Vientiane

[Phetchabun]

Hello!

I am a Swedish seaman and I have been to Vientiane before and I have never had any problems to get a 60 days tourist visa.

But now I have heared that they may ask for an air ticket paid in full out from Thailand, when you apply for a tourist visa there.

Is it really so?

I had planed to do same as I always do, that the ship company that I am working for, sends me an e-ticket the day before it is time for me to sign on the ship.

I cant ask the ship company to send a ticket already now because it is impossible to know where in the world the ship will be when it is time for me to sign on.

So anyone, what shall I do, just be cool and go to Vientiane without a ticket same as I always have been doing, or??

Best regards

Masso

[lopburi3]

What we have heard on the forum is that it is much easier than before to obtain a tourist visa in Vientiane (that they are no longer stamping passports to not come again as they had in the past).

[smartecosse]

its worth going for the baguettes anyway .......................

[waveydavey]

Hello!

I am a Swedish seaman and I have been to Vientiane before and I have never had any problems to get a 60 days tourist visa.

But now I have heared that they may ask for an air ticket paid in full out from Thailand, when you apply for a tourist visa there.

Is it really so?

I had planed to do same as I always do, that the ship company that I am working for, sends me an e-ticket the day before it is time for me to sign on the ship.

I cant ask the ship company to send a ticket already now because it is impossible to know where in the world the ship will be when it is time for me to sign on.

So anyone, what shall I do, just be cool and go to Vientiane without a ticket same as I always have been doing, or??

Best regards

Masso

I'm British and got a TV there on Feb 8th and they didn't ask to see an air ticket.

[visarunner]

Both places in Laos(Vientane and Savansakhet) do NOT require airtickets.

[jeebusjones]

I got a tourist visa there on March 9. They didn't ask for a plane ticket, or anything else.

[kratindaeng]

its worth going for the baguettes anyway .......................

lol! Agreed!

[bangkokgas]

last time I was there the guy asked me only if I had had any coffee yet that morning as I'd made numerous errors on the application form!

[JR Texas]

last time I was there the guy asked me only if I had had any coffee yet that morning as I'd made numerous errors on the application form!

JR Texas: I was there last month, but for a different visa. I just wanted to point out that $$$ tends to solve virtually any problem that you may encounter in Lao PDR (and Thailand).

When you go to the Thai Embassy, outside of it you will see a couple of guys sitting behind a table underneath a tree......they will offer to help you with any visa problems.

My advice for what it is worth: Pay the guys outside of the Embassy 100 baht to fill out the forms properly (they will ask 4000-5000). Then, go inside the Embassy and see if you can get the tourist visa you want.

If there is a problem, go back outside and see if they can help you......they probably can, but it will cost you an extra 4000 to 5000 baht and will likely take one more day.

I have contact info. for the guys that are working outside the Embassy wall. But I am not going to list it on the open forum. They assured me, over lunch, that they could take care of lots of things, including visas and setting up businesses. I assumed they were former police officers with connections to immigrations officials inside the Embassy.

[brahmburgers]

It's a sad assessment of visa policies when a person has to deal with 'who-knows-who' hanging around outside the wall -

Try this for a decent visa: 'go see the one-eyed guy with a red bandana who hangs out under the bush by the sewer grate. Pay him one or two hundred dollars and he might be able to bribe the proper official inside the compound. If that doesn't work, go back outside and pay his three-toothed girlfriend another couple hundred dollars and you might get what you want. If the second attempt doesn't work, then take your concern to the Vientienne Better Business Bureau, located in a sand bank by the abandoned banana grove near the river .....ha, ha'

The day Thai immigration policy becomes fair and consistent (from one embassy/consulate to another) and objective - is the day SE Asians will form a harmonious union and share a common currency. Until then, it's biz as usual.

[jeebusjones]

My advice for what it is worth: Pay the guys outside of the Embassy 100 baht to fill out the forms properly (they will ask 4000-5000). Then, go inside the Embassy and see if you can get the tourist visa you want.

If there is a problem, go back outside and see if they can help you......they probably can, but it will cost you an extra 4000 to 5000 baht and will likely take one more day.

This strikes me as a pretty bad idea. It seems like a good way to either lose a fair bit of cash or possibly get into some legal trouble.

Edited March 17, 2007 by jeebusjones

[bangkokgas]

Don't see why you would need those guys if you are just filling out a forum for a tourist visa -save your money!!

[phil2]

Don't see why you would need those guys if you are just filling out a forum for a tourist visa -save your money!!

Don't see why you would need those guys if you are just filling out a forum for a tourist visa -save your money!!

Is the word FORUM or FORM?

I hope you see why you may need to pay those guys to fill out the form correctly.

[thailand07]

last time I was there the guy asked me only if I had had any coffee yet that morning as I'd made numerous errors on the application form!

JR Texas: I was there last month, but for a different visa. I just wanted to point out that $$$ tends to solve virtually any problem that you may encounter in Lao PDR (and Thailand).

When you go to the Thai Embassy, outside of it you will see a couple of guys sitting behind a table underneath a tree......they will offer to help you with any visa problems.

My advice for what it is worth: Pay the guys outside of the Embassy 100 baht to fill out the forms properly (they will ask 4000-5000). Then, go inside the Embassy and see if you can get the tourist visa you want.

If there is a problem, go back outside and see if they can help you......they probably can, but it will cost you an extra 4000 to 5000 baht and will likely take one more day.

I have contact info. for the guys that are working outside the Embassy wall. But I am not going to list it on the open forum. They assured me, over lunch, that they could take care of lots of things, including visas and setting up businesses. I assumed they were former police officers with connections to immigrations officials inside the Embassy.

[Halfaboy]

As long as you can write your name and personal details you don't need any help. Just go to the border and follow the instructions. At the Thai side your passport is stamped and on the Lao side you complete a form with some basic info, pay 1500 Baht (standard duty / fee or how you will call it) and you can continue to travel. No questions about tickets or what so ever. Takes all in all probably 15 minutes.

Cheers ....