always busy.  Having survived the first day somewhat easier by being early, l agreeded for him to collect me from hotel 11.45.  Was l glad having taken his advice, about 50 people already in front. This time queuing slightly easier as people had placed their bags on the ground, effectively holding their place in line.  Most were stood under the shade of the trees, or again, across the road at PP hut.  By 12.30 the queue had grown to 150+ 

As l was also seated across the road, had time to watch the chaos unfold again.   BUT THIS TIME  . . . . here comes my BIG BITCH,  quite a few fckrs arriving late and seeing the lenght of line,  were 'covertly' jumping the queue by casually walking up to the front and dropping there bag down in amongst the others. Because nobody was actually standing there, it went unnoticed later that there was an unknown bag amongst theirs.  These shites ! !  just mingled in amongst the throng when gates opened.  Hopefully some sort of ticket system is required to address this abuse. Totally unfair to those honest travellers further back in the queue , who have been waiting for hour +  in the heat, totally oblivious to what was happening up front.

Sorry for long rant guys, and sincerely hope l have given no one reading this ,the thought of also queue jumping. 

Have a great Day

[johnny1966]

Was this this morning? (Tuesday). The visa run companies don't go there on a Tuesday so surprised it is so hectic.

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, johnny1966 said:

Was this this morning? (Tuesday).

Thursday of last week.

11 minutes ago, kiwinz said:

Savannakhet  06-06-19

 

[richiejom]

Is this what its got like now?  I thought visa companies didn't go there?  when I went back in Feb only about 30 people maybe less

[utalkin2me]

Another guy posted about going today (Tuesday) and it was almost empty. 

[Pravda]

This is most likely due to stupid appointment system in Vientiane. Watch them implement the same thing very soon.

[gregsmithy]

This may seem stupid but is there a different door queue for picking up the visa? if you arrive before 12 and they are still open taking applications until 1pm don't things get confusing ?

 

 

[guzzi850m2]

A friend of mine went today and he said almost empty. A 10 min affair and he was done.

[ttkeric]

What the chocolate fudge??? I had planned to have my next renewal here in October. Oh well..... 

 

Like someone asked / posted in the other thread about this, I might give it a shot going on a Friday. My experience back where I came from Fridays are the least crowded. Sure, it will be a long weekend in Savannakhet but I could use a little R&R, catch up on those movies I downloaded bought online. 

[Caldera]

Rule of thumb: Don't apply on a Monday or Thursday, when the visa run vans get into town, and in weeks with holidays.

[Nong Khai Man]

51 minutes ago, richiejom said:

Is this what its got like now?  I thought visa companies didn't go there?  when I went back in Feb only about 30 people maybe less

Same Same I Went in February too & There were only 40 or so in front of me.....

[Will27]

Seems you really need to avoid Mondays and Thursdays due to the visa run companies.

 

I lodged my application the day before and it was quiet.

I did see the huge queue for lodging the next day when I arrived to pick mine up.

 

As for the queue jumpers, I agree.

 

I arrived to pick up my visa at 1220 and there were half a dozens bags

left at the front. I moved in front of the bags. IMO, that's the advantage

you get for queuing up an hour and a half early.

 

Dropping a bag off 2 hours early and then buggering off and expecting

to come back and go the head of the queue is a bit untidy I think.

 

Just as an aside, would it really hurt for the embassy to put a couple of fans up and maybe some bench seats! After queuing for over 90 minutes I was sweating like a rapist.

 

Definitely think appointments will be compulsory if the volume keeps up.

[Myran]

Yup, the absolute a-holes who show up late and cut in line brings my blood to a boil. A few years ago it used to be absolute chaos at Vientiane when the time came to pick up your passport (in the building to the left, back then). People with ticket number 300+ would barge up to the front of the queue, elbowing people with numbers below 20 out of the way, completely unashamed. The place was so packed you couldn't really do much but try to squeeze oneself closer to the counter.

 

It became so much better when they actually started to enforce the queue numbers a few years later.

[kiwinz]

Will,  different strokes . . .

As for the first 50+ at the start of the queue, rather than standing in midday sun, which there is absolutely no protection from, it makes sense to drop bag as placeholder, and stand under the shade of trees ( for which those that are lined up along the roadside benefit from.)

After standing for hour+ and wanting to go across the road to buy cold drink or use toilet. l then, by leaving my bag there , have 'buggered off' thereby forfeiting my place in the queue.  This, is my reading of your comment.

As you stated : after 90min you were sweating like a Rapist. Some of us had the sense to stand in the shade. Im also not a fan of this type of queuing, but untill the authorities come up with a better system, what is the alternative, cheers.

[Will27]

8 minutes ago, kiwinz said:

Will,  different strokes . . .

As for the first 50+ at the start of the queue, rather than standing in midday sun, which there is absolutely no protection from, it makes sense to drop bag as placeholder, and stand under the shade of trees ( for which those that are lined up along the roadside benefit from.)

After standing for hour+ and wanting to go across the road to buy cold drink or use toilet. l then, by leaving my bag there , have 'buggered off' thereby forfeiting my place in the queue.  This, is my reading of your comment.

As you stated : after 90min you were sweating like a Rapist. Some of us had the sense to stand in the shade. Im also not a fan of this type of queuing, but untill the authorities come up with a better system, what is the alternative, cheers.

When I got to the queue, there was no one under the trees that I saw.

A few were eating and drinking at the place over the road.

 

Being under cover, I wasn't in the sun but it was still extremely hot.

 

If you get a 100 people dropping bags off at 12 o'clock, that pretty much

defeats the purpose of people getting there early to queue IMO.

 

I think the alternative is, if you want to get there early, queue up.

I doubt anyone would begrudge anyone having a toilet or drinks break,

but IMO, you're taking the wee wee if you drop your bag off at 1200hrs, bugger off for 2 hours and come back and expect to be first in line.

 

That wouldn't cut it in most countries if you were queuing for concert or sports tickets. 

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, richiejom said:

Is this what its got like now?  I thought visa companies didn't go there?  when I went back in Feb only about 30 people maybe less

They do now. They leave Bangkok on Sunday and Wednesday evenings, so Monday and Thursday mornings are a lot busier than the rest of the week.

[transam]

Dropping bags at the gate reminds me of going on hotel holiday in Spain to find creeps had dumped stuff on loungers in the best spots to actually use them later in the day....Complete a____oles...

In most countries an unattended bag would be deemed dodgy and remove it..Do it at Savv...

[Myran]

7 hours ago, transam said:

Dropping bags at the gate reminds me of going on hotel holiday in Spain to find creeps had dumped stuff on loungers in the best spots to actually use them later in the day....Complete a____oles...

In most countries an unattended bag would be deemed dodgy and remove it..Do it at Savv...

It was the same in Greece. Primarily Germans would wake up at 6 to put their towels on all the sun loungers, thinking they now owned them for the entire day. It was with great joy I threw those towels to the side and used the loungers myself. If you're not there, it's not your place.

[BuckBee]

visa companies will ruin this consulate and thai border .

[scubascuba3]

visa companies will ruin this consulate and thai border .

It sounds like they need to spread the visa runs over the week so Mon or Thurs aren't as bad

[simon43]

Boggles my mind to see how farangs subject themselves to humiliation and inconveniences to live and visit a dump called Thailand.

 

I personally don't think Thailand is a dump.  But I do agree about the humiliation and inconveniences.  Why on earth do people do this?

 

After living, working and having family here since 2002, I finally realised that this frog is slowly being boiled and the temperature is now hot enough for me to 'jump out' and live somewhere else.

[fourpack]

There is a perfectly good solution having been caught in the queue this year I have sought a surrogate for next time a nice old Lothian lady who for a couple of hundred bht will save my place in the queue next time.

And please don't say that's wrong as it happens or did happen at chang mai and Bangkok to my certain knowledge

[fourpack]

1 hour ago, onera1961 said:

Boggles my mind to see how farangs subject themselves to humiliation and inconveniences to live and visit a dump called Thailand. I wonder why. What is the lure? But I find the line consists of mostly non-farangs. 

"But I find" so you must submit yourself to the humiliation so you can live in the place you call a dump ?

[geronimo]

I'm going on Monday 17th June. Have my tent and will be camping outside since 2 am!

 

[VocalNeal]

^ That is what the agent is for !

[geronimo]

1 hour ago, onera1961 said:

Boggles my mind to see how farangs subject themselves to humiliation and inconveniences to live and visit a dump called Thailand. I wonder why. What is the lure? But I find the line consists of mostly non-farangs. 

Not much of a mind then, eh?

[Will27]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

4 hours ago, BuckBee said:

visa companies will ruin this consulate and thai border .

It sounds like they need to spread the visa runs over the week so Mon or Thurs aren't as bad

Think it's more cost effective to do it twice a week.

[Will27]

22 minutes ago, geronimo said:

I'm going on Monday 17th June. Have my tent and will be camping outside since 2 am!

 

Make life easier for yourself and go on Tuesday.

[geronimo]

3 minutes ago, Will27 said:

Make life easier for yourself and go on Tuesday.

would but flight and hotel are booked. I fly back wed morning ????

 

BTW I came third in the 1987 world queuing championships ......

[JaiLai]

16 hours ago, Caldera said:

Rule of thumb: Don't apply on a Monday or Thursday, when the visa run vans get into town, and in weeks with holidays.

It's only a matter of time until the visa runners start arriving on the quieter days too, i will go somewhere else in the region for a couple of days for my next one.