I just got back from a trip to Vientiane, Laos, to get a new tourist visa. I arrived at the Thai consulate at about 10:45 a.m. on Monday and it looked there were already about 150 to 200 people there. I got in line, which inched slowly forward, and by 12:00 I had gotten close to the desk. Unfortunately, I chose the slow line, and since the initial two lines changed into three lines halfway along (at the bend), some people who had initially been behind me (in another line) actually got to the desk before me. And then, a little after noon, with about 30 people remaining, they stopped taking applications, and said "Come back tomorrow!" As you can imagine, there were some very upset people, having waited in the sweltering heat for an hour and a half only to be turned away. Somebody got the consul outside to talk with us, and he said that if we came early the next morning (at opening time - 8:30), he'd try to get us processed on the same day, if possible. So those of us who stayed after to talk with the consul did that (I think some people had left before the consul came out). Most of us came very early (7:00 to 7:30 a.m.) and waited outside the gate until it opened at 8:30. After submitting our applications and paying for the visas inside, we were told we could pick up our passports that afternoon at 4 pm (an hour after normal closing time). Actually, most of us got them around 3:30. The guy who gave us our passports said "My boss told me to tell you that the next time he won't do this. You need to come earlier, especially on Monday and Thursday when many people come."

So be warned, though the gates may still close at noon, getting inside the gates no longer assures one of being able to submit their visa application that day! It seems that it's necessary to come as early as you can, especially on Mondays and Thursdays.

I would think any normal, well-organized consulate would close the gates early, when they had reached their capacity of applications received, rather than make people wait in the heat for an hour and a half, only to be turned away just as they finally got near the desk.

I would think any normal, well-organized visa applicant would go to the consulate early, when the temperatures are lower, rather than take a chance of getting stuck in a long line and eventually turned away. This is pretty much the norm in any country. It is their consulate and they can do what they want with the gates but it was very nice for the consular official to actually come and make a statement and try and make ammends. Maybe there's a trend of applicants coming in later and later since one does get rather laid back and relaxed in Vientiane.

I would guess the OP had traveled to Nong Kai arriving that morning. Getting to the consulate late is a risk you take when doing that. IE: Late arrival Non Kai, Tons of people trying to get across the bridge creating long lines at immigration, full buses, delay on lLao side with long line of people wanting visa on arrival and etc.
Never on Monday or day after holiday is a rule I follow for any consulate trip. I normally try for Tuesday or Wed. that way if there is a snafu you don't risk staying a weekend.
I would suggest an overnight in Vientiane the day before or overnight in Nong Kai and start trip very early across the bridge.

I would call the consulate officers actions Saintly.

This post has been edited by ubonjoe: 2008-09-23 09:40:31

Why Mondays and Thursdays are the busiest ?

For the benefit of the rest, one particular border run operator leaves on Sunday and Wednesday every week and arrives in Vientiane on Monday and Thursday, thus the crowd.

You make a comment and I presume you were not in the consulate on that day.
Why do you think that coming earlier would have made any difference for the waiting time.
The whole thing hinges on the processing time per applicant.
If very many people come very early, you still have to wait in line for the number of people standing in front of you multiplied by the processing time per customer divided by the number of processing officers.
Which means that people coming later, might be waiting longer, or shorter.
And if all the customers were standing in front of the door at 5 in the morning, there still would have been a problem at 12 if there are more people as can be processed in the allotted time available.
The whole thing is that sending away 30 people who were inside the office before closing time, knowing they probably came from far away and had already waited for a long time, is something that they can do, but remains a very nasty, unwelcoming shitty thing to do.
Yes, it is their consulate, and oh dear the nice man came to tell you to fuc_k off, and so nice to tell those people being sent away the obvious thing to do next morning, or maybe he just came out because he got a wee bit afraid of trouble or loosing face?
But it may be the norm in the countries around Thailand and in Thailand to send people away that waited for a long time already, but that does not make it right, it remains a shameful thing to do and does not shed a favourable light on officials and on Thailand!
The right thing the consulate should have done is to close the door at 12 and process the people already inside.
Or maybe close the door earlier?
On the other hand, having lunch later is impossible, and very disturbing for one's digestion.
And of course the customers are there for the officers, and definitely not the other way around.
And I think that most people coming into Vientiane for visa purposes are not really laid back, knowing the way things are in Nong Khai.
I guess most are at least a little screwed up, and maybe even a little nervous.
In short, your comment is not really helping, a little beside the facts, and blaming people who come in for a visa to be lazy, stupid and unthinking.

I suppose that now where Vientiane is the only visa place since Penang got difficult the number of people going there is reaching the breaking point of the consulates capacity, Vientiane is a lovely city and if you don't mind spending a few days making your trip a small vacation you could do what I did last time I went there.
Leave with the Thursday evening flight from Bangkok to Vientiane, go Friday morning to the consulate ( not many people there on Fridays especially if you go around 10.00 where the morning crowd have been processed already) have a lovely long weekend in Vientiane visiting the many nice restaurants, check out the night life, and get pampered in your hotel. Then Monday afternoon go get your finished visa (same as Friday not many people there) and fly home. Total time spent at the Thai consulate 35 min.

And by the way I was coming up to retirement Visa age (50) so supplying the Consulate with proof of income I got a 90 day O Visa with no trouble saving me the trouble of changing my Tourist Visa when I applied for the retirement extension in Thailand.

This post has been edited by larvidchr: 2008-09-24 11:31:03

Sadly the Thai Consulate in Vientiane has gotten swamped with visa runners since the enforcement of the "3-free stamp" rule and the lack of Thai Consulates in other neighboring countries to be accommodating.

It is a miracle they haven't cracked down, raised the ever elusive 'bar' higher to issue visas, or like Savaneket, Penang just started stamping your passport not to come back.

In my experience the main thing that slows the processing time in the line is an almost total lack of preparedness on the part of the myriad of applicants. Add in stupid questions, coupled with ignorance and you have a line that at times seems to move backward.

I concur with the previous posters; arrive early, plan for contingencies, and by all means STAY a couple days and see Vientiane.

Good post larvidchr.
I agree if you have the time and money that's the way to do it.
It might be good advise for some that are trying to get multiple non-o's based upon marriage to a Thai. I think that the people behind the counter might take a little more time to listen to them and or their spouse and look at their proof of income because you don't have dozens of people standing line behind you.
Sounds like you are getting ready to end the visa run thing all together. Just a trip to immigration once a year for extension plus 90 day reports.
In my case it was always about timing and having to get there from Ubon. I now a have a one year extension so no more visa runs for me.

Me to

Definitely!!!
It was for us.

This post has been edited by ubonjoe: 2008-09-24 12:39:34

If you are unhappy about the visa service at the consulate then
you can raise the matter with
The Director General
Immigration Dept
Suan Plu
Bangkok 10500

I agree with larvidchr; I was there just last week. I planned the trip out. I stayed 4 days and 3 nights. I stayed in a nice hotel, enjoyed the sites and got everything taken care of. I turned my visa in on Wednesday morning, and picked it up on Thursday at 1 pm in the afternoon. It wasn't bad at all. If you avoid the busy days and go on the slow days, and the slow days are busy as well. I too am surprised that they haven't started cracking down. I'm afraid that if they get more swamped and have to deal with more irate visa runners; they just might.

Turning up at ANY type of Thai office at 10.30 is asking for trouble.
Friends of mine who went to the consulate in Laos were told to join the queue no later than 07.00AM.
Apparently a major part of the queue is Filipina maids renewing their monthly tourist visas......

Consulate workers with a different mind-set might adjust the facilities to the reality.

They know that hundreds of people show up every work day. They get some sort of renumeration for their services.

Could they set up an added counter(s) and additional clerical workers?

The Thai consular situation at Vientiane was even worse years ago. Even though there were fewer applicants, they squeezed nearly everyone in one small room with windows shut. A worker would meekly call out the next person's name, and sometimes the bad pronunciation or the low volume of the call-out made for the applicant missing the call.

At least now, the Thai service venue in Vientiane is a bit better. Yet with a bit of 'thinking outside the box' - the situation could be improved dramatically. There should also be a better way to preclude queue jumpers. Either have a roped queue like airports/banks, and/or have one or two agents posted along the way to help keep things in a semblance of order. Those agents could also be English speakers who could assist applicants while they were waiting in the queue.

Actually when I was there, I turned up early (8:30 am). Then 1.5 hours to the counter, another 45 minutes for the payment. By 10:45 there was almost nobody in front of the counters. So I had the idea of going late next time ... guess that idea is gone now.

[font="Comic Sans MS"][size=3][color="#0000ff"]I fail to understand the attraction of Vientianne. I went only once and found the same problems as everyone else. For 6 years I used the crossing from Mukdahan to Savanakhet where the Thai Consulate Office is quieter, offers the same visas, more friendly, close to the river. Just be sure to take the correct paperwork. Obviously the town is not as big as Vientianne; but if your main reason for visiting Laos is your visa then Savankhet is far better.

Bridge apparently opens at 5.30 am, I usually arrive at 6.30-7, means I miss the 8am rush, through quickly, always at the embassy before 9. Again at the embassy always appears the queue behind me mushrooms around 10am, out of the gates.

Somebody mentioned the queue behing held up by folk with stupid questions or incorrect paperwork, surely a simple sign or two of what's necessary for which visa would alleviate this? Admittedly haven't looked very hard for such a sign cos know what I need! Somebody else on about queue jumpers, the only folk I've seen going straight to the front are those who've been sent off for something they've forgotten. IMHO fair play, shouldn't need to queue in that heat twice.

All a moot point now, able to apply for extensions from next week on, no need for that pain in the arse again!

My own experience along with other posts is that they have gotten unfriendly. It may depend on what visa you are getting. For a non-o married to a Thai they are saying only one visa a year and putting a stamp in passport saying not to come back. It can also be real busy and they give priority to Lao applicants because they issue their visas the same day.

Problem with Vientiane is just that ONE line, that sometimes goes into TWO if there's another guy working there.
What they should do is..........
Always have Two lines, one that handles Tourist / Transit visas and another line for 'B' /'O' visas.
Most of the 'stupid' questions come from Foreigners who may have never ever applied for a Thai
visa before, so I think that's being a bit harsh. For the other line, I would assume most should have all their documents ready.
Provide enough glue or tape for the photos, as often it's finished and the guys behind the desk have
to attach it themselves(more time loss). If ok, then you go and sit in the nearby building and indeed
it has to be mouse still in there to hear your name called. There needs to be more training on that point - when you call out a name, then you do it looking out towards the people instead of directing the sound down to the desk!
And with picking up the next day, come rain or shine, they will not open before 13.00pm, so loads of people outside, either getting rain wet or sun wet. Nice gardens ok but why not make any area where people can shelter from the elements. To avoid queuejumping, numbered tickets could be issued, just like in banks.
I know there are some who think we should be oh SO gratefull that we can go into Thailand and have to lump it but we are giving them money and even more, when we get there. A little more
thought (a problem for Thais I know) would help so much for both sides.

Require each visa applicant to return to his home country for a new visa, end of problem. Can't wait for the responses.

This post has been edited by moe666: 2008-09-28 15:21:12

Only one visa a year on an 'O'? First I'd heard of that, just had three 90dayers back-to-back, last one collected last Friday, nothing untoward in my passport.

Was told that twice. They started to give me a tourist visa the second time but I pulled out an old employment letter and managed to get another 90. They give you heck and tell you to go to immigration and get an extension. There is a topic called no more Savanakhet something where the poster had the same experience. I know its wrong but its hard to argue.

This post has been edited by Maestro: 2008-09-29 01:05:58

The same kind of visas? You must be joking ... ever tried to get a double entry tourist visa in Savannakhet? Jack Golf suspended his Laos tours again because of problems with the embassy over there because they even denied single entry TRs without bank books.

This post has been edited by sniffdog: 2008-09-29 02:25:05