Laos forum
Visa info needed
Have questions? Jump to our menu of forum quicklinks
Add your reply
You need to be logged in to add a reply.
Not a member? you can join here.
| Possibly related discussions | Replies | Views | Latest reply |
|---|---|---|---|
| sapa info needed ... By jscsmail on 18 May 2008 | 3 | 1543 | 19 May 2008 |
| Budget Info Needed ... By 4439 on 8 Oct 2007 | 1 | 1432 | 9 Oct 2007 |
anandgrafiti
Joined Travelfish
13th May, 2009
Posts 21
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
Hi,
I am an Indian citizen. I am planning to travel to Laos via Bangkok-Chiang Mai-ChiangKhong- border. I understated that Thai visa can be obtained on arrival for 1000THB. But i read somewhere that this visa will be nullified on crossing the border and on reaching Laos. Now Lao visa costs another 40$ for Indians. I intend to travel back via Vientine, take overnight train to bangkok. Now at this stage should i take one more entry visa to Thailand? is there a way I can retain that Thai visa i took for 15 days while I am at Laos?
Thanx for any advice:)
#1 Posted: 14/7/2009 - 16:55
BruceMoon
Joined Travelfish
27th December, 2008
Location Australia
Posts 1941
Member profile
Profile page
Messaging not enabled.
anandgrafiti
I'm unsure whether I fully understand your post. I think you are saying/asking...
1/. I'm an Indian citizen.
2/. I am visiting Thailand soon as a tourist.
3/. After I arrive in Thailand, I want to leave Thailand and enter Laos via the Chiang Khong - Huay Xia border crossing.
4/. When I cross into Laos, I will have to pay 1000 baht to enter Laos.
5/. After Huay Xia, I plan to travel to Vientiane .
6/. After Vientiane, I plan to re-enter Thailand.
7/. When I leave Vientiane to re-enter Thailand, can I re-enter Thailand on the original visa i obtained when I first entered Thailand.
- - - -
The Travelfish advice regarding borders is found here...
http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/visabordercrossings/172_visa-and-border-crossing-news---please-read-this-before-postting-
It says a visa costs US$30 (or 1024 Thai baht) to enter Laos. However, you should add about US$1 to enter at that border.
- - -
In relation to point # 7, once you have left Thailand, your entry visa to Thailand will be cancelled.
When you choose to re-enter Thailand, you will have to get another visa.
because you plan to re-enter Thailand via a land crossing, your (re-entry) visa will be issued for only 15 days.
This (re-entry) visa will not cost you any maney.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
#2 Posted: 14/7/2009 - 18:51
------------------------------
An Australian Veteran globetrotting...
Advertisement
anandgrafiti
Joined Travelfish
13th May, 2009
Posts 21
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
Thank you BruceMoon,
Yes, you have got my questions pretty correctly. So here is what i gather after going through the resources.
As my country is not listed among the list of nationalities for whom a 30 day free visa is issued, and i do intend to re-enter Thailand by overland transport I need to take a tourist Visa at Bangkok for 15-30 days. I can exit Thailand at Chiang Khong, thereby canceling the Thai Visa I got from Bangkok, and getting a laos Visa. But on crossing the laos border again by overland mode, I can renew this visa without paying extra for another 15 days.
Am i correct?
#3 Posted: 14/7/2009 - 19:11
BruceMoon
Joined Travelfish
27th December, 2008
Location Australia
Posts 1941
Member profile
Profile page
Messaging not enabled.
anandgrafiti
Yep, you've got it.
A small matter. When you enter Thailand, if you enter via air, you will get a 30 day visa. If you enter overland, you get a 15 days visa.
Cheers
#4 Posted: 14/7/2009 - 19:41
------------------------------
An Australian Veteran globetrotting...
anandgrafiti
Joined Travelfish
13th May, 2009
Posts 21
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
Yes, I intend to fly to Bangkok. But I just saw this news ticker at the bottom of Thai Foreign affairs site saying:
All foreigners who apply for Tourist Visa at the Royal Thai Embassies and the Royal Thai Consulates-General worldwide, including eligible foreigners who apply for Visa on Arrival at designated checkpoints, will be exempted from Tourist Visa fee from 25 June B.E. 2552 (2009) to 4 March B.E. 2553 (2010). Such arrangement is for Tourist Visa only.
source--http://www.mfa.go.th/web/12.php
Hmm...a free entry huh?
#5 Posted: 14/7/2009 - 19:44
BruceMoon
Joined Travelfish
27th December, 2008
Location Australia
Posts 1941
Member profile
Profile page
Messaging not enabled.
anandgrafiti
Yep, but it always was.
The advert refers to a 60 days multiple entry visa.
If before the promotion you wanted a 60 day, multiple entry visa, you would have had to pay for it. Now, you can get ti free.
For you, the only advantage is if when you want to re-enter Thailand, you figured on staying longer than 15 days on that entry.
Assuming you don't, going to the Laos embassy and getting the visa seems more effort than its worth.
cheers
#6 Posted: 14/7/2009 - 19:47
------------------------------
An Australian Veteran globetrotting...
anandgrafiti
Joined Travelfish
13th May, 2009
Posts 21
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
I get what you are saying. But the Ad refers to free visa on arrival for 30-60 days at Bangkok through this promotional offer right? Otherwise, I recall i had to pay a 1000Baht fee for the same entry visa (Remember i am not from a country that is eligible for visa exception).
My plan is to arrive at bangkok, take a train to Chiang Mai, stay there for a day or two and then move to Chiang Khong. I will be taking a slow boat along the Mekong to Luang Prabong and after spending 2-3 days, I will take a bus down to Vientine via van Viang. And cross the friendship bridge back to Bangkok. I intend to leave Bangkok within 2 days after i cross the bridge.
So as i understand, with the promotional offer, I dont need to pay for anything for the Thai visa, but pay about 40$ for the Lao Visa.
#7 Posted: 14/7/2009 - 19:56
sayadian
Joined Travelfish
15th January, 2008
Posts 1434
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
Hi, anandgrafiti
There is an element of confusion here mainly because people still confuse the visa exemption stamp which some countries get.e.g USA, UK. with the visa on arrival which is available to other nationalities -India being one of them.If you are from UK for example you can arrive at the airport immigration and receive 30 days in Thailand as a visa exemption this is NOT a free visa it's an exemption.The visa on arrival which Indian citizens are eligible for cost 1000 baht and to get it you must show you have money and a ticket out.Also I think you have read,like me, that Thailand is offering free visas at Embassies as a form of apology for the airport hijack last year and to encourage tourists back.So if you got one you would still need to obtain another visa on your return from Laos. I wonder if you could obtain a free visa but get the on arrival one for 1000 baht and keep the other freebie for yor return.
Is anything simple in Thailand's convoluted bureaucracy!!!???
#8 Posted: 14/7/2009 - 22:54
------------------------------
money frees you from doing things you dislike,since I dislike doing nearly everything money is handy'
anandgrafiti
Joined Travelfish
13th May, 2009
Posts 21
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
sayadian,
Now I am confused:)
So you are saying the free visa that is being offered cannot be used to avail the 15 day stay on entering back to thailand from Laos. As I understand from BruceMoon, normally this visa though it may get cancelled on exiting Thailand, can be stamped back free of cost for a stay of max.15 days (Visa Run)
I was wondering why not use the free visa that is being offered in the same way as the normal torist multiple entry visa...
Am i missing something here?
#9 Posted: 14/7/2009 - 23:03
sayadian
Joined Travelfish
15th January, 2008
Posts 1434
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
I'm sorry Anandgrafiti. I didn't want to confuse you further but Thai bureaucracy can be a little complicated.I've found out now you will get your visa on arrival free.What I don't know is whether the border crossing you will use from Laos into thailand is also a 'designated crossing which issues visa on arrival. If it is, problem solved, you will get another free visa on arrival
- List of Thailand's Immigration Checkpoints which provides facilities for issuance of visa on arrival are as follow :
1. Savvanabhumi International Airport , Bangkok
2. Chiangmai International Airport , Chiangmai
3. Phuket International Airport , Phuket
4. Hatyai International Airport , Songkla
5. U Tapao Airport , Rayong
6. Mae Sai Immigration Checkpoint , Chiengrai
7. Chieng Saen Immigration Checkpoint , Chiengrai
8. Chieng Khong Immigration Checkpoint , Chiengrai
9. Betong Immigration Checkpoint , Yala
10. Sadoa Immigration Checkpoint , Songkla
11. Samui Immigration Checkpoint , Surat Thani
12. Sukhothai International Airport, Tak Immigration checkpoint
If you are not going through one of these you will have to obtain a tourist visa for your re-entry.
#10 Posted: 14/7/2009 - 23:21
------------------------------
money frees you from doing things you dislike,since I dislike doing nearly everything money is handy'
Advertisement
anandgrafiti
Joined Travelfish
13th May, 2009
Posts 21
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
Hmm..my plan is to re enter Thailand at the friendship bridge imigration checkpoint which i see is not authorised to give a visa on arrival. But I am wondering, since my intentions are not to travel/tourist across Thailand, and with my return flight booked just the day after am i not eligible for the 15 day fee re-entry stamp? Its all a bit confusing, at any case its still better than having to pay twice for using thailand as a transit point.
#11 Posted: 14/7/2009 - 23:34
anandgrafiti
Joined Travelfish
13th May, 2009
Posts 21
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
Also, hoping that since i am re entering Thailand by land from a country that shares its land border, the 15 day re-entry visa may not cost be any money...fingers crossed:)
#12 Posted: 14/7/2009 - 23:36
sayadian
Joined Travelfish
15th January, 2008
Posts 1434
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
the 15 day visa exemption coming through land borders and the 30 day visa exemption at airports do not apply to Indian citizens.(Mind you I am not 100% sure of this as I am from Europe)
Why don't you come back through one of the dedicated visa on arrival borders from Laos, make life simpler.
#13 Posted: 15/7/2009 - 00:18
------------------------------
money frees you from doing things you dislike,since I dislike doing nearly everything money is handy'
anandgrafiti
Joined Travelfish
13th May, 2009
Posts 21
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
HMm... its time i pay a visit to the thai embassy here. From the info on this page http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2491 as an indian citizen, i am eligible for visa on arrival at any of the 21 international check points. Now with the promotional offer which says
"All foreigners who apply for Tourist Visa at the Royal Thai Embassies and the Royal Thai Consulates-General worldwide, including eligible foreigners who apply for Visa on Arrival at designated checkpoints, will be exempted from Tourist Visa fee from 25 June B.E. 2552 (2009) to 4 March B.E. 2553 (2010). Such arrangement is for Tourist Visa only. "
Its logical to assume that this visa is made available free of cost at any of the international border checkpoints. I intend to enter at Bangkok, and re-enter again at Nong Khai Immigration Checkpoint, Nong Khai which is listed. So I assume the re-entry visa is again available for free.
#14 Posted: 15/7/2009 - 00:30
stickmansuc-
ks
Joined Travelfish
10th June, 2011
Posts 12
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
So the Lao visa is available at HUAY XAI when crossing to Lao from CHIANG KHONG ?
Thanks.
#15 Posted: 12/6/2011 - 21:34
Captain_Bob
Joined Travelfish
27th May, 2006
Location Thailand
Posts 1319
Member profile
Profile page
Messaging not enabled.
Better to make a new post rather than add on to a really old thread (same goes for thorn tree). But yes Laos 30-day visa is available on arrival for USD$30 or 35 depending on nationality ($42 for Canadians) or more if you pay in Thai baht.
#16 Posted: 13/6/2011 - 01:18
stickmansuc-
ks
Joined Travelfish
10th June, 2011
Posts 12
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
Thank you for info.
But i am sure that i will never understand and follow the "rule" about creating a new post instead of posting on old ones: if admins didn't want people to post on old thread they would close them and hide them from Google.
And posting on old posts is useful as potential people who could reply might get a notification of a new post in this thread where they previously posted.
Thanks again.
#17 Posted: 13/6/2011 - 01:24
exacto
Joined Travelfish
12th February, 2006
Location United States
Posts 2068
Member profile
Profile page
Private message
see Bob! no good deed goes unpunished.
#18 Posted: 13/6/2011 - 05:56
busylizzy
Joined Travelfish
31st December, 2007
Location New Zealand
Posts 1903
Member profile
Profile page
Private message
Likewise, the same question doesn't need to be posted 3 times in the same main forum!
#19 Posted: 13/6/2011 - 07:22
------------------------------
As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do.
Captain_Bob
Joined Travelfish
27th May, 2006
Location Thailand
Posts 1319
Member profile
Profile page
Messaging not enabled.
If you have a question it's usually best to make a new thread, not stir up some ancient one (which remain for historical reference)
(luxuries4millionaire on thorn tree same same ok? no need to post the same question numerous times - have a nice day)
#20 Posted: 13/6/2011 - 14:47