I will be traveling to Lao in afew days and am interested to know people views on best guest houses near the thai embassy/consulate. Is this location near the centre of the town or do most people travel to the embassy and stay in the town centre.

Also interested to know what people who have been there before enjoyed doing for passing the time?

The threads linked in here give a lot of information:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/189375-latest-reports-of-getting-a-visa-in-the-region/

Vientiane is not a large place - you could actually walk from one side to the other without much effort and understand transport is easily available.

I've been to Vientiane on numerous occasions to obtain a visa,I don't like it but sometimes it has to be done.

Yes transport to and from the embassy is plentiful and relatively cheap,depends on your negotiating skills.

Hotels and guest houses are as cheap or as expensive as you want them to be,last time I stayed in the Best Western, has everything and is close to what night life there is.

Some nice restaurants along the river with fantastic views and inexpensive.

Things I do like are the French baguettes and selection of wines and western beers available although the later are expensive.

Also I like the Indian restaurants and always have at least one curry while I'm there.

There is lots to do and see if you like temples and the usual related stuff.

The money I don't like its a pain in the arse but Thai baht is widely accepted usually costs more and change is usually given in Lao Kip.

Beer Lao is good also.

Hotel Suradith is about 4 minutes walk from the Embassy - clean but a bit basic, 500 baht a night... as a matter of interest it has a disco every evening (no noise for guests) and if you're interested a lot of girls (and boys) go there and can easily be chatted up over a beer (80 baht large bottle)

Thanks for all the info people much appreciated!

I stay at the Novotel. Good service and english speaking.

I normally go to the Kop Jai deu restaurant, it has many foreign & local dishes and inexpensive. The beer Lao draft is

a must - get a pitcher and enjoy.

I walk.everywhere, it's a great city to walk.

Embassy is about half hour from the river, That Luang about an hour. Have a look at TL and the riverside, Talat Sao (what is left of old market), the arch and some lovely old buildings from the 50s to the 70s.

My gh is 550b near the riverside.

Suggest you eat local and Lao if you want to save money.

thanks everyone am now looking forward to my little visa trip

I stay at the Novotel. Good service and english speaking.

I normally go to the Kop Jai deu restaurant, it has many foreign & local dishes and inexpensive. The beer Lao draft is

a must - get a pitcher and enjoy.

you really could not pay for experience a more sanitized tourist version of vientiane if you tried.

btw i am rather partial to the beau rivage right on the river, though i have not been since the construction of the river kicked into high gear. it had just moved into the area last i was there.

I have stayed at the inter city hotel a few times

Good price

Right on the waterfront

Free breakfast

FREE WIFI never down

Always just cross the street for meals, great BBQ right on the mekong

Lots of tuk tuks outside hotel to take you wherever you want to go

Hotel Suradith is about 4 minutes walk from the Embassy - clean but a bit basic, 500 baht a night... as a matter of interest it has a disco every evening (no noise for guests) and if you're interested a lot of girls (and boys) go there and can easily be chatted up over a beer (80 baht large bottle)

I've also stayed at the Suradith and though the rooms are small, it was quiet and comfortable.

Directions from the Consulate:

Going out the Consulate gate, turn RIGHT then at the intersection, turn LEFT and follow about 400 meters to the first Right. Suradith is about 100 meters on the right side.

Some of the rooms are in a garden like area in the rear and they are very pleasant and shaded.

I have stayed at the inter city hotel a few times

Good price

Right on the waterfront

Free breakfast

FREE WIFI never down

Always just cross the street for meals, great BBQ right on the mekong

Lots of tuk tuks outside hotel to take you wherever you want to go

Intercity is very, very clean and well furnished but last time I stayed it was 1,500 baht per night and that was about 6 years ago - also, if you want to get a visa with no fuss it's better to get there early. I'd rather stay near the consulate, get there before it opens (first in the queue (well, 3rd last time) and then go back hotel, take a rest and later walk to the fountain, market, river and so forth

Hotel Suradith is about 4 minutes walk from the Embassy - clean but a bit basic, 500 baht a night... as a matter of interest it has a disco every evening (no noise for guests) and if you're interested a lot of girls (and boys) go there and can easily be chatted up over a beer (80 baht large bottle)

I've also stayed at the Suradith and though the rooms are small, it was quiet and comfortable.

Directions from the Consulate:

Going out the Consulate gate, turn RIGHT then at the intersection, turn LEFT and follow about 400 meters to the first Right. Suradith is about 100 meters on the right side.

Some of the rooms are in a garden like area in the rear and they are very pleasant and shaded.

Absolutely correct! It's actually in a Soi off a main road known as, Rue Palain (sorry about the spelling) it's run by Madam Soradith - and no, she won't discount, lol, I've tried many times!

here was my experience in detail:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630939-vientianne-visa-run-april-23-very-detailed-itenerary/#entry6272887

I made the mistake of staying close to embassy (10 minute walk), there are few cafe's and restaurants in this area.

I eventually moved to the tourist area, stayed at mixay paradise which was 500 b a night. Plenty of french buildings to look at.

nice quiet place to hang out.
there is a cool italian buffet in "Rue Francois Ngin" (about 2 or 3 blocks down from the Fountain)

actually,,, theres a few nice places to eat in that same road. (some ok places to stay in that road too... near the italian restaurant)

I usually spend my time in vientiane eating, walking around, get a few Thai Massages.
i dont really do the night time thing... but, from what I saw, vientiane isnt exactly a 'happening' place.

there is a disco... but not the same as you are used to.

consider the trip a nice relaxing chill out break

Hotel Suradith is about 4 minutes walk from the Embassy - clean but a bit basic, 500 baht a night... as a matter of interest it has a disco every evening (no noise for guests) and if you're interested a lot of girls (and boys) go there and can easily be chatted up over a beer (80 baht large bottle)

Unless you're looking for "a gay old time" (Soradith's night club is VTE's only real gay/ladyboy hangout) you'd be much happier staying near the river than near the Embassy. Plenty of hotels, cheap guest houses and restaurants.

Once again thanks for all the info i think all the comments have made it a very useful thread for anyone visiting Lao. If anyone notices anything missing please add it to the thread. I will link this thread to any post about visiting Lao i see in the future. Perhaps a moderator may take a link of the thread for future use if they think it's useful

I have stayed at the inter city hotel a few times

Good price

Right on the waterfront

Free breakfast

FREE WIFI never down

Always just cross the street for meals, great BBQ right on the mekong

Lots of tuk tuks outside hotel to take you wherever you want to go

Intercity is very, very clean and well furnished but last time I stayed it was 1,500 baht per night and that was about 6 years ago - also, if you want to get a visa with no fuss it's better to get there early. I'd rather stay near the consulate, get there before it opens (first in the queue (well, 3rd last time) and then go back hotel, take a rest and later walk to the fountain, market, river and so forth

On the contrary, I find that if you want to get a 'no fuss' visa, go as late as possible! Just walk in an out. The same for the next day when you collect your passport. Go around 14:30, usually very few people there. That is if you don't go on a Monday or Thursday when all the visa companies arrive en masse. The area near the Embassy is soooo boring and far from the night life and restaurants. I was at the Intercity 3 months ago. Good hotel, good location, HUGE rooms. Paid 1400 THB for de lux room. Have fun!

Been doing the Vientianne visa run thing for a single entry 3 month non O visa for nigh on ten years (whenever my odd multi entry visas run out). So i know the place well. Can concur best to stay AWAY from the embassy area, and find a place down town. Price and quality up to you. Tuk tuks are 80-90 baht to/from the embassy. Me, i love the place, the food, the bars, and it's just a really nice break from your home town/city in Thailand.

Once again thanks for all the info i think all the comments have made it a very useful thread for anyone visiting Lao. If anyone notices anything missing please add it to the thread. I will link this thread to any post about visiting Lao i see in the future. Perhaps a moderator may take a link of the thread for future use if they think it's useful

I'd recommend the 'Hotel Khamvongsa' which is between the river and the main parallel thoroughfare...the hotel is a classical Lao heritage style with dark wooden floors, high ceilings and beautiful dark antique furniture, a choice of breakfast from the menu include (a good equivalent of a 'full English' included in the cost which a year ago, (at Songkram) was US$28 a night for an A/C Double...Staff were Swedish and very helpful.

I walked back from the Thai consulate stopping on-route for a beer whilst watching the locals go about there day.....

If it not has to be Vientiane, because it is less expensive to come and stay there, or because I already nearby in Isaan staying, or I want to use the more versatile Visa option I maybe have there, I would choose another location to get my Visa.

I stay at the Novotel. Good service and english speaking.

I normally go to the Kop Jai deu restaurant, it has many foreign & local dishes and inexpensive. The beer Lao draft is

a must - get a pitcher and enjoy.

you really could not pay for experience a more sanitized tourist version of vientiane if you tried.

btw i am rather partial to the beau rivage right on the river, though i have not been since the construction of the river kicked into high gear. it had just moved into the area last i was there.

+1.Also hotelkhamvongsa.com and [email protected]

Edited May 22, 201313 yr by jcnbkk

Went to Vientiane last month on visa run. No fun.

Vientiane has changed a lot since I was last there (2002). On this trip it was often

very difficult to find a tuk-tuk. Then they'd invariably insist on the equivalent of 200-

300 baht for a short 5-minute trip. Ended up walking a lot just to avoid the scam.

Important tip: Don't go to the Thai Embassy, they no longer do visa work there,

despite all the folks online talking about visiting the thai Embassy in Vientiane.

My unpleasant experience this time: getting up early morning, taking a 70,000 kip

(270 baht) short tuk-tuk ride to Thai Embassy -- finding it's the wrong place, then

get another tuk-tuk -- another 270 baht for a short trip to the Thai Consulate.

By the time you pay a small fortune for the tuk-tuks and then stand in line for an

hour -- you can only be thankful that there are other options (KL, etc).

Don't plan to visit Vientiane again anytime soon, if ever.

If you do go to Vientiane, would definitely recommend avoiding Pyongyang Korean

Restaurant. Horrible service, unfriendly, worst food imaginable, and very expensive.

Edited May 24, 201313 yr by BradinAsia

It has been mentioned many times on TV that you get your visa at the consular section of the Thai embassy.

Also embassy website has info. http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/en/consular/consular_check/

Well, I wish I would've found this thread before I booked my room...

I just booked a room for 2 days at the Douangpraseuth Hotel, which is the closest hotel near the Consulate... Thought this was very convenient. Anybody has experience staying at this place?

Any recommendation for food?

update please

any hptels with girly discos

any help choosing hotel please

i want it cheap in city center

http://www.booking.com/searchresults.pl.html?sid=b3fb9d0eb9ce08e671554a235ace781a;dcid=1;checkin_monthday=24;checkin_year_month=2014-2;checkout_monthday=27;checkout_year_month=2014-2;class_interval=1;csflt=%7B%7D;dest_id=-2669740;dest_type=city;dtdisc=0;hyb_red=0;inac=0;nha_red=0;no_rooms=1;property_room_info=1;redirected_from_city=0;redirected_from_landmark=0;redirected_from_region=0;review_score_group=empty;si=ai%2Cco%2Cci%2Cre%2Cdi;ss=Vientiane%2C%20Laos;ss_all=0;ss_raw=vient;ssb=empty;or_radius=0;order=price_for_two

i dont know town

going to consulate on 22 feb - 27 feb

Last I knew, MEKHONG HOTEL had an in-house disco. Downtown not far from the river. Not the greatest rooms.