Laos Embassy Bkk

[bermondburi]

Want to get a Laos visa in BKK before I go to save time at the border. Is it still on Pracha Uthit road ? Anyone know the opening times ? Cost of a visa ?

[bermondburi]

Just went to their wenbsite and it says that you can now only pay in Baht and it's 1400. That's a bit steep seeing how it's only 35$ or something at the border. 1400 is 45$ + . Is this true ? Anyone been recently ?

[Thanyaburi Mac]

It was there last Saturday when I passed by enroute to the 4th of July party at KIS.

http://www.bkklaoembassy.com/

Mac

[MeMock]

Hardly takes anytime to get one at the border and like mentioned above it is cheaper to pay in US dollars at the border. I have in the past paid between 1100 and 1500 baht at the border when I did not have any US dollars with me. Depends on the person 'serving' you and your negotiating skills.

[Sydebolle]

Forget about the visa from their Embassy. Getting there, going back plus the fee is easily double the costs and upon arrival at the border you still have to complete the arrival card. The five extra minutes (if at all) are in no relation to the logistics to/from the Embassy - unless you live just next to it.

For Swiss and Luxembourg passport holders there is no visa necessary for a stay of max. 14 days; arrival and departure days to be included. You can enter Laos at each and every border crossing these days (incl. Veung Kham (from Cambodia), Bo Y (from Southern Vietnam) and Sop Houn/Tay Trang (Dien Bien Phu/Northwestern Vietnam) and Nam Ngern (Northern Thailand Province of Nan); not hear-tell but did it myself.

Having PP-pictures with you helps as there is no photographer in sight anywhere........

[Sydebolle]

Nevertheless, here is another link to save time by completing the form NOT ON YOUR KNEES inside the Embassy waiting lounge:http://www.bkklaoembassy.com/consular%20service/visa_form.pdf

[jdinasia]

I have been stuck in lines over an hour long at the Friendship bridge in the past. I personally stopped getting a visa at the border after the second time that happened and always got them in BKK at the Lao embassy. Same day processing and convenient. Passing up the line at the border also makes a difference in getting to the Thai embassy if you are on your way to get a new Thai visa.

It does cost a bit more in BKK but for me the ease and time involved has always been worth it compared to being stuck at the border.

[bermondburi]

I have been stuck in lines over an hour long at the Friendship bridge in the past. I personally stopped getting a visa at the border after the second time that happened and always got them in BKK at the Lao embassy. Same day processing and convenient. Passing up the line at the border also makes a difference in getting to the Thai embassy if you are on your way to get a new Thai visa.

It does cost a bit more in BKK but for me the ease and time involved has always been worth it compared to being stuck at the border.

This is my thinking . Every time I have been to Laos it has been at least an hour getting in to Laos at the Friendship bridge. I am going to the Thai embassy straight after as well so it is more of a time saving thing for me. No trouble to go to the embassy in BKK for me as I've got some spare time when I don't have to do anything at work so I was thinking I'll just run down there on the bike. If it's anything like the Cambo Embassy then after paying the express fee should only have to wait five minutes if they aren't busy.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

I have been stuck in lines over an hour long at the Friendship bridge in the past. I personally stopped getting a visa at the border after the second time that happened and always got them in BKK at the Lao embassy. Same day processing and convenient. Passing up the line at the border also makes a difference in getting to the Thai embassy if you are on your way to get a new Thai visa.

It does cost a bit more in BKK but for me the ease and time involved has always been worth it compared to being stuck at the border.

This is my thinking . Every time I have been to Laos it has been at least an hour getting in to Laos at the Friendship bridge. I am going to the Thai embassy straight after as well so it is more of a time saving thing for me. No trouble to go to the embassy in BKK for me as I've got some spare time when I don't have to do anything at work so I was thinking I'll just run down there on the bike. If it's anything like the Cambo Embassy then after paying the express fee should only have to wait five minutes if they aren't busy.

Busy or not, gotta remember, they work on Lao time, so figure 45 minutes to an hour. How about reporting back how it goes with your visit?

And, remember, "bo pen nyang makes manana~ sound like a war cry!"

Mac

[jdinasia]

I have been stuck in lines over an hour long at the Friendship bridge in the past. I personally stopped getting a visa at the border after the second time that happened and always got them in BKK at the Lao embassy. Same day processing and convenient. Passing up the line at the border also makes a difference in getting to the Thai embassy if you are on your way to get a new Thai visa.

It does cost a bit more in BKK but for me the ease and time involved has always been worth it compared to being stuck at the border.

This is my thinking . Every time I have been to Laos it has been at least an hour getting in to Laos at the Friendship bridge. I am going to the Thai embassy straight after as well so it is more of a time saving thing for me. No trouble to go to the embassy in BKK for me as I've got some spare time when I don't have to do anything at work so I was thinking I'll just run down there on the bike. If it's anything like the Cambo Embassy then after paying the express fee should only have to wait five minutes if they aren't busy.

I never paid for express service .. and was never there more than an hour total. (Yes, at the time I lived in BKK and could just pop over without worrying about the time it took compared with the time issues on a trip to the Thai embassy in Laos. Bypassing the line at the friendship bridge was very useful in its day. (annual extensions of stay in Thailand for work now ... so for me .....)

[rak sa_ngop]

These days you only have to queue once at Friendship Bridge. If you apply for visa-on-entry you may have to wait awhile to get your passort back, but you don't then have to rejoin the immigration booth queue to enter Laos. Your passport will have the the entry stamp already so you can just sail past the long queues.

Also if you are short of USD, the exchange booths before immigration will sell you USD for Thai baht at a good rate so you don't have to pay the riddiculous baht price (1500?) for the visa-on-entry.

[bermondburi]

I have been stuck in lines over an hour long at the Friendship bridge in the past. I personally stopped getting a visa at the border after the second time that happened and always got them in BKK at the Lao embassy. Same day processing and convenient. Passing up the line at the border also makes a difference in getting to the Thai embassy if you are on your way to get a new Thai visa.

It does cost a bit more in BKK but for me the ease and time involved has always been worth it compared to being stuck at the border.

This is my thinking . Every time I have been to Laos it has been at least an hour getting in to Laos at the Friendship bridge. I am going to the Thai embassy straight after as well so it is more of a time saving thing for me. No trouble to go to the embassy in BKK for me as I've got some spare time when I don't have to do anything at work so I was thinking I'll just run down there on the bike. If it's anything like the Cambo Embassy then after paying the express fee should only have to wait five minutes if they aren't busy.

Busy or not, gotta remember, they work on Lao time, so figure 45 minutes to an hour. How about reporting back how it goes with your visit?

And, remember, "bo pen nyang makes manana~ sound like a war cry!"

Mac

Will do, off on the 31st so watch this space !

[bermondburi]

These days you only have to queue once at Friendship Bridge. If you apply for visa-on-entry you may have to wait awhile to get your passort back, but you don't then have to rejoin the immigration booth queue to enter Laos. Your passport will have the the entry stamp already so you can just sail past the long queues.

Also if you are short of USD, the exchange booths before immigration will sell you USD for Thai baht at a good rate so you don't have to pay the riddiculous baht price (1500?) for the visa-on-entry.

I've not been in a while but I think it was like that the last time I went. Maybe 18 months ago or so. It just seems that they do take ages to do the visa on arrival. Plus I'm normally there on a Monday morning and it is busy. It took me ages one time and I think I made it to the Embassy at 11: 30 and they locked the doors five minutes after I got there. Lucky for me. I like Vientiene but I find that I get very bored there very quickly. Met a very arrogant / thinks his shit doesn't stink French guy there onetime who told me that Vientiene was biggest place he had ever lived in ! It's so small and dead though !

Anyone got the bus from Udon Thani to Vientiene. I will stay in Udon on the Sunday night and get the bus to Nong Khai early the next morning. I do remember seeing at the bus station a bus service to Vientiene so long as you had the visa already.