15 Day Visa Run Only Gives 14 Days, For 2400+ Baht

[farangnahrak]

I crossed over the friendship bridge in Loy province . . . adding up the costs and time for both the Thai and Laos Visas . . .

The entire paperwork process took about 30 minutes, plus a few hours relaxing in Laos with some friends.

Fee into Laos was 1400 baht, and back to Thailand was 1000+ baht (can't remember exact amount).

And they would only give me 14 days, including the day I arrived (minutes before border closed for the day).

Yeap, 2400 baht for 14 days . . . not including travel costs of ~5000 baht . . . I needed the Visa during new years eve so the flight tickets were expensive . . .

=(

[ubonjoe]

15 days is no suprise.

The new rules have been in effect since the end of November 15 days by land and 30 by air.

What I don't understand is the 1000+ baht you paid unless you got a Visa on Arrival instead of a visa exempt entry. Unless that was some fee that the Lao side charged you.

[farangnahrak]

15 days is no suprise.

The new rules have been in effect since the end of November 15 days by land and 30 by air.

What I don't understand is the 1000+ baht you paid unless you got a Visa on Arrival instead of a visa exempt entry. Unless that was some fee that the Lao side charged you.

Yea I was expecting 15 days as I heard about the new law, but a bit annoyed at getting only 14 days and the high fees. The 1400 baht fee was paid on the Thai side about to go to the Laos side. The 1000+ baht fee was paid on the Laos side while about to go to the Thai side. I really wish I remembered the exact amount . . .

I would have gone to Vientiane directly, but since the Thai Consulate is closed on new years until Jan 6th I needed something temporary. Didn't want to spend a week in Laos . . .

mental note to self, avoid needing a visa during major holidays . . .

[ubonjoe]

mental note to self, avoid needing a visa during major holidays . . .

Either that or go to immigration and get a 7 day extension for 1900 baht.

[Tod Daniels]

The price quoted by the Lao Embassy in Bangkok's website shows a wide disparity of the price for the magical 30 day visa into the wonderful "Land 'O Lao".

Canada is the highest at 1690 baht, while Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan all pay 1600

Here's a list of the countries and what they pay in thai baht off the Lao Embassy's website for a visa;

Albania 800

Armenia 800

Azerbaijan 800

Austria 1,400

Africa 1,200

Afghanistan 1,600

Australia 1,200

Bulgaria 800

Belarus 800

Belgium 1,400

Bhutan 1,200

Brunei 600

Cuba 800

Czech Republic 800

Canada 1,680

Central America 1,200

Cambodia 800

China 600

Denmark 1,400

D.P.R. of Korea 800

Estonia 800

France 1,200

Germany 1,200

Georgia 800

Greece 1,400

Hungary 800

Hong Kong 1,000

Ireland 1,400

India 1,600

Italy 1,400

Indonesia 400

Israel 1,200

Japan 1,000

Kyrgystan 800

Kazakhstan 800

Latvia 800

Lithuania 800

Luxembourg 1,400

Mongolia 800

Middle East 1,200

Malaysia 300

Myanmar 720

Macao 1,000

Norway 1,400

Netherlands 1,400

Nepal 1,600

New Zealand 1,200

Poland 800

Portugal 1,400

Pakistan 1,600

Philippines 1,200

Russia 800

Romania 800

R. Korea 1.200

Slovakia 800

Sweden 1,240

Spain 1,400

Switzerland 1,400

South America 1,200

Sri Lanka 1,600

Singapore 400

Taiwan 1,000

Turkmenistan 800

Tajikistan 800

Turkey 1,400

Thailand 600

Ukraine 800

United Kingdom 1,400

U.S.A 1,400

Vietnam 1,000

Yugoslavia 800

I don't know what the price at the border is, but I am sure it's close to what they charge at the Lao Embassy in Bangkok. Getting that visa BEFORE you make a run up there is a time saving move queue wise for the lines at the border during peak times. From my experience they process the visas awfully sa-lowly when there are more than 5 people in line.

The 1400 baht to get into the "Land 'O Lao" sounds correct if you're from one of the countries they charge that price for, but I don't know why you paid 1000 baht on the Lao side entering thailand, as you stated you received a "15 day visa exempt" stamp which is free.

Edited January 11, 2009 by tod-daniels

[mancon]

The absolutely best visa run on all accounts in my view, is to go to Bangkok and the Lao embassy and apply for a 14 day visa. take that visa and go to the train station and by a train ticket first class night coach to Vientiane. With the Lao visa in your possession, you get on board the train at around 20:00 in the evening and you weak up in Vientiane, Laos 08:00 the next morning ready to go straight to the Thai embassy and apply for a new visa. 1-3 days later you can go back, after a great mini vacation with no problems!

[Mali1964]

I crossed over the friendship bridge in Loy province . . . adding up the costs and time for both the Thai and Laos Visas . . .

The entire paperwork process took about 30 minutes, plus a few hours relaxing in Laos with some friends.

Fee into Laos was 1400 baht, and back to Thailand was 1000+ baht (can't remember exact amount).

And they would only give me 14 days, including the day I arrived (minutes before border closed for the day).

Yeap, 2400 baht for 14 days . . . not including travel costs of ~5000 baht . . . I needed the Visa during new years eve so the flight tickets were expensive . . .

=(

Visa on arrival into Lao is 1500 for UK/USA i understand it differs for other nations, there's tea money around 60 baht to go through the arrival & exit booth's in Lao,then there's the bus fare each way 50 baht,there are no charge's to leave Thailand thats a free stamp out & you only pay for Visa on arrival if your country is not on the visa exempt list.

So i can only think you gave tea money to the Thai immigration on leaving Thailand & this is a definate no no.

[abdulrahman]

The absolutely best visa run on all accounts in my view, is to go to Bangkok and the Lao embassy and apply for a 14 day visa. take that visa and go to the train station and by a train ticket first class night coach to Vientiane. With the Lao visa in your possession, you get on board the train at around 20:00 in the evening and you weak up in Vientiane, Laos 08:00 the next morning ready to go straight to the Thai embassy and apply for a new visa. 1-3 days later you can go back, after a great mini vacation with no problems!

Did you try it?

Don't want to be boring,but the train brings you only to Nongkhai,tuk-tuk to the bridge,50 Baht(if you speak Thai),35 $ or 1500 Baht(most countries) for the Lao Visa,Bus, tuk-tuk,or if you are helpless,taxi to the Thai Consulate,(20-200 Baht).

Oh,I forgot,by the time you arrive it's probably closed already.(train late,long queue at the border,driver speaks Lao only).

It is a great mini vacation,but take your time!

Before I forget,the Visa in Bkk has to be paid in Baht ,400 more as the actual exchange rate!

[astral]

And they would only give me 14 days, including the day I arrived (minutes before border closed for the day).

Nothing new in this.

The 30 day visa includes the day of arrival, so is only really 29 days.

[farangnahrak]

And they would only give me 14 days, including the day I arrived (minutes before border closed for the day).

Nothing new in this.

The 30 day visa includes the day of arrival, so is only really 29 days.

If I didn't include the day of arrival, it was only 13 days. I'm under the impression they just made a mistake . . .

[TIPSYBOB]

The absolutely best visa run on all accounts in my view, is to go to Bangkok and the Lao embassy and apply for a 14 day visa. take that visa and go to the train station and by a train ticket first class night coach to Vientiane. With the Lao visa in your possession, you get on board the train at around 20:00 in the evening and you weak up in Vientiane, Laos 08:00 the next morning ready to go straight to the Thai embassy and apply for a new visa. 1-3 days later you can go back, after a great mini vacation with no problems!

Thanks for the post. I am trying to help a French friend to do the same visa trip early next month. His command of English is next to nothing so this site is not where he can ask the information he needs. I suggested to fly to Udon Thani, on a no frills airline and by road to the Friendship Bridge and then to Vientiane. Ditto for the return. Pricewise, are both option about the same?

Thanks Buddy.

[farangnahrak]

I suggested to fly to Udon Thani, on a no frills airline and by road to the Friendship Bridge and then to Vientiane. Ditto for the return. Pricewise, are both option about the same?

For my Tourist Visa I flew to Udon Thani by Asia Airlines . . . they can go as low as 1600 baht for one way if you get a ticket at the right time. I then took my friends car from there to Nong Khai, then on to Vientiane. Another friend picked me up on the Laos side.

[astral]

The OP could go back the place of entry and point out the discrepancy of 14 vs 15 days.

He might be lucky.

[Maestro]

I realise it is an enormous effort to copy the two dates from the entry stamp into a post but if the OP had done so we would not have to guess what he really has in his passport.

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Maestro