I and a friend (both USA passport holders) are going to travel overland and enter southern Laos at Chong Mek (Ubon Ratchathani).

We'd like, for our peace of mind, to get our Lao tourist visa in Bangkok before we head to Isan. We plan to spend about 10 days in Laos.

Can anyone recommend an agency in Bangkok that can do this?

Thanks.

personally, I would never use an agency to get a visa but that's up to you.

You could just as easily go to the embassy yourself to lodge the application. There is an express service, where you get your passport back in about 2 to 3 hours.

It's not far from MRT Huai Khwang Station, and it is also near the Cambodian embassy.

The actual address is 520,502/1-3 Pracha-Uthit Road Wangthonglang Bangkok

Laos Embassy consular website: http://laoembassybkk.com/index.php/consular (information seems very much out of date and incomplete)

Also more info: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/laos/passport-visa

I agree with Asiantravel that you you can do it yourself. If you use Google Maps, be aware that they show two locations for the Lao Embassy in BKK and only one has the Embassy there. I got a tourist visa from the Lao Embassy in Bangkok in August. Wrote a post on it here.

Visa at Chong Mek border $35.

i got a loas visa in khon kaen a couple of years ago.

in and out in ten minutes.

ph. 043242857

Baloo's thread (in the link he provided) is useful and self explanatory. It's very simple to get a Laos visa from the embassy in Bangkok - it only takes a morning (in reality really just a couple of hours) if you pay extra for the express service.

Follow balloo's link and all info is there for you.

Just 1 thing take note on instructions how to get to the embassy. It can be quite ilusive to find if you have never been there.

Good thing about applying before in bangkok is that this embassy is quite empty most of the time. If you want to pay for the express service then 99% of the time you will be told to wait and you will recieve your visa in about 15/20mins.

As I always say if you have time to collect visa ahead of your travel then why not do so.