getting through Thai and Lao borders at Savannaket for non o visa

[twozeds]

hi… just booked my bus ticket to mukkdahan from north pattaya for tomorrow night ( Sunday 15th Feb ) and was surprised to hear the 8:30pm VIP bus no longer operates…but was told the 9:00pm bus, drives without stopping and should get there at around 9:00am…my question is how long approx does it take to get through the Thai and Lao borders and then on to the Thai consulate in Savannaket, these will be appprox times i appreciate but would give me an idea…but I'm wondering if the bus does get there at 9:00am and the consulate closes for applications at 11:00am is 2 hours enough time for me to get through or would i be better staying in mukkdahan for a night then heading off early into Lao?…and if i do stay in mukkdahan what time do the borders open at morning to get across…many thanks in advance

[ubonjoe]

Arriving at 9 am would be a bit tight to make it by 11. You would be taking the bus from Mukdahan to Savannakhet and if you missed a bus that had just left you certainly would not make it..

The bridge opens at 6 am but the first bus does not leave the bus station in Mukdahan until until 7:30 am. The Lao visa on arrival office does not open until 8 am.

I think if it was me I would take the chance on getting to the consulate by 11 am rather than staying in Mukdahan.

[twozeds]

is it a shuttle bus from mukdahan station to the borders?…if so any idea how many run per hour?

[ubonjoe]

It is a international bus that goes from the bus station in Mukdahan to the bus station in Savannakhet. It stops at both sides of the bridge for you to clear immigration. There is no shuttle bus just for the bridge.You can catch the same bus at the bridge.

It runs about every half hour.

See here for lots of good info: Worry-Free Non-O-Visa Savannakhet

[twozeds]

thanks for the info and link

[hullupullo]

is it a shuttle bus from mukdahan station to the borders?…if so any idea how many run per hour?

http://home.transport.co.th/en/bus-schedule/443-international-route.html

[asdecas]

I'm in Savanna right now - arriving 9am in Muk would be OK - you may get lucky and catch the bus to Savanna immediately, but you'll need to get a Lao visa at the Lao border, which can hold you up depending on the number of farangs going across at that time. The bus sometimes doesn't wait for slow farangs before departing to town, in which case you're at the mercy of the tuk-tuk mafia.

If your arrival in Muk is not late, give it a go, but make sure you are last back onto the bus to Savanna after the Thai border formalities, then you are first off at the Lao side of the bridge, thus first to get to the Visa on Arrival window. I'd say anything later than 9.30am leaving Muk bus station, your chances are slim, so let that be your cut-off.

First bus in the morning from Muk to Savanna is 7.30am, 50 Baht. If you go on the bus all the way through to the Savanna bus station, you'll be there at about 8.30am, time enough for the 10-15 min walk to the Thai Consulate, which opens theoretically at 8.30am but in reality they don't open and hand out queue numbers till 9am.

Don't believe the tuk-tuk boys that it's too far to walk from the bus station - it's actually a good stretch of the legs after all night on the bus, and weather is cool right now.

Good luck.

[NoshowJones]

I'm in Savanna right now - arriving 9am in Muk would be OK - you may get lucky and catch the bus to Savanna immediately, but you'll need to get a Lao visa at the Lao border, which can hold you up depending on the number of farangs going across at that time. The bus sometimes doesn't wait for slow farangs before departing to town, in which case you're at the mercy of the tuk-tuk mafia.

If your arrival in Muk is not late, give it a go, but make sure you are last back onto the bus to Savanna after the Thai border formalities, then you are first off at the Lao side of the bridge, thus first to get to the Visa on Arrival window. I'd say anything later than 9.30am leaving Muk bus station, your chances are slim, so let that be your cut-off.

First bus in the morning from Muk to Savanna is 7.30am, 50 Baht. If you go on the bus all the way through to the Savanna bus station, you'll be there at about 8.30am, time enough for the 10-15 min walk to the Thai Consulate, which opens theoretically at 8.30am but in reality they don't open and hand out queue numbers till 9am.

Don't believe the tuk-tuk boys that it's too far to walk from the bus station - it's actually a good stretch of the legs after all night on the bus, and weather is cool right now.

Good luck.

It is not unusual for the bus not to wait for you at the Savahkannet side, as UbonJoe says, the Laos office does not open till 8am, then you have the form to fill in. But you can get a minivan from there to the Thai Consulate at a rip off 100 Bt for a less than 10 min ride, or a Tuk Tuk.

[twozeds]

thanks for the info…. hopefully if lady luck is on my side i will make it through…… any recommendations for hotels coz theres that many conflicting reports on the net….. the wifes having a trip up with me so after the bus ride up there it will be nice to chill out at a nice hotel…cheers

[asdecas]

Depends on your budget. Top hotel in Savanna is Saen Sabai if you have the missus with you. More economical, Souannavong or Leena guesthouses are both good, the former more central to what activity there is, which is not much.

[twozeds]

thanks for all the help….gonna sign off now and get showered and packed etc….last night started with the dreaded trotskies…so loaded up with imodium at moment…sods law i guess…cheers

[thefactoryoutlet]

Wish you good luck...

[twozeds]

just want to thank you all for the info…got back this morning with non O visa in passport.....sweet…. my bus was late into mukdahan and i just caught the 9:30am mukdahan to savannah as it was waiting to pull out…. just made it thru the borders but had to pay the scam tuk tuk drivers to drive like the wind and managed to get to the consulate at 10:54am…ran to the visa window with luckily no queue…. good job i had all my forms and photo copies ready thanks to the info on this forum …wow talk about close to the wire…again many thanks…..just one final question....may seem a bit stupid to some, but sorry its my first time having a non O visa, at the end of the 90 days do i need to leave the country to get another 90 days or report to immigration at Jomtien… cheers

[Mario2008]

It depends on teh visa. If it is a single, have to elave after 90 days. If it is a multiple you also have to leave after 90 days but can return the same day for another 90 days as long as the visa itself is still valid.

If you qualify you can ask for a 1 year extension at immigration in Thailand, than you would not ned to leave the country but do 90 day reports.

[paz]

final question....may seem a bit stupid to some, but sorry its my first time having a non O visa, at the end of the 90 days do i need to leave the country to get another 90 days or report to immigration at Jomtien… cheers

You can get a 60 days extension at immigration with your marriage certificate and the spouse present, her ID card and house book. Bt 1,900.

[twozeds]

on the visa its says m for multiple also it has dates for a year on the visa expires feb 2016 printed on visa

[paz]

on the visa its says m for multiple also it has dates for a year on the visa expires feb 2016 printed on visa

Correct. In conjunction with the 60 days extension will serve for a total stay of almost 17 months in country.

[twozeds]

"If you qualify you can ask for a 1 year extension at immigration in Thailand, than you would not ned to leave the country but do 90 day reports."

​what is the criteria to qualify for the 1 year extension?

[Mario2008]

Based on marriage:

- having an income of 40,000 baht a month (can be from abroad)

OR

- having 400,000 baht in a bankaccount in Thailand for 2 months.

[nzexpat]

"If you qualify you can ask for a 1 year extension at immigration in Thailand, than you would not ned to leave the country but do 90 day reports."

​what is the criteria to qualify for the 1 year extension?

The criteria vary according to the reason for applying for an extension ie, extensions are available for working, being married to a Thai, retirement or studying at a university.