Double Tourist Visa At Vientiane

[SpeedFreakz]

I just got back from Vientiane, and got my double entry visa. Before this one i had 3 entry from my country and single from KL.

So I started my journey from Hat Yai, so far away from Laos, but its the only country i havent been so far and they issue double entries visas so i headed there. I got to the southern bus station and the bus to Nong Khai is from Moo Chit, and there is a van going between them from 35 baht. I took the last bus to Nong Khai, so i got there early morning. Since i didnt get Laos visa in Bkk I couldnt take local bus between Nong Khai and VTE, they ask for passport and Laos visa(it costs 55 baht). so i took tuk tuk to the border. everything went great at the thai side. there is a bus for 20 baht that takes you ac cross the bridge. On the Laos side I applied for visa on arrival, it took around 5 min, since it was very early in the morning. when you cross the border there are lot of tuk tuks and taxis, but also there is a public bus number 14 (ticket is 6 000 kip) which takes you to the bus station and from there, everything is close. consulate was closed until 2nd so i had lot of spare time. rented a bike for one day for sight seeing, love the city. everything is so close, and lot of parks and you can walk everywhere...

on 2nd i went early morning to the consulate, on their web site there is a map with the new address. you can walk, it is really not far away from the Patuxai park, or you can go by bike if you rented or tuk tuk. I arrived around 8:30 and there was around 20 people before me.. for visas they ask for passport copy, and also they ask for copy of laos visa.. not sure why they want it, but people around me told me to copy it so i did. there is a copy center in the consulate so no need to copy it in front on consulate. when you enter they give you a number and then you wait for your number to show up... when it was my turn, i gave them all the copies and the application (download it from the web site or you can get it in the consulate, it goes faster if you already fill it). they didnt ask anything, just looked through my copies and inside my passport, and they said to go to pay in the other building.. then you wait again for your number to show up. you pay there, and the next day after 1 pm you come to pick your passport..

the next day i came earlier but it was very long line, and they opened the gate late, around 1 and 15.. they just gave me my passport back and thats it.

i was heading back the same day, so i went straight to the bus station. there is a local bus from VTE to Nong Khai at 14:30, 15:30 and 18:00, but when i got there the tickets were sold out. so i took the public bus 14, to the border, again bus just to cross the bridge for 4 000 kip, and then tuk tuk to the bus station to Nong Khai. the rates of the tuk tuk from the friendship bridge to the bus station is 30baht per person, saw it inside the tuk tuk, so we paid that much..

from there there are few types of buses that go to BKK. the cheapest one is at the bus station, on one of the stands.. and the bus is crappy. for the better ones, tickets are bought around the bus station, and the price varies. I took the medium price and the bus was ok, it took really long time to enter BKK because of the traffic but I got right on time to take another bus to Hat Yai.

Hope this helps...

[Mikk]

what u guys reckon would there be any problem getting the double-entry tourist visa having 2 overstay "stamps" on my passport from last year?

[Mario2008]

Overstay should be no problem.

[ubonjoe]

I think I would of used a train instead of bus. The 2nd class sleepers are pretty comfortable.