Cheapest International Return Flight?

[properjob]

My visa situation is in a pickle, and I need to get at least 30 days more (British Passport), which now means I have to fly out and back (I've exhausted the 15 days on entry option at Mae Sai already).

So now I need to fly out and back, possibly even on the same day - but possibly to stay out for long enough to apply for a tourist visa at a Thai embassy abroad.

Does anyone have any tips on the cheapest international return flights out of Chiang Mai? The options seem rather limited and not very cheap.

pj

[Sparkles]

KL with Air Asia..................Costs.......... check their web site they vary from day to day.

[properjob]

KL with Air Asia..................Costs.......... check their web site they vary from day to day.

Thanks for that. I'll check that option.

pj

[BuffaloRescue]

Fly to brisbane with Scoot airways.... about $600 (loooong stop over in singapore)

Write a letter stating you wish to explore business opporunities in Thailand.

Take it with you. Pay the approx $250? for the multi entry visa. Come back in afternoon.. you dont have to worry about visa for 15 months

[bobl]

Depends on your budget but unfortunately most of the cheap options are out of bkk not cnx.

If you check (e.g.) Skyscanner) for same day international return flights to "Everywhere" there's not a whole lot of action out of cnx. Someone already mentioned KL which is one of the very few but it's still an expensive 30 day pass...

If your budget is limited, one of your cheapest and best options would be to fly (or take a bus) to Udon then head for Vientiane, get yourself a double entry visa.

[properjob]

Thanks for the help. BR, I don't quite understand the Brisbane tip. How can I apply for a business visa and come back the same day? (Even if you didn't mean it literally). I have had multi-entry non-immig B visas up until now - I get them in the U.K. very easily, so I know the visa you mean (and will get another in a few weeks when I go to Britain).

The Udon Thani/Vientiane option is another one worth thinking about, I guess. Get the double entry and do the whole trip backpacker style, overland. Rough but doable (and maybe character forming).

pj

[properjob]

Thinking now about the Udon Thani/Vientiane option. I actually quite like a travelling challenge, so long as it isn't TOO much of an ordeal.

Is the Udon Thani trip a one-day affair? I'd much rather do that in daytime - don't like overnight bus trips for danger reasons.

I gather it is easy to get from Udon Thani to Vientiane - but that there might be a need for a visa for Laos that makes certain express buses impossible to use if you don't have the visa already?

If anyone has recent experience of the overland trip to Vientiane I'd appreciate any inside tips RE bus companies/visas border crossings, etc.

pj

[naboo]

KL is about 6000B return. No visa fee for Malaysia.

Bus to and from Vientiane is 1400B, visa for Laos 900B, 2 month tourist visa for Thailand 2000B, hotel for 3 nights as you don't want to travel by night is 1500B.

(figures may not be accurate, but about right)

Do you see where I'm going with this?

[Ricardo]

KL with Air Asia..................Costs.......... check their web site they vary from day to day.

Agreed, go down on the morning-flight, spend a few hours in the LCC-terminal at KL, and catch the late-afternoon return-flight.

Thus get 30-days, for arriving in Thailand by air, and ability to extend for a week more at Immigration if needed ?

[bobl]

Thinking now about the Udon Thani/Vientiane option. I actually quite like a travelling challenge, so long as it isn't TOO much of an ordeal.

Is the Udon Thani trip a one-day affair? I'd much rather do that in daytime - don't like overnight bus trips for danger reasons.

I gather it is easy to get from Udon Thani to Vientiane - but that there might be a need for a visa for Laos that makes certain express buses impossible to use if you don't have the visa already?

If anyone has recent experience of the overland trip to Vientiane I'd appreciate any inside tips RE bus companies/visas border crossings, etc.

pj

There isn't a one-day affair when it comes to visas. You'll need to spend a couple of days in the country of choice to submit your application then get the visa next day. Can't help you much with the bus options for VTE, first time I went I flew to Udon, 2nd time I drove to Nong Khai. Yes, you need a visa for Laos ($35 or $36 depending what day & time you hit the border) so 'express' options are limited. Most people just bus (or drive or fly) to Nong Khai then hop another bus or taxi to Vientiane at the other side of the bridge. If you travel overnight you might be able to reach the consulate in time to submit your visa app the same day you arrive, pick it up next day then start the journey back - so only 1 night in VTE (and 2 on buses).

There's no point in getting a double entry in VTE if you're going back to the UK in a few weeks?? Just get a single... However if you're sure you can get away with 30 days then yes, scrap all that Laos hassle and do a day return to KL. Naboo is (partially) correct about KL being the cheapest & easiest option, but it's comparing apples & oranges because it's a 6000 baht "30 day" option whereby VTE is an ~10,000 baht "up to 6 months" option. So it really depends when you plan to go to UK.

[properjob]

Thanks for all the help on this. Ideally I'd get about sixty days to keep me going until an appointment I have in the UK in June, so a single entry visa would do me.

Lots of good info here. Much appreciated.

pj

[BuffaloRescue]

Thanks for the help. BR, I don't quite understand the Brisbane tip. How can I apply for a business visa and come back the same day? (Even if you didn't mean it literally). I have had multi-entry non-immig B visas up until now - I get them in the U.K. very easily, so I know the visa you mean (and will get another in a few weeks when I go to Britain).

The Udon Thani/Vientiane option is another one worth thinking about, I guess. Get the double entry and do the whole trip backpacker style, overland. Rough but doable (and maybe character forming).

pj

I mean you can get the visa same day. Drop off passport and your letter in the morning. Pick up in afternoon. Youd probably want to spend at least 1 night in a motel before coming back!

[kharmabum]

if the OP were to fly out of thailand on a round trip ticket, would he be able to use the return without an onward ticket?

[bobl]

if the OP were to fly out of thailand on a round trip ticket, would he be able to use the return without an onward ticket?

Yes. If he went further he'd run into the problem of needing an onward ticket (or a visa) but not for "local" international flights.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Tomtomtom69]

Thinking now about the Udon Thani/Vientiane option. I actually quite like a travelling challenge, so long as it isn't TOO much of an ordeal.

Is the Udon Thani trip a one-day affair? I'd much rather do that in daytime - don't like overnight bus trips for danger reasons.

I gather it is easy to get from Udon Thani to Vientiane - but that there might be a need for a visa for Laos that makes certain express buses impossible to use if you don't have the visa already?

If anyone has recent experience of the overland trip to Vientiane I'd appreciate any inside tips RE bus companies/visas border crossings, etc.

pj

THere's also a direct daily Chiang Mai-Luang Prabang international bus, but you'd need to get to Vientiane from there anyway since I don't believe there is a Thai consulate in Luang Prabang. Given this, you would probably arrive in Vientiane much faster by taking an Udon Thani bound bus then connect with the Udon-Vientiane international bus as has been suggested. However, this is also an option if you are not in such a rush, hence why I suggested it.