Visa On Arrival at The Thanaleng Train Station (Vientiane) In Laos

[gettingno]

Strange, but It seems that the Lao Immigration at the Thanaleng Train Station only issue visas on arrival for people arriving on the early train from Nong Khai to Thanaleng (departing 09:00 arriving 09:15). Two other people and myself learned that the hard way today arriving with the afternoon train at Thanaleng.

They didn't issue visas for us, we had to go to the frienship bridge to get a visa on arrival there!

Actually the  immigration officer asked us to take the train back to Nong Khai, but instead of that I asked a motorbike driver outside the trainstation to give me a lift (which he did) to  the friendship bridge, which is only a few minutes away..........not easy to find any taxi there in the middle of nowhere. There were just a couple people at the train station and nobody seem to care if you drive away with no visa and no entry stamp!!!!

Asking a Lao immigration officer at the friendship bridge about this, he confirmed that they issue visa on arrival only in the morning at Thanaleng

 

Other than this the border crossing by train is much more plesant and easier than crossing the border at the friendship bridge, especially if you have lots of luggage!!!

[prakhonchai nick]

Surely Thanaleng is in the middle of nowhere. Are you not fleeced by taxi drivers wanting to take you to Vientiane?

[catinthehat]

Everyone please note:

 

Beware of the Laos Immigration's trick of neglecting to stamp you in even though you receive the visa in your passport.. I learned this the hard way. But I did not leave by train but rather from the airport in VTE. It was the Immigration officer that noticed upon my departure that the entry stamp was indeed missing. And subsequently stated that that little mistake would cost me $100 with no receipt of course. After visiting the ATM I went to the TG counter to inquire about this. They said that yes they have heard about this scam from many expats.

 

Ever since this I now ALWAYS CHECK for any entry or exit stamp. Before, mostly checked for stamps. Now It's firmly implanted into my black book of lessons learned.

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year wishes to all.

[gettingno]

1 hour ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Surely Thanaleng is in the middle of nowhere. Are you not fleeced by taxi drivers wanting to take you to Vientiane?

No taxi no tuktuk there when I left, only two lonely cars in the parking lot thats why I asked a motorbike driver who just arrived  at the station to drive me to the Friendship bridge. Very polite guy, he even refused to take money from me for the ride so I have to force him to take it.

[catinthehat]

46 minutes ago, gettingno said:

No taxi no tuktuk there when I left, only two lonely cars in the parking lot thats why I asked a motorbike driver who just arrived  at the station to drive me to the Friendship bridge. Very polite guy, he even refused to take money from me for the ride so I have to force him to take it.

I do have one stupid question. How did you go out and come back in at the bridge when you were an illegal immigrant for that period?

[MyFriend You]

1 hour ago, catinthehat said:

I do have one stupid question. How did you go out and come back in at the bridge when you were an illegal immigrant for that period?

intransit.............??     

[gettingno]

21 hours ago, TunnelRat69 said:

intransit.............??     

 

22 hours ago, catinthehat said:

I do have one stupid question. How did you go out and come back in at the bridge when you were an illegal immigrant for that period?

I just walked straight to the Lao Arrival area at the bridge (if you cross the bridge to Thailand, this is the left side of the building.......where the drivers of the cars doing the paperwork and getting the stamps, walking on the street NOT the walkway for pedestrians ) Also here nobody asked me anything or stopped me :-)  Visa was done in under 5 Minutes.

[thetruth revealer]

On 25.12.2016 at 1:14 PM, catinthehat said:

Everyone please note:

 

Beware of the Laos Immigration's trick of neglecting to stamp you in even though you receive the visa in your passport.. I learned this the hard way. But I did not leave by train but rather from the airport in VTE. It was the Immigration officer that noticed upon my departure that the entry stamp was indeed missing. And subsequently stated that that little mistake would cost me $100 with no receipt of course. After visiting the ATM I went to the TG counter to inquire about this. They said that yes they have heard about this scam from many expats.

 

Ever since this I now ALWAYS CHECK for any entry or exit stamp. Before, mostly checked for stamps. Now It's firmly implanted into my black book of lessons learned.

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year wishes to all.

Just beeing curious,where could this brought forward to official complain or investigation?

 

[Lee4Life]

On ‎12‎/‎26‎/‎2016 at 1:20 PM, gettingno said:

 

I just walked straight to the Lao Arrival area at the bridge (if you cross the bridge to Thailand, this is the left side of the building.......where the drivers of the cars doing the paperwork and getting the stamps, walking on the street NOT the walkway for pedestrians ) Also here nobody asked me anything or stopped me :-)  Visa was done in under 5 Minutes.

 

They aren't really looking for people who are in the country without a visa to be walking up to immigration from the wrong direction, the authorities are just going to think that you already got your visa and are returning to wait for a friend or ask a question.  I have seen what happens to people who get off the bridge bus and then try and sneak past the passport control not getting a visa though...the last time I saw the young fellow he was being escorted inside the building by a couple of officers.