I’ve gotten a lot of emails about my recent visa run to Vientiane, Laos, so, I thought it might be a good idea to write a post detailing my visa run while also including all the available options.

Depending on where you are living in Thailand there are several ways you can make it to Nong Khai and the Lao border. You can take the bus from just about anywhere in Thailand and the cost will be minimal, anywhere from 500-800 baht. The downside is that the further away from the border you are the longer the bus ride. From Pattaya or Bangkok you are looking at 10-12 hours. The bus will make a stop in Udon Thani; if there are still enough people on board that want to go to Nong Khai then the bus will move on, if not then you will have to take another bus to the border.

The next option is to take the train. Another minimal cost option at just a little more than the price of a bus ticket, but again depending on where you are coming from it may be an over night ride. The trains do have sleeper cars and it is a great scenic way to make it to the border.

Yet another option is using a visa service. There are many to choose from in Pattaya and Bangkok as well as the rest of Thailand. They will set you up in a comfortable minivan with 5 other passengers, usually with movies, wifi and snacks for the 9-10 hour journey from Pattaya or Bangkok. They will also take care of getting you across the border and all of your visa paperwork at the Thai embassy in Vientiane. They collect the passports and head off to the embassy while you are taken to the hotel. The next day they collect the approved visa’s and you begin the long ride home.

While the VIP visa services sound like a good idea you will definitely pay a hefty premium for their services. They advertise 7,000 baht everything included but the the actual price is usually 10,000 baht.

The last option is Flying, the one I took as it meant being comfortable, less time to the border and great value for the baht. There are two options when flying, you can fly directly to Laos which runs approximately 5,000 baht or you can fly to Udon Thani for 1,500 baht and take a minivan to the border. Once you disembark the plane and collect your luggage, if any, head down stairs and buy a minivan ticket to the Nong Khai border for 200 baht.

Once at the border you will be approached by many people asking you if you need a picture for the Lao visa or any paperwork done. They will also try and get you to buy a minivan service to the capital of Laos, Vientiane.

Tip: you will need 1 passport sized picture for your Laos entrance visa and 2 passport sized photos for your Thai visa paper work at the Thai embassy. Get them ahead of time and avoid the hassle and expence of doing it at the border or embassy.

Once at the border all you have to do is leave Thailand and get an exit visa stamp and then look for the bus on the other side that will take you across the Friendship Bridge into Laos for 50 baht. Once over the Friendship Bridge you are now in Laos; you will disembark the bus and fill out the visa papers to enter the country. Once the papers are filled out you go to window 1 and turn them in with one passport sized photo, your passport and $35.00, if you are Thai then all you need is your Thai I.D. card and 30 baht for 1 day or 150 baht for a 3 day visa.

I’m pretty good at haggling so I talked one of the minivan wranglers into picking me up on the other side after finishing the lao visa and driving me into town for 300 baht ( the going price is 500 baht ).

Tip: if you use a minivan from the Lao border into Vientiane set up with the same minivan to pick you up at your hotel the day you leave and take you to the embassy to get your passport before heading back to the border. Doing this ahead of time will save you 2-300 baht and you won’t have to worry about it.

If you take the plane route as I did then you will definitely arrive in town too late to apply for your Thai visa the same day. The Thai Embassy only receives visa applications between the hours of 8:30am & 12pm daily, Monday through Saturday. So, get your hotel room and check out the town, have a good dinner on the river front and get some sleep for the next days visa fun.

Note: You cannot get your Thai visa in one day. You will be in Vientiane, Laos for at least 2 days.

The Thai embassy opens it’s gates at 8:30 am but there will be a line out front of the gates starting at 8 am so get there early or chance spending a few hours waiting.

You’ll notice as you pull up to the Thai Embassy all manner of Lao people looking to help you with your visa process. They will fill out the visa application for you, take your pictures and even get a number and stand in line for you…all for a price. There are even a few that will take care of the whole process for you for 3000 baht while you go and have lunch. Personally I wouldn’t chance any of these offers when my visa is at stake. If you are smart you already have everything you need and will just have to do a little waiting.

Tip: Download and print out the visa application form found on the Thai Embassy Web Page. Make sure it prints out on one piece of paper on both sides as the Thai embassy will not accept an application on 2 sheets of paper. Fill it out before you make the visa run and attach the passport sized photos. Be prepared and you will get through the visa process quicker. Make sure the copy is very good and clear.

The line in front of the embassy gates is just for getting into the Embassy grounds, once in you will still have to get a number and wait to be called to the outside window for processing.This part I leave up to you the reader. Many people will run as soon as the gates open and push people out of the way to get a number, Yes, You can get a number faster but you will still be an asshole. And Probably why I ended up with the number 69.

When the Embassy staff start calling numbers they will do so in groups of 5-7 and the numbers will also be shown on a digital display. You go to the window indicated and turn in your paperwork and passport. The paper work is checked for accuracy and the passport checked to make sure it’s good. If everything is fine you are told to go into the Embassy and pay for the visa. Again you will be on the number system and waiting. Once your number is called inside you go to the window indicated and pay your fee if any and you will be given a receipt. DO NOT LOSE THIS RECEIPT. This is the receipt you will use the next day to pick up your passport…no ticky no washy.

Now you have 24 hours to explore Vientiane before you can pick up your passport and fresh visa. The city center has a beautiful fountain and park to explore as well as the riverfront and several beautiful Wats.

The next day arrange for a minivan to pick you up from your hotel at noon and head to the Thai embassy. You cannot pickup your visa until 1pm or after. Again there will be a line outside the gates with many familiar faces. Once the gates open you will again get a number and wait inside to be called. Once called you can pick up your passport and begin your journey back to Thailand.

The visa run to Laos is really not difficult but many people making the trip for the first time worry about it. I hope this post will alleviate some of those fears. The most important thing is to be prepared. Make sure all your paperwork is in order and you have the requisite number of passport sized photos…oh, and don’t forget your passport.

For more information on what the requirements may be for a specific visa please visit the Nong Khai Thai Immigration Website , Royal Thai Embassy Vientiane, Laos or The Thailand Immigration Bureau.

Needed for Visa Run:

• Passport
• Photo Copy of relevant Passport pages ie, Picture page, Entrance Stamp and Exit Stamp pages.
• Visa Application & any associated paperwork such as information for employment visa or Education Visa
• 2 passport sized photos attached to visa application

Make sure you check that all your travel documentation is valid before traveling otherwise you find your low cost holidays just got a lot more expensive, do take out travel insurance which also covers your flights and hotel as well as replacing lost documentation.

I’ve gotten a lot of emails about my recent visa run to Vientiane, Laos, so, I thought it might be a good idea to write a post detailing my visa run while also including all the available options.

Depending on where you are living in Thailand there are several ways you can make it to Nong Khai and the Lao border. You can take the bus from just about anywhere in Thailand and the cost will be minimal, anywhere from 500-800 baht. The downside is that the further away from the border you are the longer the bus ride. From Pattaya or Bangkok you are looking at 10-12 hours. The bus will make a stop in Udon Thani; if there are still enough people on board that want to go to Nong Khai then the bus will move on, if not then you will have to take another bus to the border.

The next option is to take the train. Another minimal cost option at just a little more than the price of a bus ticket, but again depending on where you are coming from it may be an over night ride. The trains do have sleeper cars and it is a great scenic way to make it to the border.

Yet another option is using a visa service. There are many to choose from in Pattaya and Bangkok as well as the rest of Thailand. They will set you up in a comfortable minivan with 5 other passengers, usually with movies, wifi and snacks for the 9-10 hour journey from Pattaya or Bangkok. They will also take care of getting you across the border and all of your visa paperwork at the Thai embassy in Vientiane. They collect the passports and head off to the embassy while you are taken to the hotel. The next day they collect the approved visa’s and you begin the long ride home.

While the VIP visa services sound like a good idea you will definitely pay a hefty premium for their services. They advertise 7,000 baht everything included but the the actual price is usually 10,000 baht.

The last option is Flying, the one I took as it meant being comfortable, less time to the border and great value for the baht. There are two options when flying, you can fly directly to Laos which runs approximately 5,000 baht or you can fly to Udon Thani for 1,500 baht and take a minivan to the border. Once you disembark the plane and collect your luggage, if any, head down stairs and buy a minivan ticket to the Nong Khai border for 200 baht.

Once at the border you will be approached by many people asking you if you need a picture for the Lao visa or any paperwork done. They will also try and get you to buy a minivan service to the capital of Laos, Vientiane.

Tip: you will need 1 passport sized picture for your Laos entrance visa and 2 passport sized photos for your Thai visa paper work at the Thai embassy. Get them ahead of time and avoid the hassle and expence of doing it at the border or embassy.

Once at the border all you have to do is leave Thailand and get an exit visa stamp and then look for the bus on the other side that will take you across the Friendship Bridge into Laos for 50 baht. Once over the Friendship Bridge you are now in Laos; you will disembark the bus and fill out the visa papers to enter the country. Once the papers are filled out you go to window 1 and turn them in with one passport sized photo, your passport and $35.00, if you are Thai then all you need is your Thai I.D. card and 30 baht for 1 day or 150 baht for a 3 day visa.

I’m pretty good at haggling so I talked one of the minivan wranglers into picking me up on the other side after finishing the lao visa and driving me into town for 300 baht ( the going price is 500 baht ).

Tip: if you use a minivan from the Lao border into Vientiane set up with the same minivan to pick you up at your hotel the day you leave and take you to the embassy to get your passport before heading back to the border. Doing this ahead of time will save you 2-300 baht and you won’t have to worry about it.

If you take the plane route as I did then you will definitely arrive in town too late to apply for your Thai visa the same day. The Thai Embassy only receives visa applications between the hours of 8:30am & 12pm daily, Monday through Saturday. So, get your hotel room and check out the town, have a good dinner on the river front and get some sleep for the next days visa fun.

Note: You cannot get your Thai visa in one day. You will be in Vientiane, Laos for at least 2 days.

The Thai embassy opens it’s gates at 8:30 am but there will be a line out front of the gates starting at 8 am so get there early or chance spending a few hours waiting.

You’ll notice as you pull up to the Thai Embassy all manner of Lao people looking to help you with your visa process. They will fill out the visa application for you, take your pictures and even get a number and stand in line for you…all for a price. There are even a few that will take care of the whole process for you for 3000 baht while you go and have lunch. Personally I wouldn’t chance any of these offers when my visa is at stake. If you are smart you already have everything you need and will just have to do a little waiting.

Tip: Download and print out the visa application form found on the Thai Embassy Web Page. Make sure it prints out on one piece of paper on both sides as the Thai embassy will not accept an application on 2 sheets of paper. Fill it out before you make the visa run and attach the passport sized photos. Be prepared and you will get through the visa process quicker. Make sure the copy is very good and clear.

The line in front of the embassy gates is just for getting into the Embassy grounds, once in you will still have to get a number and wait to be called to the outside window for processing.This part I leave up to you the reader. Many people will run as soon as the gates open and push people out of the way to get a number, Yes, You can get a number faster but you will still be an asshole. And Probably why I ended up with the number 69.

When the Embassy staff start calling numbers they will do so in groups of 5-7 and the numbers will also be shown on a digital display. You go to the window indicated and turn in your paperwork and passport. The paper work is checked for accuracy and the passport checked to make sure it’s good. If everything is fine you are told to go into the Embassy and pay for the visa. Again you will be on the number system and waiting. Once your number is called inside you go to the window indicated and pay your fee if any and you will be given a receipt. DO NOT LOSE THIS RECEIPT. This is the receipt you will use the next day to pick up your passport…no ticky no washy.

Now you have 24 hours to explore Vientiane before you can pick up your passport and fresh visa. The city center has a beautiful fountain and park to explore as well as the riverfront and several beautiful Wats.

The next day arrange for a minivan to pick you up from your hotel at noon and head to the Thai embassy. You cannot pickup your visa until 1pm or after. Again there will be a line outside the gates with many familiar faces. Once the gates open you will again get a number and wait inside to be called. Once called you can pick up your passport and begin your journey back to Thailand.

The visa run to Laos is really not difficult but many people making the trip for the first time worry about it. I hope this post will alleviate some of those fears. The most important thing is to be prepared. Make sure all your paperwork is in order and you have the requisite number of passport sized photos…oh, and don’t forget your passport.

For more information on what the requirements may be for a specific visa please visit the Nong Khai Thai Immigration Website , Royal Thai Embassy Vientiane, Laos or The Thailand Immigration Bureau.

Needed for Visa Run:

• Passport
• Photo Copy of relevant Passport pages ie, Picture page, Entrance Stamp and Exit Stamp pages.
• Visa Application & any associated paperwork such as information for employment visa or Education Visa
• 2 passport sized photos attached to visa application

Make sure you check that all your travel documentation is valid before traveling otherwise you find your low cost holidays just got a lot more expensive, do take out travel insurance which also covers your flights and hotel as well as replacing lost documentation.