(Find out how we obtained our visas here). We had a hard time finding detailed directions prior to our trip, so we would like to share our experience for those who will be making the same run in the near future, both to and from Chiang Mai to Vientiane to obtain our visas from the Thai Embassy.
| FEBRUARY 2019 UPDATE: As of 1 February 2019, The Royal Thai Consulate in Vientiane, Laos requires all applicants to book an appointment. Consular officials will not accept visa applications from people in the queue who do not have an appointment. Book your appointment on their official website, thaivisavientiane.com. |
Chiang Mai, Thailand to Vientiane, Laos
The adventure began at the Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station (Terminal 2), which is located on Kaeo Narawat Road on the northeast outskirts of the Old City.
View Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station in a larger map
The day before our departure, we went to the Arcade Bus Station and purchased VIP tickets from the Chakrapong Tour Bus company, service to Udon Thani, Thailand from Kiosk 14. The twelve-hour bus ride departs from Platform 6 at 8:00 pm daily and costs 666 baht a person ($21.50 USD as of June 2013). We were told to be at the bus station thirty minutes prior to departure. Although we did not use it, there is a parking area that charges a small fee to park your vehicle overnight. There are several vendors selling snacks and drinks at the terminal.
| NOTE: Tickets are non-refundable and can only be purchased with Thai cash. |
Overnight VIP Bus tickets to Udon Thani from Chiang Mai
The bus departed promptly at 8:00 pm. Bottled water, yogurt juice, and sweet bean paste filled buns were offered an hour into the ride. The seats were comfortable and reclined back for sleeping. The leg room easily accommodated passengers over six feet tall. Luggage was stored under the bus. The air conditioner was powerful and although passengers were provided blankets, we recommend socks and a light jacket to be comfortable. We did not confirm if there was a restroom on the bus but several stops were made throughout the night at various bus stations.
Interior of the double-decker bus
We arrived at 6:00 am at the Udon Thani Bus Station 2, which is located on the western outskirts of the city. We declined rides from several tuk-tuk drivers and opted for bus ride to Nong Khai, Thailand, a small town near the Thai-Laos border. We purchased two 40 baht bus tickets from a lady sitting at a small table by Platform 16 where the Nong Khai bus was parked.
| NOTE:Â If you have questions, the Information Desk at the Udon Thani Bus Station 2 is open at 6 am in the morning. |
The bus to Nong Khai was old, but it was quiet and only half full. It left at 6:50 am, made several stops and by 8:30 am we were within the Nong Khai city border. At one point, a tuk-tuk driver came aboard and asked if anyone was going to Laos. Several passengers, including ourselves, agreed to a ride to the Thai-Laos border for 50 baht a person. A five-minute ride later we were at the Friendship Bridge, a famous landmark that spans the Mekong River naturally separating Thailand and Laos.
| TIP: If you are dropped off at an official bus stop in Nong Khai (instead of on the side of the road like us), take a tuk-tuk or songthaew to Friendship Bridge. Be sure the tuk-tuk driver takes you directly to the Friendship Bridge and not to a side business promising to process your Thai visa! |
Much different from the tuk-tuks we see in Chiang Mai
We were dropped off at the Thai-Laos border, but before we crossed the bridge we saw signs on booths that read “Immigration Checkpoint.” We stood in line, submitted our passports, completed departure cards, and received a departure stamp. Lost your departure card and need a replacement? There should be a person nearby handing out replacements.
After passing through the immigration checkpoints, we purchased two 20Â baht tickets for a bus ride across the bridge from a ticket counter to the immediate right. We waited a few minutes and packed ourselves tightly onto one of the frequently crossing buses.
Once off the bus, we approached the sign that said “Visa On Arrival,” that is positioned above three counters. At Counter 2, we obtained Laos Tourist Visa application forms and Laos arrival/departure cards. At Counter 1 (we don’t know why this is backward)Â we submitted our completed Laos visa forms and arrival cards, a single passport photo each, our passports, and cash. At Counter 3, we picked up our passports with a new Laos visa and our change.
| NOTE: A 30 day Laos Tourist Visa costs $35 USD OR 1500 baht (about $45 USD equivalent). We read rumors that they charge an extra $1 if you do not have a photo, if it’s a weekend, or if it is during lunch. Exact change is not necessary; we paid using a $100 bill and were given change back in USD. Make sure to bring crisp bills! |
We passed through the final checkpoint booth, showed the official our visas, and then were bombarded by tuk-tuk and taxi drivers. We bargained with them and accepted an air-conditioned van directly to the Royal Thai Consulate and split the cost with another passenger. It was a 30-minute drive, and we made it there at 10 am.
Total Cost for Two From Chiang Mai to Vientiane
| Route | Method | Time | USD | THB |
| Chiang Mai to Udon Thani+Layover | Bus | 11 hr | $42.80 | ฿1,332 |
| Udon Thani to Nong Khai | Bus | 1.5 hrs | $2.60 | ฿80 |
| Nong Khai to Friendship Bridge | Tuk Tuk | 5 mins | $3.20 | ฿100 |
| Friendship Bridge Crossing | Bus | 30 mins | $1.00 | ฿30 |
| Two On-Arrival Laos Tourist Visas | Crisp Bills | 30 mins | $70 | ฿2,177 |
| Laos Border to Royal Thai Consulate | Mini Van | 30 mins | $4.00 | ฿125 |
| Total | 14 hours | $124 | ฿3,844 |
Find a Hotel in Vientiane, Laos
Return Trip: Vientiane, Laos to Chiang Mai, Thailand
Our route from Vientiane to Chiang Mai was quite different from the route we took from Chiang Mai to Vientiane. After a long weekend at a relaxing hotel in Vientiane, but we were ready to go home and decided to take the shorter, more expensive route via airplane.
A direct flight from Vientiane to Chiang Mai is quick and easy, but also very expensive. At about $350 USD a ticket, we decided to forgo this time-saving route in search for a cheaper, but still speedy alternative.
After picking up our Visas at 1:45 pm we bartered with the taxi drivers waiting outside the Royal Thai Consulate. We agreed to take an air-conditioned van ride directly to the Friendship Bridge at the Laos-Thai border for 25,000 kip (equivalent to 100 baht or $3.25 USD). We left the Thai Consulate at 2:00 pm and within 30 minutes we were dropped off at the bridge.
After quickly going through the Lao Immigration Checkpoint we were approached by numerous taxi drivers (notice a pattern?) each willing to take us over the bridge and directly to Udon Thani’s International Airport for 300 baht per person. We crossed the bridge in a private taxi, got out, and walked over to the Thai Immigration Checkpoint on foot. We filled out arrival cards, handed them over with our passports and got our arrival stamps, double checking that it was for 90 days based on our new Non-Immigrant Visas. Our taxi driver was waiting for us on the other side of the checkpoint. From there, it was a straight drive to Udon Thani’s International Airport where we arrived at 3:30 pm.
While in the taxi we booked a domestic flight (Nok Air) departing at 7:45 pm from Udon Thani to Chiang Mai. We arrived at the airport at 4:00 pm with plenty of time to grab an awesome Thai meal and reflect on our successful trip.
| ALTERNATIVE: After getting a Laos departure stamp, you can ignore the taxis and buy a 4000 kip bus ticket across bridge to the Thai side. After getting your arrival stamp you can then find a taxi to your next destination. |
Total Cost for Two From Vientiane to Chiang Mai
| Route | Method | Time | USD | THB |
| Royal Thai Consulate to Laos Border | Mini Van | 30 min | $3.20 | ฿100 |
| Friendship Bridge Crossing | Taxi | 30 min | $1.00 | ฿32 |
| Friendship Bridge to Udon Thani Int’l | Taxi | 45 min | $19.20 | ฿600 |
| Udon Thani Int’l to Chiang Mai Int’l | Plane | 1.5 hr | $180 | ฿5,620 |
| Total | 3.25 hr | $204 | ฿6,352 |
For those looking for the most affordable return route:
Go to Vientiane Central Bus Station, located across the street from the Morning Market, and buy tickets for a bus ride from Vientiane to Udon Thani’s Central Bus Station. The cost per ticket is 22,000 kip (equivalent to $2.85 USD or 88 baht as of June 2013). This ride should be approximately three hours long. It stops at Friendship Bridge to let everyone cross, and then the same passengers get back on and continue to Udon Thani’s Central Bus Station.
| NOTE: If someone has overstayed their Laos visa the bus will wait for them, and may take longer. We didn’t want to play that game. |
Once you arrive at Udon Thani’s Central Bus Station (located in the center of the city), take a tuk tuk ride to Udon Thani’s Bus Station 2, located on the western outskirts of the city. Here you can purchase tickets to westward cities such as Chiang Mai for around 660 baht.
Hi,
I’ve done this journey quite a few times and have to say that your article was very detailed and had a lot of useful information. One main point I would like to let everyone know and maybe worth updating the article about is that in order to do a Visa run to Vientiane now you have to have an appointment in order to apply for a visa at the embassy. Please check this and book an appointment prior to your day or arrival. Otherwise they turn people away.
Yes, you DO have to make an appointment at the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane. We’ve had that notice published since February 2019 right at the top of the article.
Thanks, Im looking for the route leave from Vientiane to Thailand(Nong Khai) by land and will do this within this month. Its really useful.
Great! Glad we could help.
Thoroughly detailed break-down of the whole process, thank you! I just did the Chiangmai to Vientiane part for the first time and a word of warning…At the Vientiane visa on arrival point, while I was filling in my forms, there were several taxi drivers offering to take me into town and their approach was very insistent and distracting, which combined with my general anxiety about being in a new situation led me not to realize that the immigration officer did not give me my change when I received back my passport with my Laos visa inside – I ended up… Read more »
Thanks for commenting, Abraham, and shaing your experience. It’s always good to see that this guide is still informative. We know exactly what you mean about the taxi drivers pouncing on you at the border exit area. It is incessant and intimidating!! The first time it happened, I (Angela) disappeared into the bathroom to compose myself. Gah! :/
Hi,
My Thai girlfriend said she was talking to a local convenience shop owner in Chiang Mai who said that she takes 500-baht flights to go to Laos, and I looked into it, and apparently Air Asia offers 500-900 baht flights from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani (at least that’s what their website says). The shop owner even said that she doesn’t take the bus because it’s *more expensive* than a flight. Am I missing something here? Why didn’t you both do that? Do the prices of flights fluctuate drastically over time?
Hi Nathan, in our post we actually discuss how during the return portion of our trip we flew from Udon Thani to Chiang Mai with Nok Air. You can usually snag a cheap flight if you book far enough in advance (from our experience most of our readers tend to book at the last minute), but prices do fluctuate the closer you get to the departure date. This week flights are 2,000 THB to 5,000 THB round trip per person on Nok and Air Asia. The buses are almost always cheaper. With that said, we always opt to fly these… Read more »
Thanks for the response! I did the visa run and everything was worked great, flying was much, much, much better than taking a bus (which was what I did the first time). Here’s some more info I’ve learned: Air Asia offers 490 baht flights if you order in advance, but if you want to do a maximum-speed visa run with a return flight from Udon, you’ll need to use Nok Air for the return, because the daily Nok Air flight from Udon to Chiang Mai leaves at 6:20pm, which you’ll have enough time to catch if you’re among the first… Read more »
Thanks so much. I need to leave the country to switch from a volunteer visa to a student visa. This is awesome! Thanks for doing your job well.
Glad to have helped!
We just made this trip, and outside of very small details (little increases/decreases in prices, etc), this information is still extremely helpful and relevant. Many thanks!
Excellent – thanks for updating us!
We are in Laos now we took mini van from Chiang Mai to Vientiane which cost 1,100 baht/person. They will picked up at 18:00 (6:00pm) from your Chiang Mai Accommodation for the 11 hour night drive to Nong Khai. On arrival in Nong Khai you will be transferred from the minibus to a large bus for the trip across the border. At he border crossing you will be dropped at The Thai Immigration post for processing out of Thailand, we will then cross to Huay Xai on the Laos side where you will be processed by the Lao Immigration authorities,… Read more »
Thanks for sharing your recent experience!
hi Angel, what agency is it and where? can I have some details of it? thank you
Hi! Is the bus of Chakrapong company to Nong Khai a daytime or a night bus?
They offer both day and night buses.
back from my visa trip…. everything fine, I have a 2 months visa… the bus direct to Nong Khai, very convenient; the longest part was to get the lao visa, crowded…I was in the Thai Consulate before 10am; don’t listen to the guys outside, they ask 200bhts for the photocopies, inside, an official guy do it for 20bhts More than 240 people, but it’s going rather fast, just deposit of the documents. the second day, they call you by your number to give you back the passport, you pay 1000bhts . Starts at 1.30pm; I had the number 211, i… Read more »
This post made me a tremendous fan: it’s so clear and coherent. Thanks for helping me to breathe easy about a process that can get rather muddled. One question, though: what if we are denied a visa, for some reason? We are planning to leave half our stuff in Thailand and want to get back in, hehe. Can we get “locked out”? How do we avoid that?
You’re welcome! If something happens and you are denied a visa, you’ll be able to get back into Thailand on a 30 day visa-exempt stamp. You can then xtend this for another 30 days so you will have 60 days total to figure out what to do next and to deal with your belongings.
I bought my bus tickets; Chakrapong company (not on the same side as Green bus, terminal on the left side of the road ): 840bhts VIP ticket, and…straight to Nong Khai, not need to transit from Udon Thani !
(and they sell the tickets far in advance: mine, return ticket 10/13 january)
Thanks for sharing that alternative from CHhang Mai to Nong Khai via Chakrpong Bus Company. That’ll save the headache of doing the early morning transfer at the Udon Thani!
first, thanks for your fast reply
sorry to bother again, I can see on the visa application form:” name and contact of guarantor in Thailand, and also in LaoPDR”
what am I suppose to write????? I have no “guarantor” !!!
Ah, we have friends in Lao who we were visiting and used them. We would write the contact information for your hotel in that spot.
I’ll have to apply for a tourist visa in Vientiane in january
do they ask a plane ticket return (Europe for me) and they speak about proof of income on the consulate site; do they ask some bank document?
Thanks
If you are apply for the single-entry Thai tourist visa, we believe that all you will need are a completed visa application form, 1,000 baht, two passport photos, and photocopies of your passport (main photo page, entry stamp, and departure card). Neither a copy of your flight itinerary nor bank statement is required.
Hello. Thanks for all the information. It’s been really helpful and illuminating. My question pertains to people being denied a tourist visa after subsequent visa exempt stamps. I was hoping to head to Vientiane after two exempt stamps (the second with an 30-day extension). Do you think I’ll have an issue with that few? I just need a little more time while I hunt for a job.
Thanks.
Two back-to-back visa exempt stamps shouldn’t raise an alarm and we think you’ll be successful in applying for a single entry tourist visa to hold you over as you search for a job. Remember, dress nicely when applying – don’t go there looking like something the cat drug in! – and also look presentable in your photo (haircut, clean shaven, collared shirt). Good luck!
Hi! Would you know the schedule of night buses from Udon Thani to Chiang Mai? Does only 1 bus leave Udon Thani to Chiang Mai every night? Thanks this post is really helpful.
Two sources (here and here) reveal that there is only one night bus from Udon Thani to Chiang Mai. It departs at 8:30pm from Bus Terminal 2 and arrives around 8:00am.
hi, wonderful blog and exactly what i needed. nok air had a flight for $49, so im flying from udon thani to chiang mai. question about your math thou: is the trip from Friendship Bridge to Udon Thani Int’l airport $3.20 dollars or 600 baht? not sure which is a typo cuz they’re not equal, or maybe im comprehending something wrong. im traveling alone so just wanted to get a estimate of the cost. Also did you negotiate and get those prices lower or was that a special becuz it was two of you. thanks
Ah, thanks for for catching that. We’ve updated the table to read 600 baht or $19.20 (not $3.20). Also, there were three of us in the cab, so we were offered 300 baht per person. If you can find another 2 or 3 person group to split the bill, that’s a great way to cut back on costs.
I got back to this page again, since I’ll be crossing the border soon, and I realized I don’t have any passport photos with me anymore. ..then upon researching, I found out that Asean countries are visa free. yay! Thanks for the tip again, although I came to the Chiang Mai Bus Station earlier yesterday but I didn’t see any Chakrapong tour bus company. I only saw one that sells tickets to Udon Thani, which was beside the Green Bus ticketing booth, that costs way more than what you’ve posted here. I might have missed it though, I have to… Read more »
Thank goodness for visa exempt stamps!
Thanks for the heads up on the Chakrapong tour bus company. There could be a few explanations (wrong wing of thestation, maybe you were in the other bus station that is right beside this one?), but it could also be simply they aren’t there any more since things change pretty often in Thailand. Good to know!
Is the Chakrapong tour bus company within the ticketing area of the Green Bus ticketing office? I might have to double check again, if I’m not mistaken, I was dropped off at the terminal 2.
Well, it seems that the visas regulations are going to change from august 29th, and for the best; if I understand correctly, no more multiple visa exemptions but more easy for all others types of visas….
http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=4366
Yeah, they are cracking down on people who are trying to stay a long time in Thailand with repetitive visa exemption stamps. The government is just trying to encourage foreigners who want to stay for a long time to do so on a proper visa.
Thanks for writing this, super helpful. One question:
How late is the Immigration Office open at the Thai-Laos border? If I get there at 8 or 9pm on a Sunday night, they’re closed, right? Would I have to spend the night in Udon Thani?
If we remember correctly, the visa on arrival office closed around 5 or 6pm. You’d have spend the night in Udon Thani and then cross Friendship Bridge in the morning.
You guys provide useful information. However, I need to go to Vientiane for Non-O visa. As my current Thai spouse visa has expired on August 5 (long story) I can’t afford immigration visa checks during the bus trip to Udon Thani. Does immigration police enter the bus?
We’re sorry, but we have no way of knowing if there will be immigration police checks for traveling buses. :/
Just a heads up, I’m doing the visa run for a tourist visa on Monday, going by land but getting a flight back. The flight was just over 2000baht with Nok Air so it might be worth looking at flights as well if anyone is planning on the trip, you can find some good deals. A few hundred extra baht and you fly quickly and in comfort rather than those much hated bus rides, no brainer!
Thanks for the tip, Phil! A $60 international flight is a steal.
Hi,
Last year, I could stay 5 months in CM without any problem, with a double entry visa, but no more available this year; so, I intend to apply in Paris for a visa O (90 days) and to go to Vientiane for a tourist visa would be perfect to complete my stay.
I was wondering if they could refuse to me the tourist visa because it’s just after the visa O….
What do you think or have your heard such stories ?
Thank’s for your advises
It seems that immigration has been cracking down on people with several 30-day visa exempt stamps in their passports. Those same people, who are trying to enter Thailand on a tourist visa after such a long time with border runs evident in their passport, are being denied. Since you had a non-immigrant O and then a tourist visa, it doesn’t sound like you will be denied entry under the current border control practices. We’re glad to hear you are making plans to come back to Thailand!
I’m a retired teacher, the best 7 months of France,spring/summer, the best 5 months of Thailand, oct/march….and I was really concern that this so pleasant schedule could be in jeopardy, 3 years now, that I’m spending the europeen winter in Chiang Mai, ; I rent a nice studio near the new Maya mall, Really great stay ! You confirm what I was thinking, people trying to avoid to pay a real visa, and complaining that they are not welcome anymore……As they don’t give anymore double entry visa in Paris, you reassure me a lot…I’ll do the Vientiane trip for my… Read more »
I also have to go to Vientiene today or tomorrow. I saw a post that multiple entry visa are not possible to get in Laos but does this 60+30 day visa thing relate to that or not? Also I read it was $150 for the 6 month double entry visa. I have to pay for myself and my gf so that would be $300 which is expensive. Any insight please asap would be appreciated.
You may be able to get a double entry Thai visa at the Thai Consulate/Embassy in Laos, but chances are they might only issue you a single entry. Each 60 day entry costs 2000 baht, which is about $60 USD, so a double entry costs about $120 USD (but you must pay in baht) per person. The extra 30 days can be obtained at the very end of your 60 days by going to any local immigration office (there are at least one in each province/”state”). The 30 days is referred to as “getting a visa extension” and it costs… Read more »
Hi, I chanced upon your site while searching for transfer options between Chiang Mai and Vientianne. Good thing cost was included in your blog :) we’re on a budget trip and this sure is helpful. I just want to ask though, how was the bus experience? there has been not so good news about bus accidents and all but you mentioned here you got good Zs while in transit so I assume it was rather/somehow smooth? and also, why was the thai consulate became your first stop?
The bus experience was good. We each took a sleeping aid and were comfortable enough in our seats to get a few hours of sleep during the trip. We also stopped at a very nice rest stop with clean bathrooms, hot food, and plenty of snacks for the road. Yes, there are often bus accidents (mentioned in the Thai news papers but not so much in the news translated into English). To our understanding, the accidents occur mostly with the small companies that do not properly upkeep their vehicles or have two drivers on night shifts. The big company, such… Read more »
I was researching for some info for coming from Vientiane to Chiang Mai and I was led to you page. Thanks for the information! I am planning to go to Vientiane and then head to Chiang Mai for this year’s Yi Peng and Loy Krathong. I was actually torn between going to Burma or Laos, but I guess Vientiane is closer to Chiang Mai. Plus, I think I need more time to explore Burma.
Thanks again for sharing your experience :)
Glad you found us, Ariel! We hope you love it here, and all the best to you during your travels. Let us know if we can help in any other areas.
Thanks :) I love your posts, I can relate to most of them, how I wish I can do the same thing you do though! I love Thailand, and would love to explore it as well. Maybe someday :D for now, I’ll just stick with my Thai phrasebook haha!
Thanks for the love. It sounds like you’ll seriously preparing for a trip here! We hope you can make it to Thailand soon and start enjoying everything first hand :)
Hahaha I guess what I meant by my earlier statement is “I hope to explore Thailand like you guys.” I’ve been to Thailand a few times before, visited places like Hua Hin and Kanchanaburi, where my khruu is from. Been working on my Thai since then. Hoping to make good use of it on my next visit.
Ah! Well, it sounds like you’re well on your way to exploring Thailand if you’ve already been here a few time. We really like Hua Hin. Do you have any favorite places to visit/things to do there?
I’m a fan of night markets so always went to Hua Hin’s night market for dinner. Cicada Market is great too, I’m not sure if it’s recurring, but they have a free show there, I was able to see a mime show last time, so no need to understand Thai haha! Lastly of course, was the beach. Spent an entire day lounging at Suanson Pradipat. I’ve read your posts about Hua Hin and it reminded me of great memories of the place. Would love to go back there sometime! (sorry my comment’s getting too long, I’m already spamming this page… Read more »
We like the night markets too, but tend to go on the early side to beat the crowds. The beaches were surprisingly uncrowded, at least the few times we’ve gone. Thanks for your insight!
Thank you Chris and Angela.
My wife and I are planning to cross the border onto Vientiane, coming from either Bangkok by train or Chiang Mai by bus or train if available. We’ve crossed borders on foot before, going from Turkey to Bulgaria, and from the Oman to the UAE. For some reason, we are very nervous about the complexities of border crossing on this side of Asia. So we hope the whole thing is not as cumbersome as we think it is. Thanks for the input.
The Friendship bridge border crossing is very popular, as is Vientiane to go for a visa run. If your bus or train goes through there, your border crossing should go smoothly. We’re glad you found this post useful!
Did you get your Visa’s the same day?
Or did you have to spent the night there?
Thanks for the info, it helps me a lot.
We arrived on a Friday and picked our visa up the next business day which was a Monday. If you do not want to stay for the entire weekend you can show up Monday-Thursday and pick your visa up the very next day. Here is a link for more information about our experience and visa requirements. Best of luck!
Thank you for this article! :)
It’s Saturday November 9th and I’m here in Chiang Mai. I plan to go to Vientiane, Laos tomorrow.
Must it buy the bus ticket a day before or can I just go there tomorrow afternoon to buy it?
No problem! Hopefully you were able to buy your bus ticket. We have been able to purchase them the day prior and on the same day. Buying the ticket the same day wont give you the best selection of seats though. Good luck on your trip!
Hey guys, someone suggested to me to use a service like Aya. 1,500 THB return trip. Bus goes from CM to Vientiane thai embassy but the return is from Nongkhai TO CM, so you’ve just got to get back over the border. Seems like a very comparative price without the hassle of changing transport. Thoughts?
You’re right about AYA. We looked into that option first and it is affordable and much more direct, but it is in a 12 or 16 van or “minibus” (if we remember correctly). With the 12+hr ride from CM to Vientiane, we didn’t think we could be comfortable let alone get sleep during the trip. We ended up taking the VIP bus because the seats recline and we know we can be generally comfortable and get a few Zs in. If the van isn’t full, you could probably get comfortable, but that’s a risk we weren’t willing to take. AYA… Read more »
I did it once. Yes, it’s a good service. I’m in Laos right now waiting for the new visa. The good thing is the price and the service. They drive you everywhere and wait for you until you get to the Thai Embassy, you can’t go wrong. The last time there was a family who overstayed and we got a bit late but everything was ok at the end. Now, I’m trying to do it by myself by VIP bus due to more comfort and freedom from laggards. It’s getting a bit more expensive and I don’t know next time… Read more »
Thanks for sharing your experience. We hope everything is going as planned at the embassy. It was a relatively pleasant experience for us too.
Hi Guys
I need to do the same run, however, reluctant to travel that way by bus. After that experience, would you recommend just a return flight from CNX to Vientiene to get the 60+30 day visa?
Thank you
Kevin Huber
Hey Kevin, actually the bus ride isn’t so bad at all. If you follow our guide you shouldn’t have too many issues unless things have somehow changed. If you have money to spend and aren’t on a tight budget then flying is definitely a great option. Chris would rather fly most of the time while I don’t mind road travel so we usually come to the agreement of busing it one way and then flying on the way back. This option seems to work out just great for us. Good luck on your visa run!
thanks so much for this information! I was wondering—when you took the van to the Thai consulate in Laos, did you pay him in USD? or did you have to exchange your money into kip?
No problem at all. We actually paid the driver in Thai Baht. The seemed very flexible, but not sure if they would accept US Dollars. Just make sure you are getting a good exchange rate no matter which route you decide to try.
Very informative! I’m heading from CM to Vientiane in a few days, and this is exactly the kind of guide I was looking for. Cheers!
nice job. Thanks for sharing your experiences to date. Hope to run into you guys next summer in CM.
the tuk tuk looks like the ones they have in Burma
LOL…They look pretty aggressive compared to the low-riders we have in Chiang Mai!
Thanks so much for sharing this information. It’s really helpful!
Thank you! We thought people might like to see the cost breakdown on these sort of trips.
You guys are awesome and the details are so very clear. I envisioned your entire trip and felt like I was there just reading your blog. Great job!
Thank you! We hope that others can benefit from our experience. Hope all is well!
this info is out of dare as of Jan.28 2019 you need an appointment no walk ins
bad part here is the web sight to set appointments does not wor very well