hey everyone, I'm currently in Phuket and will be departing here next week. I have the 30-day stamp, but as I am looking to travel in Thailand for much longer, and don't feel like going on a visa run every 15 days, I want to get the 2-month visa from Laos.

What are some good, cheaper routes I can take to get to the Thai embassy in Laos? Are there buses from Bangkok? Cheap flights that would get me to that area? I don't know what my options are, and i'm hoping you all can help me out!

also: Do I need to get a visa for Laos beforehand, or do they have a simple stamp-on-arrival process like thailand?

You can obtain a double entry tourist visa from the embassy in Vientiane. They are currently free. With extensions and a border run in the middle that would give you nearly 6 months stay if required. You can obtain visa for Laos at the border. Others can comment on travel.

If you only want to have 60 days (can be extended at immigration another 30 days)

Go to Panang ( malaysia ) have minibus rides from Phuket or a cheap flight with Firefly

If it shall be Vientiane / Laos try fly Phuket - Kuala Lumpur - Vientiane with www.airasia.com. Most connections go via Kuala Lumpur but if you go by bus to BKK I propose go make visa in Hanoi / Vietnam because there you can get nice promotions from AirAsia as I have at the moment BKK-HAN-BKK for 1850 THB all incl.! But as they say above from Phuket best is Penang by minibus.

Visa Malaysia on the border and free. Visa Laos on the border and 30 US-$. Visa Vietnam some as 40 $ 3 month, near 70 $ 6 month with multiple entry. E-Visa possible via Internet. If you like sightseeing Hanoi or HCMC Vietnam much better, Vientiane small farmer town but kind people.

The cheapest, but taking the most time, is bus to Surathani Pun Phin station ( name close to that), train to Bangkok and the nest evening train to Nong Khai. In Nong Khai you can continue on the train into Laos where the line ends but can do immigration there. Continue by bus to Vientiane. Others will argue that Air Asia is almost as cost effective but this is surely the cheapest and most carbon friendly green footprint.

Every day 3 trains are leaving BKK for Nongkhai in the afternoon and evening. Takes about 13 hours. You can take the aircon busses to Nongkhai too, takes 10 hours, I think they leave from Chatuchak region, the Northern Busstation but I am not sure.

In Nongkhai, the train to Laos is only one time per day about 16 h, but you can take a tuktuk to the bridge and cross by shuttle bus. From Udon Thani there is a bus leaving for Laos a few times per day, take the busstation mid town.

For Laos you need one photo and 1.600 baht or 30 usd, and the visa papers and the entry card you will find in Laos before you enter the country. Take bus or taxi to Vientiane.

Good luck.

I am sure the train to Laos is not at 16 h (whatever time that is). It is an extension of the morning arrival train from Bangkok and get into Laos in time to obtain visa in morning.

thanks for the help! one more question: Where is the bus station in Bangkok that has the buses to NongKhai?

Mo Chit (Chatuchak) Bus Terminal

Tel. 02 936 2852-66