Thread: Laos Visa run, Thailand Vientiane

1) There are NO money changing facilities at the border. Get your dollars beforehand!

2) You get the Laos visa at the border within 10 minutes - one photo required, or a 1 $ surcharge. You can also get the visa beforehand in Bangkok - same day processing for an "express fee", which is similar to what you pay at the border.

3) Thai visa. They do insist on the pics.

4) You can still get to Vientiane for 100 bt by tuk-tuk, or much less by public transport.

Well that is pretty much it. There is a tour company doing Bangkok to Laos visa runs and from what I understood they charged 6,000 Baht a trip including via fees.

In any event. Exchanged money at the airport. $35. When we arrived at the border about 12 of us at 7 o'clock we had to pay "overtime fees". 5 Baht extra for the bus over the bridge which makes it 20 Baht and $1 extra at the Laos border for arriving after 6 o'clock. Visa fees range. The American in the front of the Q paid $36, the Chinese woman was next and paid 1,000 Baht and I paid $31. Everyone got a different price for their visa.

The collection of the passport was a bit odd. For 50 Baht the minivan taxi driver took the page and brought back the passport before those waiting in the Q got theirs. Strange thing that!