Vientian To Chiang Rai

[sceadugenga]

Just back from Vientiane on THE visa acquisition run. I refer to the 60 day tourist visa with an optional 30 day renewal.

First I will say that it was totally painless, you get to the embassy early on the first day, and pick your visa up early after lunch on the second day. The details are available to all in many posts on the Visa forum. I’ll just add that I lined up with other guys who had a passport full of visa run stamps and we all got visas. Some of them dressed and acted like people I wouldn’t want in a country of mine and they all got visas.

The main point here, as it’s not the visa forum, that I wish to make is how I got there and back. I made the trip to Nong Khai in style. Air Asia to BKK, a night on the town, then once more on Air Asia to Udon Thani with the airport mini bus to Thai immigration at the bridge, for a total traveling cost of just under three thousand baht. No hotels or nights on the town included. Returning triumphant I found that all air lines were heavily booked. I never pre-booked as I was uncertain how long I would be in Lao getting the visa.

I ignored the temptation to stay more than one night in Nong Khai, a favourite spot of mine, and at my wife’s urging over the phone I got the bus to Udon and then the bus to Chiang Rai. One hour to Udon, a little over twelve to Chiang Rai. The Udon bus left at around seven in the evening and got into Chiang Rai around the same time the next morning. I believe there are other buses to Chiang Rai on the same day and certainly regular runs to Chiang Mai from Udon. You need better Thai than mine to get the details on these. The total bus fares on the home run were less than five hundred baht.

The distance on the map was about 850kms, and apart from a mountainous section between Loei and Highways 105/106, which was still good road, to Phitsanulok it’s was very easy going, mostly four lane highways.

But if you took a car to Udon you wouldn’t go through Loei, you would continue due east from Phitsanulok to Highway 83 and turn north; it would appear to be shorter and easier driving on the map. Bear in mind here I’m recommending a route that part of which I have not traveled yet.

What I would suggest is three of four guys in a car and sharing expenses could do the run easily and cheaply; possibly over four days and three nights. I’m not seeking traveling companions at this stage, I have to return to Australia in March for five weeks and will look at several other visa options while I’m there.

Finally I would like to throw in a free plug for a Nong Khai guest house. The Meeting Place guest house and bar in Soi Cheun Jiff is run by a friendly young/middle-aged lady from Aberdeen Scotland. The young Thai girl working there cooked up some of the better fish and chips I’ve eaten any where in the world. Local fish too. AND frozen peas, she says she gets them in Lotus occasionally. Liver with bacon, onions and mash is also a specialty of the house.

It’s well frequented by local expats and the company was that good I stayed in the bar far longer than I intended, suffering accordingly the next day. No bargirls, but the Scots lady, Ilene, realises they exist and doesn’t have any problem with them or guys that go with them. Unlike some other Western women I could mention.

This ‘visa run’ advice isn’t meant to be a “this is how it happens every time” guide book type thing; just what happened to me on one particular trip..

[goski]

But it doesn´t tell whether a person with a red stamp on his 3rd visarun from 1st of october can still do the same. Which is the critical bit of the whole visarunchabang that's going on.

You can have 30-40 stamps but no problem getting a new tourist visa and you can have 3 stamps with a problem if you're unlucky. Depends on your timing, how consistent the visa runs are and so on.

[sceadugenga]

But it doesn´t tell whether a person with a red stamp on his 3rd visarun from 1st of october can still do the same. Which is the critical bit of the whole visarunchabang that's going on.

You can have 30-40 stamps but no problem getting a new tourist visa and you can have 3 stamps with a problem if you're unlucky. Depends on your timing, how consistent the visa runs are and so on.

I honestly don't think it matters goski, it looked to me that all prior sins were forgiven and everyone starts again with a clean slate. The difference now is that one visa run every six months will have to be made to a consulate or embassy outside the country, not to a border immigration post. If any passports were 'red flagged' this could be got around by simply getting a new passport from your embassy. If you were on the computer why would they mark your passport? Your name would come up when they entered the number anyway.

[Limbo]

Thanks Sceadugenga for your detailed report!

It is going to be rather expensive to stay in Thailand (Chiang Rai) this way, but Vientiane is probably the cheapest alternative (isn't it?).

Somebody told me that Nok Air flies from Chiang Mai to Udon (roundtrip 2900 Baht ?).

VIP bus CR to CM and back 500 Baht. Tuktuks in CM and busses from Udon to Vientiane together probably another 500 Baht. Brings total travelling costs to about 3900 Baht (excluding hotels).

Tourist Visa 1000 Baht (?) and one month extension 1900 Baht (?).

Then three times to Tachilek = 1500 Baht + let's say 500 Baht for transport.

Wow, at least 8800 Baht for half a year, so about 1500 Baht a month.

Travelling by bus would be cheaper of course: you would save 2400 as you can travel directly from CR to Udon for less than 500 Baht single trip. The monthly costs of staying here would go down to 1100 Baht a month.

If Thailand directly would profit from it I would understand, but most of the money goes to transport companies. I hope that in the future a better solution will be found.

But: 4 people in a car, first stop in Pit'lok, a nice party there (Pit'lok is great for parties!),

on to the next event in Udon, exploring Vientiane, party Udon again, say hello to Pit'lok again, hmmm, would have it's charm as well.

It would combine business with pleasure so to say ....

Limbo

[goski]

It seems reasonable sceadu! But sometimes the Thai system is still confusing even though computers are involved. Anyway, good story for those who want to do the same.

I'm coming in with a clean passport this time since I took the opportunity to get a new one from my home country. But then again I'm also taking the opportunity to get a proper visa.

Well, tsunamis, coups, bad weather and now bombs, maybe some lax rules will benefit Thailand after all. Who knows?

[my friend I]

Hi Sceadu,

What days were you in Vientianne?. Do you think the day has any bearing on how busy the office is?.

[sceadugenga]

Hi Sceadu,

What days were you in Vientianne?. Do you think the day has any bearing on how busy the office is?.

I was there and lodged the application on the 27th and picked up the form on the 28th.

I think it will be busy for a month now as the 'visa runners' exemptions expire. There would have been nearly a hundred people there on the 27th and I waited over an hour. The next day I got there an hour before opening and once it opened was given my passport with in minutes.

I didn't want to go into the visa details here as it is a local forum and my intention was to focus on the journey from Chiang Rai but it's well and truly covered in the appropriate forum of this board.

Limbo, there is also a direct flight between Vientiane and Chiang Mai, I think it's about 4000B. Good point about traveling by car, trouble was I think the 'parties' cost me more than the travel expenses!!!