Vientiane Visa Run From Cm - Non-Immigrant B

[Ulysses G.]

I took a VIP bus from Chiang Mai and had planned to switch busses in Udon Thani, but was offered the chance to switch to a songteaw shortly before reaching Udon that brought us directly to the Friendship bridge for 150 baht and saved hours of time and some money connecting with other transport in Udon and Nongkhai.

I was easily able to get to the Thai Consulate and apply for a visa the first day - with time to spare - because of taking direct transport to the border. However, do not forget that Thai visas are only applied for at the Thai Consulate - not the Thai Embassy - which is a different location).

It costs 20 baht on the bridge to go from Thai Immigration to Laos immigration where you get in line for a visa application (if you do not have a visa already). It is 35 U.S. dollars, but they will accept Thai baht for a higher price.

Do not forget to pick up an Entry/Departure card in Laos and keep it somewhere safe for when you leave. The Laos authorities do not attach it to the passport as they do in Thailand and it can easily get lost and cause a big problem when you try to leave.

You have to apply for a Thai Visa in the morning and pick it up the next day in the afternoon. I paid 200 baht for a solo tuk-tuk from the border directly to the consulate.

Office Hours: Monday to Friday

08.30 Hrs. - 12.00 Hrs. & 13.00 Hrs. - 16.30 Hrs.Consular Section: Monday to Friday

08.30 Hrs. 12.00 Hrs. : Application for Visa

13.00 Hrs. 15.00 Hrs. : Distribution of Passports Affixed with Appropriate VisaWeekly Holiday: Saturday Sunday

When you get to the Thai Consulate, go inside and head toward an open-air area to the right and take a numbered ticket from the machine. Push the button that is marked for visa application. The next day you will do the same thing to get a number to pick up your passport with the visa, but push the other button.

You will turn in your forms at the window near the ticket machine and all I can say is that I had no problem, but I brought every document that I could think of.

If your documentation is accepted, you head into the adjoining building to pay using the same number ticket that you used to turn in your documents. This building is also where you bring your receipt to pick up the visa the following day.

I have read many different prices that were paid to go to the hotels on the river, but the cheapest that I could get was 80 baht unless I could find someone to share with.

I stayed in the Riverside Guest House with a lift, English TV and all the mod-cons for 600 per night, but there are lots of cheaper and more expensive places close by and lots of good restaurants. One nice thing was that I could use my Thai telephone at no extra cost for calls to Thailand as it is right next to the river.

I had intended to take a bus to Nongkhai or Udon from the bus station in Vientiane, but when I got there I realized that most of the tickets were sold well in advance and I would have a long, miserable, hot wait. A Laos fellow offered me an air-con ride to the border for 200 baht in a nice new van and I was not sorry that I went for this instead. When I got to the border it was chock full of Asians, but the wait on the Laos side was not too bad - Thailand was a different story.

I had to pay a 9,000 Kip fee of some sort and Thais had to pay 10,000. I think that this fee is only on weekends.

DO NOT FORGET to find an Entry/Departure card as soon as you get to Thailand as they are nowhere in sight and I saw many people who stood in line for hours getting turned back at immigration and having to find one, fill it out and stand in line all over again.

I was able to easily find a ride directly to Udon from the bridge, but my guess is that it depends on your Thai language skills and some luck. it sure beat going into Nongkhai and waiting for another bus which would have added a lot of time and inconvenience.

Edited August 9, 2010 by Ulysses G.

[CMTourist]

" but was offered the chance to switch to a songteawshortly before reaching Udon that brought us directly to the Friendship bridge for 150 baht and saved hours of time and some money connecting with other transport in Udon and Nongkhai."

Can you give some more information on this if I wished to take advantage of the same chance?

[jazzbo]

I took a VIP bus from Chiang Mai ... and saved hours of time ... So would NOK Air from CNX to UTN

[Thanyaburi Mac]

I took a VIP bus from Chiang Mai ... and saved hours of time ... So would NOK Air from CNX to UTN

Yes, indeed, at over baht 4,800 round trip and an extra night or two in Vientiane, or Udorn, or Nong Khai, "plus taxes, fees, and surcharge."

http://nokair.com/NokConnext/aspx/Welcome.aspx

Mac

[jazzbo]

I've been on the bus from CM to KK and back many times -- 14 hours and each time I said never again ... So how often do you need to go to PDR Lao for your visa?

[Ulysses G.]

" but was offered the chance to switch to a songteawshortly before reaching Udon that brought us directly to the Friendship bridge for 150 baht and saved hours of time and some money connecting with other transport in Udon and Nongkhai."

Can you give some more information on this if I wished to take advantage of the same chance?

I took the - something like - "Or Suksa Tour" VIP bus อ.ศึกษาทัวร์ from Chiang Mai and the conductor asked me if I was going to Laos and recommended I get off when they told me to. I had a different plan and told her no, but thought better of it by the time we were approaching Udon. I noticed that all the other foreigners got off and took it and they seemed to have done it before.

Edited August 12, 2010 by Ulysses G.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

I recently got a Nok AIr round trip CM to Udon for 1500 baht including fees. Normally its about 3000 baht unless you want to fly near the weekend. This is for next week August 16.

Coming back there is a bus from the main bus station in Ventiane and it stops at the bridge then once everyone is thru then it continues to Udon Thani. I can't remember the price but was not expensive... Maybe around 200 baht. Best to buy the ticket a day in advance as I had to wait about 2 hours buying the ticket on the same day.

Good and timely report for my trip next week. . Thanks UG.

[Ulysses G.]

Best to buy the ticket a day in advance as I had to wait about 2 hours buying the ticket on the same day.

I wonder if you can buy it in advance. CM only started to allow this fairly recently and I noticed that they closed the ticket window in Vientiane when they had sold out of tickets for the next bus.

[vision]

Does anyone know the cost of a 12 month validity, multi entry non-immigrant visa from Vientiane?

[vision]

Anyone?

[lopburi3]

The price anywhere should be about the same as 5,000 baht but not sure Vientiane will currently provide more than single entry. The most reliable source for multi entry non immigrant O visa for those married to a Thai currently is KL and they will require proof of 100k in a bank account as well as normal marriage proof.

[mtone9317]

In February of this year I took a VIP Nok Air bus from CM to Nong Kai. It was a nightmare. The bus driver was passing in the rain at night on two lane roads downhill with oncoming traffic. Coming back, same driver, was falling asleep behind the wheel. I will NEVER take the bus again. I take the day train from CM to Don Muang, spend the night at Don Muang Amari, beautiful hotel $40 cheap, next day I rest up and take the night train Nong Kai. Motel 6 in Sacramento, is a dump, and costs the same money even with the AARP discount.

[gotlost]

CNX to Udon Nok Air Lines 3880 baht return. http://www.nokair.com/NokConnext/aspx/Welcome.aspx

[Ulysses G.]

In February of this year I took a VIP Nok Air bus from CM to Nong Kai. It was a nightmare. The bus driver was passing in the rain at night on two lane roads downhill with oncoming traffic.

That is something that really worries me, but "Or Suksa Tour" VIP bus อ.ศึกษาทัวร์ was great both ways and they seemed to have two drivers who would spell each other and sleep when it was not their turn to drive. There was a bunch of staff helping each other and the passengers on the trip.

Going to Bangkok and then to Nong Khai is twice as expensive and takes twice as much time, but don't blame you if you do not mind.

I really loathe flying and this came up on the spur of the moment, so I could not get reservations in time even if I wanted to.

[jazzbo]

Lao Airlines about 10,000 baht RT from BKK to Vientiane VTE -- no waiting in hot lines at the bridge borders -- they also show service from Chiang Mai to VTE but currently inactive.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

just an update. Went to Vientiane tuesday and got double tourist visa.

A couple of notes

No lines. As opposed to the last time I visited I saw no africans whatsoever. They must have clamped down on african countries because last time I visited VTE there were a lot of Africans and semi chaos at the Thai embassy.

This time very orderly and quick processing. They even had a consulate employee woman who was walking around and looking at peoples numbers and switching them for lower ones.

No sign of any red stamps or refusals for tourist visa's.

On the way back I took the bus from Vientiane main bus terminal that continues to Udon Thani. Was 23,000 kip or about 90 baht. As UG suspected they don't sell tickets for advance days. The window opens at 730 am and was not much of a line. I showed up at 740 to no line and bought a ticket for the 8 am bus. Bus arrived at Udon Thani at 10 am. Thai immigration lines at the bridge were short at the time so might take longer at other times.

Just one note about the tourist area near the river. They are finally improving the waterfront. It should be a really nice park with wide sidewalks when they are done. Now however its a muddy mess and the outdoor restaurants which used to be there are gone. Just a heads up. It's pretty bleak visual experience at the moment.

[Jimbo]

I went with a group of friends to Vientiane the other week and there was no line at the embassy. However at the counter where you hand in your passport along with the application they were checking very carefully through the passports and the staff were discussing them with each other. Two of my friends (both Germans) were told that it was the last time that they could get a double entry tourist visa and for both it was their third double entry tourist in a row. However no red stamp was given to them. The Thai embassy also "misplaced" the passport of one of my friends and it took them several days to find his passport.