Voa At Vientiane Friendship Bridge?

[Florin]

Hi,

Just wanted to know how things would work for a weekend visa run to Laos...if the person in question (Russian nationality, so VOA eligible) would leave and come back through the land border crossing at the Friendship Bridge, would they get the same type of VOA that is available in Suvarnabhumi for incoming travelers?

The visa expires on June 2nd (after a stingy 1 week extension done here in BKK) and I was thinking of going this weekend, by train to Nong Khai, arriving on Saturday morning, checking out the sights and leaving the same day in the late afternoon...does that sound OK?

[makrook]

all ok, just been two threads posted (including mine) on the subject, and that's the third time in a row that I do a visa run for pho30 (VOA) at the frienship bridge.never had any problem nor any question asked, never read bad feedbacks about the place, the all process (exiting thailand, crossing the bridge, entering laos, having a lao coffee, exiting laos, re-crossing the bridge, entering thailand) can take about an hour only if there's not too much people around and if you're lucky (but expect more).

not much sights to expect if you don't go all the way to vientiane though (only duty free shops at the border), but as vientiane is 20km away that's another story, still able to do it but I would recomend a nice one night stay in the city in that case (I kinda like the place, my own opinion for waht it's worth).if you're on a tight budget and decide an overnight stay, don't listen to any tuk-tuk driver and find a not-yet-full bus coming from thailand going to the city for 50 baths or take the public bus for 30 baths, both living you in talat sao (morning market) from where it's a half-an-hour walk to reach the city center or a 40-50 baths tuk-tuk trip (but negociate hard as they tend to ask for twice that).cheap but descent accomodation can start at about 240 baths, cheaper available, more expensive as well of course

//Edit: this post is off topic, not related to the visa on arrival the OP asks about.

Edited June 25, 2007 by Maestro
Off topic.

[Florin]

Excellent! So you get a 30-day visa based on that or a 15 day one (thaivisa.com says 15)?

[makrook]

Excellent! So you get a 30-day visa based on that or a 15 day one (thaivisa.com says 15)?

unless russia is not elligible for 30 days VOA, you get your 30 days VOA

(I don't have all the countries that get 30 days, but I think russia is included ??)

//Edit: this post is off topic, not related to the visa on arrival the OP asks about.

Edited June 25, 2007 by Maestro
Off topic.

[eljeque]

I got mine yesterday

I read on the Laos site that it is $35

The Laos visa issuer wanted 1500 including immediate service.

I needed it immediately so did not argue.

When they quote a price, tell them ,.... "in dollars?"

//Edit: this post is off topic, not related to the visa on arrival the OP asks about.

Edited June 25, 2007 by Maestro
Off topic.

[Maestro]

I see some serious confusion here. The original poster, Florin, uses VOA (visa on arrival) correctly to mean the 15-day visa for which application can be made on arrival by the nationals of some countries, including Russia. People are replying as if he were talking about tourist visa exemption.

Florin, the complete list of Immigration posts that issue the 15-day visa on arrival is here.

--

Maestro

[Florin]

Thanks for the clarification...I'll see if documents can be obtained for a biz-visa invitation, but if not, this seems to be a viable back-up plan

[makrook]

Thanks for the clarification...I'll see if documents can be obtained for a biz-visa invitation, but if not, this seems to be a viable back-up plan

sorry, got mixed up, thought the op wanted a 30-days visa exemption, thought russia was ok for this.