Floods May Cause Me To Overstay

[karlos]

On the 23rd of October my tourist visa will expire and i'll need to run to Laos and back.

The problem is getting there seems to be a little challenging by any means other than plane...

My questions are as follows:-

1) Will immigration (jang wattana) help me sit out the flood here in Bangkok in some way?

2) If i have to over stay what are the chances that doing so wouldn't be deemed to be such a crime and i could do the visa run as soon as the water subsides?

3) Should i run to the hills and live with my gf in Chaiyaphumi and never boarder run again?

Thanks for your help, Karl

[lopburi3]

Am not aware of any great challenge getting to Laos from Bangkok, even if you do not fly; nor would you be required to go to Laos in any case.

1. Unlikely.

2. Slim.

3. Not advisable.

[karlos]

Thank you for your quick reply.

My only reason for wanting to run to Laos is to obtain a double entry Tourist visa, i have heard they are pretty hard to come by in Cambodia.

My other issue is the water around Bangkok right now, if i can't get to Laos tomorrow night then i think the surrounding areas will be worse and i'll be stuck here in Latkrabang clocking up overstays

[richard_smith237]

Latkrabang is pretty much as close to the airport as you can get. Any reason not to fly ?

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Thank you for your quick reply.

My only reason for wanting to run to Laos is to obtain a double entry Tourist visa, i have heard they are pretty hard to come by in Cambodia.

My other issue is the water around Bangkok right now, if i can't get to Laos tomorrow night then i think the surrounding areas will be worse and i'll be stuck here in Latkrabang clocking up overstays

Can't say how it'll be tomorrow, or the day after, or after that, but was fine yesterday and today.

I started out Monday morning from Phou Khoun, about half way between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, way up in the mountains, the junction of Hwys 7 & 13. 12 hours later, on the road, hauled into the very nice Khon Kaen Orchid Hotel in, where else, Khon Kaen. This morning out the door at 0600 hrs and home to Klong 10 Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani at 1130.

Mac

[karlos]

Cost is an issue, and i have always done my runs with tour agencies. I assume there are no such agencies that can help me obtain a double entry if i fly??

Latkrabang is pretty much as close to the airport as you can get. Any reason not to fly ?

[karlos]

Thank you for the info, if i can find a tour agency that isn't overbooked with people in the same rush rush situation as me then i'll go tomorrow night and lose 10 days of stay on my current visa.

Karl

Thank you for your quick reply.

My only reason for wanting to run to Laos is to obtain a double entry Tourist visa, i have heard they are pretty hard to come by in Cambodia.

My other issue is the water around Bangkok right now, if i can't get to Laos tomorrow night then i think the surrounding areas will be worse and i'll be stuck here in Latkrabang clocking up overstays

Can't say how it'll be tomorrow, or the day after, or after that, but was fine yesterday and today.

I started out Monday morning from Phou Khoun, about half way between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, way up in the mountains, the junction of Hwys 7 & 13. 12 hours later, on the road, hauled into the very nice Khon Kaen Orchid Hotel in, where else, Khon Kaen. This morning out the door at 0600 hrs and home to Klong 10 Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani at 1130.

Mac

[karlos]

Just contacted a company and they told me there's a holiday so i can't go tomorrow evening, the earliest i can go to Laos would be Sunday 16th buy bus. I hope the water doesn't rise further...

Worse come to worse i would have to fly BKK - Chaing Rai?

Or is there something better?

Again thanks for you help, Karl.

[lopburi3]

You fly to Udon (which is only about 40 minutes from the Lao bridge crossing to Vientiane) ( many flights and really not that expensive). But the serious water is on the routes to North not on the roads to NorthEast. But even to the North the trip can be made using alternate routes.

[BuckarooBanzai]

You fly to Udon (which is only about 40 minutes from the Lao bridge crossing to Vientiane) ( many flights and really not that expensive). But the serious water is on the routes to North not on the roads to NorthEast. But even to the North the trip can be made using alternate routes.

Years ago I just flew into Vientiane. They had visa on arrival at the airport. Has this all changed now?

[TerryLH]

"On the 23rd of October my tourist visa will expire..."

If this, from your original post, is correct, you can get a 30 day extension at an immigration office, and no border run required.

If not, good luck.

[karlos]

If the water doesn't affect my route to Laos then you have ease my worries.

But the biggest issue with these tour agencies is getting out of Bangkok, if central Bangkok was to flood then i can't see the tour groups operating, or would central Bangkok be heavily defended against the flood?

I assume once on the bus (Ekamai) it would just shoot up on to the express way and i'd be on my way, traveling above most of Bangkok's flooded zones..

[lopburi3]

You fly to Udon (which is only about 40 minutes from the Lao bridge crossing to Vientiane) ( many flights and really not that expensive). But the serious water is on the routes to North not on the roads to NorthEast. But even to the North the trip can be made using alternate routes.

Years ago I just flew into Vientiane. They had visa on arrival at the airport. Has this all changed now?

You can do that but normally it is much more expensive - Udon is a domestic flight.

[karlos]

I'm sorry i should have stated that on the 23rd my 30 day extension will run out

"On the 23rd of October my tourist visa will expire..."

If this, from your original post, is correct, you can get a 30 day extension at an immigration office, and no border run required.

If not, good luck.