Taking the in-laws to Laos.....how to

[nanthicha]

Have read a couple of threads on this and am more confused !

• I am english with uk passport
• Wife is Thai with thai passport and ILR visa for UK
• Kids (age 7 and 9) are Thai with Thai passport and ILR visa for UK
• Old mum and dad in law are thai and just have ID card (dont think they have ever been out of Sakhon nakhon !!!)

Want to take them into Laos just for 2 days while we are there in November....they have never slept in a hotel....treat to say thank you for letting me spend my life with their wonderful daughter.

Where can I get into Laos ?
Who needs a visa ?
Can we get them at the border ?
Is Nong Khai the place to take them or is there anywhere worth seeing further south such as near Nakhon Phanom (much nearer our home in Sakhon nakhon) ?

They wont need excitement they are in their 60's just some beautiful scenery and a lovely meal at bedtime I think.

Thanks everyone.

[RPETER65]

You will have no problems at the Non Khai border crossing, there are offices at the border that, for a price, can do all the paper work for the people with Thai I.D. cards. They will then arrange transportation, via Thai van , to the border check station the driver will help you with the Lao officials, and then take you to a Lao van waiting to take you into Vientien. I am sure they can also assist you with accomidations and city tours if you like.

[Carnwadrick]

^^ couple of months ago I took the inlaws on a little trip to That Phanom, like your family the furthest the parents had ventured from their village was a day trip to Si Sa Ket. the temple at That Phanom is regarded as one of the most important in the region, the tomb holds a bone of Buhda. then you can cross the border into Laos via the new friendship bridge at Mukdahan

[nanthicha]

thanks that sounds ideal.
bit of sight seeing and shopping
is it easy to get taxis around or should I take a car and driver from sakhon nakhon, cheap to rent him by the day

[dirtydog]

Laos.

[nanthicha]

Laos.

why cant i hire a driver and car from sakhon nakhon and keep him with me in laos?
is the previous info correct that
uk citizen needs laos visa (£20 for 30 days)
thai passport needs laos visa (free for 30 days)
thai id card only needs laso visa (small baht for only 3 days

sorry to be thick but dont want to build grandmas hopes up to see her turned away she def has no passport neither will taxi driver have

[nanthicha]

Laos.

why cant i hire a driver and car from sakhon nakhon and keep him with me in laos?
is the previous info correct that
uk citizen needs laos visa (£20 for 30 days)
thai passport needs laos visa (free for 30 days)
thai id card only needs laso visa (small baht for only 3 days

sorry to be thick but dont want to build grandmas hopes up to see her turned away she def has no passport neither will taxi driver have

OR is it just better to have a local taxi driver as he knows the places to go ?

[nanthicha]

^^ couple of months ago I took the inlaws on a little trip to That Phanom, like your family the furthest the parents had ventured from their village was a day trip to Si Sa Ket. the temple at That Phanom is regarded as one of the most important in the region, the tomb holds a bone of Buhda. then you can cross the border into Laos via the new friendship bridge at Mukdahan

can we get visas on demand at mukdahan ?
is there a market at savannakhet where grandma can spend my money !?

[dirtydog]

uk citizen needs laos visa (£20 for 30 days)

I think it is 25 dollars now, defineatly not pounds stirling as I doubt they would even accept them.

[chitown]

I thought of starting a similar thread a few months back, except with a different title - How to NOT take the in laws to Laos.

Amazingly, when I tool the inlaws to Laos, my father-in-law, who normal eats 20 baht plates of Somtum and 20 baht bowls of noodles developed a taste for French cuisine, 500 baht steaks, chocolate covered frozen pears and other high end meals.

[Norton]

is there a market at savannakhet where grandma can spend my money !?

Yes lots of money spending opportunities. Also you can buy all kinds of western liquors at half the price of Thailand. The market in Mukdahan is also quite impressive.

Make sure your UK passport has at least 6 months before expiration. The Thai citizens will have no problem entering Lao as long as they have Thai ID cards. Don't recall the fees but will find out tomorrow. The Thais without passports need to take 2 visa sized photos as well as their ID cards.

The Thai side of the Friendship Bridge is about 10Km from Mukdahan. If you hire a car in Sakorn Nakorn you can park the car in the large car park on the left just before the bridge. Not sure you can take the car into Lao but if you hire one they should know. There are many tuk tuks that will take you across the Friendship Bridge to the Lao side (immigration). They charge 300 baht and will wait for you to return from shopping in Savarnaket.

Have fun!

[sjaak327]

uk citizen needs laos visa (£20 for 30 days)

I think it is 25 dollars now, defineatly not pounds stirling as I doubt they would even accept them.

35 USD for UK citizens or 1500 baht. They don't accept any other currency (including Lao Kip).

[who]

^^ couple of months ago I took the inlaws on a little trip to That Phanom, like your family the furthest the parents had ventured from their village was a day trip to Si Sa Ket. the temple at That Phanom is regarded as one of the most important in the region, the tomb holds a bone of Buhda. then you can cross the border into Laos via the new friendship bridge at Mukdahan

Over the next few days, the Mallas made elaborate preparations for the cremation of the Buddha's body, and then on the seventh day the body was taken out of the town to the Makuta Bandhana Shrine and cremated.

[keda]

A Thai ID card is NOT enough for problem free travel into Laos, apparently. Seems there's no plobrem for a Thai to leave LoS on an ID card alone, but Laos won't let them in without supporting documentation, so border Immigration do them the favour of turning them back to save them the hassle of failing to enter Laos and having to return for the right support papers.


Took the inlaws over weekend before last, first time out of the province for them so ma dressed to kill and packed like we were going to the moon.

Have learned from past experience to bring up the rear through any border, but lost them at the border, thought I saw Kim mingling in a crowd and reckoned she must have the oldies with her so went through.

Nope, turned around and there she was, still in LoS, looking glum. She could get through with her passport, no plobrem, but ma and pa couldn't without the right papers. Ok I'll come back and we'll sort out their papers...seemed easy enough on a multiple reentry visa, but nope, I had left LoS and immigration need to see a Laos exit stamp before they'd let me back into LoS. Does this mean, I asked astonished, that I have to go to Laos, enter then exit and return to LoS before I'm allowed back in, even though I left LoS just a few minutes ago? Yep.

Long story and pissed off more than a couple of immigration officers, but eventually had my passport exit stamp cancelled and my departure card returned to me with its stamp cancelled, so didn't need to do the dumb trip to Laos and back.

The local offices at the border may be equipped to handle the support paperwork, but by the time I got back into LoS without entering Laos everyone was on edge so we decided to cool off with an overnight stay in NK. Next morning we got the right papers from the Thai Ministry of Tourism in NK, five minute job, and smooth going after that.

Btw my Laos visa was $36. Seems they charge $1 extra for overtime (that's what it says on the receipt!) on weekends and public holidays.

[dirtydog]

Thais have to get a border pass before going into Laos, maybe 100baht, this is done in Nong Khai, just to the left as you get to immigration is a little portacabin thing, the woman there can sort it all out and go into town to get the papers, takes her about 15 minutes.

[spiff]

For how long can they stay with the border-pass?

[who]

A Thai friend of mine and I flew to Laos last year and he only had an ID card. No problem.