Best Option For Tourist Visa Leaving From Chiang Rai

[Randell]

I guess I don't know my way around the search mode very well. I tried searching for info on best option for a tourist visa leaving from Chiang Rai. Not an extension I have used up my triple entry and still need a few more months as my construction work is slow starting this year. So I was wondering where to go to be able to get a double entry tourist visa. I have till the 12th March. With airline prices very cheap these days I would be willing to travel anywhere with in reason. But would like to get a double but a single would do me for now. I thought that a bus run to Lao might do it but would like to confirm the procedure from some one who has done it recently. all help appreciated

Randell

Edited February 24, 2014 by metisdead
Please do not post using all caps. Topic title edited to remove all caps.

[sceadugenga]

I got one in Vientiane last month, flew BKK then Udon Thani and bus to the border.

Relatively simple, make sure you have your paperwork ready and also what you need for a Lao visa.

You can do a direct bus from Chiang Rai to Udon, change for Nong Khai at Udon.

It's 13 hours, over night and hard on the back.

Edited February 24, 2014 by sceadugenga

[Randell]

Thanks for your quick response Sceadugenga. What specific paper work is necessary for both the Lao visa and Thai Visa. I assume you have to stay overnight in Vientiane.? How long was it for you? and did you get a multiple or double entry?

Randell

[sceadugenga]

Hi Randall, I was offered a double before I even asked, something that quite surprised me because a few years back I was refused one, I could only get a single.

It's an overnight stay, but that's not really a hardship, Vientiane has some good eating places in a small area covering a wide international range.

Just take money and a couple of photos for the Lao visa, about 1500B, all done at the border.

Download the tourist visa form from the Thai Embassy site or here at ThaiVisa.

Take passport photo copies, including your recent entry/departure stamp pages, and 2000B with more photos.

I just had half a dozen passport photos done at the place in town before i left and handed them out when required.

You ned to be there to get the application in before 11am, it can be done if you move smartly from the Chiang Rai bus which gets into Udon Thani about 6am.

Then you go back at 1.30pm the next day to pick up your passport/visa.

There's a lot more info in the Visa sub-forum at the top of the ThaiVisa home page if I've missed anything.

[Randell]

Thanks very much Seca. And I will check the sub forums that what I failed to do in the first place. Randell

[my friend I]

Some people now get 30 days at a land border. If you have the right passport you can cross the border at Mae Sai, Chiang Saen or Chiang Khong a few times til you are set.

If you want to go to Laos the Savannakhet consulate is easy to deal with.

Airasia has very cheap flight/hotel 3 day deals especially to Malaysia. You can go via Bangkok to KL or Penang. More flights to KL but Penang a nicer place and easier. Don't go to KL if you have an overstay stamp for Thailand.

Can also go direct Chiang Mai to KL. There is no visa fee to enter Malaysia and you only get a small stamp. Laos takes a whole page.

Edited February 27, 2014 by my friend I

[Randell]

That's interesting. I may just try and see what I get up at the Mae Sai crossing. Thank you

[my friend I]

Only know for sure US and Germans. Must be a list somewhere. I think a mod called Mario2008 may know.

Edited February 28, 2014 by my friend I

[Paul888]

I have only been to Vientiane once and although the itinerary can sound a little daunting with the long bus ride to Udon Thani, then the local bus to Nong Khai, tuk tuks, Laos visa, buses across the bridge and bus/taxi into town or to the Thai Consul, it is actually not the worst travel experience I have ever had.

The only tricky thing concerns the return trip... specifically the bus back from Udon Thani.

They get booked up surprisingly quickly, so you either have to book the return trip at the time of booking the first leg (and risk missing the bus due to some unforeseen delay that prevents you from doing it all with a single overnight stay) or take your chances that there will be a space on one of the buses departing after you have safely arrived back to Udon Thani.

I had no idea that there would be so much demand for the return trip and so I didn't try to buy a ticket until I returned to Udon Thani, and that was a mistake. There were zero places available on the two or three buses scheduled to depart, and the only thing that saved me from an overnight stay in Udon Thani was that I luckily managed to find a place on a bus to Chiang Mai from another company and came back via there.

[my friend I]

Nokair fly Chiang Mai Udorn Thani daily. Cuts out some of the bus trip.

Edited March 1, 2014 by my friend I

[Paul888]

As I recall, the reason I didn't fly was that it would have added at least one and probably two nights to the duration of the trip, (on account of flight times and connections etc) and I chose a bit of bus hardship over extended absence from my family though I appreciate that for some those extra days away from home might be a blessing......

[sceadugenga]

The nights you save in hotels are spent on the bus though, a bit of a trial for those of us who's bones have seen better days.

Agreed the bus can be quicker, I think my best time CR to CR was something like 65 hours with one night in Vientiane.

[Randell]

A great day so far. Decided to head to Mae Sai for a quick extension expecting two weeks. But was issued one month(I'm on a Canadian passport). But was stopped by customs and given a lecture on only one liter of alcohol period. I had two bottles of Bacardi Rum and a 3 liter box of table wine. He let me go but was adamant that I had had my warning. Just out side grabbed 3 kilos of beautiful avocados (50 baht a kilo ) and headed home to Ban Tri Keaw all by 11 o'clock a great morning. Will do the Vientiane route next time.

[sceadugenga]

I must have carried hundreds of bottles through that customs check point over the years, often 4 or 5 at a time, and never been stopped once.

[orchis]

Only know for sure US and Germans. Must be a list somewhere. I think a mod called Mario2008 may know.

G7 : US Canada France UK Italy Japan Germany passport holders get one month at land crossings.

[RubbaJohnny]

From aptly named HOE airport 5km across Nam Mae Khong from Xheing Khong Lao aviation will fly you to VTE Wattay airport for $123

Local Bus from Old C Rai bus Station about $2 2.5 hrs or if via Thoeng 3 hrs

You'll probably need to overnight as its an 11am flight heading South

http://www.laos-airlines.com/airfare_new.asp

If you have more time than cash boats from near by Huay Zai cost 800-8000bahts typically 1600 on regular 11am barge to Luang Prabang where its bus or fly to VTE.

Note the boat ic an overnight in dugs at Ban Pak Ou

[sceadugenga]

Thanks RJ, this is an option I've never considered... it would certainly be an alternative with a difference.

Do Lao Aviation still allow goats and chickens in the passenger cabin?

[RubbaJohnny]

Thanks RJ, this is an option I've never considered... it would certainly be an alternative with a difference.

Do Lao Aviation still allow goats and chickens in the passenger cabin?

So you've met my in laws,as she doesn't have a pasport I usually board mother-in-law as hand baggage in return for a nice crisp clean US $100 bill.

This ensures a seat near the turbo for her an exit seat for me and a share of a parachute if one on board ,seriously they are the same turbos that my pal in VYE had land in a raice paddy.

Rather like my travels on Afghan Aryana in 1970s where kebebsa werw grilled among the smoking passengers it is more for te enthusiast.Another smooth but costly way (need a visa unless you are Chinese) is up to Kunming and back to VTE.

I find it great to get fake goods for fake presents for Thai officials who are "real friend"There was even a fake Apple store walking distance of the dirtiest Thai consul in the world.

Bon Voyage,if you need ferry details pm me my friend also has a boat!

[Paul888]

The nights you save in hotels are spent on the bus though, a bit of a trial for those of us who's bones have seen better days.

Agreed the bus can be quicker, I think my best time CR to CR was something like 65 hours with one night in Vientiane.

My bones hear what you are saying, and that coupled with the fact that I like to spend as little time as possible away from home, inspired me to put some effort into making this trip as quick and easy as possible.

It won't appeal to everybody, but I think this definitely has potential to be the "easiest CR to Vientiane and back visa trip" itinerary.

Day 1

Depart Chiang Rai 15:45 on Thai Airways to BKK

Wait about 2 hrs in BKK and then

Depart BKK 17:40 on Thai Airways to Vientiane

Use the 2 hrs to change some baht into US Dollars. I bought $50 which cost me around 1,600 baht and I used $35 for the Laos Visa and $10 including tip for the taxi from Vientiane airport to my hotel. You save around $10 by paying for your Laos Visa in dollars rather than Baht.

Arrive Vientiane around 9pm. Submit the visa on arrival forms that they gave you on the plane and wait a few minutes and then clear Immigration and take a $8 taxi ride to hotel. I chose a hotel in the same street as Thai Consulate. It wasn't a Hyatt, but at around 1,000 a night I didn't expect it to be. Water was hot, Air was cold, wifi was good and tv channels were plentiful so it did its job. Arrived hotel about 9.30 pm for a nice relaxing night..

Day 2

Wake up, have breakfast and take a 2 minute stroll to join queue to submit visa application around 8am. There will probably still be 200 in front of you, but don't worry everything moves pretty quick and even with number 248 I was back at my hotel by 10.30am but it doesn't really matter as you have the rest of the day free anyway.

Day 3

Check out of hotel at 12. Have a coffee or lunch near the consulate. Join queue at around 12.30. Even if you arrive first, people will still stand in front of you and let others in anyway, so again don't worry. Pickup is supposed to start at 1.30 but when I went they let people in and started handed out numbers about 1.10. The pickup process is pretty quick.

While you are standing in the pickup queue, taxis will offer you shared service to border. Cost will be about 200 baht. I didn't negotiate because that is a very fair price and well worth it. I arrived at the border around 2.30pm I think it was.

When you arrive at the border you get stamped out of Laos, then while you are queuing for the 4000 kip (20 baht) compulsory ticket for the bus across the bridge another taxi will offer you a shared ride to Udon Thani airport (or bus station) for around 300 baht. Again fantastic value. The taxi takes you across the bridge and avoids the need to take the crappy old bus (but you still have to pay for the bus ticket). My driver was able to jump the long queue at Thai Immigration and get us all stamped back in a lot quicker than we could have done it ourselves. I think most taxis do this. Ours charged just 20 baht for the service.

Around 50 minutes later, we arrived at Udon Thani Airport. In plenty of time to catch a 5pm Air Asia flight to DMK to connect to a 7.50pm Nok Air flight to Chiang Rai.

Total flight cost around 11,000 baht (but possibly cheaper if you book more in advance than I did) and about 800 baht for taxis. You will need to budget for 2 nights hotel in Vientiane, the Laos Visa and the Thai Visa plus whatever you spend on food, drink etc. My total cost ended up around 19,000 but savings could easily be made on that.

Total time spent outside of Chiang Rai just 53 hours and 15 mins which I think will be pretty hard to beat.

Note: I didn't do the return trip from Vientiane to BKK and BKK to Chiang Rai with Thai Airways as the first leg of that trip would have arrived too late to connect to a Chiang Rai flight which would have meant at least 12 hours and probably longer hanging around in Bangkok.

Edited April 15, 2014 by Paul888

[Randell]

Thank you Paul888 very good report and very helpful with all the details. I think I will put it to use on my next run in early May. By the way were you able to get a double entry or multiple entry visa? That would be good to know and how much$ Thanks again

Randell

[Paul888]

Thank you Paul888 very good report and very helpful with all the details. I think I will put it to use on my next run in early May. By the way were you able to get a double entry or multiple entry visa? That would be good to know and how much$ Thanks again

Randell

Glad to have been of help. It really was a lot less painless than I had thought it would be having read various trip reports involving buses, and negotiating with taxis and tuktuk drivers etc.

I just needed a single entry Non "O", but I saw some people getting double entry tourist visas. The Hotel I stayed at was Douangpraseuth Hotel (www.dps-hotel.com ) although I booked through Agoda for a little protection.

One thing about Agoda. There is an option to search hotels "near the Thai Embassy", but what you need for visas is the Thai Consulate which is actually between 1km and 2km away. If you want something different to the hotel I stayed at, but still want to stay within walking distance of the Consulate, use Douangpraseuth Hotel as a base on Agoda or any other travel site and then look for hotels close to that as it is literally 2 mins walk down the same road (turn left towards Pizza Company when you come out)

[sceadugenga]

I was offered a double entry visa when I put the form in.

[villagefarang]

I haven’t done visa runs for decades but it sounds like things are much more difficult these days. I used to fly down and back on the same day, to either Penang or Singapore. I even had time to take a taxi into Singapore and do some shopping before returning in the evening. Well, that was a very long time ago.

[sceadugenga]

The best thing that ever happened to me, visa wise, was the crack down on visa runs.

For years it was just too easy to run up to MaeSai, do a bit of shopping and cross the border for another 30 days.

Life's a lot more organised and secure with a decent visa.