Diy Visa Run To Laos

[paddydubai]

I have a non-immigrant ED visa. I started it in July and should have been able to renew after three months without having to leave Thailand. But I made a mistake with the paperwork so, effectively, had to start all over again - get a fresh set of paperwork from the school and stay outside the country for at least one night.

Last time, I went on a trip organised by Quick Thai Visa. It cost 6,900 baht and was fine, except I really didn't enjoy sitting in a packed mini-bus for 10 hours each way. So I decided to risk doing it myself, although I was daunted by what looked like an awful lot of forms to fill in and assorted admin when I did it with them (for instance, they told me I would need 6 photos.)

But it was much, much easier than I expected, more comfortable and cheaper too. I'll go into detail as it may be useful to some people:

I bought a return train ticket from Bangkok's Hua Lamphong station to Nong Khai, near the Laos border. I took a 1st class sleeper cabin - cost 1317 baht each way. I got it at the station (their online booking service is broken!) and wanted to go on Saturday night but it was full, so I took Sunday night.

If you're travelling alone, which I was, you could end up sharing the cabin with a stranger, which would have been a bit weird and very cramped indeed. So it was somewhat nerve wracking, waiting to leave at 20.00 and hoping the cabin door didn't open! But it didn't and off we went.

After about half an hour, a guy comes to split the seat into a bunk bed and make it up. You get pillows and a freshly laundered blanket and towel. They also take orders for dinner and breakfast, but the food isn't a highlight - I'd stock up on snacks and drinks. They bring coffee in the morning if you want it. I didn't know until too late, but there is a restaurant/bar car. The bloke who used it told me it's very pleasant, sitting over a few beers with all the windows wide open. It closes at 10 pm.

I slept quite well. Even if you can't get off to sleep, at least you're fully stretched out and comfortable. The train is old and fairly manky, with nasty toilets, but it's OK. It'll do.

We got to Nong Khai at 10 am, 90 minutes late, which could have been a big problem, as I'll explain later. You can get an onward train to a place called Lamankheng which is in Laos, near Vientiane. But the connecting times don't really work. It's quicker and simpler to take a tuk-tuk from the station to the border - Friendship Bridge. There's a big sign up at the station telling you how much you have to pay the tuk-tuk. It's 20 baht to Friendship Bridge although the guy will inevitably ask you for more - just give him the 20 and walk away. The guy also tried to stop at a travel agents to buy a Laos visa, but I'd read from other accounts that this is a rip-off, as had his two other passengers. We all squawked in protest and he reluctantly carried on to the border.

At the Thai side of the border, you hand over your departure card and get stamped out. I had a few days overstay so I had to go to a separate office there to pay it, but it only took a few extra minutes. Then you hop on a shuttle bus - 15 baht - across the bridge. It's too far to walk with luggage.

At the Laos side there are two little windows. One of them (marked window 2) issues you with a visa application form, but it isn't open and you have to go right up and stare through it meaningfully until the woman finally opens it and gives you the form. You fill in the form - don't forget to take your own pen! - hand it over at window 1, with your passport and the visa fee, which varies according to where you're from. For the UK it's US$ 35. Then you have to wait quite a while until window no. 2 opens again and the woman hands out the completed passports in batches of three or four.

At this point you need to get into Vientiane and you get set upon by a swarm of drivers and touts. I had a driver arranged with the hotel, which is probably advisable. But we were both really concerned about the time. It was now 11.20, the Thai consulate stops taking visa applications on the dot of mid day (and if you miss it, you've got to forget it until tomorrow) and it's a fair few minutes drive into Vientiane.

We got there a couple of minutes before noon and I got surrounded by another swarm of touts, who offer to do the whole process for you. The guy who latched on to me wanted 3,000 baht. DON"T PAY IT! It's completely unnecessary. Don't use the outside photocopy service either - there's one inside.

Even though we were there just in time, they had shut the gates! But a woman tout was selling tickets from the take-a-ticket machine inside the consulate, for 200 baht each. Right under the nose of the gate guard, she offered me the ticket for 200 baht, which I paid, and the guy let me in. It's a bit of a scam, but hey ho.

Once inside, there's an outdoor area where you take a ticket (if you haven't been sold one already), fill in your form, paste two photos onto it (where did the Quick Thai Visa guys get the idea you need six??) then wait for your number to be called. These numbers are called in batches so you then have to queue to hand your papers in. A clerk takes a quick look through to see that all is in order, asks a couple of questions and you're done. You then go to a room inside the compound and pay the fee - 2000 baht - get a receipt and you're finished. That whole bit took just over half an hour so, as I say, it definitely wasn't worth paying a tout.

You then have 24 hours to enjoy Vientiane, which really is a nice place. I'd quite like to go back for a few days' holiday. It's how I imagine Thailand must have been 50 or 60 years ago. There isn't a great deal of globalisation, thankfully - I didn't see any Starbucks, McDonalds or KFC, although Walls Ice Cream is big business! The people have clear, untroubled faces, there's no hassle, the pace is very leisurely, the French/Asian colonial architecture is shabby and very appealing, the big government buildings and Buddhist temples are fabulous and the food and coffee is fantastic.

There's a great strip of restaurants and bars along the riverfront. I'm a bit of a foodie and I had a meal in a French place called La Cote d'Azur which was absolutely stunning. At 600 baht it was pricy, you can pay much, much less along that strip, but it included a carafe of decent wine and a cognac, plus truly world class cooking. I had couscous, which is one of my favourite dishes. I've had it in lots of places including Morocco and I make a pretty good one myself. But this was the best I've ever eaten, hands down.

I booked the Aroon Residence online. It was fine. Immaculately clean and pleasant, with free wi-fi. And the hotel driver couldn't be faulted; he'd been calling me from 8 in the morning to check when I'd arrive and where to meet. 1000 baht for the hotel and 150 for him although I gave him a much bigger tip.

The consulate hands out completed passports between 1 and 3 pm the next day. I got there a few minutes early and went in with the throng. The take-a-ticket machine was bust so we just got into a queue. I was out in 15 minutes with passport and visa.

Just one error - I only got given a single entry visa for the next three months. A German husband and wife were going crazy cos she'd been given multiple entry but he'd only been given single. If you want more, apparently, you need to indicate it in the application form. I didn't know that and I do need to leave before the visa expires, so we'll have to figure out what happens then.

Train back to Bangkok left Nong Khai at 6.20, was nearly empty in 1st class so no anxiety about having to share, but once again was 90 minutes late arriving.

Total cost was 6,100 baht - quite a bit less than Quick Thai Visa, (although their price did include a couple of meals, to be fair, but not 800 baht's worth!) And as I say, it was immeasurably more comfortable this way.

Edited November 3, 2010 by paddydubai

[aussiebebe]

That's a fine post, very useful - I'm sure for many people. Just out of interest, why Laos and not Cambodia for a single-entry 3-month visa? Do Cambodia not offer it? I'm just asking, I've never done it before. It sounds like your workplace will keep you on extension of stay.

[rayongtoffee]

Very informative and detailed.I will take note of your adventure,as I will have to go through this procedure next year.Cheers.

[Cnxforever]

Yes very informative - just one question what did you pay the 2000 Baht "fee" for at the consulate?

Thought tourist visas are still free until March 2011??

[lopburi3]

It appears he went there to obtain a non immigrant ED visa and that would cost 2,000 baht.

[paddydubai]

That's a fine post, very useful - I'm sure for many people. Just out of interest, why Laos and not Cambodia for a single-entry 3-month visa? Do Cambodia not offer it? I'm just asking, I've never done it before. It sounds like your workplace will keep you on extension of stay.

Hi.

No, apparently if you need to stay out for one night, it has to be Laos, Cambodia's no good. I could be wrong about that.

Thanks for your kind words. Glad to help.