Prev Page 2 of 2 1 2 Please log in to reply 27 replies to this topic

[DowntownAl]

Just to verify the hours of operation at Thai Embassy (Consul Services) Vientiane. I took this picture on Feb 16th, 2012 just before picking up my passport:

Attached Files

•  IMG_1662.JPG   192.69K   13 downloads

[DowntownAl]

Just go to any travel agent in CM and buy a return visa run mini-bus ticket. I paid 1,700 baht: I was picked up at my apartment and taken to Aya Services (the transportation company) for a 7:00 pm departure. Over night trip, stopping at their facility around 5:30 am, in NongKhai where they supply coffee and egg sandwiches (I ate three, they were pretty good) upstairs. Then downstairs to a fill out your Lao visa form session. Very helpful bunch, even had a glue stick to stick your pic on your freshly filled out Loa visa form. Then, around 7:30 am, back on the bus and on to Thai immigration for exit. The driver they send you with takes care of all kinds of little passport glitches, he’s very experienced in this. After exiting Thailand the same bus and driver takes you to the Lao side. The driver lLeads the folks from his bus to the correct window (no line up on either end, they are connected here), put in your form, wait ten minutes, get your passport with Lao tourist visa. Back on the bus and off to the Thai Embassy (Consul Services) building, arriving around 8:15. Smooth as glass.

Alternately, you can buy a one way ticket in CM for the outbound service and buy your return ticket at a little place between the Douang Deuane Hotel (where I stayed, 750 baht including breakfast, balcony etc) and the Riverside Hotel (you can find the hotel addresses on Agoda’s website,) a one way ticket from Vientiane to CM by mini-bus is 900 baht or a VIP bus for 1,300 baht.  The bar somebody mentioned might have been the Roof Top. That place is about 500 metres north along the river road, it’s on the 4th floor of a building right across the street from the new outdoor market. Cool place: large Lao 13,000 kip (about 50 baht) BTW - I got a fair exchange (1 baht - 259 kip) at a bank about 300 metres south on the river road.

Enjoy.

Edited by DowntownAl, 2012-02-24 17:29:21.

[kevbap]

DowntownAl, on 2012-02-24 17:18:47, said:

Just go to any travel agent in CM and buy a return visa run mini-bus ticket. I paid 1,700 baht: I was picked up at my apartment and taken to Aya Services (the transportation company) for a 7:00 pm departure. Over night trip, stopping at their facility around 5:30 am, in NongKhai where they supply coffee and egg sandwiches (I ate three, they were pretty good) upstairs. Then downstairs to a fill out your Lao visa form session. Very helpful bunch, even had a glue stick to stick your pic on your freshly filled out Loa visa form. Then, around 7:30 am, back on the bus and on to Thai immigration for exit. The driver they send you with takes care of all kinds of little passport glitches, he’s very experienced in this. After exiting Thailand the same bus and driver takes you to the Lao side. The driver lLeads the folks from his bus to the correct window (no line up on either end, they are connected here), put in your form, wait ten minutes, get your passport with Lao tourist visa. Back on the bus and off to the Thai Embassy (Consul Services) building, arriving around 8:15. Smooth as glass.

Alternately, you can buy a one way ticket in CM for the outbound service and buy your return ticket at a little place between the Douang Deuane Hotel (where I stayed, 750 baht including breakfast, balcony etc) and the Riverside Hotel (you can find the hotel addresses on Agoda’s website,) a one way ticket from Vientiane to CM by mini-bus is 900 baht or a VIP bus for 1,300 baht.  The bar somebody mentioned might have been the Roof Top. That place is about 500 metres north along the river road, it’s on the 4th floor of a building right across the street from the new outdoor market. Cool place: large Lao 13,000 kip (about 50 baht) BTW - I got a fair exchange (1 baht - 259 kip) at a bank about 300 metres south on the river road.

Enjoy.

Fantastic info, for the record, the bar is called 'Bor pen Jang' (mai pen rai) one 3 litre jug of Beer Lao 60,000 kip.
I went with one of the mini bus drivers on the Lao side, costs 150 baht each (4 of us) he took us to the embassy, and sat outside waiting for us (3 hours !) then took us to a hotel not far from the Consulate. good service.
I returned via Udonthani, staying overnight in the 'City Lodge' 500 baht good size rooms and flew back to Chiang Mai next morning with Nokair @ 9.15 cost 2190 baht.
My trip to Lao was on a VIP bus departing CM 8pm and we arrived in Udon at 6am, transfered to a bus to Nongkhai from the same bus station for 35 baht!

next time fly fly fly ! i hate the buses !
Thanks chap, great post ! very helpful.