Worry-Free Non-O-Visa Savannakhet

[thatmanagain]

Got this done myself this week - my first time back in Savannakhet since picking up a tourist visa at the old consulate there back in 2006, before the bridge opened. It's still just as dull...

 

Flew straight into Savannakhet from Suvarnabhumi (with a quick stop in Pakse) on Lao Airlines on Sunday, applied for the visa Monday morning, got my passport back Tuesday afternoon and immediately re-entered Thailand over the bridge to Mukdahan. Stayed with friends in Issan Tuesday evening then took a domestic flight back home to Bangkok on Wednesday.

 

This is my first non-O, and I took way more documentation than they wanted. All they actually wanted from me was:

1. My original passport.
2. Photocopy of my passport photo page and my Lao entry stamp (the guys across the road will run off copies for 2,000 kip, so about 8 baht). I didn't need to sign these.
3. Sight of original marriage certificate - they just glanced at this, didn't even take it out of the plastic cover, didn't take it off me. I also took a Kor Ror 2 original, but they didn't even look at that.
4. Photocopy of marriage paperwork (Kor Ror 2), signed by wife. This may not be necessary, but they did take it.
5. Photocopy of wife's ID card, signed by wife.
6. Photocopy of wife's housebook (tabian bahn), signed by wife.
7. Photocopy of wife's name change certificate (she took my surname), signed by wife.
8. Completed application form (again, the guys over the road can print one for you, or they're available on site).
9. Two 3x4cm passport photos of myself.
10. Application fee (5,000 THB cash).

No further questions, no other complications. The application and collection area is outside, so be prepared to spend time standing around in the hot sun while you wait. No fans, no air con, but there is some shade as you approach the front of the line. I'd say I was there less than an hour each day though, for application and collection.

 

Most people arrived early, so you might even get things done more quickly if you deliberately arrived later on (with the risk of running out of time)...

Edited July 5, 2018 by thatmanagain

[legendarysurfer]

Quote

Photocopy of my passport photo page and my Lao entry stamp 

It would appear that a photocopy of the passport page showing the Lao entry stamp is an additional new requirement. Can you confirm this, @ubonjoe

[puchooay]

14 minutes ago, legendarysurfer said:

It would appear that a photocopy of the passport page showing the Lao entry stamp is an additional new requirement. Can you confirm this, @ubonjoe

Yes, they have been asking for this copy.

[Will27]

5 minutes ago, puchooay said:

Yes, they have been asking for this copy.

They didn't ask me for a copy last month nor a friend of mine a week ago.

 

Having said that, it wouldn't hurt to have a copy on hand I guess.

[SimonD]

I did my Non-O Multi at Savannakhet in early June this year and the Laos entry stamp p/copy was not asked for.

 

Post by thatmanagain above states exactly what I had to provide also and mirrors my own experience.

Edited July 7, 2018 by SimonD

[drjden]

2 hours ago, puchooay said:

Yes, they have been asking for this copy.

Just back from Savannakhet last night and was as usual not asked for any copies regarding entry to Laos.

[BuckBee]

On 7/7/2018 at 2:18 AM, puchooay said:

Yes, they have been asking for this copy.

I never seen it needed in over 4yrs of dealings with them .

 

[gunghang]

 

On 7/5/2018 at 1:49 PM, thatmanagain said:

• My original passport.
• Photocopy of my passport photo page and my Lao entry stamp (the guys across the road will run off copies for 2,000 kip, so about 8 baht). I didn't need to sign these.
• Sight of original marriage certificate - they just glanced at this, didn't even take it out of the plastic cover, didn't take it off me. I also took a Kor Ror 2 original, but they didn't even look at that.
• Photocopy of marriage paperwork (Kor Ror 2), signed by wife. This may not be necessary, but they did take it.
• Photocopy of wife's ID card, signed by wife.
• Photocopy of wife's housebook (tabian bahn), signed by wife.
• Photocopy of wife's name change certificate (she took my surname), signed by wife.
• Completed application form (again, the guys over the road can print one for you, or they're available on site).
• Two 3x4cm passport photos of myself.
• Application fee (5,000 THB cash).

This is the first I've heard of either the Kor Ror 2 or the name change certificate or the entry stamp copy.

 

I can copy the Lao entry stamp the day before.  Nice to know.

 

We'll carry all documentation, not just the name change and Kor Ror 2, in case there are other surprises.  I don't want to make a second trip.

 

I got my Lao visa at the embassy in Bangkok.  It wasn't cheap at 1,600 baht, but, I waited less than ten minutes and it was done.  One less line to wait in at the border.

[legendarysurfer]

Just came back from getting my one-year Thai Non-Immigrant "O" Visa at the Savannakhet Consulate... I purposely did not include a copy of my passport page with the most recent Lao entry stamp and they did not ask for it.

[Dcheech]

To prepare, to fortify myself for a visit to the Thai consulate, uh, ahem, any recommendations?

 

Avalon Residence 

Aura Residence, the food although not western was pretty good.

Pilgrims Kitchen & Inn 

the HungHeuang Hotel (around the corner is the Boune Cafe, great western style food)

 

Or another?

I'm leaning towards Pilgrims Inn

[anto]

21 hours ago, Dcheech said:

To prepare, to fortify myself for a visit to the Thai consulate, uh, ahem, any recommendations?

 

Avalon Residence 

Aura Residence, the food although not western was pretty good.

Pilgrims Kitchen & Inn 

the HungHeuang Hotel (around the corner is the Boune Cafe, great western style food)

 

Or another?

I'm leaning towards Pilgrims Inn

The bus station has rooms for B200 .

[gunghang]

I'm in the Avalon (aka Aura) Residence now.

 

Yesterday, I went to the consulate at 8 and was first in line when it opened an hour later.

 

I presented my passport and application and marriage cert. and KR form, plus copies of the application, KR, marriage cert., passport title page, Lao visa and entry stamp, wife's ID and house book, and 5000 baht. The original marriage cert and KR, and my departure card, were returned to me.

 

Aura has a nice little coffee shop with local and western food. There is also a more stylish place at twice the price. The set breakfasts are nice. It's walking distance from the bus station and a convenience store.

 

We had flown Air Asia from DMK to Nakhon Panom, which I suspect is the basis for Crutch's "Nakhon Nowhere." The Air Asia van took less than two hours to reach the bridge at Mukdahan.

 

I had a Lao visa from Bangkok and this seemed to surprise immigration on both sides.

 

The shuttle bus waited on the Lao side and went past the consulate en route to the bus station.

 

Rather than allow a large factor and risk a long wait in the sun &/or rain for the return bus to an airport, we'll spend an extra night in Mukdahan.  Nok Air picks up at Ploy Palace so we'll stay there.

 

We'll fly Nok out of Ubon.

[puchooay]

44 minutes ago, gunghang said:

I'm in the Avalon (aka Aura) Residence now.

 

Yesterday, I went to the consulate at 8 and was first in line when it opened an hour later.

 

I presented my passport and application and marriage cert. and KR form, plus copies of the application, KR, marriage cert., passport title page, Lao visa and entry stamp, wife's ID and house book, and 5000 baht. The original marriage cert and KR, and my departure card, were returned to me.

 

Aura has a nice little coffee shop with local and western food. There is also a more stylish place at twice the price. The set breakfasts are nice. It's walking distance from the bus station and a convenience store.

 

We had flown Air Asia from DMK to Nakhon Panom, which I suspect is the basis for Crutch's "Nakhon Nowhere." The Air Asia van took less than two hours to reach the bridge at Mukdahan.

 

I had a Lao visa from Bangkok and this seemed to surprise immigration on both sides.

 

The shuttle bus waited on the Lao side and went past the consulate en route to the bus station.

 

Rather than allow a large factor and risk a long wait in the sun &/or rain for the return bus to an airport, we'll spend an extra night in Mukdahan.  Nok Air picks up at Ploy Palace so we'll stay there.

 

We'll fly Nok out of Ubon.

The Avalon and Aura are actually two different hotels. 

[transam]

1 hour ago, puchooay said:

The Avalon and Aura are actually two different hotels. 

Correct, and one has beer at an acceptable price...

[gunghang]

We asked the driver for Avalon, we came to Aura. He said it's the same. Our reservations for Avalon were on the computer here at Aura. Our receipt says Avalon B & B Vientiane and the Coffee @ Avalon restaurant is next door. It's near the bus station, where Google Maps shows Avalon Residence.

 

Anyway, if there are two separate hotels, Avalon and Aura, in S'khet, and if I'm at Aura, I'm curious as to where Avalon is.

[transam]

10 minutes ago, gunghang said:

We asked the driver for Avalon, we came to Aura. He said it's the same. Our reservations for Avalon were on the computer here at Aura. Our receipt says Avalon B & B Vientiane and the Coffee @ Avalon restaurant is next door. It's near the bus station, where Google Maps shows Avalon Residence.

 

Anyway, if there are two separate hotels, Avalon and Aura, in S'khet, and if I'm at Aura, I'm curious as to where Avalon is.

Look on booking sites and you will see they are separate. Although they stand side by side they have their own main entrance. IF one has bought the other then that is a new thing...

[puchooay]

17 minutes ago, gunghang said:

We asked the driver for Avalon, we came to Aura. He said it's the same. Our reservations for Avalon were on the computer here at Aura. Our receipt says Avalon B & B Vientiane and the Coffee @ Avalon restaurant is next door. It's near the bus station, where Google Maps shows Avalon Residence.

 

Anyway, if there are two separate hotels, Avalon and Aura, in S'khet, and if I'm at Aura, I'm curious as to where Avalon is.

They are next door to each other. That one building is two hotels. Aura on the left and Avalon on the right.

[gunghang]

This is what I saw:

The Aura Residence, which had my reservation for Avalon Residence.

The Aura Cafe was to the left of Aura Residence.

An unmarked empty looking building was to the right of Aura Residence. There was a banner in front that said room for rent.

Farther to the right was the coffee shop with Avalon in its name. The menu was in the room in Aura Residence.

 

 

[puchooay]

To your left, in the first photo, is the entrance to the Avalon.

 

That last photo is the side view of the Avalon Hotel.

[Nong Khai Man]

On 8/3/2018 at 10:41 AM, gunghang said:

We asked the driver for Avalon, we came to Aura. He said it's the same. Our reservations for Avalon were on the computer here at Aura. Our receipt says Avalon B & B Vientiane and the Coffee @ Avalon restaurant is next door. It's near the bus station, where Google Maps shows Avalon Residence.

 

Anyway, if there are two separate hotels, Avalon and Aura, in S'khet, and if I'm at Aura, I'm curious as to where Avalon is.

It's The Adjoining Building......

[Nong Khai Man]

Do you always look so HAPPY ??

[gunghang]

Not uncommon on a visa run.

[anto]

6 hours ago, Nong Khai Man said:

Do you always look so HAPPY ??

Was thinking the same lol .Savanaket though can do that to you lol

[Nong Khai Man]

On 8/4/2018 at 7:21 PM, anto said:

Was thinking the same lol .Savanaket though can do that to you lol

Yer Only there for 30 Hours mate, It Don't do that to me.....

[BuckBee]

It fine for a few days, plenty do if make effort . seems most penny pinching savannakhet should make you smile as about cheap as can get for a no hassle easy logistics visa run . I always liked trips I made , poipet a proper place of misery, seen groups wait out 3 days in that slum for a setv via jack golf/BB at about 7K cost, at that time could of gone savannakhet diy effort and same day return for half that and had some fun .

 

Edited August 7, 2018 by BuckBee

[gunghang]

I almost look happy here.

 

S'ket is nicer than Poipet and a lot of other places.  That didn't stop me from worrying about everything that could have gone wrong.  As it was, other than getting 30 days instead of 90 days and having to correct that, things mostly went well.  Even the weather cooperated. No rain the entire trip.

Edited August 8, 2018 by gunghang

[BuckBee]

^

lol

you looking good .

I been across most borders and savannakhet one of most relaxing as easy border cross and consulate plus logistics pretty simple and can work perfect transition from one bus to the next.

Not much of a bonus travel spot but if want make more location interesting trip then Yangon Myanmar can be good choice .

[shadowmaster1971]

Was trying to search on this - but do any of the document copies for Non-O submitted in Savannakhet need to be in colour or

B&W is fine i.e for passport, wifes' ID, marriage certificate etc

[ubonjoe]

Was trying to search on this - but do any of the document copies for Non-O submitted in Savannakhet need to be in colour or
B&W is fine i.e for passport, wifes' ID, marriage certificate etc

Black and white copies are accepted.

Sent from my SM-T231 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[shadowmaster1971]

35 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Black and white copies are accepted.

Sent from my SM-T231 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Thanks Ubonjoe, I couldn't remember from the last time i did it.  I am assuming the the Non-O Application form PDF for Savannakhet posted on TV is still current?