Important Vientiene Question

[Shoeboat]

I arrived end of May last year from Philippines, and it was my first time in Thailand since I left Bangkok for Hong Kong in December 2006 where I had work.

So I came as usual on a tourist visa, as I said at end of May - extended it and returned to the Philippines for a month in August, returning on Sep 1st 2007. After a month I went to Jacks Golf in Asoke at 7am to do a visa run and they said said I would have to pay 6,600 and do a 60 day visa to Laos which I did 2 days later on 2 days overstay.

After the 60 days was up I was able to extend for another 30 days at immingration in Silom or wherever it is, and after that I was relieved to hear I could do 3x more 30 day Cambodia trips - the last of which I did last week.

So I now have only a few days or so left as it expires end of this month. I went to Sunbelt last week to get my little company registered and legal + Non Imm B but they said I am not making enough to justify paying tax at this stage. I'm working mostly in my room - when I have work that is - right now I am just scraping by, and I'd be better off getting a 90 day as the rules have relaxed again.

I admit I was tempted to get a Non Imm B the way a friend has the past 7 years by handing over my passport and 30k and nervously waiting up to 3 weeks for it's return, but for the six years I have known Thailand I have always preferred to do things by the book and I don't want that to change, it may come back and bite me in the ass later. I can't afford to fly to the UK or Aus and when I can I would like to make a proper holiday out of it anyway.

So I thought a far better idea (and more constructive) would be to do a Thai language course, perfect my Thai which could be beneficial for business - and get the 1 year ED visa. This I think is a good idea but not something I can sort out in four days.

Today I rang Jacks Golf and, as I thought, I can't squeeze out any more 30 day trips and it looks like the only short term option is to go out of the country and get another 90 day like I did back in October, only they have temporarily stopped doing the 90 day Laos tours and said I will have to do it myself.

I guess Laos by land is the cheapest option and 90 days is plenty of time to enroll on a course and take care of the next step, but I need to know that I can definately get a 90 day visa in Vientiene.

Is is risky? Because I need to get back in.

Exactly what will I need to take with me?

What is the best way to get there?

Advice welcome and warmly appreciated.

[sjaak327]

I guess you mean a normal tourist visa ? Then the only thing you need is the visa application form, a photo, and the visa fee. You might want to go for a double entry tourist visa, which will cost 2000 baht, giving you 60+30 and then you have to leave the country, come right back for another 60 +30 days. Gives you even more time to get things sorted.

Best way to get there is to take the plane to Udon Thani either on Nok or Air Asia, alternative is a longish bus ride to Nong Khai, or an even longer train ride to the same place. For UT there are minibuses that bring you striaght to the bridge, where you take a pendel bus that brings you to Lao immigration (don't forget to be stamped out on the Thai side). Since you are from the Phillipines you don't need a visa for Laos, just get an entry/exit card, fill it out, and proceed to immigration to get your entry stamp. From this point onwards, there are taxi's, shared tuk tuk's or songtaewns into Vientiane.

[Shoeboat]

^ Ah, I am not from the Philippines, I am British - but I came to Bkk from the Phills.

... Almost 10 months ago now.

Edited March 26, 2008 by Shoeboat

[funfun]

Not a worry, look up to left of this page ya got a search box type visa Laos in there bring up lots of pages and ideas to deff sort ya out!!!

can't link it not on comp at mo but do it!

an good luck

[sjaak327]

Well, then you just have to fill out the visa form for the Lao visa as well, again one photo and 35 USD visa fee in your case, or 1500 baht.

You will see where you have to be once you get there, they have this "office" marked visa on arrival, they will hand you the form, you fill it in, give the form + photo + passport + visa fee back to them, after a while they will open their window again, and possibly wave with your passport, which indicates that the visa is stamped and you are ready to entry the country.

[Shoeboat]

I have a friend in Nong Khai I can stay with, but how long does it take to get there and from where?

I guess if I expire on 31st I need to leave Bangkok on the 30th, stay the night at my friends in Nonkhai, go over the border, maybe hang out in Vientienne for a couple of days then come back?

That simple?

[lopburi3]

That simple. You do have to visit Embassy and obtain the visa but most reports are that hanging out in Vientiane is a pleasant experience and good wine and beer available.

Get there from where? If you are in Bangkok it is about 11 hours by train or likely 8 hours by bus or 2 hours by plane to Udon and bus.

Or are you asking about getting to Vientiane from Nong Khai? This is cross the bridge and take transport about half hour into city. Not long but have not made that trip since bridge built so wll leave it to others to give better information.

[sjaak327]

Lopburi3 has it right regarding travelling time to Nong Khai, from Nong Khai, you can take a tuk tuk to the border, if you go by plane, there is a mini bus (150 baht) that will take you straight to the bridge. The pendel bus takes a few minutes to get you from Thai immigration to Lao immigration. Once you have entered Laos, you can take tuk tuk, shared Songtaewn or taxi into Vientiane, around 20-30 minutes to get there.

The visa procedure (during working days) is submit application on day one, collect passport on day two. Indeed Vientiane is a great city, and a welcome fountain of tranquility after Bangkok. Great food, great beer (do try the Bia Lao Damm, Beer Lao dark) and indeed inexpensive wine. There is this great shop on Samsenthai, not far from the crossing with Lane Xang Avenue.

[Shoeboat]

This sounds great.

I have looked at train timetable and I can leave at 2045 the day before I expire, arrive 0930 next morning in Nongkhai and meet my friend and his wife for breakfast before going to the border.

Then go into Vientiene, visit the consulate and fill in forms, pay the money, hand over photos etc... Check into a hotel, visit some bars, take some photos, have a good nights sleep, pick up my passport the next day, go back into Thailand, meet my friend again, drink some beers and stay at his place before returning to Bangkok the next day.

Well, that sounds alright, that sounds like a weekend break.

[lopburi3]

You must visit Embassy in the morning to apply for visa - am sure you will not have time to do so with the schedule you just outlined. Trains are seldom on time from my experience on long runs like this and believe the application process ends sometime between 11-12. You should plan to be on the 18:40 - 07:35 arrival.

[funfun]

This sounds great.

I have looked at train timetable and I can leave at 2045 the day before I expire, arrive 0930 next morning in Nongkhai and meet my friend and his wife for breakfast before going to the border.

Then go into Vientiene, visit the consulate and fill in forms, pay the money, hand over photos etc... Check into a hotel, visit some bars, take some photos, have a good nights sleep, pick up my passport the next day, go back into Thailand, meet my friend again, drink some beers and stay at his place before returning to Bangkok the next day.

Well, that sounds alright, that sounds like a weekend break.

yep as stated, hand passport in the morning get back the next working day after i think 1pm maybe 2, i couldnt send this last night but this is worth a read lots of us making mistakes and learning on the way,

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=158561&hl=

if you get chance when you arrive back could you update it with any relevant news even if its to tell us how many beer laos you managed to drink!

chris

[Shoeboat]

This sounds great.

I have looked at train timetable and I can leave at 2045 the day before I expire, arrive 0930 next morning in Nongkhai and meet my friend and his wife for breakfast before going to the border.

Then go into Vientiene, visit the consulate and fill in forms, pay the money, hand over photos etc... Check into a hotel, visit some bars, take some photos, have a good nights sleep, pick up my passport the next day, go back into Thailand, meet my friend again, drink some beers and stay at his place before returning to Bangkok the next day.

Well, that sounds alright, that sounds like a weekend break.

yep as stated, hand passport in the morning get back the next working day after i think 1pm maybe 2, i couldnt send this last night but this is worth a read lots of us making mistakes and learning on the way,

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=158561&hl=

if you get chance when you arrive back could you update it with any relevant news even if its to tell us how many beer laos you managed to drink!

chris

Ok, will do.

By the way, I already booked the ticket - I have to pick it up tomorrow so I just hope I can change it for an earlier one with a quick phone call from my travel agent.