Vientiane Laos for Thai Visa

[ubonjoe]

Put 60 or 90 days is good.

You should put the most complete address that you can give them.

[Chip73]

I'm just coming to the end of my second 60 day stay on a double entry tourist visa. I'm going to the border (Mae Sot) to get another 15 days and then to Vientiane for another double entry visa. Three (or four if we're splitting hairs) questions:

1) Thai visa charge waived up till what date exactly? (4 June?)

2) Could I actually do two or even three border runs before getting a new visa and thus get an extra 15 or 30 days? (What about the 90 day limit within a 6 month period rule?)

3) I still don't understand why there are so many young West/Central African men in Vientiane. Never seen any anywhere else in the region.

Cheers

[Lite Beer]

I'm just coming to the end of my second 60 day stay on a double entry tourist visa. I'm going to the border (Mae Sot) to get another 15 days and then to Vientiane for another double entry visa. Three (or four if we're splitting hairs) questions:

1) Thai visa charge waived up till what date exactly? (4 June?)

2) Could I actually do two or even three border runs before getting a new visa and thus get an extra 15 or 30 days? (What about the 90 day limit within a 6 month period rule?)

3) I still don't understand why there are so many young West/Central African men in Vientiane. Never seen any anywhere else in the region.

Cheers

1. Free until June 4th.

2. There is no 90 day limit.

3. No comment.

[lopburi3]

1. June 4

2. You can extend a 60 day entry (if you received 60 days on entry) 30 days at immigration for 1,900 baht. Yes you can do border runs for 15 days at a time forever if you want. There is no 90 day limit within 6 months anymore.

3. Last I noticed posted there were no African visa applicants at Vientiane. They only receive a transit visa from that location currently.

[ubonjoe]

I'm just coming to the end of my second 60 day stay on a double entry tourist visa. I'm going to the border (Mae Sot) to get another 15 days and then to Vientiane for another double entry visa. Three (or four if we're splitting hairs) questions:

1) Thai visa charge waived up till what date exactly? (4 June?)

2) Could I actually do two or even three border runs before getting a new visa and thus get an extra 15 or 30 days? (What about the 90 day limit within a 6 month period rule?)

3) I still don't understand why there are so many young West/Central African men in Vientiane. Never seen any anywhere else in the region.

Cheers

Have you gotten a 30 day extension yet at immigration (1900 baht)?

1. June 4th is the last day.

2. You could. There is not any limit on visa exempt entries anymore.

3. I don't think there are as many now since they have cut them back to transit visas only. Also don't go on Monday because that is the day all the visa run companies show up.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

The consulate no longer issues tourist visas to "Africans". They started only giving them transit visas a few months ago.

Can't help on the bus. If you are flying in you should check for a van from the airport,

Yes, there's a minibus service to the Friendship Bridge at Udon airport. 200 baht. As soon as you leave the baggage area and enter the public concourse, the minibus counter is almost straight ahead. But you face a pile of fares (minibus to bridge, crossing bridge and taxi mafia into Vientiane). That train service from Nong Khai to Thanaleng looks good. I think when I do this late this year, I'll fly into Udon, take train to Nong Khai and switch to train for Laos and take bus into city (thanks for details, Aussieboi).

[tropo]

3) I still don't understand why there are so many young West/Central African men in Vientiane. Never seen any anywhere else in the region.

Cheers

Why are so many people are concerned about the number of African people in Vientiane? How did you determine which part of Africa they came from?

[Chip73]

Why are so many people are concerned about the number of African people in Vientiane? How did you determine which part of Africa they came from?

Personally, I'm just curious. I used to live in Africa and since I've been in SE Asia (more than a few months!) I've met/seen none till Vientiane where a couple of them told me where they were from.

Thanks to all for the responses to my visa questions. When did they drop the visa run limit because I was refused in Mae Sot last August? I thought they'd been clamping down even more since the 30 days became 15.

[lopburi3]

That 30 days in six months was replaced by the 15 day land visa exempt entry rule.

[canuckamuck]

Ok I am off to Laos for an Ed visa. But I have a very basic question. Do I have to be out of the country before my visa expires, or can I leave the day it expires. Mine ends on the 25th? Can I hit the friendship bridge on the 25th, or does it have to be the 24th?

I will post a report later about the trip. I am going to get suksatour instead of crapchapong. I made that mistake last time through. it won't happen again.

[ubonjoe]

You can leave whenever you want as long as it is before your permit to stay expires which in your case is midnight on the 25th.

[canuckamuck]

You can leave whenever you want as long as it is before your permit to stay expires which in your case is midnight on the 25th.

Thanks, that is what I thought, but someone said different so I had to check.

[hullupullo]

Sorry - another question rather than a reply - but what's the story with the Africans in Vientiane?

Also, can someone please confirm which bus station I need in Udon for the 'regular' bus to Nong Khai? (Above it says not No 1 and presumably it's not No 2 either.) Cheers.

When I want go from Udon to Nong Khai I go Central Bus Station and wait bus coming from somewhere south and which is going to Nong Khai. Never had to wait more than 15 min and paid 20-40b. That is morning between 6-8 am. Udonmap.com has good map to see both bus stations, http://www.udonmap.com/images/new_map.gif

[mangkorn]

That 30 days in six months was replaced by the 15 day land visa exempt entry rule.

lopburi3: could you please explain what that means? Sorry, I am new to this whole question of tourist visas (because I'm going to lose my work visa/work permit due to the economic crisis...). Thanks.

[beechguy]

That 30 days in six months was replaced by the 15 day land visa exempt entry rule.

lopburi3: could you please explain what that means? Sorry, I am new to this whole question of tourist visas (because I'm going to lose my work visa/work permit due to the economic crisis...). Thanks.

There was a rule that you could only stay 90 days in 6 months on a "visa exempt" status if I understand correctly what Lopburi was referring to. Anyway, late November last year, they changed the rules, so that if you enter by air, you get 30 days "visa exempt" entry, if enter by land you only get 15 days.

If you are getting a "Tourist Visa" it doesn't apply anyway.

Edited May 21, 2009 by beechguy

[mangkorn]

That 30 days in six months was replaced by the 15 day land visa exempt entry rule.

lopburi3: could you please explain what that means? Sorry, I am new to this whole question of tourist visas (because I'm going to lose my work visa/work permit due to the economic crisis...). Thanks.

There was a rule that you could only stay 90 days in 6 months on a "visa exempt" status if I understand correctly what Lopburi was referring to. Anyway, late November last year, they changed the rules, so that if you enter by air, you get 30 days "visa exempt" entry, if enter by land you only get 15 days.

If you are getting a "Tourist Visa" it doesn't apply anyway.

Thanks. Does that mean that, theoretically, one can continuously get a new tourist visa when the previous one expires?

[lopburi3]

Yes.

[mja1906]

Sorry to change the topic, but has anyone had recent experience of applying for a volunteer non-imm O visa? Is it easy/difficult?

What docs are required from that embassy? I heard it is easier to apply here than Vietnam, Msia etc.....

Also would they issue 1 yr or 90 days?

Thanks

[syd barrett]

What is the cost of a tourist visa for Laos upon arrival at the friendship bridge? In $US or THB..?

[ubonjoe]

Sorry to change the topic, but has anyone had recent experience of applying for a volunteer non-imm O visa? Is it easy/difficult?

What docs are required from that embassy? I heard it is easier to apply here than Vietnam, Msia etc.....

Also would they issue 1 yr or 90 days?

Thanks

You have a reply in the topic you posted previously.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Volunteer-Vi...ri-t267308.html

[ubonjoe]

What is the cost of a tourist visa for Laos upon arrival at the friendship bridge? In $US or THB..?

1500 baht or $35.

[OxfordWill]

Just wondering if anyone knows where you get the exit stamp if you are travelling by train from Bangkok to Laos / ThaNaleng? I know you can get the VOA at ThaNaleng but where do you get stamped out of Thailand?

Thanks

[ubonjoe]

From reports I have read you get stamped out before you board the train in Nong Kai.

[OxfordWill]

makes sense, thanks

[canuckamuck]

What is the cost of a tourist visa for Laos upon arrival at the friendship bridge? In $US or THB..?

1500 baht or $35.

$42 for Canadians, I guess we made someone mad.

[ubonjoe]

They have been using the same exchange rate for years to come up with the baht amount.

[canuckamuck]

Ok I am in Laos right now I am getting a student visa. I am staying at the Langdao hotel. 600B per night. clean and new but not close to anything interesting.

I took the suksatour VIP from Chiang Mai. Very nice bus, I slept a lot, and usually I can't sleep enroute.

The problem is the bus showed up in Udon very close to 9:00 AM, so time was quite short. I took a tuk tuk over to grab an orange bus to Nong Kai. Last time I did this and it was quick and cheap 35B.

This time I got there just as a new bus was filling up. They waited a half hour to roll out, so now it was getting a it dicey. The trip takes an hour, and when I got Nong Kai I went to Miracle travel. They handled filling out my forms last time. I like the service because they give you driver all the way to the embassy and later to a guest house. They also exchange your money to US for the Laos visa. Basically you don't have to worry about a thing. Today that was what I wanted.

They handled all my forms real quick, and I was across the first part of the border in a flash. And then disaster, the bus across the bridge stopped for half an hour, I was at the back so I couldn't see why, but it was the nail in the coffin. By the time I got to the embassy it was 22 minutes past 11:30, when they close the doors to new visa apps. So I get to spend an extra night in a pretty boring place by myself. Oh well.

I will update again tomorrow.

[james.d]

Hi All,

Just thought i would post my Laos trip here hoping it helps someone like i got help here.

Left wednesday night on the train due to arrive in Nong Khai at 08.25 but it left late and also hit a buffalo so got in at 10.00am.

Through checkpoint and on the new train to Thanyaphet( which waited for us), i had already got my Laos visa in BKK. Paid 300THB for two people to the embassy and got ticket 444 at 11.19am. Put in papers and was out at 12.50pm to Souphaphone guest house opposite Hare and hounds pub. The 650THB room was big and clean with the usual facilities.

Next day queued up from 12.20pm and then got ticket 623 stamped 13.09am. Took over 2 hours as a few arrived with young kids and pregnant wifes demanding to be seen first. Went back through via Thanaphet, had to open the customs office for us as it was very quiet.

Anyway. got a free double entry tourist visa in the end, all in all not too bad a trip.

On a side note, anyone leaving BKK from Duang Muang station. please beware there is a porter whom we and all others including young children watched staggering around with a steak knife to his throat. Apparently its his nightly cabaret act and loved by his fellow porters and SRT staff also who were all laughing.

Cheers.

[canuckamuck]

Ok day 2, I went to the embassy today, made my application, everything went fairly quick, got there at 8:45 and got ticket 109. out by 10:15.

Not too busy there today but a predictable cast of characters. I was amused by the filipino family that brought their own bottle of glue to glue ther pictures on their applications. I was also amused by the young Californian who was trying to impress a french girl with his tales of previous trips to LOS talking about vegitarianism and meditation retreats. Then he talked about smoking grass while he opened a half litre bottle of beer. Truly an odd sight at 9:15AM at an embassy. She walked away and never spoke to him again.

Now I wait till 1:00 Pm tomorrow and make the run back to CM

[canuckamuck]

Day 3 was uneventful, nothing new to report. got in and out of the Thai embassy in about 15 mnutes, got my ed visa . Taxi from hotel to Embassy and then to border 200B Split the price with an aussie guy, walked around the depature fee window. Got a lift to a bus stop for 100, split that again with same Aussie bloke (nice guy). Made it to Udon before 3:00. Got a VIP ticket to CM on Suksatour. I know the bus is nice cause I rode it here. All done