visa run to vientiane: flights and timing the trip

[seesip]

I'm hoping to make the trip as short as possible. Any advice on flights / hotels would be greatly appreciated. Also wondering what time the embassy opens, and what time you're able to pick up your visa the following day (assuming you can get it the next day). Thanks.

[roger1999]

I suggest you take an early AM flight to Nong Khai (edit: correction: fly to Udon Thani) and then the airport shuttle to the border. Look around for other foreigners going to the Thai consulate and share a taxi to take you there directly. You should make it in plenty of time, but try to confirm this with another source. (I never rush these trips so I fly the day before I go to the Thai consulate.)

I think the place I stayed was called the Vientiene Star Hotel. I booked via Agoda and paid maybe US$20/600 baht per night. It was perfectly acceptable and even came with a small breakfast.

You can get your visa the next day, but if I recall you have to wait until the afternoon. Still, you should have time to get over the border and to the Nong Khai airport in time to make the late flight to Chiang Mai, but again, confirm this with another source. Getting back to the border and to the airport quickly might take a bit of cash.

Edited May 7, 2014 by roger1999

[seesip]

I suggest you take an early AM flight to Nong Khai and then the airport shuttle to the border. Look around for other foreigners going to the Thai consulate and share a taxi to take you there directly. You should make it in plenty of time, but try to confirm this with another source. (I never rush these trips so I fly the day before I go to the Thai consulate.)

I think the place I stayed was called the Vientiene Star Hotel. I booked via Agoda and paid maybe US$20/600 baht per night. It was perfectly acceptable and even came with a small breakfast.

You can get your visa the next day, but if I recall you have to wait until the afternoon. Still, you should have time to get over the border and to the Nong Khai airport in time to make the late flight to Chiang Mai, but again, confirm this with another source. Getting back to the border and to the airport quickly might take a bit of cash.

Great, thanks. What airline did you fly?

[roger1999]

Nok Air goes direct from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani. (My previous post said to fly to Nong Khai, but actually the flight goes to Udon Thani.)

From there it is a 45 minute ride in the airport shuttle to the border. Cost is 200 baht for the shuttle to go to the border.

Nok Air flights can be booked online and paid for at any 7/11.

[mgbcnx]

I have never dealt with the Thai consulate in Vientiane, but I've made the roundtrip (Chiangmai/Udon/Nongkhai/Vientiane/Udon) several times, and that process is exactly as roger1999 describes--easy, comfortable, convenient, and (relatively) inexpensive. Upon arrival at Udon airport, go to the Limousine Desk and book a seat on the next shuttle to Friendship Bridge.

Upon exiting Thai Immigration, you take (for a small charge) a bus that crosses the Mekong and delivers you to Lao Immigration. Here you must first go to the window that sells a Visa on Arrival. With that in hand, you proceed through Lao Immigration/Customs. Taxis are waiting to take you into Vientiane.

I like the Douang Deaune Hotel ( http://www.agoda.com/douang-deuane-hotel/reviews-page-5/vientiane-la.html) where I have stayed many times. US$25 a night. Skip the free breakfast in favor of superb coffee and croissants at Cafe Benetton just a few doors down the street. Also a great place for lunch...

Returning to Udon airport is also a breeze. Hire a taxi to take you to the border. As you exit Thai customs, you will encounter a throng of van drivers collecting passengers to Udon and to the airport for Bt.150.

[rickthailand]

dont forget the only nok air flight gets you to udon around 5pm enough time to get to

vientiane and go to the embassy next morning. ibis hotel good in the centre

returnflight in the evening so ple\nty of time to pick up passport and make it to the airport, from the thai border private taxi to udon airport 1000 baht

Edited May 8, 2014 by rickthailand

[seesip]

dont forget the only nok air flight gets you to udon around 5pm enough time to get to

vientiane and go to the embassy next morning. ibis hotel good in the centre

returnflight in the evening so ple\nty of time to pick up passport and make it to the airport, from the thai border private taxi to udon airport 1000 baht

So if I catch that Nok flight to Udon at 5pm I still have time to get to Friendship Bridge and through Laos customs--meaning they don't close up before then?

[mgbcnx]

No problem. I have taken that flight twice--and arriving at Friendship Bridge, found the border wide open. You should be at your Vientiane hotel before eight in the evening.

[seesip]

No problem. I have taken that flight twice--and arriving at Friendship Bridge, found the border wide open. You should be at your Vientiane hotel before eight in the evening.

Good to know. I'm also just realizing that the day I need to leave (13th May) is a Buddhist holiday. Will that effect the border crossing situation? Thanks.

[roger1999]

I don't think you will have any problems on a holiday. I am fairly certain that the border is always open until 10 PM.

I thought Nok Air had an early AM flight to Udon Thani, but they may have cancelled it.

[rickthailand]

nok air changed to 1 flight a day 4pm

[Hillywilly]

Did the Vientiane run a few months ago, got the evening flight and made the border no problem. ( if you are paying in US dollars for the visa make sure the notes are clean and not crumpled , some of the officials are EXTREMELY strict on this!) we stayed at the Douangpraseuth Hotel Which is almost directly opposite the Embassy. Went over the road at 7 am got our quue number, came back to the hotel for breakfast, then went back across just before 9 am

it's a little out of the centre of town, but being opposite the embassy was fantastic! we got a cab from the bridge to the hotel,but they can organise a pick up from the friendship bridge if you ask them in advance, and they took us back again the following afternoon for the same price as a local taxi wanted to charge us

I think it cost us about $40 for the two nights and breakfast.

We went for my daughters ED visa and the passport drop off was in the morning and collection was after 1pm the following day. Not sure if its the same for all visa types.

Edited May 9, 2014 by Hillywilly

[rickthailand]

Did the Vientiane run a few months ago, got the evening flight and made the border no problem. ( if you are paying in US dollars for the visa make sure the notes are clean and not crumpled , some of the officials are EXTREMELY strict on this!) we stayed at the Douangpraseuth Hotel Which is almost directly opposite the Embassy. Went over the road at 7 am got our quue number, came back to the hotel for breakfast, then went back across just before 9 am

it's a little out of the centre of town, but being opposite the embassy was fantastic! we got a cab from the bridge to the hotel,but they can organise a pick up from the friendship bridge if you ask them in advance, and they took us back again the following afternoon for the same price as a local taxi wanted to charge us

I think it cost us about $40 for the two nights and breakfast.

We went for my daughters ED visa and the passport drop off was in the morning and collection was after 1pm the following day. Not sure if its the same for all visa types.

how manu us$ did you have to pay for the laos visa?

[CMKiwi]

The Laos visa charge depends on which country you are from (ie What passport you are traveling with). Aussie and Kiwi pay US$30, Canadians US$35. Not sure about all the other nationalities but if you check the internet under Vientiane visa fees Im sure you will find out more.

As has been stated, make sure the notes are crisp and undamaged. They at immigration dont like defaced, wrinkled or torn notes. Also be aware if its a holiday or you arrive before 8am, they charge you an extra US$1 fee for working övertime¨

Gd luck

[seesip]

The Laos visa charge depends on which country you are from (ie What passport you are traveling with). Aussie and Kiwi pay US$30, Canadians US$35. Not sure about all the other nationalities but if you check the internet under Vientiane visa fees Im sure you will find out more.

As has been stated, make sure the notes are crisp and undamaged. They at immigration dont like defaced, wrinkled or torn notes. Also be aware if its a holiday or you arrive before 8am, they charge you an extra US$1 fee for working övertime¨

Gd luck

Not sure if you mean all visa fees need to be paid in US dollars? Or can be paid in Thai Baht?

[hobz]

Any recent reports (after the crackdown) about getting double entry tourist visas? Are they stricter now? Enforcing the rules about airline tickets, hotel reservations and financials? They never asked me before, been there 3 times.,.i fear after the crackdown that they will be stricter everywhere, not only about border runs. Any experience from the last week or so?

[hobz]

tldr: business as usual regarding tourist visas in vientiane.

Just came back from vientiane. I got a double entry tourist visa. (i had the same previously,, so it was back-2-back double-entry tourist visa).

No problems in vientiane, business as usual, was not asked to provide financials, tickets, etc...

The only thing different was the amount of people,, but could be due to holiday may 13.. Anyway, everybody got served and i saw noone get refused or hassled in the embassy or when going through the border back to thailand.

Because of the amount of people in the embassy, stuff got a bit delayed, usually the stop taking applications 11:30 ,, but now they took applicaitons to around 1pm.. As long as you got a queue number before 11:30.. Some people said this was due to the holiday may 13th..

Getting passports back the day after usually starts at 1:30pm,, but now it was delayed to around 2pm because they were still taking payments from applicants.

[JepSoDii]

Does anybody know if I'll have any problem bringing a Filipina girlfriend to Vietniane to apply for her to get the same 2-entry, 3 month visa as I expect to get? Any reports of discrimination?

And I assume these double entries are good for 3 months, meaning as long as I extend the first 60 day entry for 30 more, and leave Thailand, returning the day prior to the expiration date, I'll be able to stretch this into 6 months total?

[CMKiwi]

The Laos visa charge depends on which country you are from (ie What passport you are traveling with). Aussie and Kiwi pay US$30, Canadians US$35. Not sure about all the other nationalities but if you check the internet under Vientiane visa fees Im sure you will find out more.

As has been stated, make sure the notes are crisp and undamaged. They at immigration dont like defaced, wrinkled or torn notes. Also be aware if its a holiday or you arrive before 8am, they charge you an extra US$1 fee for working övertime¨

Gd luck

Not sure if you mean all visa fees need to be paid in US dollars? Or can be paid in Thai Baht?

Sorry if I caused confusion... the Laos visa can be paid in either baht or US$. The US$ cost I have already stated, however if you pay in baht then its at `their`exchange rate which is very poor.

i.e if you dont have US$30 (Exchange is about 978 baht) then they charge you 1200 baht.

There is however a money exchange just around the corner of the visa window, but it does not open as early as the Laos visa office.

So you need to be prepared for that. The Thai visa from the consulate in Vientiane must be paid in Thai Baht, they will not accept any other currency.

Hope that clears your query