Visa Run To Vientiane By Air

[simon43]

I need to do a 90 day visa run on my multi non-immigrant B visa. Last time I flew to Laos for the weekend.

Is it possible to do the same thing, but do an immediate turnaround? That is, fly on Lao Air to Vientiane in the morning, go through immigration, and then come straight back on the next flight back to BKK?

I presume it's ok, but I just want to check that there isn't some strange Lao immigration rule that forbids this!

cheers - Simon

[richard10365]

The Thai embassy in Vientiane processes visa applications in the morning on Monday thru Friday. You can't pick up your new visa until the afternoon of the following day.

Keep in mind, if you drop off your application on Friday, you can't pick up your visa until the following Monday.

Make sure there are not Laos or Thai holidays on the days you plan your visa run, the embassy may be closed.

[simon43]

The Thai embassy in Vientiane processes visa applications in the morning on ...

Richard - I already have my 1 year visa, so I just need to go out of Thailand and then come straight back every 90 days! So I don't need to get a new visa in Laos, just a stamp in my passport!

[ovenman]

I already have my 1 year visa, so I just need to go out of Thailand and then come straight back every 90 days!  So I don't need to get a new visa in Laos, just a stamp in my passport!

This should be possible in theory but you will need to go through Lao immigrations (entry), check-in for your return flight to Bangkok, and go through Lao immigrations (exit). You need to get the Lao entry/exit stamps. Doesn't Laos have some sort of entry fee/visa fee or whatever?

I think this scenario would be cheaper to do flying to Penang, Kuala Lumpur, or Singapore since you shouldn't need a visa (i.e. spend more money) to enter either Malaysia or Singapore.

[Joey Boy]

Doesn't Laos have some sort of entry fee/visa fee or whatever? 

USD$30

[Khutan]

Simon, I think you will find it faster and cheaper to go to Singapore, with the new Budget carriers.

[lopburi3]

Simon, I think you will find it faster and cheaper to go to Singapore, with the new Budget carriers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not to mention safer. Last time I flew Lao Air they had replaced a Lockhead Electra with one of the few surviving Boeing 307 Stratoliners. (I admit it has been a few years)

[Axel]

Never used the budget carriers, yet. But if you are able to get a boarding pass for same day return while checking in in BKK for SIN you not even have to go through immigration in SIN.

Same, if the carrier has a counter in the transit area. Just present your ticket to get a new boarding pass.

Arriving by air in BKK, immigration does not care for a chop in your passport of the country you are arriving from.

[simon43]

Thanks all for advice. I flew 3 months ago to Vientiane on Lao Air and stayed for the weekend. So I have decided to do likewise, but fly out on Thai Air and back on Lao Air later in the day. (Gives me a few hours at Vientiane airport to study my Thai...)

Simon

[richard10365]

The Thai embassy in Vientiane processes visa applications in the morning on ...

Richard - I already have my 1 year visa, so I just need to go out of Thailand and then come straight back every 90 days! So I don't need to get a new visa in Laos, just a stamp in my passport!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are you just looking for that 90 day stamp or are you interested in seeing Laos?

There are other options in getting the stamp depending on if money is a factor or not.

If Laos is your main interest, there are 2 border check points that I know of. From what I heard, crossing from Mukdahan, to Savanakhet is the most interesting. (Unless you like big boring cities like Vientiane). It is a ferry ride to the other side into a bueatiful part of Laos.

I have never been to that part of Laos so I really dont know. Maybe some of the other TV members can comment on this.

But with the info from your original post and your second one addressed to me,.....as far as I know, you can do it in one day.

[asanee]

[(Unless you like big boring cities like Vientiane: thats VERY clear youve never been there! this must rank between the most sleepy capitals of this whole world! Even NonghKhai across the river on Thai is a bustling metropolis compared to VTE.

But back to the Original Q; you should thus be able to plan well ahead your dates you need to get out, thus a prebooked webfare from tigerair.com (does currently NOT offer same day returns) or better; www.jatstarasia.com may ioffer a sameday return for about 2500/3000 THB, all incl: even free web-use to give us updates at Changi Airport.

A Lao visa can be had for around 600 THB at many bekpek travel agnets (valid 15 days)

[croftrobin]

I need to do a 90 day visa run on my multi non-immigrant B visa.  Last time I flew to Laos for the weekend.

Is it possible to do the same thing, but do an immediate turnaround?  That is, fly on Lao Air to Vientiane in the morning, go through immigration, and then come straight back on the next flight back to BKK?

I presume it's ok, but I just want to check that there isn't some strange Lao immigration rule that forbids this!

cheers - Simon

Simon, If you are in bangkok why not just go to the Poipet crossing by road?

Its the closest exit to Bangkok.

[simon43]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm actually sitting in Vientaine airport right now, and waiting for my flight back.

I could have driven my car from BKK to Poipet, but the weather has been wet over the past few days and such a journey would probably be sloooww. So I've sat on the plane from BKK and had a good rest instead.

Thanks for the comments re low-cost airlines, but I'm happily more concerned with saving time/going when I wish etc than worrying about saving a few thousand baht.

Thanks again!

Simon

[klongmaster]

Never used the budget carriers, yet. But if you are able to get a boarding pass for same day return while checking in in BKK for SIN you not even have to go through immigration in SIN.

Same, if the carrier has a counter in the transit area. Just present your ticket to get a new boarding pass.

Arriving by air in BKK, immigration does not care for a chop in your passport of the country you are arriving from.

This is not really good advice 'cause if it was true why make the trip to Sing at all.. Just check in at the airport in BKK and then exit through Bkk immigration..but in reality it's not possible

Imm do want to see your stamp, expecially if it's a day trip

Edited September 17, 2005 by klongmaster

[ovenman]

Never used the budget carriers, yet. But if you are able to get a boarding pass for same day return while checking in in BKK for SIN you not even have to go through immigration in SIN.

Same, if the carrier has a counter in the transit area. Just present your ticket to get a new boarding pass.

Arriving by air in BKK, immigration does not care for a chop in your passport of the country you are arriving from.

This is not really good advice 'cause if it was true why make the trip to Sing at all.. Just check in at the airport in BKK and then exit through Bkk immigration..but in reality it's not possible

Imm do want to see your stamp, expecially if it's a day trip

Considering it's absolutely no hassle at all to do so, I can't fathom why one wouldn't want to take the few extra minutes, go through Singapore immigrations and get the appropriate stamps.

One other point: there may be an exception to this but any of the budget carriers I have flown in this region will only issue a boarding pass for the flight that one is about to board. For example, if one were flying Chiang Mai-Bangkok, Bangkok-Phuket on AirAsia, one cannot obtain that second boarding pass in Chiang Mai. Also, the budget carriers generally do not have transfer desks in the transit area.