#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Thai Visas and Visa Runs >  >  Vientiane Free Tourist  Double Entry Visa Run

## 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?

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## 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

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## 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

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## 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.

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## 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.

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## peterpan

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

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## 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 ?

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## abcdrom

> 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.


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?

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## Thetyim

> is it really a free multi entry


No mention of a multi entry in this thread

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## dirtydog

> I thought double ebntry was within the 2 months


You thought wrong, its 90 days utilization period.

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## Thetyim

^

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

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## dirtydog

90 days for double entry only on tourist visas.

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## Thetyim

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

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## abcdrom

> 90 days for double entry only on tourist visas.


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?

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## 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.

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## 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 :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

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.

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## peterpan

> 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.


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.

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## English Noodles

> 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.


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.

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## 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

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## paulspad2002

> 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.
> ...



ok im set on the tourist x 2.....is this being given all over he world..im in new zealand but no info on freebies here.....also i have a few questions..

1.  do u have to get the 30 day extension or can u just go out again and come back to get the other 60 days

2.  when u say leave before the date and enter before the date...do u still get the extra 60 days contimuing from when the 1st 60 days finish or is it on the re entry date ...because im coming for 4 full months so i may need to calculate this into my dates ...........i actually thought that it was only single entries that were being given

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## English Noodles

^There is a sign at the embassy in Laos that says 'Do not pay any money for visa, visa fee waivered world wide between (such and such dates).'

You dont need to extend for 30 days if you don't wish to do so, Torist visa X 2 is good for 60 days then leave the country and re-enter and you get another 60 days from the day you re-enter.

Maybe best to give your embassy a call and ask them but it is the policy that right now the visa is free.

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## benbaaa

^ So on that visa, Noods, it says *Enter before 18 Jun 2009*.  On the second one, what does it say about entry?

-----

Edit: Or is it just one visa with 2 entries?  In which case, do you need to enter the second time also before 18 June?

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## English Noodles

> Edit: Or is it just one visa with 2 entries? In which case, do you need to enter the second time also before 18 June?


Correct, it is one visa with 2 entries, so after the first 60 days I will go to imigration in Bangkok and extend for 30 days but make sure I leave and re-enter on or before 18th of June to get another 60 days on entry which can be extended again for another 30 days.

Thus giving me close enough to 6 months from this visa with a same day walk over border run to Cambodia in the middle.

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## benbaaa

^ Gotcha.  Thanks for the info, anyway.  Never know when it might come in handy.

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## dirtydog

> Or is it just one visa with 2 entries?


I would have thought that on the picture where it says number of entry and underneath that has the figure 2 would be a bit of a give away.

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## pompeybloke

> There is a sign at the embassy in Laos that says 'Do not pay any money for visa, visa fee waivered world wide between (such and such dates).


Noodles, any idea when this free double entry tourist visa offer is valid to?  Did you have to show a bank book with a certain balance? Last time I got one I needed to.....stupid really but it was required, as why would someone wanting a tourist visa want or need a Thai bank account? Did they need any paperwork? cheers

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## English Noodles

^They have been giving out free tourist visas since the 5th March and will continue to do so until the 4th of June, nothing required apart from 2 passport photos, 2 photocopies from passport and of course your passport. :Smile:

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## pompeybloke

^cheers :Smile:

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## English Noodles

> is this being given all over he world..im in new zealand but no info on freebies here.


Like I said, check the Thai embassy website for New Zealand and this is what it says.




> Please be informed that all foreigners who apply for *tourist visa* at the Royal Thai Embassies/Royal Thai Consulates General/Honorary Consulates General worldwide, including eligible foreigners who apply for Visa On Arrival at designated checkpoints, will be *exempted from Tourist Visa Fee from 5 March - 4 June 2009*


http://www.thaiembassynz.org.nz/PDFs...of%2030309.pdf

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## baldrick

was the VIP bus you caught an UdonAir bus ?  was the massage just you rubbing your own cock ?

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## Uffe

Hmm, guess I am a bit 'daft' , I have some trouble understanding this bit
" 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.
" 
Could you please explain that bit closer? If your extension (the 30 days) is valid until a certain date, why is there an *Enter before date* on that ,I mean you are already in LOS right?, or is that on the second visa period (the following 60 days) paper? As you probably understand I havent tried this before but am much interested ....to learn.

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## Uffe

Sorry Noodles, when I posted my last question , the page updated and I discovered that my question had already been answered, some other bloke asked the same. Thanks for clear and understandable information, might be useful, cheers

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## Thetyim

One is your "Permission to Stay"
You must leave LOS before this date (or get an extension)

The other is your Visa expiration date
You must use the visa (ie enter LOS) before this date

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## paulspad2002

cheers noodles......actually i emailed the new zealand embassy and yes i can get the tourist x 2 ......i am actually leaving nz on or around 4/8 th june so i hope this doesnt mean that i have to enter before the 4th june...

im staying 4 months which is about 123/4 days......june 8th  - july august sept leave oct 8th.....with about 2/3 nights somewhere outside LOS to renew the next 60 days....curently my schedule looks something liek this
enter LOS 8th june.....
leave LOS 6th august
re enter 10th august
leave LOS 8th oct

this gives me 120 days and with the 3 days outside LOS enables me to fully utilize my 4 month apartment rental.....

any objections...or am i ok to do this

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## English Noodles

^Perfect.

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## peterpan

Noodles. I have DL'd the Visa application form for the Lao/ Thai embassy it just says *tourist visa,* it give no options for writing in what you requirements are. 
How do you indicate what is required? the obvious answer is ask for it, but I know how unhelful these people are, if its not written down they will give you the bare minimum.

Thanking you in advance,
 Yr Humble servant PP

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## English Noodles

Just put an X2 beside where it says 'tourist', if not, wait and get the form outside the embassy in Vientiane.

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## good2bhappy

what about flying in?

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## English Noodles

^What about it?

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## baldrick

> Just put an X2 beside where it says 'tourist',


yes , that is all I did to get a double entry

a note though , I think they calculate the date the second entry is to be used by as 90 days from when they put the sticker in - and as you get the passport the next day , and return to Thailand , you will actually only have 89 days - I just noticed the other day from mine

came back the day I got my passport and got 60 days , then went to swan poo and got the 30 days extension which gave me until the day after my second entry expired. I actually went the day before to the border as I did not want to find out that the date that it is listed to expire it cannot be used - who knows with Thai bureaucracy.

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## English Noodles

> I actually went the day before to the border as I did not want to find out that the date that it is listed to expire it cannot be used


Yeh, I would do the same.

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## baldrick

any updates on the accom recommended by noodles ?

did you use it Pete ?

what was the story with the wifi access ? did you have to buy a Cyberia card.

am heading to Nong Khai on wed , overnight there and onto vientienne in the morn for a new visa

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## English Noodles

^They say they are still giving free visas out but are they still issuing doubles or only singles, there is another thread on here somewhere saying only single entries are being issued now.

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## dirtydog

Single entry tourist visas will be free, doubles they charge for I think  :Sad:

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## peterpan

> any updates on the accom recommended by noodles ?
> 
> did you use it Pete ?
> 
> what was the story with the wifi access ? did you have to buy a Cyberia card.
> 
> am heading to Nong Khai on wed , overnight there and onto vientienne in the morn for a new visa


The Vayakorn is fine, didn't stay there as my Dutch mate had booked in somewhere else and booked a room for me but it was the worst DUMP I have stayed in since I slept in the peoples palace (Salvo home for drunks) in Sydney circa 1971.
But Checked the Vayakorn out, looks good and will book it for my next trip in months time.

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## melvbot

> ^They say they are still giving free visas out but are they still issuing doubles or only singles, there is another thread on here somewhere saying only single entries are being issued now.


A friend has just bee to Laos for a visa run, Ill try and get some info from him.

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## English Noodles

^Good man.

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## Marmite the Dog

> any updates on the accom recommended by noodles ?


I still reckon the Mali Namphu is one of the best in Vientiane.

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## isdatu

I was charged for a double entry tourist visa when back in Brisbane in June. Lady informed me that they were only issuing single entry tourist visa for free. Cost me $90. I had taken a two hour drive there the previous day only to find a small note on the front door saying they were closed, so on the return trip the second day I wasn't in a mood to argue. Felt like I was still in LOL. But still O.K value for six months (plus extensions) I reckon.

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## English Noodles

> A friend has just bee to Laos for a visa run, Ill try and get some info from him.


Did you manage to get any info from him yet? If not I would try hooking a power supply up to his balls as he seems to be a stubborn bugger. :Smile:

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## melvbot

Sorry forgot about this, it happened in the middle of when I was moving back to the UK. As far as I remember he said he got a double entry for free, bearing in mind hes Scottish and we were both a bit pissed at the time it might not be the most reliable source of info at the mo.

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## buycondojomtien

Hi, do you know where to find a cheap wifi hotel in Vientiane ? Thanks.

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