Chiang Mai-Udon Thani-Vientiane Visa Run

[CMfoodie]

Departed Chiang Mai airport on Nok (mini) Air propeller
plane for a 1 hour 10 minute flight. Got a great roundtrip price of 3000 baht.

In Udon Thani when you exit baggage claim to the right is
the “Limo Service” where you purchase a ticket for 200 baht for trip to the
Thai side of Friendship Bridge. The van seats about 10 and is a Toyota Commuter
with good air-con. The trip took about an hour. Once you reach the Thai side on
the bridge you exit the van with your belongings and proceed to the passport
window to get stamped out which took about 3 minutes.

A few steps further is the bus shuttle desk where you pay 15
baht for a ticket to board an un air-conditioned bus that takes you across the
bridge – there was traffic and took about 20 minutes in dreadful heat.

Once on the Laos side you disembark and proceed to the left
and to a window that has a sign “visa on arrival forms.” A woman opens the
window and hands you 3 sheets of forms to fill out. Bring your own pen.

After the forms are filled you step over to the left and pay
them the visa fee… for Americans its $35, when you get your passport back –
about 5 minutes, walk over to another desk where they check your passport, and
then to another desk and they check your passport again and finally to the
turnstiles where you show another lady your passport and she takes you past a
gate. Welcome to Laos.

A few steps away is the taxi/bus/van desk with prices
written on a large board above the desk. I took a taxi -300 baht- and 30 minute
drive into downtown Vientiane.

Total time from Chiang Mai to hotel in Vientiane – about 3 ½
hours.

[MESmith]

So sorry to hear you had to suffer 20 minutes of "dreadful heat" on an un air-conditioned bus . Must have been very distressing

[eden8]

Thanks for sharing, cmfoodie. will be useful when i need a visa run..

from your nick, you like thai food? hehe. maybe we can talk more about food we like next time.

[Greenwich Boy]

Helpful

Would be interested to hear if the return journey is as easy. i.e if the 10 seater van is available from the bridge back to Udon or do you have to arrange alternative transport.

I take it you need a photo (or 2) for the Laos visa - are they passport size or the 4x6 on the Thai tourist visa extension application?

[bobl]

Worth mentioning, never pay in Baht and always have a spare $1 bill handy at the Laos side. You never know whether it's going to be $35 or $36 (it's an extra dollar (after 4pm ? for overtime), on weekends, on holidays, on on on...)

[eden8]

do we usually need a photo to apply visa?

[bobl]

do we usually need a photo to apply visa?

Yes but there's a helpful and inexpensive photo place on the Thai side - next to the toilets just before immigration.

[Kiwiinthailand]

We just did this trip and it was as described here. The story that you don't need a Laos visa if you stay less than 14 days is false. You need to purchase a Visa for Laos no matter what. I was told that it was not required and did not have the US $ 30 and paid the 1500 baht each...

Also, we made a taxi deal from Vientiane to airport Udon Tani , it was very cenvenient and we considered it worth every penny. We ended paying 2,000 baht door_to_door, Vientiane hotel- Udon Thani airport. Customs was a breeze and we didn't have to deal with the friendship bridge bus.

[CMKiwi]

We just did this trip and it was as described here. The story that you don't need a Laos visa if you stay less than 14 days is false. You need to purchase a Visa for Laos no matter what. I was told that it was not required and did not have the US $ 30 and paid the 1500 baht each...

Also, we made a taxi deal from Vientiane to airport Udon Tani , it was very cenvenient and we considered it worth every penny. We ended paying 2,000 baht door_to_door, Vientiane hotel- Udon Thani airport. Customs was a breeze and we didn't have to deal with the friendship bridge bus.

Sounds like a good plan for when I next to a visa run. The GF and I drove from CM to the Friendship bridge in her Hilux. An interesting trip but not one Id like to do again soon. Too long on the road as we went nearly all the way to BKK and didnt take the 'shortcuts' across country.

And yes always have some US$ on hand....or it will cost you.

[MESmith]

We just did this trip and it was as described here. The story that you don't need a Laos visa if you stay less than 14 days is false. You need to purchase a Visa for Laos no matter what. I was told that it was not required and did not have the US $ 30 and paid the 1500 baht each...

Also, we made a taxi deal from Vientiane to airport Udon Tani , it was very cenvenient and we considered it worth every penny. We ended paying 2,000 baht door_to_door, Vientiane hotel- Udon Thani airport. Customs was a breeze and we didn't have to deal with the friendship bridge bus.

Sounds like a good plan for when I next to a visa run. The GF and I drove from CM to the Friendship bridge in her Hilux. An interesting trip but not one Id like to do again soon. Too long on the road as we went nearly all the way to BKK and didnt take the 'shortcuts' across country.

And yes always have some US$ on hand....or it will cost you.

The drive west from NK along the Mekong River to Chiang Khan is great. Then cut across from Loei through Dan Sai towards hwy 11 north of Phitsanalok. Great drive.

[scd]

Yes thanks for the heads up. Looks like i'll try this myself in a few weeks.