Summary Of Visa Run Cm<=>vientiane

[orang37]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Vientiane-La...90#entry2704790

Sawasdee Khrup,

Since the longish post linked to above is mainly details about things within Vientiane, I thought it better to post it on the Vientiane visa run thread in the TV immigration and visa forum.

But a link here seems appropriate to me since some of you may have some interest in some of the CM related detail.

If only I had been confident of the time frame for getting the visa, I could have purchased a VIP return ticket to CM from Udon Thani on Oosuksatour. But since I knew that a TV member had only recently offered for sale such tickets when he couldn't return them, I felt I did not dare take the risk of buying a return ticket to CM in advance and then missing the bus. The "first class" Oosuksatour bus ride back was a bit rough, but my ear-protectors (22 decibels of protection) of the type worn on firing ranges really helped as did having two adjoining seats to myself.

Is it a sign of having been here a long while that you dare not think you could possibly predict how long something official will take no matter what first hand information you have ?

regards, ~o:37;

[eek]

Is Oosuksatour better than Chakapon? (or whatever its caIIed). If so, any chance of the detaiIs pIease? (Interested in what their "VIP" bus is Iike...)

tnx!

edit: Oh..and is there a way of purchasing the tickets in CM? -Scrap that question, just saw that you answered it aIready in the Iink you gave. tnx.

hah.um..another edit.. Is Oosukasatour the one that offers the Chakapon Bus?..(PIease pIease Iet it be that i finaIIy going to find the eIusive proper VIP bus that goes from CM > UT)

Edited May 11, 2009 by eek

[PETDCAT]

I have looked in the Arcade bus station for the Oosuksatour bus but didn't see a ticket window anywhere with this name. Could someone please post some info on exactly where it is located?

Thanks

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup Eek and Khun PetDCat,

If you are in the Arcade bus station facing the Chakrapong ticket counter, Oosuksatour should be the next ticket counter immediately to your left (I'm sure someone will correct me quickly if my farang brain got that wrong).

But if in doubt, just ask : "Anee borisat Oosuksatour, mai ?"

By the way there's probably a better way to transcribe the phonemes of Oosuksatour than I'm using here; perhaps RealThaiDeal or someone can chime in here ...

best, ~o:37;

p.s. remember that Chakrapong and Oosuksatour alternate days, or, at the least, do not have VIP's every night. and in Amazing Thailand what conditions do not vary randomly ?

[silvertoes]

I travelled to Laos last week. Osuksatour and Chakrapong buses are the same thing. VIP buses leave at 8pm. The ticket counter is number 13. If you call the number for Osuksatour they will simply send you there. Ask for a seat 'A' if travelling alone since this allows you to sit solo, no stranger's elbows.

The ride sucked in both directions: CM to Udon it was unbelievably cold, and the bus went so fast that it felt like we were going to tip over on corners. I thought I just had a particularly nuts driver, but I ran into a friend in VN who told me it is ever thus. At least it saved time: we reached Udon by 630am.

The return was far worse: I booked my ticket more than 2 days in advance; when I arrived at Udon I found that there were two identical buses. When I got on the bus which number matched my ticket, a Thai guy had a ticket for the same seat. At first the ticket lady had me take the seat, since I'd bought my ticket long before him. Then she very nicely asked me if I would mind moving to the other bus. Muggins here, tired, helpful, and seeing the buses as identical, did so. As soon as I took the (same numbered) seat on the other bus, the one I'd been on pulled out, the Thai guy in my seat. We remained in the bus station for almost 45 minutes more. I was fuming. I complained to the 'host' (young man in an old t-shirt), who just shrugged. An Aussie bloke sitting across from me reassured me that we would catch up at a rest stop and, although we were over an hour behind at one point, we did so at about 2am. The 'host' took great joy in waking me up - twice - to show me the other bus there. But in fact, they left well before us. I knew someone on the other bus and saw him when I got to Chiang Mai. That bus had arrived at 645am, smelling nice and not too cold. My bus arrived at 825am, not too cold, but reeking so badly (I'm assuming from the bathroom) that many passengers had blankets wrapped round their heads. It smelled like there was a dead person clutching a dead tuna somewhere in the cargo hold.

To sum up: get your ticket early, take winter wear, noseplugs and valium, and if someone asks you to vacate the seat to which you are entitled for no apparent reason, smile and say no way jose. There endeth the lesson.

Or maybe just fly.

PS VN is WAY more expensive than CM.

[orang37]

... Osuksatour and Chakrapong buses are the same thing. ...

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Silvertoes,

I respectfully disagree with you. They are two different companies. Their offices are not the same. And, if you take the time to read the posts that mention these two companies here on Thai Visa in this forum, and other forums, you'll find there is big difference in quality between the VIP buses : Oosuksatour's are definitely more modern and bigger. And these differences are frequently commented on in detail in the many posts you'll find if you take a moment to search.

I rode Chakrapong in November 2008 to Udon Thani and was cramped the whole way there. Oosuksatour is much, much better, and they also have some even newer, bigger, more plush VIP buses coming on-line now (like the one I just missed getting in Udon Thani last month).

best, ~o:37;

Edited May 12, 2009 by orang37

[eek]

Thanks so much orang. Truly helpful.

Hoping to try Oosuksatour's "plush" VIP bus!! Sounds promising (but telling myself not to get my hopes up!). Hoping also its a single decker. Cant imagine going around those hellish bends on a double decker.

Will let you all know next month about the bus. Will get some pics also.

[silvertoes]

Well, I can only say that when you go to ticket booth 13 at Chiang Mai's Arcade Bus Station - the booth number I was given by Osuksatour itself on both their Lampang and Chiang Mai numbers - it only says Chakrapong on the booth (my Thai landlady said she could not see the word 'Osuksatour' in Thai anywhere) and on your tickets. The buses I took were big, new, and "plush". But still hellish.

[StevieH]

Sawasdee Khrup Eek and Khun PetDCat,

If you are in the Arcade bus station facing the Chakrapong ticket counter, Oosuksatour should be the next ticket counter immediately to your left (I'm sure someone will correct me quickly if my farang brain got that wrong).

But if in doubt, just ask : "Anee borisat Oosuksatour, mai ?"

By the way there's probably a better way to transcribe the phonemes of Oosuksatour than I'm using here; perhaps RealThaiDeal or someone can chime in here ...

best, ~o:37;

p.s. remember that Chakrapong and Oosuksatour alternate days, or, at the least, do not have VIP's every night. and in Amazing Thailand what conditions do not vary randomly ?

this might address a query i have about the chiang mai - udon thani service orang37, i think that the VIP bus i've taken previously only runs on mondays, wednesdays and fridays - would that be the chakrapong do you think? i'd like to try and go on tuesday this week so i'll have to see if i can locate the oosuksatour people.

[StevieH]

have just been to arcade to book bus tickets to go tomorrow night and there's definitely still a difference in the providers and the types of bus they use. chakrapong has two windows only one of which seems to sell tickets on a VIP to udon. chakrapong also only operates on a tuesday, thursday or saturday, while the window immediately to the right of the chakrapong one (as you face it), which i assume must be oosuksatour, operates on monday, wednesday, friday. the one to the right seems to have much nicer, newer double decker buses while chakrapong seems to still only operate single deckers. so if you want a bit more room and comfort i guess it's best to try and do your vientiane run on an odd day of the week.