I crossed into Laos without stamping visa

[recom273]

1 hour ago, louse1953 said:

Good to plan ahead but no time saved as everybody else gets voa.In fact you wasted time twice at the Laos embassy.

 Strange how you can judge? .. Especially for something I did over 10 years ago.

 

So, you think I wasted my time by walking to the consulate ( I was living just around the corner at the time ) - a bit of exercise, fresh air, completed the form, handed the passport in which took all of 5 mins and picked it up a day later.

 

OK .. I wasted my time, i shan't loose any sleep over it.

 

Jeez.

[bluesofa]

23 hours ago, Bangkok or bust said:

1)tourist 

2)i had read about long lines and the bus only gives you 20 minutes to do everything, and I'm close to the Laos embassy near huai Khwang. 

3) American 

 

Were you on the Thailand -Laos International Bus?

If I remember correctly they wouldn't sell you a ticket for that bus until you showed them a Laos visa in your passport.

 

[catinthehat]

7 hours ago, BangkokHank said:

Whenever an official from a corrupt third-world country makes you pay for his mistake, you can be sure that the mistake was intentional - and that it is a scam.  (See my earlier story about my experience at the Vientiane airport.)

When I went downstairs at the Vientiane  airport to the TM I stopped by the TG desk. they stated that many a foreigner had experienced the same scam as I did. And early trip to Laos in the hundred or so subsequent Laos entries never a problem. But I now have a work permit and one year visa also to prevent this.

[bozilla]

On 13/10/2016 at 7:11 PM, bluesofa said:

f I remember correctly they wouldn't sell you a ticket for that bus until you showed them a Laos visa in your passport.

They used to sell me a ticket for the bus from Khon Kaen to Vientiane without a Lao visa.

However it took me a while to explain them that as a Swiss citizen I do not need visa for Laos and get at the border a visa exemption stamp for 15 days.

 

Lucky to have my red passport never had any hassle at the Lao border.

[bluesofa]

36 minutes ago, bozilla said:

They used to sell me a ticket for the bus from Khon Kaen to Vientiane without a Lao visa.

However it took me a while to explain them that as a Swiss citizen I do not need visa for Laos and get at the border a visa exemption stamp for 15 days.

 

Lucky to have my red passport never had any hassle at the Lao border.

 

That's pretty handy, yes.

At the Udon bus ticket office, the staff there insisted that even though I could get a visa on arrival, there wasn't enough time for the bus to wait, for me to do it.

[Asiantravel]

1 hour ago, bozilla said:

They used to sell me a ticket for the bus from Khon Kaen to Vientiane without a Lao visa.

However it took me a while to explain them that as a Swiss citizen I do not need visa for Laos and get at the border a visa exemption stamp for 15 days.

 

Lucky to have my red passport never had any hassle at the Lao border.

 

yes it's interesting and intriguing how these Visa exemptions  apply only for some countries. do you know what  Switzerland did for Laos to grant that exemption? I have a British passport which allows Visa exemption to Vietnam for the same 15 days and yet I noticed Switzerland isn't on that list?

[bozilla]

20 minutes ago, Asiantravel said:

do you know what  Switzerland did for Laos to grant that exemption

years ago the Swiss government initiate some aid projects in Laos and some of them are still financially supported.

[Asiantravel]

13 minutes ago, bozilla said:

years ago the Swiss government initiate some aid projects in Laos and some of them are still financially supported.

 

I thought it might be something like that. I really don't know why Britain and the other European countries got the Visa exemption for Vietnam.