Help, Must Exit, Want To Go To Laos

[jst]

im 38 yrs, american woman, i need to exit, have used all my days, want to get a tourist visa from laos.

is it easy? i have no blank pages in my passport, only 2 halfs (2blocks on 2 pages). do i need full sheets?

how much is the visa? must i show an air ticket (dont have one). how long does the process take? should i make reservations to stay over? any reccommended hotels there? those who have gone, how should i travel from pattaya, is there a bus. i think i could save money by not using a visa run company. and plus my kids and my husband are thinking about goin with me to the border and waiting in thailand. any one with any info about any of these questions please reply, thank u so much. this is such a good forum. all so, after this run, can i do regular visa runs to cambodia. and could u explain the tourist x2 thing. thanks

and whats the name of the border check point?

[Richie1971]

im 38 yrs, american woman, i need to exit, have used all my days, want to get a tourist visa from laos.

is it easy? i have no blank pages in my passport, only 2 halfs (2blocks on 2 pages). do i need full sheets?

how much is the visa? must i show an air ticket (dont have one). how long does the process take? should i make reservations to stay over? any reccommended hotels there? those who have gone, how should i travel from pattaya, is there a bus. i think i could save money by not using a visa run company. and plus my kids and my husband are thinking about goin with me to the border and waiting in thailand. any one with any info about any of these questions please reply, thank u so much. this is such a good forum. all so, after this run, can i do regular visa runs to cambodia. and could u explain the tourist x2 thing. thanks

and whats the name of the border check point?

The Laos visa takes up a full page, plus entry and exit stamps as does Cambodia - I think you will need to goto Penang or KL where the stamp is small and then apply for a new passport on your return - not sure about the return tickets requirements, you can probably buy a bus ticket in Penang showing your intention to return.

[lopburi3]

You need to visit US Embassy ACSU in the Consulate section to obtain new pages for your passport before you do anything else. There is no charge and will only take a few minutes but should be done in morning as only open about an hour in afternoon I believe.

You make application for visa in morning and receive next workday afternoon.

[jst]

im 38 yrs, american woman, i need to exit, have used all my days, want to get a tourist visa from laos.

is it easy? i have no blank pages in my passport, only 2 halfs (2blocks on 2 pages). do i need full sheets?

how much is the visa? must i show an air ticket (dont have one). how long does the process take? should i make reservations to stay over? any reccommended hotels there? those who have gone, how should i travel from pattaya, is there a bus. i think i could save money by not using a visa run company. and plus my kids and my husband are thinking about goin with me to the border and waiting in thailand. any one with any info about any of these questions please reply, thank u so much. this is such a good forum. all so, after this run, can i do regular visa runs to cambodia. and could u explain the tourist x2 thing. thanks

and whats the name of the border check point?

thanks for the visa page info. i Really need answers to the other questions. I MUST LEAVE BY MARCH 29, 2008. PLEASE ANY ANSWERS WOULD REALLY HELP. THANKS SO MUCH!

[jstumbo]

Probably do not need an air ticket if going to Vientiane Laos. Turn your passport into the embassy in the morning, go back the next afternoon to pick it up. At least one nights stay would be required. You could fly to Vientiane, or take a bus to Nong Khai and go across the border. If your family goes with you they will be waiting a couple of days for you. If you apply for and get a double entry tourist visa you could go anywhere to use the second entry. If you are talking about just crossing the border and coming back in on a 30 visa exempt stamp, you can only do this for 90 days in a 6 month period. So you would have to calculate if you have more days left, or if you need to wait. You can apply for a double entry tourist visa from Vientiane. This will allow you to stay for 60 days, extend it for 30 days at immigration and then exit the country, come right back in, stay for another 60 days, extend for another 30 days at immigration. Just make sure that you make the second entry before the visa expires, even if you still have more days that you are allowed on your entry.

[lopburi3]

Try reading this thread from earlier in the week - if will probably answer most of your questions.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=172279

[otherstuff1957]

I would plan for an extra day just to CYA in case your arrive late or anything else goes wrong. You can get a bus to Nong Khai at Mochit Bus Station or a Train Ticket at Hualompong Train Station. A visa to Lao can be bought at the border, it costs $35US or 1,500baht.

Does anybody know if there is DTAC phone service in Vien Chan?

[lopburi3]

Be aware that train service may be curtailed due to bed bugs according to the Bangkok Post report today. Most train sleepers are under revamp.

[dman961]

im 38 yrs, american woman, i need to exit, have used all my days, want to get a tourist visa from laos.

is it easy? i have no blank pages in my passport, only 2 halfs (2blocks on 2 pages). do i need full sheets?

how much is the visa? must i show an air ticket (dont have one). how long does the process take? should i make reservations to stay over? any reccommended hotels there? those who have gone, how should i travel from pattaya, is there a bus. i think i could save money by not using a visa run company. and plus my kids and my husband are thinking about goin with me to the border and waiting in thailand. any one with any info about any of these questions please reply, thank u so much. this is such a good forum. all so, after this run, can i do regular visa runs to cambodia. and could u explain the tourist x2 thing. thanks

and whats the name of the border check point?

You will need at least one full page for most border crossings. I live in Ubonratchathani and recently had to do a crossing at chong mek (border post in Ubonratchathani provence) into lous.

Having only the 30day t/v and stayed more than 90days in 6months i was worried, but it was not a problem, very relaxed crossing.

The girlfriend came with me. She got a one day pass from an office at the border and came with me. On the way out of Thailand i got stamped out like you would at the airport and walked accross no mans land to the lous bourder patrol office. There they give you a visa application form to fill in (10 mins), you hand the completed form with your passport and $35 or 1500bht back to them, walk round the corner to the next blacked out window and you get your passport back with the visa and a stamp into lous. The girlfriend didn't even need her passport, just her thai i.d. card. We done a bit of shopping, had a bite to eat, and came back to the lous border patrol office, got stamped out and walked back into thailand.

You must remember as you walk back to get stamped back in, this was a little office half way before i got to the main border patrol office, nearly missed it. You fill out the same card you get on the plane (tourist visa application), get stamped (didn't check my other visits) and walk back through customs. Easy.

Good luck!

[jst]

Probably do not need an air ticket if going to Vientiane Laos. Turn your passport into the embassy in the morning, go back the next afternoon to pick it up. At least one nights stay would be required. You could fly to Vientiane, or take a bus to Nong Khai and go across the border. If your family goes with you they will be waiting a couple of days for you. If you apply for and get a double entry tourist visa you could go anywhere to use the second entry. If you are talking about just crossing the border and coming back in on a 30 visa exempt stamp, you can only do this for 90 days in a 6 month period. So you would have to calculate if you have more days left, or if you need to wait. You can apply for a double entry tourist visa from Vientiane. This will allow you to stay for 60 days, extend it for 30 days at immigration and then exit the country, come right back in, stay for another 60 days, extend for another 30 days at immigration. Just make sure that you make the second entry before the visa expires, even if you still have more days that you are allowed on your entry.

im going for the tourist x 2 visa at laos, how can i ensure that they give me adequete time to use the first + 30 day time before running into the next/

[jstumbo]

Depending on which country your passports is from, you will probably be given 60 days on an entry, which can be extended for another 30 days at immigration in Thailand. They will give you at least 90 days before a double entry visa expires, so you might lose a couple of days on your first entry, but then you just have to re-enter prior to the enter before date on the visa for your second entry.

Most 1st world countries get the 60+30 days.