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Double Entry Visa In Laos


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Don't be so PC. I met many Filipinos in Vientiane and chatted with them and got on great with them but most of them were indeed illegal workers. That's not racism, it's just a fact.

Sorry for being PC, but there are many offhanded negative assertions made at the expense of Filipinos on here so please excuse me for being sensitive on this issue.

Ok, so I understand you spoke to a few Filipinos who told you that they were working illegally, and that's why you said most of them were working illegally. You also must have assumed that all Asian looking visa runners were Filipino.

BTW I'm actually posting this message from the Philippines. :o (another reason why I'm so sensitve)

I think you're confusing me with another poster but I still don't see any negative assertions at the expense of Filipinos in anyone's comments. I didn't make any assumptions about anyone's ethnicity although the Filipino look and speech is very distinctive so if I cared to I think I could guess correctly in 99% of cases. But my comments were based on the Filipinos I spoke to who told me they were working in Thailand on a tourist visa (hence illegal workers). Just relax and don't be so sensitive.

Nothing personal, I have to wonder how many real FARANGS are working on a Toursit Visa.

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  • 1 month later...

I want to second the recommendations for taking the train. I've done that, and my return ticket was indeed just a few hundred baht. If you go all the way to Nongkhai, all you have to do then is to take a bus to cross the bridge into Laos then catch a taxi or minivan into Vientiane. Someone mentioned the office was moving (?), something I don't know about, though it doesn't surprise me, as the last time I was there, the location was the third one for the visa section in the years I've been going there (well over 25 trips).

I've always stayed at a particular guest house very near the Mekhong River in a side street in the Central Business District. When I was there last, about 10 months ago, the rate was US$20.00/night, or about 700 baht at today's exchange rate.

Now, I always tend to eat and drink well when I'm there, so I ended up spending maybe 7500-8000 baht -- but the trip can be made for far less. Had I gone as inexpensively as possible, I probably could have got by south of 5,000 baht, including the Laos visa on arrival and a Thai tourist visa (one of them).

There's another option for those who can afford it: fly. (As long as the schedules hold.) Several times I've flown up on THAI in the morning, rushed to the visa office and turned my stuff in, stayed the night, gone to get my passport the following afternoon, then took Laos Airlines afternoon flight to Bangkok. Figure on somewhere in the range of double the cost, though.

Finally, the other day my travel agent told me THAI has a code-share special with Laos Aviation for about 6,000 baht, taking the THAI morning flight and the Laos afternoon one. You could do that in a matter of hours, as long as a 30-day visa on arrival works for you. I've done that entirely on THAI a few times -- with a layover in Vientiane of only about an hour! The cabin crew did look at me like I waas weird when we were coming back to Bangkok. . . .

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I will be making a first time visa run to Loas in February and am planning to fly straight to Vientiane. Has anybody done the trip by plane, also can anybody recommend good hotels at resonable cost near the new embassey, which I understand is now up and running.

I flew from Bangkok to Laos in October 2007 with Thai International. The price was about 8000 baht return. After arriving, I jumped in a taxi outside Laos airport (about 200 baht) an stayed in a lovely new hotel, opposite the Morning Market on the main street in Vientiene. (about 700 baht).

It was the first time I had flown to Laos, but if you can afford it, it is the best and quickest way to go. It beats all the overnight rides on the coach and train hands down, but as I say, a lot more expensive.

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I flew from Bangkok to Laos in October 2007 with Thai International. The price was about 8000 baht return.

Right now it appears the cheapest internet price with Thai Airways flying to Vientiane is 9,430 baht (booking a month in advance). Are there cheaper airlines flying to Vientiane?

Edit:

I've just answered my own question. Laos Airlines does it for 3,780 baht (US $108) each way. Surprisingly they don't give a return fare on their website.

Edited by tropo
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I got a double entry visa in laos on monday,there is no problem getting the visa,they hand them out to anyone,just pay 2000 baht for a double,and 1000 for a single.I dont envy anyone a trip to laos,I paid over 6000 baht inclusive to go on a mini bus from On Nut in bangkok to laos,leave sunday night,get to thai border 6 a.m monday morning.The Thai embassy was a terrible place,hundreds of people there waiting to get visas,very hot,no system in place,it was like playing rugby or american football trying to enter the embassy,1 man handing out the visas...............if you dont like chatuchak-j j market then you wont like the thai embassy in laos,i can see a hillsborough disaster happening there soon,so many people crushing each other,just to get a visa to stay in thailand.Also the people that arrange these trips everyday must be making a fortune,they take your money and offer very little in return,from a scale of 1-10 the service was a 1,very poor.good luck if your going soon,you will need it.

Just before the Nong Khai border here is a small travel agency the first one on the right who organize everything for you perfectly.

I was there in May last year and they took me to the border guide me throe and made and presented me to the driver of the Laos minibus across the border. After came back the minibus driver phoned the agency and they picked me up again, and brought me to my car.

JO-Travel tour

Office 181 Near immigration Thai friendship bridge Rd

Tel 042-423912, 081-5926374

Email

[email protected]

[email protected]

She arranged the necessary Photos, filled in all aplications, she even prepared the 30 US $ for the fee, and guide you to the Laos immigration booth. A 100% perfect service.

name of the Laos driver, very symphatic and honest man

Mr. KHAN THONE

VAN SERVICE

Thai mobile 085-9258441

Home 009-856 21 252776

mobile Laos 009-856 20 5913994

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  • 4 weeks later...

I left late Wednesday (March 4th) with ThaiVisaService.com (at the suggestion of a few other memebers here). All in all, everything went smoothly and we all got our free Visas. One thing to note is that they operate a number of minivans, not the large tour buses, but the vans are decent. I'd suggest to anyone to bring a pillow (the ride is VERY long) and maybe a blanket incase the aircon makes it a bit chilly for you. Oh, also bring toilet paper because a few of your pit stops will be at places with squatty potties. Some of the vans show movies but a couple aren't equipped yet with the television screens, therefore bring a book and small book light or a fully charged ipod. Also bring some earplugs incase you want to get any sleep (as other members may be chatty all night long).

Making the trip is so annoying, but this service did all the application work for you, making everything as easy as it possibly could be. They feed you well too. I also met a cool friend on the trip to hang out with here in BKK!

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