The Thailand expat forum for Travel, Lifestyle and Fun.

English Noodles

Well my 1 year multi entry non imm 'O' visa expired in January, I had a nice 15 month stint out of the bitch and it was time to renew her.

I decided on taking the Thai government up on there most kind offer of a free tourist visa until I fly out to OZ to get a new Non Immy.

Lastnight I went up to KSR in Bangkok and caught a bus at 8pm which would take me all the way to Vientiane.

Got to Vientiane at 8.15 and jumped straight in to a tuk-tuk to the Thai embassy and got there just as the gates had been opened, took a ticket from the machine (number 145), filled out my form and waited for my number to be called, number called in just over 1 hour and then off to wait for my number again in another area to collect my reciept for my passport.

All in all I was in and out of the embassy in a little under 2 hours with my application in for a Tourist Visa x 2, free of charge.

Tuk-tuk to my guesthouse, where I am now sat on the bed using the free Wifi connection.

Will update when I get back to Bangkok!

PS. Anyone in Vientiane now who fancies a beer after I have a couple hours kip?

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The Fresh Prince

So where did you get the double entry?

abcdrom

is it really a free multi entry you June26?can extend a further 30days then 7 taking you up to June 19 or 16 if you buy last 7 days

abcdrom

Excellent report
Be good to givefull costsex Bangkok
Was the KSR bus ok
Where did you buy the tickets please?
How much to enter Lao stil $35

English Noodles

I have just put in my passport at the embassy this morning, go back to pick it up tomorrow after 1pm.

Will be good for 6 months if they give me the double, 60 + 30 ext x 2.

English Noodles

Bus was a brand new big luxury double decker thing, B750 all the way to Vientiane, Visa for Laos was $35 + $1 charge for something (not photo)

Will update when I get back to Bangkok Saturday morning.

peterpan

Give us the low down on the Accom as well, EN

Thetyim

Not trying to split hairs here but I would like to get the story correct so that I can pass it on.

Did they give you a double entry or two single entry visa ?

abcdrom

Are yo sure its 6 months

I thought double ebntry was within the 2 months

If true this is great news guess therell be a big queue soon

What are the embassy hours?

Thetyim

No mention of a multi entry in this thread

dirtydog

You thought wrong, its 90 days utilization period.

Thetyim

^

90 days validity for a single and double entry
180 days validity for a multi entry

dirtydog

90 days for double entry only on tourist visas.

Thetyim

^
Sorry, I misread it
I'll edit it out, thanks

abcdrom

thank you for clarification
Anyone know when the special free period ends and are they isuing everywhere
eg Brisbane by post or Penang Kota Bharu etc or only embassies?

Chairman Mao

Jaysus Noods, what's a man of your stature and means doing overnight busing then guesthousing it??

If sitting around is getting tedious I highly recommend renting out a honda wave or something (a copy of yer passy should be ok). Much nicer way of getting around, and checking out a bit more than the town centre and probably cheaper than tuk tuks etc.

Much easier for picking up the 'girls' along T. Setthathilat too.

Enjoy the beer Lao.

English Noodles

Okay a summary of events and costs.

Caught the VIP bus from Bangkok to Nongkhai on wednesday night at a cost of Less than B500 (huge seats, prety much like business seat on a long haul flight with 3 setting massage etc).

Tuk-tuk to friendship bridge - B50

Visa for Laos - 35USD

Tuk-tuk from border to Thai Embassy in Vientiane - B50 (thats the price for locals and Thai people, speak good Thai and be confident of the price and you will get it too) or you can just get ripped off and pay B200 like it says on the sign.

And that was that, I was in the Embassy at 8.40am thursday morning filling out my form for a double entry TR Visa, I could have got there well befor they opened at 8.30 if I had wished but breakfast had been calling.


Visa fee for double entry tourist visa - B0.00, yep the visa fee was zero, so that was that, and off I went to the town centre with instructions to return the following day after 1pm to collect my passport.

Tuk-tuk in to town from Embassy to my guest house - 8,000 Kip (less than 1USD)

I stayed at the Vayakorn House 091 Norkeo Kuman Street Vientiane, Tel (00856-21) 241 911 email vayakone[at]laotel.com

This place was recomended in another thread by that guy with the helicopter in his AV, Memock or something?

Anyway, very very clean place, nice wooden floors throughout, hot shower, AC, Sat TV, free in room guest WIFI, friendly and helpful but not slimey staff, fully stocked fridge of beer downstairs.

Room was rather small but extremly clean, bed was very comfortable and the sheets were fresh, clean and had a very nice smell to them.

Great location, 2 - 3 mins stroll to the fountain area.

I paid 17 USD for the room, on a one to ten rating I would probably give it a 8/10 with the only real letdown being size of room.

I will stay there again the next time I visit.

Time for a sleep and then of out to get some food, went to a restaurant called 'India restaurant' across from Lao Plaza Hotel just around the corner from the fountain, now this is more your upscale place and not for the cheap-skates, don't be suprised to find your bill per person reaching the dizzying hights of 10 - 11 USD.

I had a very good Chicken Tikka Massala, just like a British Indian Curry, infact is was not very good, it was excellent, I had it served with Jasmin rice, nan bread, japati (sp) vegetable raita and some Vegetable Samosas, the total bill was 11 USD.

The following day I had breakfast at the Scandanavian bakery and sat around using the WIFI there before heading off to the Thai embassy, Scando Bakery is located beside the fountain, open from 7am - 7pm and serves some great fresh breads and pastries recomended for an early morning breakfast or mid afternoon bite to eat, they also serve an excellent Laos coffee at less than 1 USD.

Here is a map of WIFI coverage in downtown Vientiane.

This map shows coverage by a company called Cyberia.




After a few more Laos coffees it was time to catch a tuk-tuk back to the embassy to collect my passport, the short journey cost 10,000 kip this time, which was a little harsh in my opinion though the sign says it should be 40,000 Kip

A 30 min wait for my passport in the embassy and it was returned with a DOUBLE ENTRY TOURIST VISA, this visa was issued free of charge and is good to last me six months in Thailand with doing a quick border run to Cambodia in the middle, for those that don't understand, heres how it works.

Number of entries is 2, you get 60 days on each entry, you can extend each entry by a further 30 days at an imigration office.

Yesterday entered in to Thailand and recieved 60 days, when the 60 days is due to expire I will go to Imigration in Bangkok and extend for 30 days, this will cost me B1,900 but save me a visa run, Now you have to be careful, check the date your Visa is valid for and leave before that date 'ENTER BEFORE DATE', not the new date you have been given by imigration, this will ensure you get another 60 days on your re-entry in to Thailand and then you can extend this again for 30 days the same way as before.

So B50 tuk-tuk back to the border, B10 over the bridge and away in to Thailand, I met a couple of Brits at the border who live in Udon Thani, they gave me a lift there and I stopped around for drinks in Jo-Jo's or something, caught a VIP with all the trimmings back to Bangkok at 8.30pm friday for a cost of B412 and got home this morning at 4am.

Not a bad trip at all.

B500 to Nong Khai
B50 to border
Loas Visa B1300
Bus B10
Tuk-Tuk to embassy B50
Thai TR x 2 Fee ZERO
Tuk-tuk to guest house B30
Guest House B600
Tuk-tuk Back to embassy B40
Tuk-tuk to border B50
Bus over bridge B10
Bus from Udon after being given free lift there B412

Total for all Transport, Visa and Shelter B3052.

peterpan

I duuno how you do that every time I have tried the negotiation they just gone away in disgust.
Superb report tho, well written and informative, I will try the guest house next month.

English Noodles

Sorry, I should have explained, you have to get another 2 people to join in the trip to downtown, you can either catch the people yourself or wait for someone to come or jump in the back of a tuk-tuk that already has people in. They are not private just because someone has said they will pay B200 or whatever does not stop you getting in and paying B50 for the same trip.

Hope thats clearer.

Chong Boy

Much clearer, I was thinking 'bollox' because I have never had that price but yes you can get that if you wait under the tree's for a small group and jump in together.
Every so often you meet a good group and end up having a great night out on the visa run.
Great report, very detailed. cheers