Chong Mek border hop via Ubon Ratchathani

[edwardandtubs]

I quite like Ubon so was thinking about flying there, taking a van to the border, get the Laos visa on arrival, cross and then come straight back for my 45 day visa exempt and get a van back to Ubon to spend the night there, returning to Bangkok the next day. Any pitfalls in my plan? When is the last van between the airport and Chong Mek and the last one from Chong Mek to Ubon city?

Edited January 10, 2023 by edwardandtubs

[Caldera]

Not sure if there are vans from the airport to the border, the last time I went there I had to take a taxi. Otherwise your plan sounds good.

[FARANG KIWI]

Will be doing exactly that this coming Sunday.

Will post a trip report soon after.

Edited January 11, 2023 by FARANG KIWI

[edwardandtubs]

It seems the busses from Ubon to Mukdahan might be more regular and therefore a better option.

Edited January 11, 2023 by edwardandtubs

[Caldera]

52 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

It seems the busses from Ubon to Mukdahan might be more regular and therefore a better option.

Mukdahan is quite far away from Ubon. If there are no vans from the airport to the Chong Mek border and you go to the bus station anyway, it might be worth checking if the international bus to Pakse is back in service. 

[edwardandtubs]

10 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Mukdahan is quite far away from Ubon. If there are no vans from the airport to the Chong Mek border and you go to the bus station aenyway, it might be worth checking if the international bus to Pakse is back in service. 

It's back and runs at 0930 and 1500 from Ubon:

 

 

I assume the vans from the bus station are more frequent and cheaper though.

[FARANG KIWI]

Chonk Mek  -  Border Bounce  -  Report....

So drove to Chong Mek Border from Korat.

 

Using a UK passport.

Parking was tight around the border point however took the last parking space on the main drag.

 

>>  Departed Thai Immigration - no question \ no issues at all.

 

>>  On the Laos side - visited the Visa on Arrival counter

 

       Had form pre-printed and already completed

 

       It was a Sunday and the requested amount in Thai Baht was 2,000

 

       Asked why so expensive and was told prices have gone up

 

        Sticker put in passport and proceeded through Laos immigration

>>    Went straight back to Laos Departures

 

        No question \ no issues - the man just said 'you go back now?'

 

>>    Entered Thai immigration entry point

 

        Fingerprints and a TM6 form had to be filled in ( do not know why need for TM6 )

 

        Again no issues \ no questions - was given the expected 45 day stamp

 

>>    All in took 50 minutes as it was our 1st visit at Chong Mek

    

        It was easy please, smiles from officials on both sides all the way.

 

         Would definitely use this location for a Border Bounce again.
 

Edited January 15, 2023 by FARANG KIWI

[edwardandtubs]

2 hours ago, FARANG KIWI said:

 It was a Sunday and the requested amount in Thai Baht was 2,000

 

       Asked why so expensive and was told prices have gone up

They have gone up but it's better to pay in dollars. For a UK passport it's now $40 (1345 baht). 

 

Thanks for the report. Did you see much in the way of public transport as you passed?

 

[FARANG KIWI]

17 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

They have gone up but it's better to pay in dollars. For a UK passport it's now $40 (1345 baht). 

 

Thanks for the report. Did you see much in the way of public transport as you passed?

 

Yes. 

 

There is the Bus from Ubon to Paske.

 

Also a few Mini Vans around again Border to Ubon.

 

Also many Touts around the exit on the Thai side offering a lift here or there etc....

[transam]

3 hours ago, FARANG KIWI said:

Chonk Mek  -  Border Bounce  -  Report....

So drove to Chong Mek Border from Korat.

 

Using a UK passport.

Parking was tight around the border point however took the last parking space on the main drag.

 

>>  Departed Thai Immigration - no question \ no issues at all.

 

>>  On the Laos side - visited the Visa on Arrival counter

 

       Had form pre-printed and already completed

 

       It was a Sunday and the requested amount in Thai Baht was 2,000

 

       Asked why so expensive and was told prices have gone up

 

        Sticker put in passport and proceeded through Laos immigration

>>    Went straight back to Laos Departures

 

        No question \ no issues - the man just said 'you go back now?'

 

>>    Entered Thai immigration entry point

 

        Fingerprints and a TM6 form had to be filled in ( do not know why need for TM6 )

 

        Again no issues \ no questions - was given the expected 45 day stamp

 

>>    All in took 50 minutes as it was our 1st visit at Chong Mek

    

        It was easy please, smiles from officials on both sides all the way.

 

         Would definitely use this location for a Border Bounce again.
 

The Chong Mek Loas immigration is brand new, not long been open, before it was hit and miss/confusing, for newbies....

 

[BritTim]

13 hours ago, FARANG KIWI said:

On the Laos side - visited the Visa on Arrival counter

 

       Had form pre-printed and already completed

       It was a Sunday and the requested amount in Thai Baht was 2,000

Unless you do not care about the cost, it is important to have clean, undamaged US dollars when planning to get a visa on arrival for either Laos or Cambodia.

 

When the Myanmar crossings are open, you should also have US$10 for the border pass, though a couple of crossings run mandatory scams that do not allow you to enter Myanmar and return in the normal way. At those, you will be fleeced by the officials regardless of the currency you have.

 

I believe keeping US$50-100 in your wallet makes sense for anyone who travels regularly. 

[Andaandaaa]

Sorry to be off the topic a bit, but do you guys know if Thai visa on arrival is available in Chong Mek? I've been researching but couldn't find much information about this border...thanks in advance! 

[FARANG KIWI]

3 hours ago, Andaandaaa said:

Sorry to be off the topic a bit, but do you guys know if Thai visa on arrival is available in Chong Mek? I've been researching but couldn't find much information about this border...thanks in advance! 

Yes, for sure - I saw the V.O.A desk on Sunday just gone ????

[ubonjoe]

50 minutes ago, FARANG KIWI said:

Yes, for sure - I saw the V.O.A desk on Sunday just gone ????

Lao visa on arrival or a visa on arrival for Thailand?

As far as I know there is none for Thailand there.

 

[Andaandaaa]

18 hours ago, FARANG KIWI said:

Yes, for sure - I saw the V.O.A desk on Sunday just gone ????

Amazing, thanks so much!

[BritTim]

According to https://www.bankbazaar.com/visa/thailand-visa-on-arrival.html, there is no Visa On Arrival desk for Thailand at the Chong Mek crossing. That is only a single source, and may be out of date, but is more likely to be correct than wrong. The UK Thai Embassy site (https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/115123-visa-on-arrival?page=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072dd&menu=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072de) has a similar, but smaller, list that also does not have Chong Mek, but Thai embassy/consulate sites are notoriously unreliable sources of information.

 

The best solution may be to get a re-entry permit during the quick initial trip to Thailand. This will protect the 30-day permission to stay from the initial VOA. The re-entry permit costs 1,000 baht, and is available from the immigration office servicing the province where you are staying in Thailand. If you have no opportunity to acquire a re-entry permit in advance, but plan to exit at Chong Mek on a regular week day, there is probably an immigration office in Ubon Ratchanthai province that will issue re-entry permits for people exiting at Chong Mek. If you cannot get a re-entry permit due to timing, there is no obvious good solution. There is an E-VOA service, allowing you to apply for the VOA in advance, but the delivered electronic visa can only currently be used at four main airports.

Edited January 17, 2023 by BritTim

[Andaandaaa]

21 hours ago, BritTim said:

According to https://www.bankbazaar.com/visa/thailand-visa-on-arrival.html, there is no Visa On Arrival desk for Thailand at the Chong Mek crossing. That is only a single source, and may be out of date, but is more likely to be correct than wrong. The UK Thai Embassy site (https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/115123-visa-on-arrival?page=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072dd&menu=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072de) has a similar, but smaller, list that also does not have Chong Mek, but Thai embassy/consulate sites are notoriously unreliable sources of information.

 

The best solution may be to get a re-entry permit during the quick initial trip to Thailand. This will protect the 30-day permission to stay from the initial VOA. The re-entry permit costs 1,000 baht, and is available from the immigration office servicing the province where you are staying in Thailand. If you have no opportunity to acquire a re-entry permit in advance, but plan to exit at Chong Mek on a regular week day, there is probably an immigration office in Ubon Ratchanthai province that will issue re-entry permits for people exiting at Chong Mek. If you cannot get a re-entry permit due to timing, there is no obvious good solution. There is an E-VOA service, allowing you to apply for the VOA in advance, but the delivered electronic visa can only currently be used at four main airports.

Thank you so much for the information.- this is super helpful to know! I did email the Thai Embassy in the UK to ask about this border but they replied something totally irrelevant. I will have a think what to do, and will report back about VOA at Chong Mek in due course (not that anyone needs this info as most lucky people are visa-exempt????)