Whats The Easiest And Quickest Way To Tackle The Friendship Bridge?

[jauntyjohn]

Have non immigrant O multi - heading to Nong khai next week to do the border thing to activate another 3 months on my thai visa. Will be driving but will probably leave the car on the Thailand side. Basically I just want to exit Thailand then come right back to do so.

Any suggestions as to the best time to get to the border and if I should use some hired help to quicken the process or can I do everything relatively painlessly myself? Thanks for any suggs.

[Colabamumbai]

Park car on left side just before immigration border at roundabout 300 bhat a night, security 24 hours free tuk tuk to immmigration out, or u can walk not 5 minutes. You may have to get visa for Laos when arrive on Lao side pay in U.S. 30% cheaper than in Bhat. Park free at 7/11 on right side just past roundabout, one minute to immigration.

I don't know if you can just exit and return again, you may need Lao entry visa and stamp and exit stamp.

I always prefer to arrive early. Up to you. I do not know if it is legal just to exit and come back. Others can help more maybe here about that.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Very secure car park, behind a fence and guarded, right there at the T-intersection before the bridge on the Thai side, same place where you get the baht 20 van seat to cross over. And it's just baht 100 per day/night. I've been using this place for 15 years, last time was last week.

Pay your baht 20, wait for the van to fill up, it stops at Thai Immigration for everyone to process out, crosses over to the Lao side, stops again to unload.

You get your Lao entry papers, Visa On Arrival form & Arrival/Departure form, fill these out, hand in with your passport and one photo, along with the payment, $35 for Americans, plus $1 if "overtime." Wait for a bit then at Window #3, they'll wave your passport for you to pickup. Pass on by the Arrival kiosks, you've already been stamped in.

If you don't want to go on in to Vientiane, just walk straight, then left around the end of the Lao Immigration building, and continue to the Lao Departure kiosks, stamp out, continue on to pay for the van back to the Thai side, stamp in at Thai Immigration, go on to the van station, and pick up your car.

Done deal.

Mac

[DowntownAl]

You need an visa to enter Lao, you get that at Lao immigration as previous posters have noted. Download the forms on-line since they are very much like Thai visa apps and you can save yourself a bit of time at the border. BTW - there are faster and cheaper places to do a border run ie. Burma, depends where you are coming from, but Burma via Mae Sai is cheaper and faster.

[CharlieH]

You dont need to stay, it should take you no more than about an hour, I've done it in 45 minutes. Park the car Thai side, find a space easy enough, walk to immigration Thai side (on the left), pass through, get a ticket for the Bus right in fromt of you. 20 baht. Cross the bridge, get off outside immigration/visa. Go to window 1 get your form, fill in the form pay in US if you can its cheaper. Hand the paperwork and money. Collect short time later from window 3. Walk straight down the side of the building, dont queue anywhere you already have been stamped into Laos with your visa. At the end of the building turn left and left again, walk straight and pass OUT of Laos, walk 20 meters get another bus ticket back to Thai side. Get off bus, fill in arrival card, stamp back into Thailand. Check your passport has correct date etc, back to your car....JOB DONE

You dont need any "help" from anyone, its very easy and straight forward.

I found the best time to go was around 10 am at the bridge, early morning workers etc gne, and a little early for the tour buses.

DONT FORGET:

Passport

Passport pics

Your own pen (for form)

US dollars

The Laos visa takes a whole page, hope you have enough room.

Good luck.

PS: DONT go weekends its packed.

[ChatterRat]

Charlie H post is spot on. Have done exactly has he has written many times with no problems.

Will add a little more though.

When Charlie says cross the bridge he means the bus will take you across the bridge, 20 baht over and 20 baht when you return.

You will need a passport size photo for the Laos visa. Getting the visa is very straight forward, simply fill in forms very similar to the forms you fill when arriving/departing from airports. Take a pen.

Once you get to the Laos side as Charlie says, turn left then left again, over the road is a large Duty free style shopping area. I usually waste an hour or so in there before walking back through the Thai border. Gives me time to relax with a coffee and buy some cheap DVDs for the wife and kids.

And most importantly DO NOT HIRE ANYONE TO HELP. It really is a incredibly easy thing to do, queing and waiting the only hastles, some days no queues other days larger queues. It always seems to me that the border runners with help always seem to be the most stressed ones. Think this is because their helpers like them to think its more difficult than it really is in order to extract maximim baht from them, and because they are relying on others they always look confused and concerned about whats going on.

If no free parking spots I park in the secure parking opposite side of the road to 7Eleven. If arrive and leave same day i think its 50 baht. Very short walk to border no need for transport.