Worry-Free Non-O-Visa Savannakhet

[homemade514]

what are the good places to sleep in mukdahan for a night?

if i bring my wife and son (wife is thai and son has dual thai/US) across into savannakhet with me, what do they need? how much will it cost for them to cross into laos? my wife didnt bring her passport but has her ID and housebook and our son is in her housebook as well...

[ubonjoe]

what are the good places to sleep in mukdahan for a night?

if i bring my wife and son (wife is thai and son has dual thai/US) across into savannakhet with me, what do they need? how much will it cost for them to cross into laos? my wife didnt bring her passport but has her ID and housebook and our son is in her housebook as well...

I can't give you any recent info about the hotel. I think if you back a page or two in this topic you will find some mentioned.

You wife and son can get border passes to enter Laos. You more than likely will need your sons birth certificate to get the border pass but his house book might be enough. There is an office to get them just before the bridge on the left side.

Cost is 30 to 50 baht to get them.

[GuyL]

what are the good places to sleep in mukdahan for a night?

[...]

I know only one (cheap) hotel in Mukdahan, but there are plenty in this town. This place was convenient enough for me, but it's far from being luxurious, to say the least. I wrote a post about it here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/765287-hotel-in-mudahan/#entry8480722

[homemade514]

what are the good places to sleep in mukdahan for a night?

if i bring my wife and son (wife is thai and son has dual thai/US) across into savannakhet with me, what do they need? how much will it cost for them to cross into laos? my wife didnt bring her passport but has her ID and housebook and our son is in her housebook as well...

I can't give you any recent info about the hotel. I think if you back a page or two in this topic you will find some mentioned.

You wife and son can get border passes to enter Laos. You more than likely will need your sons birth certificate to get the border pass but his house book might be enough. There is an office to get them just before the bridge on the left side.

Cost is 30 to 50 baht to get them.

so will it be right near where to buy the bus ticket across then?

we just have a copy of his birth certificate with us, but have the actual housebook with us.... you think that will be okay?

[ubonjoe]

what are the good places to sleep in mukdahan for a night?

if i bring my wife and son (wife is thai and son has dual thai/US) across into savannakhet with me, what do they need? how much will it cost for them to cross into laos? my wife didnt bring her passport but has her ID and housebook and our son is in her housebook as well...

I can't give you any recent info about the hotel. I think if you back a page or two in this topic you will find some mentioned.

You wife and son can get border passes to enter Laos. You more than likely will need your sons birth certificate to get the border pass but his house book might be enough. There is an office to get them just before the bridge on the left side.

Cost is 30 to 50 baht to get them.

so will it be right near where to buy the bus ticket across then?

we just have a copy of his birth certificate with us, but have the actual housebook with us.... you think that will be okay?

The last time I was there (years ago) it was on the left just be before the gates for the bridge where there is secure parking.

A copy of the birth certificate with the house book will be fine.

[paz]

what are the good places to sleep in mukdahan for a night?

There is good and fairly priced hotel at the corner of the bus station plaza. 20 mts from where the International bus leaves from.

[homemade514]

Currently at the Riverfront Hotel going to be crossing over tomorrow to do my non-o. Really nice, great view and agoda had a good price however upon arriving we discovered there is a festival going on right below us and just as any Thai festival goes, it is insanely loud and the front desk said it will be over about 23:30. Oh well. Here's to hoping no issues to be had tomorrow in Savannakhet.

[homemade514]

Question -

After entering Laos and passing through, how far of a tuktuk drive is it to the consulate? Will they know to go to the new one and not old? If I get the 8:30 bus tomorrow morning what time realistically should I be at the consulate?

And how far is chez borne from the consulate?

Sorry, my eyes hurt from to find these answers that are probably in this thread somewhere.

[bkkjames]

Question -

After entering Laos and passing through, how far of a tuktuk drive is it to the consulate? Will they know to go to the new one and not old? If I get the 8:30 bus tomorrow morning what time realistically should I be at the consulate?

And how far is chez borne from the consulate?

Sorry, my eyes hurt from to find these answers that are probably in this thread somewhere.

10 min ride to consulate and a further 10 to the coffee shop

[steelepulse]

Such a long thread, too bad someone with some time on their hands couldn't condense the relevant info into a sticky. I know it took me a long time to wade through the thread to find the info, yet the same questions come up again and again due to the length of the thread.

[paz]

Such a long thread, too bad someone with some time on their hands couldn't condense the relevant info into a sticky. I know it took me a long time to wade through the thread to find the info, yet the same questions come up again and again due to the length of the thread.

That is the same with the forum (any forum) in general. People wants to ask not read.

[homemade514]

obtained non-o multiple today based on marriage with no issues, except for the fact that I showed up yesterday, along with many other, only to discover that the consulate was closed! so had to stay the day in savannakhet.

showed up about 8:30 this morning and was 10th in line.

doors opened at 9 and I was out of there in a tuktuk headed back to leena guesthouse by 9:15.

many tuks tuks outside waiting.

showed up at 3:15 and there was no line and people scattering in and out picking up their passports. walked right up to the window, got my passport with visa, got back in the tuktuk, took me to the border and i was on the bus about 5 minutes later crossing back into thailand.

[ubonjoe]

"Boat racing Festival" on the 9th. Need to check the calender on the Vientiane website the one on Savannakhet's is in Thai but it is the same one. http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/th/embassy/embassy_time/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=768

The next one is.

"10/23/2014 King Chulalongkorn Day"

[wpcoe]

If you don't get your visa application in by 1100am, do your have to wait until after 300pm the next day, or will it be available earlier the next day?

[ubonjoe]

If you are not there by 11 am to get a ticket you will have to come back the next day to apply.

[wpcoe]

Thanks. Now I get it.

I'm thinking of taking the "Yellow Bus" from Pattaya that arrives Mukdahan at 0815. There's a trip report from a fellow who took that and was back on the 1645 bus from Mukdahan the same day. I'm not that adventurous, and want to spend a night in a hotel someplace. The Agoda reviews for Savannakhet hotels make them sound like North Korea gulags, though.

Just not sure how to time it: Arrive at 0815, go directly to the consulate, hang out until 1500 in Laos, then come back to the hotel, or, wander leisurely around Mukdahan after an 11-hour bus trip, check-in to the hotel at noon, and then the next day do the Laos marathon and get right on the bus back to Pattaya? If I'm able to sleep on the bus, the latter option seems better?

It's hard to find the schedule for the Yellow Bus since everybody links to its site, but for 24 hours now the site is not available: "509 - Bandwidth Exceeded" errors. Google has a cached page showing two VIP buses departing Mukdahan at 1830 and 1900, which would be less hectic than the guy's trip report that says 1645.

[paz]

Thanks. Now I get it.

I'm thinking of taking the "Yellow Bus" from Pattaya that arrives Mukdahan at 0815. There's a trip report from a fellow who took that and was back on the 1645 bus from Mukdahan the same day. I'm not that adventurous, and want to spend a night in a hotel someplace. The Agoda reviews for Savannakhet hotels make them sound like North Korea gulags, though.

Nahh... there is also a cheap guesthouse close to the bus station. Walk left, do one block, cross into an open area to the next street and there you have it. Clean large rooms, friendly people, private bathroom, etc.

Just not sure how to time it: Arrive at 0815, go directly to the consulate, hang out until 1500 in Laos, then come back to the hotel, or, wander leisurely around Mukdahan after an 11-hour bus trip, check-in to the hotel at noon, and then the next day do the Laos marathon and get right on the bus back to Pattaya? If I'm able to sleep on the bus, the latter option seems better?

Is a matter of preference, surely seems hygienic to at least get a room to crash and refresh oneself few hours, otherwise if you need more rest stay for one night, on the Thai side there is also night entertainment.

[homemade514]

Thanks. Now I get it.

I'm thinking of taking the "Yellow Bus" from Pattaya that arrives Mukdahan at 0815. There's a trip report from a fellow who took that and was back on the 1645 bus from Mukdahan the same day. I'm not that adventurous, and want to spend a night in a hotel someplace. The Agoda reviews for Savannakhet hotels make them sound like North Korea gulags, though.

Just not sure how to time it: Arrive at 0815, go directly to the consulate, hang out until 1500 in Laos, then come back to the hotel, or, wander leisurely around Mukdahan after an 11-hour bus trip, check-in to the hotel at noon, and then the next day do the Laos marathon and get right on the bus back to Pattaya? If I'm able to sleep on the bus, the latter option seems better?

It's hard to find the schedule for the Yellow Bus since everybody links to its site, but for 24 hours now the site is not available: "509 - Bandwidth Exceeded" errors. Google has a cached page showing two VIP buses departing Mukdahan at 1830 and 1900, which would be less hectic than the guy's trip report that says 1645.

Leena guesthouse is a nice choice in savannakhet. 380฿ for an AC room. Nothing fancy but for the day it is great.

We also stayed at the riverfront hotel in mukdahan the night prior and it was really nice room right on the Mekong. Great view. About 10 min drive to the border.

[wpcoe]

Thanks for the tips. Leena is showing sold out on Agoda for the time I'm considering, but the Riverfront Hotel is one of the Mukdahan hotels I am considering.

[Neeranam]

I thought it was only 1900 baht for a visa.

[paz]

I thought it was only 1900 baht for a visa.

Price depends on the visa, but none is Bt 1,900.

[wpcoe]

Now, this is perplexing:

If the 2130 bus from Pattaya leaves Yasothon at 0900 and Umnatcharoen (Amnat Charoen?) at 0955, what time does it really arrive Mukdahan? Does it go to Mukdahan first?

[zoolander]

It's around 100 km from amnat to mukdahan

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[wpcoe]

So, maybe the arrival time in Mukdahan should be 1045? Or, is it the Yasothon and Amnat times that are wrong?

Edited October 11, 2014 by wpcoe

[ubonjoe]

I think it is different buses that appear on the schedule. It is certainly confusing.

Just look at the departure and arrival times and ignore everything in between.

[magnbol]

so if i apply for the 2000 thb single entry will i be able to change this to a multiple entry at a lower cost than 3000 (5000 minus 2000) once back in Thailand?

[Maestro]

No.

[ubonjoe]

so if i apply for the 2000 thb single entry will i be able to change this to a multiple entry at a lower cost than 3000 (5000 minus 2000) once back in Thailand?

You cannot change the visa but you can apply for a one year extension of stay (1900 baht) at immigration if you can meet the financial requirements for one. Then you can get a multiple re-entry permit if needed that costs 3800 baht.

[NoshowJones]

Great report, very informative. Thanks for posting

Yes, but don't you get your visa the same day if you hand in the criteria before 10am and pick it up around 3pm?

[ubonjoe]

Great report, very informative. Thanks for posting

Yes, but don't you get your visa the same day if you hand in the criteria before 10am and pick it up around 3pm?

The same day visas did not start until couple of months ago. That post is from January.

If you get your application (or at least have a number) done by 11 am you get your passport back at 3:30 pm.