Vientiane Laos for Thai Visa

[tropo]

Our party of six (myself excluded - did'nt visit the consulate) were given double entry visas this monday no problem. I would add it is worth picking your passport up 30 mins after they open in the afternoon as the queue has gone by then.l

Great news!

[ntfeeney]

I went to Vientiane Tuesday- Wednesday, perfect! Doub-entry tv.

6am flight Don Muang - Udon.

Minibus from airport to nong khai

Laos Visa on Arrival. 20 minutes tops...

crossed the friendship bridge on the bus.. 20 minutes for wait and crossing

tuk-tuk to the thai embassy.

Already had my form filled out, so it took 20 minutes to process and pay, finished well before the morning was over.

Walked a bit, then tuk-tuk to my hotel (seng lao-manager speaks perfect english) for some sleep and english-lang TV.

Tooled around VTE, then out at night to the jazz festival and a couple bars, avoided a few shifty nightgirls on my midnight-walk back to the hotel and got some sleep.

Next morning, up and back at the scandanavian bakery for great breakfast (JOMA for lunch), morning market, then to the embassy around 1:30. 1 person in line, it took 10 minutes to pick up, then back to the morning market (bus depot).

The 2:00 bus to udon was sold-out already, so I grouped with 5 laos folks (speaking a little thai helps, as the languages seem to be 85% the same) and got a 50baht tuk tuk to the border.

Got interviewed by some Thai televison station (and did some dancing too) at the border, then back on the minibus, arriving at udon airport a couple hours early.

Don't eat at the airport.. ahahn pahng le mai aroi.

Flight (nok air both ways) back....

I love Nok Air- they were early, don muang is small and easy, the taxi is cheaper (from banglampoo) and it was a nice 1.5 days out of bkk. VTE= slow, relaxed, good french food (i;m not french, so I dont know this for sure), and a big-ass mae nam Mekong. Easy, 2x TV- good to go.

Our party of six (myself excluded - did'nt visit the consulate) were given double entry visas this monday no problem. I would add it is worth picking your passport up 30 mins after they open in the afternoon as the queue has gone by then.l

Great news!

[bangkokgas]

Nice report! Your only mistake would seem to have been not staying a bit longer in Vientiane -an absolute haven of peace after Thailand (as you are now aware).

[tropo]

Don't eat at the airport.. ahahn pahng le mai aroi.

I found the food at the airport ok. There's a large Thai restaurant/cafetaria on the second level with a buffet. I was surprised how good (and cheap) it was for an airport eatery.

[hullupullo]

Don't eat at the airport.. ahahn pahng le mai aroi.

I found the food at the airport ok. There's a large Thai restaurant/cafetaria on the second level with a buffet. I was surprised how good (and cheap) it was for an airport eatery.

Restaurant outside is far more better. Just when u come dont stop to the doors, go 100m more and u see restaurant behind the terminal

[james24]

just got my toruist visa x2 from vientienne yesterday but am not sure if I got the right one. The only difference to the sigle is that where it says number of entries it has a two rather than an s. Im getting the bus to bangkok from vientienne, can anyone tell me how this visa works? Do I check that the immigration at the border stamp it for 60 dasy like the previous then get it extended at immigration office in thailand then when thats up have to leave the country to do the whole process again?? Im abit confused....

[BigSnake]

I have just returned from laos, after bieng unsure weather they would follow in pennangs footsteps by stamping "not to return" and am happy to say i appllied for and recieved a Tourist x 2 visa!

i did not meet anyone who was refussed or had any problems!

Now this is my first Tourist x 2 so ill presume ill get

arrived back yesterday and got 60 days

then top up at jontiem 30 days

then cambodia border 60 days (for double entry)

then top up at jontiem 30 days

then ill just do 2 x border runs keping1 left for plan b thats 60 days

so in theory thats 8 months sorted!

now if i have added this wrong please let me know, as i say it is my first double entry!

cheers chris

Thank for the update sure it will be useful to many.

[lopburi3]

just got my toruist visa x2 from vientienne yesterday but am not sure if I got the right one. The only difference to the sigle is that where it says number of entries it has a two rather than an s. Im getting the bus to bangkok from vientienne, can anyone tell me how this visa works? Do I check that the immigration at the border stamp it for 60 dasy like the previous then get it extended at immigration office in thailand then when thats up have to leave the country to do the whole process again?? Im abit confused....

Yes. But be sure to exit/enter before the expiration date of your visa for the second entry.

[james24]

ok cheers just a bit confused again. I am entering today and the visa said enter before 24th June. So in order to use my second entry I have to leave before that date? If that is correct I dont get 3 months on each one. I get about 2 and a third on the first then hopefully 60 days agaion followed by a thai topup??

[lopburi3]

You must enter on the 23rd or before to use second entry. If you had entered on date visa issued you would have almost 90 days before second entry had to be made. This type of visa is issued for those that travel in various countries and return during a 90 day period - it is not designed to allow people to stay in Thailand the entire time.

[medegen]

• Left March 25th at 8pm by Double decker bus.
  

• Stopped a few times of course for bathroom and snacks/food.
  

• Arrived 9 hours later (March 26th 5am) in Nong Khai, where I filled out the laos visa forms and they checked my passport at a restaurant and also ate.
  

• 6am Arrived at Nong Khai/Laos Border.
  

• Waited around 1 hour for my Laos visa as there were about 50 other people waiting. No other tours came at this time THANK GOD!
  

• Got on the crappy bus on the Laos side to the embassy (extra 50 baht)<-----BS I know.
  

• Arrived at the embassy in about 20 minutes and the embassy looked deserted! No one was there! (except for like maybe 9 other people). Where it said the different types of visas I put an X for Tourist Visa and X2. I took the app to the guy and he said "So you need a Double Entry?" and he told me the place where I forgot to put it and spell out Double Entry. He happily did it for me
  

• TIP: I wouldn't fool with those guys hanging around outside of the embassy. THEY ARE UP TO NO GOOD AND THEY DO NOT WORK FOR THE EMBASSY.
  

• Went and checked in at Aroon Residence Hotel. $20 gets you pretty nice room hot water/fridge/tv with all channels/Wifi/American Breakfast/Tons more. For $35 You can buy a whole floor (Suite) Its like a little mini mansion. This place is superclean, but also the walking distance from there to the embassy is about 20 minutes.
  

• Looked around at the sleepy capital. Mekong river etc (I guess you can walk across the mekong certain times of the year since its nothing but sand in some areas.) Ate French food or whatever it was. Fried Meatballs and French Fries.
  

• Now pickup time for the visa wasnt until 1pm so me and my girl had some time to kill so we woke up early and checked out to go to the morning market. I have to say Laos is very different but they like boring food and boring markets and have you seen the Lao dance? All selling the same stuff like Laos Chocolate(DO NOT BUY THE LAO CHOCOLATE IN THE FANCY WRAPPING AND CASES! IT'S LIKE 99% SUGAR 1% CHOCOLATE) My Apologies for this rant.
  

• So it was about 12:00 pm and it was time for us to go (we met a cool canadian dude and his g/f while we were there and we stuck together from then on)
  

• Wrong decision because it only took us 10 mins to get there so we would have to stand outside the embassy in 100F weather for 50mins? No way we told the tuk tuk driver to stay there and to just send us to the border after we were done so we used the shade of the tuk tuk until we saw there were people lining up.
  

• Me and the Canadian guy were 4th and 5th in line (WOOHOO!) and I showed my receipt and received my passport. Inside was a X2 tourist visa. No problems at all! Oh I also had 3 other seperate used tourist visas in my passport, but it seemed it didnt matter.
  

• After that was all done the tuk-tuk driver took us to the border where we found a driver to drive all 4 of us to Udon Thani to the airport so we could get back to Bangkok in an hour (Civilization!) The private cars here apparently have to queue up? This one old driver was rushing us for some reason to get in his car and here comes this younger thai guy and starts yelling at him for not queueing up.
  

Well I guess thats it. I hope I didnt miss anything. Oh I hate to say this but im sure alot of people here know. If youre a black guy, you WILL be hassled by Thai Immigration. If I missed anything, just let me know.

[sjaak327]

"I have to say Laos is very different but they like boring food and boring markets and have you seen the Lao dance? "

Boring food ? you have no idea.

too bad you didn't use your time in Laos to actually really learn something of the country.

Good, you went back to Bangkok ((Civilization!) in such a hurry, god forbid you had to stay longer in that uncivilized country

[bangkokgas]

Have to agree with the above. Boring food? You obviously did'nt know where to go. For anyone reading try "Le Vedrome' a k or so from the fountain (to the right if standing behind it, walk for around 800 metrtes and take a left towards the river - its on the right). Fantastic food. We had the following 10 days ago:

Fois Gras (pate to some)

Salad Nicoise (tuna/potato/olives/pepers/lettuce the rest) - a salad to some.

2 steaks in red wine sauce with "pommes frites"

I carafe of decent vin rouge.

Total cost - 700 baht for two. 7,000 for anything comparable in Bangkok! Vientiane is crawling with great food be ot Italian/French/Lao/Vietnamese. Funnily enough, it's quite hard to find good Thai food!

[technocracy]

As had been said about the food - if you think Vientiane has bad food you obviously went the wrong places. Lao food is fantastic - especially home cooked non restaurant variety. Sure there is all the french food and other foreign stuff but Lao food itself is excellent.

Also on the word of the Chocolate . . . that is Viet Chocolate flogged by the hawkers outside the morning market - Lao doesn't make chocolate!

But they do make some fantastic fresh fruit yogurt or even better if you'd walk through the small hawker bit outside the morning market there is usually street sellers with BBQ Bananas and Sweet Potatoes . . far better than chocolatey crap!

As for the boring markets - whatever floats your boat but all I can say is in the 'boring' markets you can buy stuff for far less than you can in Thailand . . . take the Samsung Washing machine I bought for 8,000 baht . . Big C 13,000 or the Mitsu Aircons 12,000btu 11,000baht ... Tesco - 14,995baht, I won't continue . . but lets just say they are far from boring!

[tropo]

6am Arrived at Nong Khai/Laos Border.

Waited around 1 hour for my Laos visa as there were about 50 other people waiting. No other tours came at this time THANK GOD!

Got on the crappy bus on the Laos side to the embassy (extra 50 baht)<-----BS I know.

Arrived at the embassy in about 20 minutes and the embassy looked deserted! No one was there! (except for like maybe 9 other people). Where it said the different types of visas I put an X for Tourist Visa and X2. I took the app to the guy and he said "So you need a Double Entry?" and he told me the place where I forgot to put it and spell out Double Entry. He happily did it for me

TIP: I wouldn't fool with those guys hanging around outside of the embassy. THEY ARE UP TO NO GOOD AND THEY DO NOT WORK FOR THE EMBASSY.

Some questions:

1. What time did you arrive at the Thai Embassy? According to the times you mention here you got there before it opened.

2. Why are the guys hanging around the outside of the embassy up to no good? By all accounts they are very efficient in preparing the application form for people who haven't got a clue or who don't have the forms or haven't got photocopies...for a very modest fee of 100 baht.

[funfun]

6am Arrived at Nong Khai/Laos Border.

Waited around 1 hour for my Laos visa as there were about 50 other people waiting. No other tours came at this time THANK GOD!

Got on the crappy bus on the Laos side to the embassy (extra 50 baht)<-----BS I know.

Arrived at the embassy in about 20 minutes and the embassy looked deserted! No one was there! (except for like maybe 9 other people). Where it said the different types of visas I put an X for Tourist Visa and X2. I took the app to the guy and he said "So you need a Double Entry?" and he told me the place where I forgot to put it and spell out Double Entry. He happily did it for me

TIP: I wouldn't fool with those guys hanging around outside of the embassy. THEY ARE UP TO NO GOOD AND THEY DO NOT WORK FOR THE EMBASSY.

Some questions:

1. What time did you arrive at the Thai Embassy? According to the times you mention here you got there before it opened.

2. Why are the guys hanging around the outside of the embassy up to no good? By all accounts they are very efficient in preparing the application form for people who haven't got a clue or who don't have the forms or haven't got photocopies...for a very modest fee of 100 baht.

Morning tropo,

I think thats just his vision, not a problem mate & Good to see everythings still ok up there, ive got ! month here then last top up jontiem and think instead of cambodia i'll go bak loas and maybe travel further up north for a look around & of course a few beer laos!

you wont be far behind will you tropo, a month maybe?

[stevemiddie]

Have to agree with the above. Boring food? You obviously did'nt know where to go. For anyone reading try "Le Vedrome' a k or so from the fountain (to the right if standing behind it, walk for around 800 metrtes and take a left towards the river - its on the right). Fantastic food. We had the following 10 days ago:

Fois Gras (pate to some)

Salad Nicoise (tuna/potato/olives/pepers/lettuce the rest) - a salad to some.

2 steaks in red wine sauce with "pommes frites" Chips to some

I carafe of decent vin rouge. i.e plonk

Total cost - 700 baht for two. 7,000 for anything comparable in Bangkok! Vientiane is crawling with great food be ot Italian/French/Lao/Vietnamese. Funnily enough, it's quite hard to find good Thai food!

[yeebun]

I leared a lot from this forum about how to obtain a tourist visa in Laos. To the people who posted reports, thank you for the help.

I obtained a double entry tourist visa from Vientiane, Laos from 1-2 April.

If you are going from Chiang Mai, as an example, here is what I did:

Flew from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani via Nok Air. Nok Air flies this route in the mornings on Mondays and Saturdays.

From Udon Thani Airport, Limousine Shuttle Service to Nong Khai - 150 baht.

Laos visa on arrival - $35 USD, and entered Laos.

Shared tuk-tuk with other travellers to Vientiane - 50 baht.

--Note that by the time I entered Laos, it was already 11:30. I don't know if it is possible to get the consulate the same day if you are coming from Chiang Mai via plane.

Next day, to the Consulate at 10:00am. 5 people ahead of me, a few others sitting around filling out forms. Form is easy to obtain from the desk, but I had printed mine out.

--I made a mistake and went first to the Thai Embassy. Make sure you go to the Thai Consulate.

Turned form in and went inside to pay. In all, it took 30 minutes. When I left at 10:30, there was no line to turn in forms. It might be better to go at 10:30.

Next day I picked up my passport at 2:00pm. No wait.

From Vientiane, took the Thai-Lao Friendship bus to Udon Thani - 80 baht. From the Udon Thani bus station, I took a tuk-tuk to the airport - 100 baht. I could not find a better option to the Airport from the bus station.

Thank you for the help and good luck.

Edited April 4, 2008 by yeebun

[tropo]

I obtained a double entry tourist visa from Vientiane, Laos from 1-2 April.

Next day, to the Consulate at 10:00am. 5 people ahead of me, a few others sitting around filling out forms. Form is easy to obtain from the desk, but I had printed mine out.

From Vientiane, took the Thai-Lao Friendship bus to Udon Thani - 80 baht. From the Udon Thani bus station, I took a tuk-tuk to the airport - 100 baht. I could not find a better option to the Airport from the bus station.

Thank you for the help and good luck.

Thanks for the report.

Yours is the second report I've read that mentioned that there was hardly anyone waiting at the embassy...both on Wednesdays. I wonder why they have been so quiet lately??

A few questions:

Where can one catch the Thai-Lao Friendship bus you mentioned? At what times does it run?

How do they manage the border crossing process at both sides? I ask this because when I was last there, there were long queus at both the Laos and Thai border posts.

[koenie]

there was no tv denied. penang allows max 3 tv in the last you get a red stamp and you need a returnticket bocked hotel

Not in my case. I had a brand new (Belgian) passport (issued in Bangkok via the Belgian Embassy).

In my passport was only the necessary stamp you get at Bangkok immigration to transfer the information about how long you can stay in the country from the old into the new passport, and 1 visa extention of 30 days.

After that I went to Penang and I got a 60 day tourist visa with the red stamp "not to apply for Thai visa at Penang again".

On the other hand, the fact that I did not have a return flight, or any flight for that matter, wasn't a problem.

Cheers.

Edited April 5, 2008 by koenie

[funfun]

I leared a lot from this forum about how to obtain a tourist visa in Laos. To the people who posted reports, thank you for the help.

I obtained a double entry tourist visa from Vientiane, Laos from 1-2 April.

If you are going from Chiang Mai, as an example, here is what I did:

Flew from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani via Nok Air. Nok Air flies this route in the mornings on Mondays and Saturdays.

From Udon Thani Airport, Limousine Shuttle Service to Nong Khai - 150 baht.

Laos visa on arrival - $35 USD, and entered Laos.

Shared tuk-tuk with other travellers to Vientiane - 50 baht.

--Note that by the time I entered Laos, it was already 11:30. I don't know if it is possible to get the consulate the same day if you are coming from Chiang Mai via plane.

Next day, to the Consulate at 10:00am. 5 people ahead of me, a few others sitting around filling out forms. Form is easy to obtain from the desk, but I had printed mine out.

--ai CoI made a mistake and went first to the Thai Embassy. Make sure you go to the Thnsulate.

Turned form in and went inside to pay. In all, it took 30 minutes. When I left at 10:30, there was no line to turn in forms. It might be better to go at 10:30.

Next day I picked up my passport at 2:00pm. No wait.

From Vientiane, took the Thai-Lao Friendship bus to Udon Thani - 80 baht. From the Udon Thani bus station, I took a tuk-tuk to the airport - 100 baht. I could not find a better option to the Airport from the bus station.

Thank you for the help and good luck.

Good report and

"-I made a mistake and went first to the Thai Embassy. Make sure you go to the Thai Consulate"

i didnt know it had both, i must have been lucky!

chris

[mel2surf]

Hey Chris,

Hope all is well mate.

This thread is still going?..whaaaaa....

amazing !

[tropo]

Hey Chris,

Hope all is well mate.

This thread is still going?..whaaaaa....

amazing !

Let's hope this thread keeps on going for many more moons.

[sniffdog]

===============================================================

i didnt know it had both, i must have been lucky!

===============================================================

Yes, there are. Coming from the monument, you can go either into a road on the left or a road on the right.

The road on the right is the correct one. There is a major Toyota dealer on the right hand side.

[FrankFrink]

I heard today from a Bangkok visa run company that they have stopped going to Laos as farang need to show 14,000 Baht (income including bank statement - didn't say on regularity) plus an onward plane ticket to get a visa.... ???

Can anyone verify that or report?

I plan to go this week and get a regular tourist visa or 2x tourist visa. My last visa was 1x tourist visa from Saigon. I have many visa stamps in passport of different types. Do I need the onward flight ticket? I will travel overland to Laos and return overland.

Many thanks.

AMH

[lopburi3]

Have not seen any such report - but there are two Consulates in Laos so would be helpful if you knew which one. Vientiane is currently the best place in the area for tourist visa issues. Savannakhet has been very restrictive. The normal requirement for a visa issue is 10-20,000 baht in cash (if asked for) and onward tickets can also be asked for.

2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

- Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months

- Visa application form completely filled out

- Recent( 4 x 6 cm.) photograph of the applicant

- Evidence of travel from Thailand (air ticket paid in full)

- Evidence of adequate finance (10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family)

- Consular officers reserve the rights to request additional documents as deemed necessary

[FrankFrink]

Have not seen any such report - but there are two Consulates in Laos so would be helpful if you knew which one. Vientiane is currently the best place in the area for tourist visa issues. Savannakhet has been very restrictive. The normal requirement for a visa issue is 10-20,000 baht in cash (if asked for) and onward tickets can also be asked for.

2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

- Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months

- Visa application form completely filled out

- Recent( 4 x 6 cm.) photograph of the applicant

- Evidence of travel from Thailand (air ticket paid in full)

- Evidence of adequate finance (10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family)

- Consular officers reserve the rights to request additional documents as deemed necessary

Many thanks Lopburi3

Looks quite definate that an airticket is needed plus perhaps evidence of the 10,000 or otherwise...

Are there any reports here of those who are doing this trip overland and without obviously having an onward flight ticket? And therefore anybody been refused for not having these documents?

Seems if this was enforced that some travelers would not be able to enter Thailand at all with a Tourist Visa (if they have no onward ticket already bought and paid for which is a likely scenario if travelling and unsure of time to be spent exactly in Thailand)

Thank you

AMH

Edited April 6, 2008 by FrankFrink

[sniffdog]

===================================================================

I heard today from a Bangkok visa run company that they have stopped going to Laos as farang need to show 14,000 Baht (income including bank statement - didn't say on regularity) plus an onward plane ticket to get a visa.

===================================================================

http://jackgolf.com/en/visa_run/index.html

[tropo]

Have not seen any such report - but there are two Consulates in Laos so would be helpful if you knew which one. Vientiane is currently the best place in the area for tourist visa issues. Savannakhet has been very restrictive. The normal requirement for a visa issue is 10-20,000 baht in cash (if asked for) and onward tickets can also be asked for.

2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

- Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months

- Visa application form completely filled out

- Recent( 4 x 6 cm.) photograph of the applicant

- Evidence of travel from Thailand (air ticket paid in full)

- Evidence of adequate finance (10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family)

- Consular officers reserve the rights to request additional documents as deemed necessary

Many thanks Lopburi3

Looks quite definate that an airticket is needed plus perhaps evidence of the 10,000 or otherwise...

Are there any reports here of those who are doing this trip overland and without obviously having an onward flight ticket? And therefore anybody been refused for not having these documents?

Seems if this was enforced that some travelers would not be able to enter Thailand at all with a Tourist Visa (if they have no onward ticket already bought and paid for which is a likely scenario if travelling and unsure of time to be spent exactly in Thailand)

Thank you

AMH

Let's clear up this confusion before people start panicking.

This thread is about tourist visas from VIENTIANE, LAOS.

Proof of funds and onward ticket are NOT currently required in VIENTIANE.

The consulate in SAVANNAKHET, LAOS has become restrictive regarding tourist visa issue and visa run companies have stopped going there.

[007]

there was no tv denied. penang allows max 3 tv in the last you get a red stamp and you need a returnticket bocked hotel

Not in my case. I had a brand new (Belgian) passport (issued in Bangkok via the Belgian Embassy)...

After that I went to Penang and I got a 60 day tourist visa with the red stamp "not to apply for Thai visa at Penang again"...

So it didn't matter that your passport was "clean", but rather that the consulate had its records of your previous visa applications. Did you have two or three TV's from Penang recently?