Visa run to Vientiane from Udon Thani, question about bus to Nong Khai Friendship Bridge

[yzak]

aww novo took my spot light! I even took pictures and vid clips of the process!!! daamn you!!!

oh and don't ever <deleted> come here on mondays. It is hell.

[novo58]

@yzak...................still put the vids/photos up.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

@ spunkie...............should be no prob getting another 60 days . Thou be aware that they are cracking down on CONTINUAL VISA RUNS......but this relates to multiple 30 day re-newals ( a few back to back AFTER you have used your 2 x 60 day tourist visa) thru visa runs. But nothing stopping you going across bridge into Laos then straight back again to Thailand.

However I ALWAYS qualify all comments I make about government agency interactions with ........................T I T ( this is thailand - anything could happen)

[yzak]

yeah doing it now at my crappy Laos hotel. have to keep restarting my comp to get wifi working.

[CFC]

aww novo took my spot light! I even took pictures and vid clips of the process!!! daamn you!!!

oh and don't ever <deleted> come here on mondays. It is hell.

Yzak how long did you have to wait, I was planning on going on Monday

[CFC]

Novo58 great post brilliant info I have to go next month I have a double entry visa witch I obtained in the u.k first 60 days up 6th of February so I persume I just go straight through immagration with no problems ,I m going to spend a couple of nights in Vientiane then return willi they give me another 60 days ?can you see any problems thanks

Spunkie I dont know if you, but you can extend each entry by 30 days at Immigration for 1900 Baht.

[ubonjoe]

My advice is not to go on Mondays or Thursdays. Those are the visa run van days and it will be packed at the consular section.

[Jonmarleesco]

You take a bus to Nong Khai, then a tuk-tuk to the bridge. Minivan from the airport is B200 for a group; probably B2,000 if you go private.

[novo58]

As stated by a few ........................would NOT recommend doing visa run on Mon or friday.

ALSO ......................be very aware of THAI public holidays as embassy will be closed on them.

@ spunkie................you never asked about the quality (?) of Laos hotels- and wi-fi in laos ( whats that) lol

[Too]

Hello!

I've just been to Vientiane and the shuttle bus costs you 15B from the Thai side and

4,000kip from the Lao side. I crossed the bridge from the Thai side on Sunday so the

bus cost you 20B and they charged you 11,000kip or 45B as overtime fee on the Lao

side.

You can check this out to see what it'd be like to apply for a visa in Vientiane on Monday.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795865-to-apply-for-a-visa-in-vientiane-report/

Edited January 30, 2015 by Too

[realthaideal]

So on the return/Thai side, is the bus the best option to the airport? Like catch a bus to Udon first, and then an airport bus from the station by Central Udon? Wouldn't it figure that there are vans going from the Nong Khai side back to the Airport to pick up the next wave of travelers?

My biggest concern would be getting on a Thai public bus that will stop every 500m and make me late to the airport. If taxi or van is best, then I'd do that.

If I arrive at the Nong Khai side of the bridge at, say, 2pm, and can take buses to get to the airport by 4pm, I'll be fine with that.

[novo58]

whilst I have never used them ...............I have be led to believe that there are mini-buses( Vans) than run from Udon Thani airport direct to Friendship bridge and obviously then back again.

When you clear immigration going into Laos side of the border there is a large sign with prices for taxi's etc into Vientienne.

Similarly ..............on the Thai side - when you RETURN from Laos ....................there is an open air seating area ( under a very , very high roof) where you will find drivers waiting for fares back to Udon .

no idea on prices...............but as always best to get a small group together and negotiate a price.

Whilst waiting in line to get back thru Thai immigration ...................talk to the people around you. Many are just like you and need transport back to Udon also.

I have ( in the past ) paid 2000b for a driver and car to drive me from Udon to friendship bridge, wait for me to do the border run across to laos and back again and then return to Udon. Driver will sit and wait. This was in a very newish Toyota Corolla.

[Too]

Hello realthaideal!

I wouldn't think you could get to the immigration on the Thai side by 2pm. The Thai Consular Office

opens at 1;30pm to give your passport back, as you know. Fat chance if you go there on Monday

or Thursday to apply for a visa.

I met some Western applicants there, most of whom flew back and forth between Chiang Mai and

Udon and told me they would take a taxi back to Thailand from Vientiane. I don't know if they would

take one to the immigration on the Lao side or all the way to Udon Airport.

Maybe you should find one or two applicants to share a taxi with when applying for a visa there.

Or you can also talk and negotiate with one of the local guys for one who are hanging around

there.

[realthaideal]

Yeah, will speak with others n carpool where I can. I also speak Thai so can find out where something is, how it goes, however I've sometimes received not-good advice when asking locals and under time constraints. That's what I'm hoping to avoid with a good pre-game plan for the trip back from Vientiane to the Udon Airport or city if need be.

[Too]

Hello realthaideal!

I know what you mean! There'll always be some who are going to take

advantage of you in need of help!

One of the options is to take a taxi from the Thai Consular Office straight

to the immigration on the Lao side and then hop on another taxi or a mini-van

to Ubon or Ubon Airport after going through Passport Control on the Thai

side, I'd say.

I'm sure you'll meet some applicants there who are going to fly out of

Ubon several hours after having picking up their passports. As you can

imagine, you have to kill time by chatting with some other applicants

till the office opens at 1:30pm. You'll then have plenty of time to ask

them about how to get to the airport no problem! You should get there

at least by 12 at noon.

Good luck!

Edited February 1, 2015 by Too

[Asiantravel]

I came back from Vientiane yesterday on the bus direct to Udon. My bus left at 11.30, had cleared immigration in Laos and Thailand by 1pm and was in Udon Thani at the bus station by 2pm. The cost was 22,000 Kip or 90 Baht. You should try to book early as they get full.

Sorry, I don't have Udon - Vientiane times but to Udon, the times are 8am, 9, 10.30, 11.30, 2pm, 3pm, 4.30 and 6pm.

This info is current as of 23/1/2015

Best of Luck :-)

I was reading that there are three bus stations in Udon Thani. Would you possibly remember the name (or number i.e. bus station 1 2 or 3) of the bus station in Udon where you arrived? Or would you remember any landmarks near the destination bus station so I can work out using Google maps where you arrived? Thanks very much