Based on advice from a previous post, we've decided to book an onward flight from Thailand to Vietnam. This means we will need to obtain a Vietnamese visa in Thailand. We will be in Chiang Mai for a week and in Pattaya for a week. Can anyone confirm how long it takes to get a vietnamese visa and if it can be bought preferably in chiang mai, or pattaya? Thanks for the help.

I had to go to Vietnam a few times for work when I lived in Pattaya and had to go to the Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok, the only place I know of that you can get one. If you apply for a visa before noon you can pick it up the next day, can't remember how much it cost, but try to get there early or the queues are long.

Believe they offer an electronic visa option over the internet that is stamped on arrival if you want to try that. Google would find.

I think you will have to get the Vietnamese visa here in Bangkok. Last year when I got a visa I noticed that they did offer a same day service in addition to the regular service which took about 4 days. For the same day service you had to apply early in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon. I dont remember the price. The Vietnamese Embassy is located on Wireless Road not far from the US Embassy.

Check here

http://www.vietnamembassy-thailand.org/nr070521170031/

any decent travel agent can get you the visa

i got a Vietnam visa from a travel agent in the mountains near chaing mai (Pai)

if they can do it from pai then they can do it from chaing mai

they even offered me different costs for different lengths and entries

The obvious place is at the Vietnames embassy at Thanon Wittayu in Bangkok, but as you are in Chiang Mai, your best bet is to do it through a travel agency, of course this will add to the price and it will take some time. The electronic visa option mentioned by Lopburi is only viable if arriving by air, not by land. It is a kind of visa on arrival offered by vietnamstay.com.

If you do plan to go into Bangkok, you could have next day service for 2500 baht.

More information (regarding visa on arrival via Vietnamstay here

Edit: of course the vietnamstay option is rather expensive.

Based on advice from a previous post, we've decided to book an onward flight from Thailand to Vietnam. This means we will need to obtain a Vietnamese visa in Thailand. We will be in Chiang Mai for a week and in Pattaya for a week. Can anyone confirm how long it takes to get a vietnamese visa and if it can be bought preferably in chiang mai, or pattaya? Thanks for the help.

Nothing more easy then to get a Visa for Vietnam and no any special conditions as for Thailand, go check here

http://www.visa-vietnam.org/default.asp

Enjoy Vietnam

Go to http://www.handintravel.com/ and contact Mr. Dzung. He got the best visa arrangements possible and definitely a very reliable travel agency. Visa at arrival is one of the easiest arrangements but contact him first. Visa's that way are definitely cheaper then going to the embassy in Bangkok.

cheers and enjoy the stay!

Raoul

Also check the nationalities for no visa required, like for some Scandinavian countries, ie. Finland, allowed 15 days entry with no preapplied visa. May save some money on a short trip.