Visa On Entry To Lao At Nong Kai, Is It Possible?

[hamishgillan]

Is it possible these days to obtain the visa to Laos at the Nong kai border? I'm considering going there this month on the 14th of October, a tuesday.

This is the first time I have had to do this, I used to go to Singapore or Hong Kong.

But it's Friday today as you can see so getting a Lao visa in Bangkok may be a little difficult as embassies are usually closed over the weekend.

Also, I vaguely heard stories that you have to spend the night in Nong Kai before you cross the boarder, or is that just refering to the train journey from Bangkok, Which I will hopefully do if I can get a train ticket too.

So you see obtaining the visa for Lao in Nong kai will be preferable given the time I have

I'll take passport sized photos and a good pen + passport of course, anything else I need?

But lets not forget the main question: Can I get the Lao entry Visa in Nong kai?

Because if not I'll have to organise somethig else.

Advice much appreciated...

[0Mix1up]

yes

dont use an agent

just go to the bridge fill in the forms, pays d money, get a pretty visa in your pp, line up, get a stamp, pay a small entrance fee, fight off the touts

[ubonjoe]

Yes you can get visa at bridge. Photos and 1500 baht or $35. Name of hotel is needed. You don't have to have reservation just name to fill in the blank on application.

No need to stay in Nong Kai unless you arive to late for visa on arrival. Sign says they close at 4PM at least it did the last time I was there.

Thai conuslate opens at 8:30 you should get there before 10 at the latest. Photos and copy of passport photo page. This is all you need for tourist visa. Any other documents will depend on visa you are getting. Tuesday and Wed. are good days and less busy than Mon. or Thurs.

This 23 page topic should help.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Vientiane-La...sa-t158561.html

[hamishgillan]

Thanks for the help so far......

The Lao visa application at the Friendship bridge does just take a couple of hours, right?

As you worked out I'm going to Vientiane to get a 60 day tourist visa for Thailand, plus I'll be going there on a British passport (Sorry!)

Also what about cash, I imagine I'll be able to use/exchange Thai Baht or US Dollars for Lao Kip, either way it's cool.

I'm off top Hualumpong to try to get a Train ticket now.

[ubonjoe]

You will find that in most cases they prefer baht over kip. From experience I would suggest taking enough baht with you to cover your expenses.

Glad to help

Joe

[sjaak327]

"The Lao visa application at the Friendship bridge does just take a couple of hours, right?"

No, it will take 10 minutes, or maybe a bit more if it is really busy. Longest I has taken me (during quite a few crossings) is 20 minutes.

"Also what about cash, I imagine I'll be able to use/exchange Thai Baht or US Dollars for Lao Kip, either way it's cool. "

Exchange for Kip, bring Baht, it will make sense to pay for your hotel with baht, everything else (like eating and drinking) pay with Kip. You can pay with Baht for these also, but you will pay more, they always calculate the exchange rate in their favour not yours.

You cannot pay for the visa with Kip by the way, USD is best (35 USD for UK citizens, or 1500 baht) one photo. Border closes at 10 PM, after 4 PM you pay 1 USD overtime fee.

[hamishgillan]

Thanks all.

I'm all set to go now. Just bought a ticket at Hualumpong for about 480 THB, not a bed as they were full or "fuun" as the guy at the desk said. Funny about the 'L's' isn't it.

Anyway so i've got a reclining seat, which is cool as I'll probably have my face pressed against the window all night!

Found some useful stuff on wikipedia too for future reference:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Vientiane

http://wikitravel.org/en/Nong_Khai

[Pattaya46]

"The Lao visa application at the Friendship bridge does just take a couple of hours, right?"

No, it will take 10 minutes, or maybe a bit more if it is really busy. Longest I has taken me (during quite a few crossings) is 20 minutes.

Hi. You were very lucky sjaak327

I just come back this night from a trip to Laos.

I arrived at the border early but the Thai office open only at 6:00. Easy and fast.

Then take big bus to cross the bridge. Arrive Lao side about 6:30

Lao immigration is opened... for those who you have a visa !

but Lao Visa On Arrival office open only at 7:00 ...

They begun to take passports/application form at 7:05

but at first passport/visa delivered it was more than 7:30...

So this day at opening it was more 30-45 minutes that 10 minutes.

No problem to pay with baht everywhere in Vientiane.

The use the "easy conversion" 1 baht = 250 kip / 1000 kip = 4 baht which is not bad at all.

[sjaak327]

The busiest time of day I would think, less then two weeks ago, I took the 6 am flight to Udon (nok air) and arrived at the border around 8am. 15 minutes for the visa on arrival. Then another 10 to actually enter the country.

I guess if there is a bus full of tourists, then indeed it will take longer, but all the times I have entered there, this has never happened to me. Of course having a lot of Thais entering Laos, will not have an influence on the visa on arrival procedure, as they don't need one