visa run from chiangmai to vientiane , cheapest bus?

[gaucan]

hi, my visa ends 5th july, and want to buy SETV thai visa in vientiane.
Which service will take care of everything? ( idk if i its easy to buy lao visa myself or some other stuff )
Which is cheapest?

[ubonjoe]

As far as I know there are no organized visa runs from CM to Vientiane.

You will need to do it yourself.

Easy to get a Lao visa on arrival. Just fill out the form and pay the fee.

[JackThompson]

Cheapest way:

1. Put a good "book on tape" or two on your phone or other mp3 player and have a recharging battery pack or two with a power-splitter to allow charging all at once. Your primary adversary is 'being bored'.
2. Get USD from a money-exchange to cover the cost of your Laos Visa On Arrival (VOA). The fee varies by your home-country, and is significantly cheaper if paid in US dollars vs Baht.
3. Take an overnight by bus to Nong Khai, so you arrive in the early morning. You must get to the Consulate by 11AM or you have to wait until the next day to submit your application - no exceptions.
4. At the Nong Khai bus station, buy a large, cold bottle of water and some snacks, then take a bus or Tuk-Tuk to the border. If you take a bus, do not expect it to wait for your VOA, so take all your stuff off with you at the Laos border checkpoint.
5. Go to the VOA window, get the form, fill it out, submit it with the fee. You may have to wait up to an hour in the heat for this, so drink the water you bought at #2. If a delicious-smelling breakfast is served to the Laos IOs while you are waiting, eat your snacks from #2 to minimize your envy.
6. Tuk-tuk to the Thai Consulate. Include the wait for VOA in your time-calculations.
7. At the Consulate get an application-form and que-number, fill out form, and submit it with your passport, two passport-pics, and required copies of passport-pages (there is a list on the wall and a copy-service in-house).
8. Stay in an inexpensive guest-house within walking distance, because the tuk-tuks are crazy prices. The money you saved using USD to buy your visa-on-arrival should nearly cover the cost. Be prepared to pay 3x the typical Thai cost for dinner. Recharge your phone/mp3/battery-pack(s) now.
9. Return to the Thai Consulate after 1PM. Pay for the visa and receive your passport with the visa stamp in it. Check to make sure it looks correct before you leave.
10. Return the same way you came.

Note, when returning to Thailand, be prepared to show the IO 20K Baht in Cash. It is unlikely you will be asked, but you could be denied entry for not having it.

Upgrades to the above:

1. Air-Con Hotel with Wifi (still walking distance, though)
2. VIP bus - 3 seats across, and selecting a seat 'by itself' by getting to the station early.
3. Use a fly-ride service to avoid the long bus-ride, though this may entail additional nights at hotels along the way, due to the timing of flights, and when you must submit and will receive your visa.

Note for coffee-drinkers. Keep a small water-bottle and some of those 3-in-1 coffee sticks handy. When you need your 'fix', fill the small water-bottle 1/3 of the way, dump in a 3-in-1 stick, and shake. The water need not be hot. Better than nothing, and can be prepared while waiting in lines, on buses, etc.

[gaucan]

i found this:
http://www.ayaservice.com/visa.php

it says:
Minibus from chiangmai 7.00pm to Thai embassy (vientiane) 8.30am, stay one night vientiane (Customer pay), 2nd day from nongkhai (aya service office) 6.30pm return to chiangmai 5.00am

So it looks like they take all care of taking me from CM to vientiane's thai embassy? And i suppose then i have to find hotel there myself and wait for next day to pickup visa , and then get myself somehow from vientiane to nongkhai from where they take us to CM... if they give exact address of that nongkhai aya office, then i should not get lost lol .

when i called them she said it costs 1800 bath. Do you know how much cca USD should i change? is there a list of fees? Im from Slovakia (central europe)

[ubonjoe]

That is not what I would call an organized visa run. Just transport to the bridge and back.

The fee for you to get a Lao visa on arrival will be $30 US or 1500 baht. Form for VOA :Lao visa on arrival form.pdf

The fee for the SETV will be 1000 baht. Visa application form: New Vientiane Form July 2015.pdf

[JackThompson]

I do not think that quote includes your VOA, Thai Visa fees, or transport inside Laos.

Ask yourself if a mini-bus seat is more comfortable than a regular bus seat (or a VIP bus seat). I would pay double to avoid a mini-bus, and in this case, you are paying a premium to ride in one.

Ubon Joe has the other questions covered.

[finy]

The fee for the SETV will be 1000 baht.

Has this changed, or has it always been this price?

I could have sworn it was 2000, but maybe that was when they still did double entry.

Just curious as I'll need to go in month.

Cheers.

[ubonjoe]

The fee for the SETV will be 1000 baht.

Has this changed, or has it always been this price?

I could have sworn it was 2000, but maybe that was when they still did double entry.

Just curious as I'll need to go in month.

Cheers.

It has been 1000 baht for many years.

When more than one entry was possible it was written as 1000 baht per entry.

[finy]

The fee for the SETV will be 1000 baht.

Has this changed, or has it always been this price?

I could have sworn it was 2000, but maybe that was when they still did double entry.

Just curious as I'll need to go in month.

Cheers.

It has been 1000 baht for many years.

When more than one entry was possible it was written as 1000 baht per entry.

Thanks!

Can't believe it's cheaper than a 30-day extension.

OP: there is a special night bus that goes directly to Nong Khai, it's in the terminal opposite where the green buses leave from. I believe the VIP ticket with single seat is 1000 baht, but I'm not sure if they do cheaper 1st class.

Also, the bus leaves Nong Khai at about 6pm to come back to Chiang Mai, so when you pick up your passport at 1pm try to get cheap way to Vietenne bus station and get international bus to Nong Khai.

P.S. You might save 500 baht with a mini bus company, but for 2 over nighters it will be torture. A single seat in VIP bus is like first class on an airplane, or at least it feels like it compared to the alternative lol

[gaucan]

so these buses from CM to nongkhai... how much time upfront i need to buy the ticket? can i buy it online? or have to go to the station by person?
Or can just come at that last day and buy it at the station without worries of tickets being out of stock ?

[finy]

I would go whenever possible to ensure single seat.

I can't remember if there is one on each side or 2/1 split.

[gaucan]

i looked at price of flight, its 40eur ~=1600baht from CNX to udon thani , 1 hour, i guess thats better than 25eur bus-ride that takes possibly 10hrs? (idk how much, but that aya service takes 13-14hours)

[ubonjoe]

Flying is certainly much better than a bus or van. You can get a van to the bridge from the airport in Udon to the bridge.

[novo58]

Flying from Chiang Mai to Udon thani will require an overnight in Udon thani or Nong Khai. Just due to the flight time from Chiang Mai.

However , for the return trip ....it is possible to collect your passport and make it back to Udon Thani airport in time for the flight to Chiang mai.

[ubonjoe]

Flying from Chiang Mai to Udon thani will require an overnight in Udon thani or Nong Khai. Just due to the flight time from Chiang Mai.

However , for the return trip ....it is possible to collect your passport and make it back to Udon Thani airport in time for the flight to Chiang mai.

The Nok Air flight arrives in Udon Thani at 17:10 which allows plenty of time to cross the bridge to Vientiane before it closes at 22:00. No need to overnight in Udon or Nong Khai.

[novo58]

OK ...Sorry Joe-- I should have stated that flying from Chiang Mai to Udon thani and then travelling onto to Laos...................will involve 2 nights stop over.

It could be 2 nights in Vientiane, or one night in either Udon Thani or Nong Khai AND one night in Vientiane.

But I was trying to make it clear to the OP ---that you cant do the visa run from Chiang Mai to Vientiane and back with only a one night stop over.

[gaucan]

yeah thanks novo, idk why i thought of 1 night when i knew that embassy closes at 11am
seems better to do 2 nights at same laos hotel.. any cheap hotel near embassy?

[ozyjon]

Easy to get a Lao visa on arrival. Just fill out the form and pay the fee.

Don't forget 2 passport photos and US money if you have it.

[novo58]

Perhaps the most important thing to be sure that you have is .................................A PEN.

Amazing the number of people at the laos border post and no pen to fill in the visa application form.

Another tip ......................whilst waiting for the visa to be processed , talk to the people also waiting .

Many are doing the exact same thing that you are. Form a group whilst waiting for visa and then share a taxi, mini van ot tuk tuk to the embassy or hotel.

When I had to do this run ( over a year ago now) I shared a tuk tuk from the border to the embassy- it was a little slower than a taxi or minivan ( but cheaper). The driver took me direct to embassy and waited to take me to a hotel - not too far away. Arranged for him to return to hotel the next day, take me to embassy , wait again then take me back to border.

I may be wrong , but I just felt like I was " helping" the small guy rather than a guy with a fancy minivan( and maybe part of a large company business).

[ubonjoe]

You go to the consular section not the embassy itself. They are not at the same location.

If doing the flight I think I would spend the first night in Vientiane to avoid the rush you might have if you don't. The bridge can be very busy early morning.

[jerrybeirne]

ubonjoe, there is a company that does organised visa runs to from chiang mai to vientiene.

www.lcmttour.com

their is one coming up next week. dont know if the dates will be right for gaucan.

a couple of my mates have used them for visa related services and found them very efficient.

they are just off huay koaw rd, behind amazing sandwich.

[gaucan]

does someone knows what to do while waiting in laos? something interesting and cheap XD to kill time, not a fancy expensive trips

[JackThompson]

does someone knows what to do while waiting in laos? something interesting and cheap XD to kill time, not a fancy expensive trips

The river-walk area has some coffee-shops, bars, and old buildings to look at.

[gaucan]

does someone knows what to do while waiting in laos? something interesting and cheap XD to kill time, not a fancy expensive trips

The river-walk area has some coffee-shops, bars, and old buildings to look at.

oh rivers! me likes!

[gaucan]

bougth this hotel, was cheapest, its 15min by taxi from consulate:

http://www.hotels.com/hotel/details.html?q-check-out=2016-07-05&q-check-in=2016-07-04&WOE=2&WOD=1&q-room-0-children=0&pa=1&tab=description&hotel-id=554747&q-room-0-adults=1&YGF=1&MGT=1&ZSX=0&SYE=3

so which transport is cheapest or are there huge differences between songthaew / tuktuk/ taxi? can pay all of them in bath or need to change money to kips?

[CNXBKKMAN]

Lots of advice on here but I would say if you want to get your visa and have an enjoyable trip. Fly to Udon. Minibuses meet the flight and will take you to Nong Khai or the border for 200 baht. Travel hand luggage only so you walk straight off the plane onto the minibus.

Stay first night in Nongkhai or Vientienne. Imo the only area to stay in Vientienne is by the river. Lots of restaurants hotels and guest houses alongside the Mekong. Cheap guest houses can be found too. If you don't want to take a Tuk Tuk rent a bicycle for $1.50 a day. That will get you to the consulate in 10 mins , save you money and allow to explore the city at your leisure.

Coffee is sold everywhere no idea why people advise to take 3 in 1's !! Lol.

Get some USD in Thailand before you arrive at the bridge. Pay in dollars and save on the visa fee.

Factor in a night in Nongkhai on the way back if you would like to to slow your travel down a notch. Enjoy a beer and sunset on the riverfront. One hour to Udon the next day.

Biggest tip is don't stay near the consulate on some boring nowhere street. Stay by the river and have an enjoyable stay.

[gaucan]

yeah my backpacker hostel is mb in middle of nothing , but w/e
btw how much these tuktuks costs for 10-15min ride? cca? i surely would get lost with biking to the consulate lol
and there are no songthaews like in thailand? so only options taxis and tuktuks? just wave at them and they stop , like in thailand?

[gaucan]

• Passport with at least 6 months validity remaining

• Two 2″x2″ passport photos

Photocopy of passport page, visa page, and last visa entry stamp​

can i do these photos/photocopies at the vientiane thai consulate? they always seems to be unhappy with the photos when i do them elsewhere, i.e. in promenada CM needed to do their weird stupid size photo which was very big btw, and obv cost 200 thb , obv bussiness but w/e

[ubonjoe]

• Passport with at least 6 months validity remaining
• Two 2″x2″ passport photos
• Photocopy of passport page, visa page, and last visa entry stamp​

can i do these photos/photocopies at the vientiane thai consulate? they always seems to be unhappy with the photos when i do them elsewhere, i.e. in promenada CM needed to do their weird stupid size photo which was very big btw, and obv cost 200 thb , obv bussiness but w/e

You need 3.5 X 4.5 cm photos. See the application form: New Vientiane Form.pdf and http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/upload/pdf/PhotoRequirement.pdf

You will need a copy of your passport photo page and Lao visa/entry stamp.

[novo58]

there are photocopy facilities on the first floor of the OUTSIDE building ........not the main consulate building. It will be obvious when you are there.

Remember to take a PEN.