Bus From Ubon R. To Mukdahan/Sawannakhet....

[sirchai]

Hello and Sawasdee khrap,

First I wanted to drive to Mukdahan, leave my car at the friendship bridge, do my visa run and drive back.

But I ewmwmbwe that there's a bus service from the Ubon Ratchatabi bus station to Mukdahan, or even Sawannakhet.

Is there an early bus leaving Ubon that I could make it to the Thai consulate in Sawannakhet in time? I know that I'll have to be there as early as possible and they close the counter at 11 am.

I'd like to be there not later than 8 am, would that be possible? If not I'll just drive with my car and leave it at the friendship bridge on Thai side, done it before.

I'd deeply appreciate any advice of people who're familiar with the bus schedule as I;m not in Ubon now and couldn't find something online yet.

I'm travelling with my wife and have to peep the costs as low as possible. Thanks for any useful posts.

Cheers-

[sirchai]

I'm sorry, just wanted to add something. The fact that I'm in Sisaket right now, would make it much easier to get to Mukdahan from Sisaket.

I don't know much about if there's a bus driving from Sisaket all the way to Mukdahan. Okay, I 'm aware that there're vans driving to Ubon almost every 20 minutes, so not a problem.

Would be more convenient just to take a bus from Sisaket.

Thanks a lot in advance. -

[transam]

Drive to Muk, they have a car park at the bridge. 150bht a night................

[sirchai]

Drive to Muk, they have a car park at the bridge. 150bht a night................

Thanks, mate. I did that a couple of years before and it was even free, the parking lot on the left hand side before the bridge. Would love to drive into Laos, but don't have time to get the book to get my car into Laos.

Best might be to leave Sisaket early morning tomorrow, drive to Mukdahan leave the car there,swim over the Mekong, apply for my visa in the morning, pick it up the next day and drive back. Then I could take some items from my still house on school campus you've seen back to Sisaket as well.

Mate, it worked out well and i'm out of that shithole, didn't mean the house. That was okay. Just sent them my letter of resignation and I'm certain that some guys got a huge headache now.

The sad part is that I won't be able to continue my Tagalog lessons. The place, where I always buy my mangoes with sticky rice were asking me if I was Filipino too. The reputation I had built up is gone. Time to see a better life with more money a month.

Wife wants to come with me, so no chance to do the "real" test if it's true that lao girls have bigger....aeehh hearts.

Will post how my trip was, keep smiling. -

[MeMock]

No idea what you are waffling about Sirchai in that above post but why not get your car passport. It only takes an hour or so if you have your paperwork in order.

[transam]

No idea what you are waffling about Sirchai in that above post but why not get your car passport. It only takes an hour or so if you have your paperwork in order.

No need, 40bht across the bridge, 100bht tuk tuk, a night in Lana guest house, think 500bht..............

[sirchai]

No idea what you are waffling about Sirchai in that above post but why not get your car passport. It only takes an hour or so if you have your paperwork in order.

Today is a holiday, so can't get the "car passport". Thought you need to do that at a transport department, right? Can't just do that in Mukdahan. Guess I take the shuttle bus, or a TUK TUK.

[Michael Hare]

I do not understand this request at all. Why would anyone want to do a visa run to Laos if one is teaching at a school? I thought schools arranged all these visas etc. They did in my day. And if not, then get a visa by being married to a Thai lady with a certain amount of money in the bank etc. The longer I live here, the less I understand about the difficulties of visas etc. Become a permanent resident.

Definitely a waffling post which I did not expect from someone who I understand has had many years of experience living in Sisaket and seems to give out advice to other people with ease. Also travelling to Mukdahan is very easy with the modern vans doing the route several times a day. But I wouldn't go by public transport; just drive your car across the bridge.

[sirchai]

I do not understand this request at all. Why would anyone want to do a visa run to Laos if one is teaching at a school? I thought schools arranged all these visas etc. They did in my day. And if not, then get a visa by being married to a Thai lady with a certain amount of money in the bank etc. The longer I live here, the less I understand about the difficulties of visas etc. Become a permanent resident.

Definitely a waffling post which I did not expect from someone who I understand has had many years of experience living in Sisaket and seems to give out advice to other people with ease. Also travelling to Mukdahan is very easy with the modern vans doing the route several times a day. But I wouldn't go by public transport; just drive your car across the bridge.

Schools did that back in 2005 and helped new teachers with all the paperwork.I remember when my first school took us to Laos, did all for us, but these times are gone.

Whenever you change a school you have to start over again. It was my wife's idea to take the bus to save money, but I'll drive to Mukdahan tomorrow morning, pretty early.

I'll try to get the Non-O, as Sawannakhaet seems to be the only place where they issue Non-O visas without financial proof.

I'll be prepared and have all documents for both visa types. Trying to get a Non-O, if not I'll apply for the B.

Michael, you can't just drive your car over the bridge, you'll have to have a 'car passport". But I'll leave it right before the bridge, had done it some years before.

[ubonrthai]

In Ubon I'm pretty sure vans start going at 6. I don't know if Sisaket has vans straight to Muk but I'm guessing they do and probably run at the same time. What is it, 80b or something? In a truck like mine that gets about 10.8km/L highway that will cost you about 1,230b round trip in gas. Plus you'll probably end up stopping to pee and buy some snacks at 7-11.

On a teacher's salary, it's good to save money. I say check the vans.

Edited May 5, 2014 by ubonrthai

[Scott]

An inflammatory post and reply have been deleted. Please stay on topic.

[sirchai]

In Ubon I'm pretty sure vans start going at 6. I don't know if Sisaket has vans straight to Muk but I'm guessing they do and probably run at the same time. What is it, 80b or something? In a truck like mine that gets about 10.8km/L highway that will cost you about 1,230b round trip in gas. Plus you'll probably end up stopping to pee and buy some snacks at 7-11.

On a teacher's salary, it's good to save money. I say check the vans.

Thanks for your input. Will take my Pick up , not in the mood to sit on a bus. Was my wife's idea. Looking forward to a higher salary.

I'll need around 1,500 baht for Diesel and no hassle. Seems to be easier to stop and pee when driving your own car. Lol.-

[transam]

Get there early, I was held up at the bridge and nearly missed the "boat". The consulate seem to want to close the gates at 11.30.

[coobah666]

Is the new consulate open yet in savanakhet ,I think the princess went there last week to open it

[khwaibah]

Is the new consulate open yet in savanakhet ,I think the princess went there last week to open it

By all indications NO. But it has to be getting close.

[SantiSuk]

Spoke to a falang on Sunday at the Thai National Hash. He lives in Savanakhet and said the new consulate is not yet open - still a few blocks off the river. He implied that the move was not going to happen imminently.

[lostinisaan]

Get there early, I was held up at the bridge and nearly missed the "boat". The consulate seem to want to close the gates at 11.30.

They close the gate at 11 am. Those who arrive alter later not be let in. New consulate not open yet. There was no note that they'll move soon.

Edited May 9, 2014 by lostinisaan

[spacemand]

I know its an old post but just for information for someone looking for this.

First van from Sisaket to Ubon and then on to Mukdahan

Depart Sisaket 6am

Arrive Ubon 7am

Depart Ubon 7:20am

Arrive Mukdahan 9:20am

Then tuk tuk to the border and depending on your luck you can catch a bus to the Laos side leaving at 10am.

Arrive Savannakhet 10:15

Then do the Laos visa min. 15 minutes. grab a van to the consulate and it might be possible to make it at around 10:50

Its possible to do but everything have to click just right and it never does, in theory its possible.

[sirchai]

Sorry, couldn't post,as our hamster got sick on its wheel. Its on a strange medication now and we are really concerned.

Took off from Sisaket by car at 5.30 am. There's a shortcut, driving to Yang Chum Noi first, ( the fastest way from Sisaket), was there before eight o' clock.

Made the biggest mistake to take my wife with me, as she "forgot" to get stamped out of Thailand on her temporary visa. We're already sitting on a van, where the driver had agreed to take us over the bridge,, but her mistake threw us back.

Okay, waiting for the shuttle.bus. Wasting 90 minutes of waiting for it. Then the Laos part. Some young French guys couldn't understand basic English spoken by Lao Immigration, another 25 minutes wasted time.

As I had no time, because of the holiday, the day before, I couldn't make my car "passport" to drive into Laos with my own car.

But I could still make it in time to the consulate, submitted all my documents, finally applied for a Non-B.

. Picked it up the next day, but had a huge fight with my wife, as she didn't understand that I wanted to stay at a guesthouse near the consulate, which is located near the Mekhong river.I didn't remember the places near the Mekhong, which seems to be the best places to stay.

Wasting a lot of money paying some Tuk Tuk guys for a city round trip, wife talking to the driver, all I wanted was to check in a place and drink some Lao beer.Paid a couple of times 200 baht to some Jaba or Acid addicted freaks, while my wife was chatting with them, driving us around.

That finally caused huge marriage problems and I was very close to send her back to Thailand. The nice restaurant near the consulate with the Penguins in front became a VIP freaking expensive place. A pizza, not really very good around 400 baht.

Tried to buy Dao coffee, but could only get three packs a' 120 grams for 120 baht each. My ERA cigarettes for 90 baht/carton might have been the only positive thing about my trip to Laos.

Received my visa the next day,left Laos, but made the mistake to take some strangers in my car to Sisaket and won't do that again.

If I'll ever have to do such a trip again, only without my wife and with my own car. Even the duty free shop there wasn't cheap. The bottle of Jack Daniels, I wanted to buy, wasn't really cheaper than buying it in Thailand.

Sorry, to say that, but that country pretty much sucks and I'm still asking myself, why people have to leave Thailand, just because they change schools there?

But in the end it turned out well,got my visa, had to make a guarantee for a guy I wanted to have at my former school, as he didn't have the needed paperwork. So I had to give my word that he was really genuine, lend him some money and deal with an unreal situation, again.

But all in all, I've got my visa, my new job, which I really appreciate. And the letter of resignation, I'd sent to my former school was even better than an orgasm, after the 3.5 years they'd abused me rectally.

. Wife seemed to have learnt some lessons and our marriage might even continue as it was before that trip.. Well, we'll never know, do we?-

Edited May 19, 2014 by sirchai

[MeMock]

Laos is a great place to visit.

If you had actually planned your trip at all a little more thoroughly I think you may have also discovered its charms. Bit harsh to blame Laos for not being able to communicate with your wife, picking up random strangers, giving money to drug addicts and purchasing a bottle of booze from the rip of 'duty free' places for more the twice the price you should have paid.

[sirchai]

Laos is a great place to visit.

If you had actually planned your trip at all a little more thoroughly I think you may have also discovered its charms. Bit harsh to blame Laos for not being able to communicate with your wife, picking up random strangers, giving money to drug addicts and purchasing a bottle of booze from the rip of 'duty free' places for more the twice the price you should have paid.

I'm sorry, as I was just referring to Sawannakhet.

[spacemand]

I love Savannakhet

Been there 5-6 times with and without family.

Its a dusty little town with out much going on but there are some gems there. If you went to the French named place on the town square on the same road I agree with you its overpriced and you can find better food for half the price at other places in town.

I am going in a couple of days and there is a nice little shop house restaurant near the christian/catholic church that have a good map of Savannakhet and with the owners permission I will post it here when I am back and she is the first stop for someone going to Savannakhet for the first time she has all the information anyone would need about Savannakhet and the surrounding area.

There is another place I can not remember the name of but run by the Lao who used to work at iLounge with great food, for accommodation I stayed at Savan Vegas a couple of times, a hotel in town and most recently at Leena Guesthouse and that were basic but nice, clean and cheap at less than 400 baht for a air con room.

I find food expensive in Savannakhet both Western and Thai food but the bread and the burgers you can get there beats anything I can get in NE Thailand.

Beer is cheap at 40 baht for a big Beer Lao.

Sorry to hear you had a bad trip but give Savannakhet a second chance, last I were there over x-mas I walked all over town (cool season) and no matter where I went I were welcomed and the level of English there is 10 times better than Sisaket, when I tried my broken Thai/Laos they answered in very good English.

Edited May 19, 2014 by spacemand

[moose7117]

I do not understand this request at all. Why would anyone want to do a visa run to Laos if one is teaching at a school? I thought schools arranged all these visas etc. They did in my day. And if not, then get a visa by being married to a Thai lady with a certain amount of money in the bank etc. The longer I live here, the less I understand about the difficulties of visas etc. Become a permanent resident.

Definitely a waffling post which I did not expect from someone who I understand has had many years of experience living in Sisaket and seems to give out advice to other people with ease. Also travelling to Mukdahan is very easy with the modern vans doing the route several times a day. But I wouldn't go by public transport; just drive your car across the bridge.

i agree entirely, why would you be working and be married to a thai wife and still need to border runs ?

unless the marriage is not legal, as in a registered marriage, if the marriage was legal you simply get a "o" visa, you only need 400k in the bank.

and that aint that much money really.

or you simply get a work permit !

why is it so hard ?

rob

[SantiSuk]

So grumpy that you have to seek out one year old posts to rail at?

Edited April 22, 2015 by SantiSuk

[lostinisaan]

So grumpy that you have to seek out one year old posts to rail at?

Does anybody know if the OP is still alive? Maybe they dumped him somewhere in Savannakhet, which of course would be quite understandable.

[moose7117]

no the OP just got lost somewhere in north east Thailand , and this post was only brought to my attention this morning !

[MeMock]

So grumpy that you have to seek out one year old posts to rail at?

Does anybody know if the OP is still alive? Maybe they dumped him somewhere in Savannakhet, which of course would be quite understandable.

You were the OP remember?

[SantiSuk]

So grumpy that you have to seek out one year old posts to rail at?

Does anybody know if the OP is still alive? Maybe they dumped him somewhere in Savannakhet, which of course would be quite understandable.

I suspect he got lost in Isaan.

[MeMock]

Either that or the 'Sir' drank way too much 'Chai'