Mukdahan Visa Run Update

[samsara]

I'll be doing a visa run tomorrow to Mukdahan from Roi-et. What's the current situation with respect to:

1) costs

2) time - how soon do I need to arrive in order to get my visa the same day?

Many thanks.

As a side note, is anyone else unable to use the search feature? Keeps saying I've tried an invalid search...huh?

[Issangeorge]

Okay to enter Laos you have to pay a visa fee, it depends on nationality, but for Canadians it is ฿1,800, make sure you take a picture with you. When you go through immigration on the Lao side they will ask for ฿40, but this is not an official fee and I just said no, and kept walking. The official time for a visa is to pick it up the next day. I went on April 30th and they told me to come back on May 2nd, I forgot all about May 1st being a holiday. Any way this was in the morning and i said I would go back at 2, they said they did not know if they would have it done. I went back at two and someone who spoke very good English came out and said they wanted to help stimulate the economy in Lao and wanted ud to stay overnight. I said I planned on one night but not two. He said well go and get a room and then come back at 4, I did this and my visa was ready and they never asked me for proof of having a room, but Suvanahet isn't a bad place for one night. Issangeorge.

[samsara]

man, laos sucks compared to cambodia!! twice as expensive and takes 10x as long from the sounds of it. so youre looking at 1800 (for laos visa) + 1000 (thai visa)? dam_n, thats a ripoff lol.

when did you submit your visa? 10am? ill be in line when they open the doors at 8am so hopefully they can get it to me by mid afternoon. it takes 40 mins in cambodia!

[Issangeorge]

I don't think it's the time factor, the impression I got was that the Thai consulate was in cahoots with the Lao Government to have visa seekers stay overnight in Savanaket. Issangeorge

[visarunner]

I don't think it's the time factor, the impression I got was that the Thai consulate was in cahoots with the Lao Government to have visa seekers stay overnight in Savanaket. Issangeorge

It is normal for Visaprocessing to stay overnight.

[samsara]

exactly. its an obvious ploy to jumpstart the economy of savannakhet, which is a dump, btw. the homeless mans vientiane would be a good slogan.

had to pay the 40 baht at the border. i refused at first and said i didnt have to pay in thai, then the officials insisted more than once so i just forked it over. everyone paid. laos, thai, and westerners. then tried bribing the guy to get my visa by today but he just smiled and said no. however, i got someone influential to call them and ive been told its ready to pick up at 2pm. ill believe it when i have it.

[samsara]

I don't think it's the time factor, the impression I got was that the Thai consulate was in cahoots with the Lao Government to have visa seekers stay overnight in Savanaket. Issangeorge

It is normal for Visaprocessing to stay overnight.

maybe its normal now but prior to june 4th, 2007 doesnt seem like such was the case. otherwise, there wouldnt be all these signs explicitly stating that it takes 1 business day to process. vientiane works like that but its a proper capital. savannakhet is nothing but an outpost. its the bridge and some under the table reciprocity.

[PREM-R]

Save money and pay for the Lao visa in US dollars. The fee for a UK passport holder at the Nong Khai crossing, and presumably at Mukdahan, is 1800 baht or 35 US dollars which is about 1178 baht, a saving of over 600 baht.

[samsara]

Save money and pay for the Lao visa in US dollars. The fee for a UK passport holder at the Nong Khai crossing, and presumably at Mukdahan, is 1800 baht or 35 US dollars which is about 1178 baht, a saving of over 600 baht.

paid 1500 (tried for 1200 but no takers) today. it should be 1200. i would definitely refuse to pay 1800!

[Issangeorge]

Believe it or not I was told the Visa price depends on your nationality and for Canadians it's ฿1,800. Issangeorge.

[Lite Beer]

Believe it or not I was told the Visa price depends on your nationality and for Canadians it's ฿1,800. Issangeorge.

http://www.bkklaoembassy.com/consular%20service/visafee.htm

[samsara]

canada pays the most! wow. site also states that theres some express for 200 baht...umm, no there isnt.

btw, i didnt get my visa yesterday. it magically wasnt ready despite the fact the embassy told my friend it would be.

cant wait to get out of here!!!! going to vientiane next time and never coming back to this shithole.