Nakhon Phanom: Day Trips into Laos for EU Tourist to Thailand ?

[henrik2000]

Hello, what about day trips into Laos from Nakhon Phanom to Tha Khek by bicycle. I (EU citizen) wonder about Laos visa fees and my Thai visa.

I understand the situation like that:

• TR Visa 60 days single entry: 35 Euro

• TR Visa 60 days multiple entry: 175 Euro (Thai embassy site)

• Laos Visa on Arrival: 40 USD (single entry? 2 day trips might be ok)

On a tour of Isaan with rental car and bicycle I will stay in Nakhon Phanom for about 7 days. It would be around days no. 40 – 47 of my 2 months TR visa. I plan to buy another 30 days at a provincial Thai immigration to get exactly 89 days total in Thailand. (The 3 months Non-O is too complicated for me.)

Bicycling (not by car!), I would prefer a boat crossing out of NKP town into Laos. I would not like to use the Friendship Bridge III, but it seems after the boat crossing there is no Visa on Arrival available, it's only after the Friendship bridge? Maybe I could get a Lao visa online then.

Day trips into Laos seem very expensive with those visas above. I speak basic Thai and Isaan-Lao.

There seems to be no day-visa or visa-runner visa for Laos? (Myanmar used to have it for foreign visa runners from TH, I used it once from Mae Sai.) But if there is a day-visa for Laos, which radius does it allow you?

Of course I could shift Isaan destinations so that Nakhon Phanom is at the end of either 30 oder 60 days in Thailand, but that's complicated in my case, and I want to stay 89 days total, with the last month in the south.

Thanks for your insights!

PS.

I understand that Laos is very hilly, fascinating and deserves more than 1-2 day trips. Still I want to do only 1-2 Laotian day trips by bicycle. If the visa situation is too complicated and costly, 0 trips. I understand that Laotions and Thais drive on different roadsides.

There is a slight chance I might stay in Mukdahan to do Laos day trips from there.

[carlyai]

3 hours ago, henrik2000 said:

Hello, what about day trips into Laos from Nakhon Phanom to Tha Khek by bicycle. I (EU citizen) wonder about Laos visa fees and my Thai visa.

 

I understand the situation like that:

 

• TR Visa 60 days single entry: 35 Euro

   

• TR Visa 60 days multiple entry: 175 Euro (Thai embassy site)

   

• Laos Visa on Arrival: 40 USD (single entry? 2 day trips might be ok)

   

On a tour of Isaan with rental car and bicycle I will stay in Nakhon Phanom for about 7 days. It would be around days no. 40 – 47 of my 2 months TR visa. I plan to buy another 30 days at a provincial Thai immigration to get exactly 89 days total in Thailand. (The 3 months Non-O is too complicated for me.)

 

Bicycling (not by car!), I would prefer a boat crossing out of NKP town into Laos. I would not like to use the Friendship Bridge III, but it seems after the boat crossing there is no Visa on Arrival available, it's only after the Friendship bridge? Maybe I could get a Lao visa online then.

 

Day trips into Laos seem very expensive with those visas above. I speak basic Thai and Isaan-Lao.

 

There seems to be no day-visa or visa-runner visa for Laos? (Myanmar used to have it for foreign visa runners from TH, I used it once from Mae Sai.) But if there is a day-visa for Laos, which radius does it allow you?

 

Of course I could shift Isaan destinations so that Nakhon Phanom is at the end of either 30 oder 60 days in Thailand, but that's complicated in my case, and I want to stay 89 days total, with the last month in the south.

 

Thanks for your insights!

 

PS.

 

I understand that Laos is very hilly, fascinating and deserves more than 1-2 day trips. Still I want to do only 1-2 Laotian day trips by bicycle. If the visa situation is too complicated and costly, 0 trips. I understand that Laotions and Thais drive on different roadsides.

 

There is a slight chance I might stay in Mukdahan to do Laos day trips from there.

 

We went into Laos by van with a local (Lao/Thai) Monk to a school he supports. From Mukdahan. Went to a cave complex that you boat thru and fairly extensive off main road day trip.

As well as a lack of facilities if you have a bike problem, the roads are not really bike friendly, but I guess you know this. So I think the dirt/gravel roads are your problem.

[Lorry]

8 hours ago, henrik2000 said:

Hello, what about day trips into Laos from Nakhon Phanom to Tha Khek by bicycle. I (EU citizen) wonder about Laos visa fees and my Thai visa.

 

I understand the situation like that:

 

• TR Visa 60 days single entry: 35 Euro

   

• TR Visa 60 days multiple entry: 175 Euro (Thai embassy site)

   

• Laos Visa on Arrival: 40 USD (single entry? 2 day trips might be ok)

   

On a tour of Isaan with rental car and bicycle I will stay in Nakhon Phanom for about 7 days. It would be around days no. 40 – 47 of my 2 months TR visa. I plan to buy another 30 days at a provincial Thai immigration to get exactly 89 days total in Thailand. (The 3 months Non-O is too complicated for me.)

 

Bicycling (not by car!), I would prefer a boat crossing out of NKP town into Laos. I would not like to use the Friendship Bridge III, but it seems after the boat crossing there is no Visa on Arrival available, it's only after the Friendship bridge? Maybe I could get a Lao visa online then.

 

Day trips into Laos seem very expensive with those visas above. I speak basic Thai and Isaan-Lao.

 

There seems to be no day-visa or visa-runner visa for Laos? (Myanmar used to have it for foreign visa runners from TH, I used it once from Mae Sai.) But if there is a day-visa for Laos, which radius does it allow you?

 

Of course I could shift Isaan destinations so that Nakhon Phanom is at the end of either 30 oder 60 days in Thailand, but that's complicated in my case, and I want to stay 89 days total, with the last month in the south.

 

Thanks for your insights!

 

PS.

 

I understand that Laos is very hilly, fascinating and deserves more than 1-2 day trips. Still I want to do only 1-2 Laotian day trips by bicycle. If the visa situation is too complicated and costly, 0 trips. I understand that Laotions and Thais drive on different roadsides.

 

There is a slight chance I might stay in Mukdahan to do Laos day trips from there.

 

Last time I was in Laos (years before covid) there were no day-trip visa.

I paid the regular fee, no matter how short my stay.