Border Run Alternatives

[jfeigel]

sorry but once again just looking for words of reassurance for a Thai border run rookie!

 

requiring a border run after a 30 day Visa on entry and 30 day extension...going to attempt this weekend

 

Pak Chong - Korat : by van...easy

Korat - Vientiane : on overnight bus...think it is necessary to pre-purchase this ticket online as opposed to grabbing one in the bus station?

 

looks like they don't like Canucks much in Laos...$42 for visa...is it necessary to have US cash for this?...seen comments on both sides of this argument...

 

will have passport photos in two different sizes for Laos visa

 

I am not looking to get a 60 day visa from the embassy, (although it might have been the smarter move!...but again maybe not now with the online vias application process), as I'm assuming that it is only open during the week. I am looking for a relaxing couple nights in Vientiane...getting a new 30 day Visa on entry...and then getting a 30 day extension in Korat as I did before...

 

The big question: am I missing anything...?...any tips or advice?

 

ps...some day I hope to be a worthwhile contributing forum member, but in the meantime...TIA!

 

[BritTim]

8 hours ago, jfeigel said:

Korat - Vientiane : on overnight bus...think it is necessary to pre-purchase this ticket online as opposed to grabbing one in the bus station?

If you do not mind arriving in Korat several hours before the bus to Vientiane, you should usually be able to buy the ticket on the day you travel. Do not rely on this during holiday periods.

 

8 hours ago, jfeigel said:

looks like they don't like Canucks much in Laos...$42 for visa...is it necessary to have US cash for this?...seen comments on both sides of this argument...

You can pay using Thai baht, but do not do that. It ends up being much more expensive. Exchanging some baht for US dollars in advance is easy to do.

 

8 hours ago, jfeigel said:

The big question: am I missing anything...?...any tips or advice?

You can only get two visa exempt entries by land in any calendar year, and visa exempt entry by air becomes risky after you have used several of them. It is my view that people spending significant time in Thailand as tourists should avoid ever entering visa exempt under normal circumstances, reserving their visa exempt entries by land for use in emergencies.

[Claude22france]

" I am looking for a relaxing couple nights in Vientiane"

Then, why not get a visa ?

The online visa application makes it easier than before.

Very easy to register and you will be able to choose your time : 9-10 / 10-11 / 11-12 h

The following day you will get your passport back from early afternoon.

[oMega69]

Savannakhet visa run.

 

My agent told me they not accept USD for the Lao visa... sounds strange to me "they want u to pay 1500thb so the IO officers can make more profit"  at the friendship bridge Nongkai boarder point i pay USD all the times.. hm.

Any one been using USD here lately ?

Edited February 10, 2019 by oMega69

[elviajero]

38 minutes ago, oMega69 said:

Savannakhet visa run.

 

My agent told me they not accept USD for the Lao visa... sounds strange to me "they want u to pay 1500thb so the IO officers can make more profit"  at the friendship bridge Nongkai boarder point i pay USD all the times.. hm.

Any one been using USD here lately ?

You can pay in USD or THB to get the Laos visa on entry.

 

You can only pay in THB to get a Thai visa at the Savsnnakhet Thai Consulate.

[Prissana Pescud]

1 hour ago, oMega69 said:

Savannakhet visa run.

 

My agent told me they not accept USD for the Lao visa... sounds strange to me "they want u to pay 1500thb so the IO officers can make more profit"  at the friendship bridge Nongkai boarder point i pay USD all the times.. hm.

Any one been using USD here lately ?

It cost me $30 US one month ago. No hassles at Vientiane border. Cheers and enjoy Laos. So welcoming and easy, relaxed after all the uniforms in Thailand.

 I wish I had gone there

[Caldera]

1 hour ago, oMega69 said:

Savannakhet visa run.

 

My agent told me they not accept USD for the Lao visa... sounds strange to me "they want u to pay 1500thb so the IO officers can make more profit"  at the friendship bridge Nongkai boarder point i pay USD all the times.. hm.

Any one been using USD here lately ?

I went to Savannakhet last month and I paid for my Lao visa in USD - the official price, they didn't ask for more. No problem whatsoever, but I didn't go with an agent or on any kind of organized visa run (maybe it's them who want payment in baht?).

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, oMega69 said:

Savannakhet visa run.

 

My agent told me they not accept USD for the Lao visa... sounds strange to me "they want u to pay 1500thb so the IO officers can make more profit"  at the friendship bridge Nongkai boarder point i pay USD all the times.. hm.

Any one been using USD here lately ?

You can (should) pay in USD. Your agent must know this, and is conning you. I expect the agent gets the visa for you, and pockets the profit.

[Prissana Pescud]

35 minutes ago, Prissana Pescud said:

It cost me $30 US one month ago. No hassles at Vientiane border. Cheers and enjoy Laos. So welcoming and easy, relaxed after all the uniforms in Thailand.

 I wish I had gone there

Don't pay money to a scumbag agent.

Get the coach/ bus /taxi to the Lao border.

It will cost 1500 baht max if you do not have new $30 US dollars. If you do not understand that everyone is scamming;

you do not understand Asia. Good luck and enjoy

[jacko45k]

6 hours ago, BritTim said:

You can (should) pay in USD. Your agent must know this, and is conning you. I expect the agent gets the visa for you, and pockets the profit.

Yep, like the ferry tickets when you buy them at an agents office. 

[lovesthespicy]

Havent fully committed to Vietnam for a visa. Kind of cold feeting over the fact I've got 6 tourist visas in there(over 3 years) and have to travel through an airport.

 

I've gotten 2 tourist visas from Vientiane both in 2017. Would I be safe to get another without getting the blue stamp? I see you guys talking about Savannakhet is that a good option?

[mcsiva8]

No problem mate. Enjoy laos

Havent fully committed to Vietnam for a visa. Kind of cold feeting over the fact I've got 6 tourist visas in there(over 3 years) and have to travel through an airport.
 
I've gotten 2 tourist visas from Vientiane both in 2017. Would I be safe to get another without getting the blue stamp? I see you guys talking about Savannakhet is that a good option?

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[BritTim]

57 minutes ago, lovesthespicy said:

Havent fully committed to Vietnam for a visa. Kind of cold feeting over the fact I've got 6 tourist visas in there(over 3 years) and have to travel through an airport.

 

I've gotten 2 tourist visas from Vientiane both in 2017. Would I be safe to get another without getting the blue stamp? I see you guys talking about Savannakhet is that a good option?

You might get the warning stamp along with a visa from Vientiane. Savannakhet has historically been pretty safe, but there have been a few worrying posts in recent months that suggest it might not be quite as safe as before. You could consider Yangon, where getting the visa is usually no problem. If you wanted to reenter Thailand by land, the way this is done from Yangon is by taking an overnight bus to the border at Myawaddy/Maesot. You can fly from Maesot airport (close to the border) to Bangkok. The required visa for Myanmar can be applied for online as long as you are flying into Yangon airport.

Edited February 11, 2019 by BritTim

[72BKK]

12 hours ago, Prissana Pescud said:

It cost me $30 US one month ago.

 

11 hours ago, Prissana Pescud said:

It will cost 1500 baht max if you do not have new $30 US dollars.

Sorry but i have always paid $35 and not $30 for the Laos visa at the border.

Please can anyone confirm if now it's $30 or always $35 as the last 5-6 times i have been there?? 

cause i am going right in 2 weeks...

[BritTim]

42 minutes ago, 72BKK said:

 

Sorry but i have always paid $35 and not $30 for the Laos visa at the border.

Please can anyone confirm if now it's $30 or always $35 as the last 5-6 times i have been there?? 

cause i am going right in 2 weeks...

The Laos visa on arrival varies according to your nationality. The minimum is $30, the maximum $42. A very few nationalities can get a free visa exempt entry.

[72BKK]

2 minutes ago, BritTim said:

The Laos visa on arrival varies according to your nationality. The minimum is $30, the maximum $42. A very few nationalities can get a free visa exempt entry.

hi thanks for the info

 

do you know of a link where i could check this visa fee according to my italian nationality?

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, 72BKK said:

do you know of a link where i could check this visa fee according to my italian nationality?

I have seen this list:

Quote

Country      Price (US Dollar)

Australia         30

Canada           42

China              20

India               40

Sweden           31

USA                35

UK                  35

Others            30

According to this, Italy should be $30. Make sure you have clean, crisp US dollars. If you pay in Thai baht, it will cost much more.

[72BKK]

4 minutes ago, BritTim said:

I have seen this list:

According to this, Italy should be $30. Make sure you have clean, crisp US dollars. If you pay in Thai baht, it will cost much more.

like i said i have been there 5-6 times and i have always paid $35 but maybe it was me just paying $5 more. Yes i'll change in dollars just before leaving at Superich checking that notes have no defects

thank you

[mcsiva8]

Don't forget $1 for border crossing, maybe others who pay more than 30, don't get charged it, but I got charged with the Aussie passport 31US

like i said i have been there 5-6 times and i have always paid $35 but maybe it was me just paying $5 more. Yes i'll change in dollars just before leaving at Superich checking that notes have no defects
thank you

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[72BKK]

1 minute ago, mcsiva8 said:

Don't forget $1 for border crossing, maybe others who pay more than 30, don't get charged it, but I got charged with the Aussie passport 31US

 

Sent from my SM-G965F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

border crossing?? this is totally new for me. Never paid the $1 for border crossing 

so this could confirm that i had to pay $30 and not $35 as they never asked me the dollar for border crossing

[Caldera]

4 hours ago, mcsiva8 said:

Don't forget $1 for border crossing, maybe others who pay more than 30, don't get charged it, but I got charged with the Aussie passport

 

That's probably the "overtime" charge that needs to be paid late in the evening, during weekends, on public holidays and etc.

[mcsiva8]

Come to think about it, it was a Saturday, that I went to Laos.

That's probably the "overtime" charge that needs to be paid late in the evening, during weekends, on public holidays and etc.

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[Prissana Pescud]

On 2/11/2019 at 12:21 PM, 72BKK said:

 

Sorry but i have always paid $35 and not $30 for the Laos visa at the border.

Please can anyone confirm if now it's $30 or always $35 as the last 5-6 times i have been there?? 

cause i am going right in 2 weeks...

Because Australia paid half the cost of the Friendship Bridges (foreign aid by way of PM Keating) ,

Aussies appear to get a minor discount on visas. And very few hassles. Laos is a relaxed country anyway.

Stay a few days there if you can. Very good cheap food, accommodation and many varieties of Lao beer from dark to amber.

Aussies pay US $30 at the moment. My slightly used US money was refused. A new $100 US could not be changed.

The border official rubbed his fingers on a part of the bill and declared it to be genuine.

He wished me a good stay in Vientiane and charged my Thai Baht 1300. 

It cost 10,000 Lao kip to leave the country. Cheers mate

 

[mcsiva8]

If I didn't have 30 US, I paid 1300bht at the border and 1400bht at the Laos embassy in Khon Kean, Thailand. I left at normal times and didn't pay to leave. I left each time before 2.30pm. Thanks for the info on Mr Keating, contributing to the friendship bridge, didn't know that.

Because Australia paid half the cost of the Friendship Bridges (foreign aid by way of PM Keating) ,
Aussies appear to get a minor discount on visas. And very few hassles. Laos is a relaxed country anyway.
Stay a few days there if you can. Very good cheap food, accommodation and many varieties of Lao beer from dark to amber.
Aussies pay US $30 at the moment. My slightly used US money was refused. A new $100 US could not be changed.
The border official rubbed his fingers on a part of the bill and declared it to be genuine.
He wished me a good stay in Vientiane and charged my Thai Baht 1300. 
It cost 10,000 Lao kip to leave the country. Cheers mate
 

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[jacko45k]

55 minutes ago, Prissana Pescud said:

Because Australia paid half the cost of the Friendship Bridges (foreign aid by way of PM Keating) ,

Aussies appear to get a minor discount on visas. And very few hassles. Laos is a relaxed country anyway.

So what happened wrt Canada, they failed to deliver?

[mcsiva8]

No, Aussie contributed the lot 42mill dollars. Hahaha
Maybe Canada contributed towards something else, and China, well what can we say about them, only 20US they pay, but don't see that many, some at the Thai consulate getting visas.

So what happened wrt Canada, they failed to deliver?

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[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, mcsiva8 said:

No, Aussie contributed the lot 42mill dollars. Hahaha
Maybe Canada contributed towards something else, and China, well what can we say about them, only 20US they pay, but don't see that many, some at the Thai consulate getting visas.

 

Sent from my SM-G965F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

Well I wondered as Canada paid the most.

[BritTim]

13 minutes ago, mcsiva8 said:

Maybe Canada contributed towards something else, and China, well what can we say about them, only 20US they pay, but don't see that many, some at the Thai consulate getting visas.

Unless resident in Laos, Chinese should not be able to apply for Thai visas in Vientiane. They can only apply back in China.

Edited February 12, 2019 by BritTim

[Prissana Pescud]

Lets not argue over the bridges, this is not the post for that.

This is not a griping post. IT is ALL about information on border runs

[jfeigel]

cost this Canadian $42 to get into Laos and then +$1 for a Saturday entry...

 

note...have the correct change if possible and be advised that they will refuse older American money...they would not take a $50 that was a 1990 series (I think) bill...tried passing it off in a Laos bar, Laos hotel, and at the duty free airport store in Vientaine...said it was real bill but just "too old"...

 

Edited February 13, 2019 by jfeigel