Anyone been through the Phu Doo border crossing lately?

[SenorTashi]

I need to get from Chiang Rai to Vientiane and that seems like the straightest route.

I found an old thread on here about it from 2015 and someone said they might not do visa on arrival.

 

[ubonjoe]

It shown as the Phoudou crossing at number 24 on this webpage and it states no Lao visa on arrival is available at it. https://immigration.gov.la/checkpoints/

[SenorTashi]

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

no Lao visa on arrival

Thanks for that. I've done a lot of travelling in my life but this journey is a right pain in the ass to plan. I need to leave the country to apply for a visa. Spent hours looking at all the options so far and none of them seem very appealing

[ubonjoe]

This is the best crossing from Chiang Rai that is being discussed here. 

 

[SenorTashi]

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

This is the best crossing from Chiang Rai that is being discussed here. 

I've already done that. I need to go to an embassy or consulate to reapply. 

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, SenorTashi said:

I've already done that. I need to go to an embassy or consulate to reapply. 

The embassy is in Vientiane and the consulate is in Savannakhet.

You can take a bus from Chiang Rai to Nong Khai with a stop in Udon Thani and cross the bridge to Vientiane.

[BritTim]

If counting the pennies, bus all the way. Less time consuming is to fly to Udon Thani airport, less than an hour from the Friendship Bridge in Nong Khai.

[SenorTashi]

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

bus all the way

I think we're going to take the bus, mainly because she's got her heart set on travelling,

so 32 hours on buses should put her right off, lmao

[Sydebolle]

Phoodoo (Pudu) is a remote post with very little activity; I passed through many times with my car. Latter can slow down the process considerably as a temporary Thai export permit, a DG53 (same on the Lao side for the import) plus the passenger(s) arrival/departure cards have to be processed. 

If you are very organized (I have all those papers in the computer to be printed out as a complete set; add date and signature and Bob's my uncle), you are through in 20 - 30 minutes. The road from i.e. Uttaradit to Phoodoo is rather remote, so is the road from the Lao border via Kengtao upto Paklay, where you cross the bridge and carry on to Xanakham and Vientiane, a partly bumpy road on lone road grid. 

Bottomline is, do the entire trip CNX-UTH (Udon) on Thai territory by bus, get a bus from UTH straight into Vientiane (if you have a Lao visa) or a bus to Nong Khai Friendship Bridge, do the Lao visa and carry on into Vientiane proper by local bus. One day per leg is gone for sure. Doing the trip via Phoodoo by public transport is a "mission impossible" but nothing became possible if not someone tried the impossible ???? As long as the journey is the destination - that is! 

Good luck! 

[SenorTashi]

19 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Phoodoo (Pudu) is a remote post with very little activity; I passed through many times with my car. Latter can slow down the process considerably as a temporary Thai export permit, a DG53 (same on the Lao side for the import) plus the passenger(s) arrival/departure cards have to be processed. 

If you are very organized (I have all those papers in the computer to be printed out as a complete set; add date and signature and Bob's my uncle), you are through in 20 - 30 minutes. The road from i.e. Uttaradit to Phoodoo is rather remote, so is the road from the Lao border via Kengtao upto Paklay, where you cross the bridge and carry on to Xanakham and Vientiane, a partly bumpy road on lone road grid. 

Bottomline is, do the entire trip CNX-UTH (Udon) on Thai territory by bus, get a bus from UTH straight into Vientiane (if you have a Lao visa) or a bus to Nong Khai Friendship Bridge, do the Lao visa and carry on into Vientiane proper by local bus. One day per leg is gone for sure. Doing the trip via Phoodoo by public transport is a "mission impossible" but nothing became possible if not someone tried the impossible ???? As long as the journey is the destination - that is! 

Good luck! 

Thanks for the detailed information. I had assumed that the road would be busy on the Laos side so you have probably saved me a lot of aggrovation. Seeing as there's no direct flights and I'm not made of money, looks like we're going by bus. 

 

[SenorTashi]

On 10/24/2022 at 9:13 AM, Sydebolle said:

a temporary Thai export permit, a DG53 (same on the Lao side for the import)

Is there a charge for these things and where would I get them? We may be having a sudden change of plans tomorrow, (depending how ridiculously difficult the immigration officers want to continue being with me)

[Sydebolle]

11 hours ago, SenorTashi said:

Is there a charge for these things and where would I get them? We may be having a sudden change of plans tomorrow, (depending how ridiculously difficult the immigration officers want to continue being with me)

Well, yes, the DG53 (in Nong Khai) costs for the car incl two passengers LAK 65'000, another LAK 20'000 is for a driver/passenger manifest to be completed on entry. Both obtainable and completed at the border post, which usually houses immigration and customs together. The manifest is for immigration (mustard green uniforms), the DG53 for the customs (navy blue uniforms). 

So in total I usually pay LAK 85'000; keep both the DG53 and the manifest which you return upon leaving the country again. 

[SenorTashi]

6 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

I usually pay LAK 85'000

that seems reasonable. cheaper than most of the meals we've had lately. I can't drive in Laos though because I don't have an IDP. 

[Sydebolle]

9 hours ago, SenorTashi said:

that seems reasonable. cheaper than most of the meals we've had lately. I can't drive in Laos though because I don't have an IDP. 

These LAK 85'000 are official fees, just in case you dare to know. A good kind service usually results me in saying "keep the change for the coffee till". 

You do not need an IDP, provided you have an ASEAN driving license. So, if you have a valid Thai driving license, you're good to go in any ASEAN state, including Lao PDR. Just in case ........ 

Much more important is the insurance issue, make sure to buy a local insurance in either Ban Pha Kéo (Lao border post opposite Phoodoo) or then latest in Kaengsao, where the road coming from the border leads into Road 4. If you intend to travel into Laos more often, then you might want to opt for a one-year coverage; marginally more expensive but only once the paperwork. Without insurance the highway robbers in mustard green uniforms along the road might give you a hard time for bakshish .........

[SenorTashi]

1 minute ago, Sydebolle said:

These LAK 85'000 are official fees, just in case you dare to know. A good kind service usually results me in saying "keep the change for the coffee till". 

You do not need an IDP, provided you have an ASEAN driving license. So, if you have a valid Thai driving license, you're good to go in any ASEAN state, including Lao PDR. Just in case ........ 

Much more important is the insurance issue, make sure to buy a local insurance in either Ban Pha Kéo (Lao border post opposite Phoodoo) or then latest in Kaengsao, where the road coming from the border leads into Road 4. If you intend to travel into Laos more often, then you might want to opt for a one-year coverage; marginally more expensive but only once the paperwork. Without insurance the highway robbers in mustard green uniforms along the road might give you a hard time for bakshish .........

I only have a UK driving licence so I wouldn't be driving. Looks like we might be going back the way we cam anyway, through Thailand. Thanks for your hel anyway. Good to know for the future