Chiang Mai to Completed Vientiane Visa App in 4.5 Hours (ish)

[Wordworx]

May be old news for veterans, but for others perhaps not aware –

• Departed CNX on Nok Air at 07:25.
• Van for Friendship Bridge departed Udon Thani Airport about 20 minutes after arrival.
• Clearing Lao immigration grabbed taxi (300 THB) for Thai consulate (cut that cost for shared taxi).
• Arrived consulate corner at 10:55.
• Made copy of Lao visa stamp at stall just outside gate (already had all other paperwork done).
• Got my number at window, dumped gear on back row seats and smoked a small cigar in smoking corner a few yards away.
• At 11:30 (the cutoff) looked like they were starting to shutdown the windows at number 132.
• I walked up, showed my 134, they waved me in for a landing, accepted paperwork and passport.
• About 30 minutes later paid fee inside, done.

Entire process maybe 60-70 minutes. Out of there about 12:05.

Transit Deadline Note: If you clear Lao immigration and are in a taxi by maybe 10:30-1040, you should be able to get it all done in one morning (about 30 minutes to consulate). But you must have your paperwork ready to go. Completed form with two photos, photocopy of passport photo page, photocopy of Lao visa stamp and (only) Thai baht to pay. (The Thai staff at V-town consulate do not suffer fools. They are obviously pretty sick of dealing with the unprepared and misguided, and understandably so.)

Annoying Shyster Note: The guys with visa forms on clipboards outside the gate saw my competed form in hand as I exited taxi: “Internet form no good…” Right. If I wasted more than the five seconds I did on those jerks, might have missed the cutoff.

I Hate Lines (Cues) Note: I concur with others who have posted about the V-town consulate crowd scene. There seems to be no advantage to showing up early. I did that about a year ago, exited hotel across the street to be about 15^th in line, sucked. Was there milling around for about 2.5 hours.

Edited October 1, 2013 by Wordworx

[phitsanulokjohn]

Sweet.Good for you.

[pete66]

You can arrive late and still get visas processed. Just ask the guy over the road sitting in his little tent. I didn't get there till 12.30 or so, though I had no chance, and he got it all processed for me that day. Never even had to go in the consulate. Have to pay a bit to get the visa staff to work late but they do it. And yeah, it is a genuine visa

[brianb1944]

You can arrive late and still get visas processed. Just ask the guy over the road sitting in his little tent. I didn't get there till 12.30 or so, though I had no chance, and he got it all processed for me that day. Never even had to go in the consulate. Have to pay a bit to get the visa staff to work late but they do it. And yeah, it is a genuine visa

I too used the guy in the tent, travelled overnight from CM, arrived at Thai Consul about 7.30am, queue was already forming. Got the tout guy to do it all, didnt wait for Consulate to open, just left it with him. We were booked into Hotel by about 8.15am, and enjoying a hot shower before consul opened.Guy delivered PP with visa to our hotel at lunchtime the next day. Well worth the 1500 baht he charged me.

[Wordworx]

You can arrive late and still get visas processed. Just ask the guy over the road sitting in his little tent. I didn't get there till 12.30 or so, though I had no chance, and he got it all processed for me that day. Never even had to go in the consulate. Have to pay a bit to get the visa staff to work late but they do it. And yeah, it is a genuine visa

I too used the guy in the tent, travelled overnight from CM, arrived at Thai Consul about 7.30am, queue was already forming. Got the tout guy to do it all, didnt wait for Consulate to open, just left it with him. We were booked into Hotel by about 8.15am, and enjoying a hot shower before consul opened.Guy delivered PP with visa to our hotel at lunchtime the next day. Well worth the 1500 baht he charged me.

Ah, so. The guys I described as *shysters*, if the tent gent's *agents*, are more like *facilitators*. (Still, should not have laid on me that "Internet form no good" line.) In both your cases, well worth the fee. Good to know for future. Anything to avoid having to deal with that substantially confused crowd. And last time I did this the visa companies piled in. (Will withhold commentary on their clientele.) Big fun. This time, though, did okay do-it-yourself.

After applying day one, caught a Beer Lao and a meal at homestyle open-air place across the street (good food, btw), watched the line form for visa pickup, about 1.5 hours before the consulate opens doors at 1:30. Looked like about 30-40 people standing in the sun when I departed at maybe 12:45. Today dropped back at 2:45 to pickup, place was empty. Walked up to window, passport returned with double entry visa, done.

>>> And thanks for added info.

[HerbalEd]

What visa did you get?

[renesfr]

Hello to all, Has there problems with people outside the Embassy of Thailand in Vientiane for their visas can be done conficiance? the price of the service?

Is that what it already does in fact a double entry tourist visa in Kuala Lumpur?

Thank you for your response.

[Wordworx]

What visa did you get?

Tourist two entry, 2000 THB

[Mario2008]

This suggests you completed everything the same day, in a few hours. Vientiane is apply day 1 and get back day 2.

[Wordworx]

This suggests you completed everything the same day, in a few hours. Vientiane is apply day 1 and get back day 2.

Not intended, just the *Visa App* part, as in title. I also mention in followup about returning the next day for pickup. I thought sort of a given that pick up next day is understood. If you need me to edit, will do if so enabled. Or feel free to delete the post.