somtam2000
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#1 Posted: 2/4/2006 - 14:14

Below is a summary of visa regulations and border crossing information for Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. If you have updated information on a crossing, please add the information to this thread. PLEASE do not ask questions in this thread, rather ask your question as a new thread.

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Cambodian visa types and rules
Lao visa types and rules
Thai visa types and rules
Vietnamese visa types and rules

Thailand / Laos border crossings
Thailand / Cambodia border crossings
Thailand / Malaysia border crossings
Laos / Cambodia border crossings
Laos / Vietnam border crossings
Laos / China border crossings
Cambodia / Vietnam border crossings
Vietnam / China border crossings

Border map border crossings

Cambodia

Popular visa types: Tourist and Business
Both tourist and business visas are available on entry at the airports and at some of the international crossings. A tourist visa costs US$20, a business visa $25. At international airports you'll generally get the visa for that price, at overland crossings, overcharging may happen. You will require a pen and one photo. You can also apply for a Cambodian visa online through the Cambodia eVisa online website.

Extensions
A tourist visa can be extended once, for 30 days only. The extension costs US$45. Business visas can be extended pretty much forever on an annual basis. The fee for a year-long multiple entry extension is US$280. Both types of extensions take a day or two and are best handled through agents.

Validity issues
All tourist visas are single entry only. Business visas can be extended for a range of periods of time and can be multiple entry. The visa sticker for both types of visa are full page, so bear that in mind if you do not have many pages left.

Laos

Popular visa types: Tourist
The Tourist Visa for Laos can be issued at some entry points or via a travel agency or Lao consulate. Via an embassy the visa should cost around US$30 -- depending on your nationality.

Visa on arrival is reliably available at most overland crossings between Thailand and Laos, including the Huay Xai, Vientiane, Savannakhet, Tha Khaek and Chong Mek entry points. It is also available at both Vientiane and Luang Prabang airports (US$30 - cash only, one passport photo). Visa on arrival is not available at the Paksan crossing. Nor is it available at the Cambodia crossing.

If you get your visa beforehand from a Lao embassy it should be valid for 30 days. ALL visas on arrival are now valid for 30 days. Be wary of being stamped in for 15 days on a 30 day visa.

Extensions
Tourist visas can be extended on a daily basis.

Validity issues
All tourist visas are single entry only. The visa sticker for visas issued from an embassy are full page, so bear that in mind if you do not have many pages left.

Thailand

Thailand has a multitude of visa options and requirements -- you're best off going to the horse's mouth at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the full spiel.

If you're entering Thailand for tourism purposes and you're from one of the following 40 countries, you're eligible for a free 30-day stay in Thailand. You can leave Thailand and re-enter Thailand to get another 30 days for a total duration of 90 days within 6 months. This means, for example, if you're planning a trip to Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, which involves four stays in Thailand of ten days each, you DO NOT NEED to get a visa in advance. If you're planning on more than 90 days in Thailand though, you will need to look into getting a proper Tourist visa at a Thai consulate or embassy.

The fourty countries are:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vietnam.

Vietnam

Popular visa types: Tourist
The Tourist Visa for Vietnam must be issued before arrival and the typical visa is valid for 30 days. Depending on the consulate or embassy that issues it, the visa begins to expire from the day it is issued. Extension of Vietnamese visas is possible once you are in Vietnam.

The cost of a Vietnamese visa varies tremendously depending on where you apply -- a Vietnamese tourist visa costs A$70 in Sydney, Australia, but just US$25 in Jakarta, Indonesia and US$30 in Bangkok, Thailand. If you have the time, get your Vietnamese visa from a Vietnmese embassy somewhere in Asia.

Pauljaymes reports: Vietnam visas can be issued valid for set dates up to 30 days apart -- you specify this on the application form -- I currently have a post-dated visa issued at the consulate in Sihanoukville (cost $33).

You can see some brief information on Vietnam's border crossings by following the link to border crossings at the Vietnam Tourism official site.

Extensions
Yes, extensions are possible.

Border crossing details

This section is oft liable to change -- please use is solely as a general guide -- if you have an update, please make a report in this thread.

Thailand / Laos

Chiang Khong - Huay Xai
Open 08:00-18:00 7 days
A 30 day Lao visa on arrival is available for US$30 or 1,500B -- there's been many reports of the officials refusing to accept US cash (as they pocket the difference on the exchange rate). The Chiang Khong / Huay Xai crossing is one of the most popular crossing for independent travellers entering Laos from Thailand.

It is from Huay Xai that the slow boats to Luang Prabang, speed boats to Xieng Kok and land transport to Luang Nam Tha all commence, making this a veritable transport hub. After clearing customs on either side, it is a short five minute boat ride (costs 20B) over to the other side.

Thai Li - Nam Hueng
This fairly remote crossing would be a handy one to open up fully due to the fairly good road condition north to Pak Lai and onwards to Luang Prabang. Currently there are conflicting reports on its being open, although it appears it is easier to leave Laos this way than to enter it. There is no Lao visa on arrival available here, nor is there much at all in the way of regular pubic transport. See GT Rider for more information.

Nong Khai / Vientiane
Open 06:00-22:00 7 days
Lao visa on arrival is available at this crossing, the most popular means of entering Laos by land. The crossing is actually around 20km from Vientiane and a few km from the centre of Nong Khai, but regular and affordable transport is available in both directions.

Mukdahan / Savannakhet
Open 09:00-16:30
With the construction of the Friendship Bridge II over the Mekong, all foreigners planning on travelling between Thailand and Laos at this crossing are required to use the bridge. Coming from Thailand, a minibus from Mukdahan takes you across the bridge itself, where there always tuk tuk drivers waiting to take you into Savannakhet.

Nakhon Phanom / Tha Khaek
Open 08:30-15:00
This riverine crossing takes travellers from the riverfront of central Nakhon Phanom to the riverfront of central Tha Khaek. Boats run around a half dozen times a day, seven days a week. There is a small fee for the boat. Lao visas on arrival are available.

Chong Mek / Vang Tao
Open 06:00-19:00
For those planning on visiting Pakse from Thailand, the Chong Mek, Vang Tao crossing is the most convenient. From Thailand a regular bus runs from Ubon Ratchathani to the border town of Chong Mek taking 1-1.5 hours. Sometimes you may be required to change buses as Phibun Mangsahan depending on the bus caught. Once deposited at Chong Mek it is a five minute walk through each crossing and regular songtheaws run from Vang Tao to Pakse, taking about one hour. Visa on arrival is available. There is an ATM in Chong Mek.

Bueng Kan / Paksan
Open 08:00-16:30
From Laos, follow the sign off the main road, just passed the Manolom Guest House and follow the sign that says Port. A boat across the Mekong River costs 60B when full (seven to ten people). Arrive in the morning to catch the day-tripping Lao crossing to shop in Thailand to be sure of a full boat, otherwise it's 360B per boat to cross. No Lao visa on arrival is available crossing to the Lao side from Thailand, so be sure to get one ahead of time if you plan to use this border.

Ban Huay Kon / Muang Ngoen
Despites rumours to the contrary, this border crossing, at the very top of Nan province in Thailand, remains closed to foreign tourists. Should this change, there is accommodation available (with great views) at Ban Huay Kon.

Thailand / Cambodia

Aranyaprathet / Poipet
Open 07:00-20:00
This is, by far the most popular, and the most dysfunctional border crossing between Cambodia and Thailand. Cambodian visas on arrival are available. Crossing times can be in excess of three hours depending on the whims of the border officials, and, when combined with the often appalling state of the road to Siem Reap, it is almost worth flying (plus you'll then avoid Poipet which is an absolute armpit of a place). See the Tales of Asia website for the most in-depth coverage of this crossing.

Hat Lek / Ko Kong
Open 07:00-20:00
A very straightforward crossing, the Hat Lek / Ko Kong crossing is most convenient for those planing on travelling between Thailand's Ko Chang and the Sihanoukville beach area of Cambodia -- which you can travel to by road or boat depending on the weather conditions. There are numerous reports of the Cambodian officials here being particularly troublesome and asking ridiculous amounts of money for visa on arrival -- the easiest way around this is to arrive with a visa already in hand. If you need to get to an ATM, there is an ATM in the Thai town of Hat Lek. Expect to pay 80B - 100B for a moto from the boat landing to the border -- this should included the bridge toll.

Pauljaymes reports: From Ko Kong to Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville -- heard a story on the boat from a guy who'd been taken for a rough 15 hour ride from Ko Kong to Sihanoukville and had had such a nightmare he'd decided to get the boat straight back. Use the boat until the dry season and/or until the road's finished. Local ex-pats refer to the ferry as the 'Vomit Comet' -- be prepared for a bumpy ride.

Chong Jom / O Smach
We've not crossed here and have no information about it, but jaeng reports from a crossing in July 2005:
Border is open 07.00 - 20.00. There is no problem at all at the crossing gates of both sides. No line, no waiting, no extra fee. We hired a car with driver to Siem Reap for around 2,000 Baht.

Chong Sa Ngam / Anlong Veng
This crossing is very convenient to Anlong Veng but little else. If you are heading to Thailand via this crossing, there is no public transport from the border to any sizeable Thai towns, you will need to hitch a ride from the border for around 20km to a sealed road from where there is then occasional public buses, though you are better off to hitch at least as far as Route 24 along which there are very frequent buses.

Ban Pakard. Chantaburi / Phsa Prum, Pailin
This border allows for the fastest trip from Phnom Penh to Bangkok overland. The border is a thirty minute motorbike ride from Pailin and from the Thai side there are frequent minibuses to Chanthaburi an hour or so away. Cambodian visas on arrival are available.

Ban Laem, Chantaburi / Daun Lem, Battambang
We've not crossed here and have no information about it.

Thailand / Malaysia

There are at least seven border crossings between Thailand and Malaysia which are open to foreigners. Running east to west they are: Ban Ta Ba (actually at the border village Ban Ta Ba), Sungai Kolok, Betong, Sadao, Pedang Besar, Wang Prajan and Kuala Perlis. The four most popular crossings are the boat crossing at Kuala Perlis, Pedang Besar, Sadao and Sungai Kolok. The border crossings at Sadao and Pedang Besar and open 24 hours, the others, daylight hours only.

Ban Ta Ba / Pengkalan Kulor
This tiny crossing is a few kilometres south of the Thai town of Tak Bai in the far south of Narathiwat province. From Ban Ta Ba it is easy to arrange onwards transport by songthaew to Tak Bai, Sungai Kolok. Narathiwat and further afield. On the Malay side there are regular buses to Kota Bharu. If you're heading to the Perhentian Islands, this crossing is closer to Kota Bharu than Sungai Kolok.

Sungai Kolok / Rantau Panjang
This popular crossing (though less so due to the strife in southern Thailand) is a straightforward "walk over the bridge" style border crossing. There is loads of transport from the Sungai Kolok side to transport throughout Thailand, including the train station, which is a ten minute walk from the border. On the Malay side, there are taxi and bus services to Kota Bharu -- most likely your next stopping off point.

Betong
The Malay frontier is around 7km and is easily reached by share-taxi from Betong town. We've never crossed here so can't help on the niceties on the Malay side. If you have crossed here, please leave a message about it.

Sadao / Changlun
This is one of the most popular crossings used for visa runs in southern Thailand, but for onwards travel it isn't a great choice because of lack of transport on the Malay side. From Sadao, in Thailand, it is straightforward to take a bus or songtheaw onwards to Hat Yai. This crossing is open 24-hours.

Pedang Besar
Better than nearby Sadao, Pedang Besar can be reached by bus, train or taxi from both sides. Like Sadao, this crossing is open 24-hours. If you're crossing on the train, you will need to disembark to clear customs.

Wang Prajan
A pretty obscure crossing, Wang Prajan is near Thaleban National Park in Satun province -- in fact the park entrance is walking distance from the border. There are irregular songtheaws from Satun to the border, though as we've not crossed here we can't help on transport on the other side. If you have crossed here, please leave a message about it.

Kuala Perlis
This longtail trip takes you south from Thammalang pier (a half dozen km south of Satun) to the Malay town of Kuala Perlis. Boats depart regularly throughout the day and take an hour. Transport to Langkawi is also possible from Thammalang pier.

Laos / Cambodia

Veun Kham/ Dom Kralor
Open 08:00-17:00
This is a very popular crossing amongst travellers heading overland between Cambodia and Laos. Cambodian visa on arrival is available, but you will need to arrange your Lao visa in advance -- Lao visa on arrival is not available at this crossing. For more detailed on this crossing, please read our feature story on the Lao Cambodia border crossing.

Laos / Vietnam

Na Maew / Nam Xoi
Open 08:00-17:00
This crossing opened in 2004 and for those coming from Vietnam it offers convenient access into the bookdocks of Laos' Hua Phan province. It is a short ride from the border to Sam Neau.

Chunk79 reports from 13 October 2006: Six of us went through no problems although the Vietnamese check every bag quite thoroughly so it takes some time. To get there, we caught a bus from Sam Neua at 06:20 (although it didn't leave until 07:30) which ran all the way to Thanh Hoa in Vietnam (100,000 kip) arriving there about 16:30. There are lots of local buses north to Hanoi (3 hrs 40,000 dong) from Thanh Hoa. In theory there should be a more direct way to Hanoi but it wasn't evident from the bus. Not sure if the bus runs every day - it is definitely the only bus that goes all the way through.

There are songtheaws to the border from Sam Neua for 21,000 kip but there isn't much on the Vietnamese side to pick you up.

The bus doesn't go into Vieng Xai so if you choose to stay there (not a bad option in my opinion - it makes more sense than doing a day trip if you are heading over the border) you would need to wait for it on the main road outside of town.

Nam Phao / Cau Treo
Open 08:00-18:00
Convenient to the Lao town of Lak Xao and the large Vietnamese city of Vinh, this border is the crossing of choice for most overland travellers. Coming from Laos, the border is 34 km east of Lak Xao -- you can catch a bus to the border and then walk across to the other side, 500m away, and after entering Vietnam, find a connection to Vinh, about 100km away on the Vietnamese eastern coast, and from there to your city of choice in Vietnam. You'll need to have your Vietnamese visa in advance, of course. The border is open from 08:00 to 18:00 (or later, if the border guards don't feel like going home) and it 'closes' for lunch from 12:00 to 13:00, but they still sometimes process people during lunch just for the heck of it. Stamping out of Laos costs 2,000 kip during regular hours, 12,000 kip after 16:30 and on weekends and holidays. There is an exchange booth on the Laos side open during operating hours where you can pick up some dong at unattractive rates. Best to just pay in dollars on the other side (baht are harder to get rid of) and if you happen to pass through Pakse en-route, check out the Lao-Vietnam bank for a much better rate on dong.

PaulJaymes reports from 4th August, 2006: Vietnam border guards were very thorough with my passport and I nearly didn't get in. Transport is challenging but cross-border traders hanging around the bus station in Lak Sao will run you into Vietnam after filling up the rest of the bus with a lot of random cargo. Agree a price first but don't hand over any money until you're sure you're in Vinh or Hanoi (or wherever you're supposed to be going).

Dansavanh / Lao Bao
Open 08:00-17:00
This was the first land border between Laos and Vietnam to open for international travellers, it was for a long time the most popular, but many now opt for the more northern crossing near Lak Xao instead. This crossing is convenient for Hue in Vietnam and Savannakhet in Laos.

NamCan / Nam Khan
Open 08:00-17:00
Convenient to the Lao town of Phonsavan and the large Vietnamese city of Vinh, this border is the crossing of choice for most overland travellers. Coming from Vinh there are buses to Phonsavan departing at 6:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, costing 142,000 VND (100,000 Laos kip). The trip is 403 km and should take about 12 hours. Through buses to Luang Prabang leave at 06:00 as well, on Wednesdays and Sundays only. The 690 km journey costs 325,000 VND (216,000 Laos kip). Vietnamese passengers pay less (but then again, they pay taxes and you don't!) Lao visas on arrival are available.

dragon reports from 7 January 2007: There is a regular bus from Phonsavan (Laos) to Vinh (Vietnam) which leaves at 06:30 on Tuesday,Thursday, Friday and Sunday and takes about 13 hours to recah Vinh, costing 110,000 kip. It leaves Vinh the next day for the trip back. Expect all your bags to be checked on entering Vietnam.

Bo Y
Travelfish crossed here: 7 February 2007
Despite what you might hear elsewhere (especially from Vietnamese embassy officials) the border at Bo Y is wide open to foreigners, and now provides an interesting, if somewhat challenging, way to enter Vietnam. Of course, as ever, you'll need to have obtained a valid Vietnamese visa before hitting the border.

This entry point makes the most sense if you are winding up your Laos visit in the southeastern provinces of Salavan, Sekong and Attapeu, and you don't fancy making the ridiculously circuitous trip to the Lao Bao border via Savannakhet. You can also get to Attapeu from Pakse -- show up at the Southern Bus Terminal at the 8-kilometre market any time before 09:00 and something will be leaving eventually, usually before 10:30 -- price 30,000 kip. In that case, you probably won't be able to make it to Attapeu and cross the border in the same day, and you'll have to overnight in Attapeu. Better yet, plan several days -- Attapeu is a good little town and there are a number of interesting things to do.

In Attapeu, mini-buses for Bo Y leave in the morning from in front Thi Thi Restaurant -- the Vietnamese place near Thanh Nga Guesthouse, which the locals call "Ban Pak Khun Viet". Makes sense to spend the night there because mini-vans leave in the morning -- the first departure is at 07:00. There should be departures until 10:00, but don't count on it and arrive early. It's all very loosey goosey right now since the service is primarily used by Vietnamese migrant workers and everybody knows the drill. They also leave packed to the gills: there were 15 people in the ten-passenger van when we made the trip.

The price to Bo Y is 80,000 kip. It's 119km from Attapeu to Bo Y -- a nail-biting ride on incredibly twisty mountain roads which the drivers like to take as fast as they can. The scenery is beautiful, but if you're prone to motion sickness, take something for it. Two of the Vietnamese passangers lost their lunch on our trip (out the windows, thankfully!)

The border process is fairly straightforward, and there are no regular fees levied on either side. Once everyone is processed (which can take forever) the vans continue on to the town of Ngoc Hoi, 18km on the other side of the border. The entire process from Attapeu takes about three hours. Transport options are available from in Ngoc Hoi to just about anywhere you want to go, but many morning departures will require another overnight stay. There are plenty of places to stay right near the bus station, with very acceptable double rooms for US$10. Internet is located 300m west of the bus station on the right.

The nearest spot on the tourist trail is Kon Tum, 68km east of Ngoc Hoi -- there's only one bus in the afternoon, and it leaves at 17:00, 30,000 dong, takes 2 hours. It drops off in Kon Tum at the bus terminal 2km from the centre of town. This same bus continues to Saigon (150,000 dong).

Sop Hun / Tay Trang
This border has finally opened to international travellers. Khop chai lai lai to Matam for the following report who crossed the border in late July 2007:

To get into Vietnam, a bus leaves three times a week from Muang Khua on the Lao side for Dien Bien Phu on the Vietnamese side. The bus leaves at 07:00, and costs 40,000 kip. You cannot get a Vietnamese visa on arrival -- you must get it beforehand -- you will need to do it before hand in Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng or Vientiane. In the opposite direction buses leave three times a week from Dien Bien Phu to Muang Khua. I don't know the time scheduele or what exact days, nor the price -- ask at the bus station in Dien Bien Phu. However, you can get a Lao visa on arrival at the border.

Laos / China

Boten / Mengla
Open 08:00-17:00
This is the only Lao border that is currently open to independent travellers, Lao visas on arrival are available. The border is around 10km from the popular Lao town of Muang Sing.

Cambodia / Vietnam

Bavet / Moc Bai
This was the first crossing between Cambodia and Vietnam to open to foreign travellers and it remains easily the most popular. Daily buses regularly ply the Saigon - Phnom Penh route and the service is both fast and affordable.

Kaam Samnor / Ving Xuong
This very popular riverine crossing links from Cambodia to the Vietnamese town of Chau Doc. This crossing can be done on an organised deal by boat from Phnom Penh to Saigon, or you can do it piecemeal.

Phnom Den / Tinh Bien
Not far south of Chau Doc, this crossing is open to foreign travellers, though we've not crossed there in person. Luckily, sooeyes reports:
We crossed from Tinh Bien in Vietnam to Phnom Den on March 28th, 2007 and the Cambodian border official informed us that foreigners can now arrange a visa on arrival at this crossing. He didn't say how much it would cost. As far as getting to the crossing, we took mototaxis from Ha Tien (US$10) or you can take the bus, but the bus takes almost twice as long. Transport on the other side to Kampot is a little sparse, may be easier to get to Phnom Pehn. You can take a mototaxi or have one of the officials call a taxi from town. We paid US$55 to get to Kampot, but we had a Khmer speaker with us.

Prek Chak / Xa Xia
Yes, the Cambodia/Vietnam coastal border crossing is open and travellers with a valid Vietnamese visa can enter Vietnam at the Prek Chak / Xa Xia crossing a twenty minute motorbike ride from Kep. A moto to the border from Kep costs around US$7 and onwards transport to Ha Tien in Cambodia is available.

Le Thanh / O Yadao crossing NEW!
Left Pleiku at 8am, arrived Ban Lung just before 2pm, so this trip is just under six hours door to door. Border crossing on the Vietnamese side is called Le Thanh. The crossing on the Cambodian side is called O Yadao. In the Vietnam to Cambodia direction, the Cambodian Immigration officials insist that a visa for Cambodia is available upon arrival at O Yadao. I did not need to get a visa for Cambodia at their Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. In the Cambodia to Vietnam direction, as usual, a visa for Vietnam must be in your passport before heading for the border crossing.

At the bus station in Pleiku, two of the moto drivers who hang around out front speak English and are aware that this crossing is now open to foreigners. However, they want about 300,000 dong for a ride to Le Thanh from Pleiku. Alternatively, take a yellow local bus to Duc Co from the central market in Pleiku for about 15,000 dong and then a moto from Duc Co to Le Thanh. It is about 60km from Pleiku to Duc Co and then about 20 KM from Duc Co to Le Thanh. The road is paved and smooth all the way -- on the Vietnamese side. There is a huge new immigration building under construction at Le Thanh but for now, the old shack is still in use. It is just behind the new building. Vietnamese moto drivers hang around in the market just in front of the border station for a ride to Duc Co or Pleiku respectively.

Once past the Vietnamese Immigration officials, walk about 100 meters to the Cambodian Immigration station, where you will need to wait until someone offers a ride to Ban Lung. The front seat in a share taxi all to yourself is US$15 one way, which is the luxury way to go. A ride on the back of a moto is US$10, but be advised that the road on the Cambodian side is under reconstruction and is really dusty and bumpy all the way to Banlung. It is about 70km on this road so a ride in a share taxi really is the only way to go. In my case, one of the friendly Cambodian Immigration guys just happened to be going to Ban Lung in his car so he drove after stamping my passport. Four wheel drive trucks also do this run from time to time and a ride in the back would be cheaper but very miserable given the state of the road on the Cambodian side.

In Ban Lung, for the trip to Pleiku, there are a number of options. Firstly, simply visit the bus station / share taxi stand just in front of the main market to ask if anyone is going to O Yadao. A visa for Vietnam must be in your passport beforehand. Alternatively, stay at Nordic Guest House, just up the road from Yeak Laom Lake, where the management is up to date about how to get to O Yadao. Or contact Mr Lim, a tour guide in Banlung who takes people to the border crossing after showing them the countryside around Banlung. Contact him from inside Cambodia on either (012) 237 462 or (011) 578 458. When calling from overseas, drop the first 0 and add 855, the country code for Cambodia.

For a bit of fun at the Cambodian Immigration Station, ask to speak with Sokun. He is an Immigration official who used to work as a tour guide in Cambodia. His English is excellent, and his sense of humour even better. He knows all about the O Yadao area, including the jungle woman. Enjoy your visit.

Some pictures from the roads used on this trip are on http://picasaweb.google.com/sfogm9/PleikuBanlungOverland

Major hat-tip and thankyou to George for the report

Vietnam / China

Mong Cai / Dong Hung
Mong Cai Border Gate is in the northeast of Quang Ninh Province, 176km from Halong City, 327km from Hanoi. From Halong City, along the highway 18 to Mong Cai Town, and then across the Mong Cai Border Gate to China.

Dong Dang/Pingxiang
Open till at least 18:00
Pauljaymes reports from 13th August 2006: The guy at the Vietnamese side didn't seem too bothered about anything, particularly details like taking my departure form and even stamping the forms of new arrivals. Make sure you get all the stamps you need. The Chinese side of the border is a building site and the huge immigration building with X-Rays and escalators looked brand new, but deserted and again no-one seemed particularly bothered about much. No visa on arrival was available.

Touts change Dong into RMB at reasonable rates once you pass through the arch on the Chinese side. I'm guessing when you're coming the other way you need to do this before you cross. As far as I could see there were no ATMs or banks anywhere so the touts may be your only option (and Dong and RMB are both unexchangeable so you'll be pushed to find any before you get there). A taxi to Pingxiang cost me 30RMB and a bus to Nanning was 50. Once in Nanning you can get a local bus for 2RMB into the city and there are plenty of ATMs/banks/moneychangers etc. So get a minimum of 100RMB per person at the border if you're heading for Nanning.

Coming the other way getting to Hanoi is likely to cost you about 100,000 dong. Shared taxis run from the border to Lang Son where you can pick up a variety of buses or the train to Hanoi. You'll probably need at least another 40,000 dong to get from the bus station in Hanoi to wherever you're staying in Hanoi, though taxis/motos will happily detour to ATMs if you need them to.

Lao Cai / Hekou border
Open daily 07:00 to 22:00
The closest border crossing to Sapa and Kunming, some nationalities, including Australians and some Europeans, can buy one-month Chinese visas on the spot on the Vietnamese side of the Lao Cai / Hekou border for US$45 -- processing takes an hour. But Brits, Americans and a list of others have to get visa'ed up in Hanoi. Be sure to check with the Chinese embassy before you arrive at the border, and it probably makes sense to arrive with a visa in your passport in any case. Going the other way, of course, no visa on arrival is available. The number for the visa office at the border is: (0913) 388 890.

Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam border crossing map

Please find below a map of all the main international crossings.

somtam2000
admin
mahout
Posts: 2548

Located in:
Indonesia

#2 Posted: 2/4/2006 - 15:15


If you'd like to add an update to one of the crossings above, please use the following format -- if you don't have all the information, that's ok, we'll forgive you!

Border name:
Date used:
Opening hours:
Visa on arrival available:
Your nationality (this is useful as not all nationalities get the same treatment):
Comments:

For example (This is an example - not an update!):

Border name: Hat Lek / Ko Kong
Date used: March 2006
Opening hours: 8am-8pm
Visa on arrival available: Yes, $20, though the Cambodian officials ask for $30
Your nationality: New Zealander
Comments: Very smooth crossing. The officials hassled us for some "overtime" but settled for $2. Took ten minutes to get to the crossing by motorbike from Ko Kong town. There are minibuses from the Thai side to Trat.

silverwood
newbie
Posts: 4

#3 Posted: 19/5/2006 - 15:33


Hue to Savannakhet overland border crossing

My friend and I recently travelled overland from Hue in Veitnam to Svannakhet in Laos. We bought our bus tickets in Hoi An and paid $25 with a promise that there would only be one bus for the whole journey (we had a lot of luggage and didn't want to have to lug it between vehicles). The agent got the tickets through An Phu Tourist Service. When we arrived in Hue the night before we saw many other agencies advertising the same service for between $11 and $15. We were picked up at our hotel at 6am the following morning. We changed from a bus to a stinky old mini van at Dong Ha, had to lug all our luggage between the border posts and were put on another different bus from the border to Savannakhet. The whole trip took around 10 hours.
I would recommend that travellers don't use the An Phu service and don't pay any more than $15 for your ticket. My friend and I already had visas, but other travellers were conned into paying $35 when the actual cost should only be $30. You don't need an 'agent' to get you a visa at the border post, you can to go to the Immigration window and get the forms yourself from staff.

somtam2000
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#4 Posted: 8/8/2006 - 17:49


If you're after a visa for Vietnam in Jakarta,Indonesia here's the lowdown:

Address:
25 Teuku Umar, Menteng. Consular Tel: (021) 321 8537. The staffer I dealt with spoke great English but not a bar of Indonesian...

Hours:
Open 09:00-16:00 Monday to Friday
Note they are closed for lunch from 11:30-13:30, but they don't volunteer that info on the phone (I found out the hard way ;-)

Tourist Visa costs:
One month single entry USD 25
One month multiple entry USD 40
Upto six months multiple entry USD 70
One year multiple entry USD 100

All visas take three working days.
Express (same day) service has a 30% surcharge
2 day service, 20% surcharge.

Theoretically you need to apply in the morning (before the long lunch) and pick up between 15:00 and 16:00 -- I applied in the afternoon no problems.

You can pay in Rupiah if you want, but they'll use a crappy exchange rate (10,000).

somtam2000
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mahout
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#5 Posted: 1/9/2006 - 04:51


Getting a Vietnamese visa in Sydney, Australia

Go to the Consulate on the 2nd floor, Edgecliff Centre, 489 New South Head Rd, Double Bay. Office is open Mon-Fri 09.30-12.30 and 1.30-4.30.

Standard 1 month tourist visa costs a whopping A$70 for the 5-working-day service A$100 for next day and $150 for a same day service, though a same day service cannot always be guaranteed to be available.

You need one passport photo, the form filled out and the fee. While I was asked to bring an itinerary on the phone, I didn't need it.

somtam2000
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#6 Posted: 21/1/2007 - 08:24


We've just incorporated the past comments into the main post above -- please keep the border reports coming -- they're much appreciated! Thanks again to pauljaymes, chunk79, dragon and ReneHanoi for taking the time to make past reports.

jaeng
newbie
Posts: 2

#7 Posted: 9/2/2007 - 03:05


Border name: Chong Jom / O Smach
Date used: july 2005
Opening hours: 07.00 - 20.00
Visa on arrival available: not sure
Your nationality : USA (husband), Thai (me)
Comments: Got Lao visa from Khonkaen in 10 mins. Forgot something at
the consulate. Later on a guy from consulate found us at the Vietnam Consulate. What's a service!
There is no problem at all at the crossing gates of both sides. No line. no wait. No extra fee. We hired a car with driver to SiemReap around 2000 Baht.

krisztinita
newbie
Posts: 3

#8 Posted: 16/2/2007 - 12:57


hi,

i see this report: "Chunk79 reports from 13 October 2006: Six of us went through no problems although the Vietnamese check every bag quite thoroughly so it takes some time. To get there, we caught a bus from Sam Neua at 06:20 (although it didn't leave until 07:30) which ran all the way to Thanh Hoa in Vietnam (100,000 kip) arriving there about 16:30"

I would like to find out on which day of the week Chunk79 managed to get a bus to Thanh Hoa? I read many sites about this and found differing information on this..

Thanks to anyone who could help with this.

Krisztina

sooeyes
newbie
Posts: 2

#9 Posted: 29/3/2007 - 18:56


HA TIEN...FINALLY OPEN

Border name: Ha Tien, Vietnam
Date used: wish I had
Opening hours: probably the same as Tihn Bien/Phnom Den (8 am to 4pm)
Visa on arrival available: don't think so
Your nationality (this is useful as not all nationalities get the same treatment): American
Comments: According to the Cambodia border official at the Phnom Den crossing, the Ha Tien crossing opened to foreigners on March 26. We crossed on the 28th and he said it had been open for two days. This is the most convenient crossing if you are in Ha Tien, literally a 10 minute moto ride from the market and another 45 or so minutes to Kampot in Cambodia. You do need to have a prearranged visa to use this crossing. A moto will definitely take you to the border for around 10,000 Dong, probably less, and they may even agree to take you all the way to Kampot, if you cough up some coffee money for the border officials.

sooeyes
newbie
Posts: 2

#10 Posted: 29/3/2007 - 19:00


TIHN BIEN/PHNOM DEN
We crossed from Tihn Bien in Vietnam to Phnom Den on March 28th and the Cambodian border official informed us that foreigners can now arrange a visa on arrival at this crossing. He didn't say how much it would cost.
As far as getting to the crossing, we took mototaxis from Ha Tien ($10) or you can take the bus, but the bus takes almost twice as long. Transport on the other side to Kampot is a little sparse, may be easier to get to Phnom Pehn. You can take a mototaxi or have one of the officials call a taxi from town. We paid $55 USD to get to Kampot, but we had a Khmer speaker with us.

somtam2000
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#11 Posted: 16/6/2007 - 09:35


Ha Tien border crossing open -- OFFICIAL

According to this post on the Lonely Planet Thorntree, the much anticipated coastal border crossing between Cambodia and Vietnam is now officially open for foreigners.

The crossing, close to Kep in Cambodia and Ha Tien in Vietnam, will allow travellers to head from Ko Chang in Thailand to Phu Quoc in Vietnam without passing through central Cambodia.

According to the report, neither Cambodian, nor Vietnamese visas are available at the crossing. You must have your visa beforehand.

The poster goes on to say:

"The Ha Tien destination is so new that the tour operators and motodops in Kampot haven't settled on a standard price for a moto to the border for foreigners yet. I talked to four different people and was quoted US$5-$15 for a motodop and $10-$25 for a tuk-tuk. The real price will probably settle around $8-$10 for a motodop and $15 or more for a tuk tuk.

There is not much at the crossing point. Checkpoint shacks and the new immigration building. No foreigner services. Nobody except one of the immigration cops seemed to speak English. No obvious waiting onward transportation. Maybe it's there but I didn't see it.

A guy in a coffee shop on the Cambodian side of the border told me that once you are on the Vietnamese side, a motodop to Ha Tien costs about $2-$3 and to Ba Hon a bit more. He said you can catch a boat to Phu Quoc from either town but that Ba Hon was better."

wigboy
newbie
Posts: 3

#12 Posted: 9/10/2007 - 12:49


Savannakhet to Mukdahan Feb/2007

Farang are no longer permitted to cross river via boat. All travel must be done by bus. No walking or cycling across either. Ran into 2 cyclists that were stopped from riding across and had to have themselves and their bicycles driven over by someone with a truck. In addition to the cost of the bus in either direction, there is also a bridge toll to help pay for the cost of the bridge I suppose. I can't recall the cost, but 80 baht seems to ring a bell.

These are two GREAT places! The people in Savannakhet were the warmest I had met during my entire 6 months in SE Asia. Do yourself a favour and spend sometime here before the Thai Casino gets built and the Highway from Thailand to Vietnam is completely filled with honking trucks.

wigboy
newbie
Posts: 3

#13 Posted: 9/10/2007 - 13:19


Vietnam to Laos - Lao Bao/Dansavanh Jan/2007

Visas for Laos at the crossing. Very fast into Laos. Into Vietnam... not so much. The highway from the border into Savannakhet, Laos is brand new and very fast in prepartion for trading from Thailand through to Vietnam.

I got my Laos Visa in Da Nang at the Consulate. Mine was a 30 day Visa, but a British couple I was always running into ended up with a 60 day Visa for the same price. I didn't actually see their stamp, but they were told by the office that they may as well get the 60 considering it was the same price.

Also, I took a bus from Hue to Savannakhet. After being picked up in a sketchy looking mini bus, we transfered at Dong Ha into a "real" bus which was pretty crowded already, but at least it was a bus. This bus took us all the way to the border and through to Savannakhet, Laos. From what I gathered at the time, Sinh Cafe Tours was the only company that "truly"(no matter what they tell you!)continues on past the border. I saw hoards of people stranded on the Laos side after walking across(which you have to do), and left to catch local buses after paying fares to go all the way. I imagine that with the ASEAN trade, there will more companies able to provide this as well.

Try to exchange all of your Dong before the border as rates get worse and worse the closer you get. Money traders actually hop on and exchange, and it is impossible to spend once you're more than 30 min past the border. If you plan to stay a few days, keep in mind you'll need to have a fair bit of cash on hand. The next and only Laos bank machine is in Vientiane, unless you go right through to Mukdahan, Thailand which voids your "single entry" visa for Laos. Not too sure about credit cards in Savannakhet either.

od
newbie
Posts: 2

#14 Posted: 22/10/2007 - 12:13


Border name: Bo Y (from Vietnam to Laos)
Date used: 19.10.2007
Opening hours: no idea
Visa on arrival available: no idea
Your nationality (this is useful as not all nationalities get the same treatment): Finland

Comments: Took a bus from Kontum to Ngoc Hoi. Several busses leave daily and cost 15000 dongs. From Ngoc Hoi it is about 20 km to Bo Y border crossing, took a moto ride for this.

On Vietnamese side it was dead silent. I actually had to look and search a little bit before I found an official who seemed to be rather surprised to see me there all alone. He took his time going thru my passport and obviously was a bit dazzled as I didn't have a Vietnamese visa (as a Finnish citizen, don't need one when staying under 14 days in Vietnam).

It was about 1 km walk on a silent road to Laos side of this border. On Laos side, there were a few officials who just put stamp on my passport and the whole process took a minute or two. There was a small shop where you could pick up water or soda etc.

I tried asking about how I could get a ride to Attapeu but no one seemed to have an idea. I decided I just start walking away from the border and maybe I could hitch a ride or something. It's about 115 km to Attapeu.

After walking for one hour on a small road in middle of jungle and no vehicle had passed me I thought that maybe this wouldn't turn up to be as easy as I thought.

Then heard a car coming, raised my thumb but the driver just waved his hands and I continued walking.

Half hour later, I finally got a ride from moto for about lenght of 5 km to a small shop/restaurant where some (apparently) road construction workers were hangin out. One of them spoke a few words of english but not enough for me to know how to get a ride to Attapeu. So, I bought some noodles, hanged out with these workers and just waited for a vehicle to pass by...

Two hours later, a Vietnamese bus was coming along the road from the border. I stopped the bus and got a ride to Attapeu for 100000 dongs. Left Kontum at 8.00 in morning, arrived Attapeu at about 16.00.

So, my advice is that... if you want to do this crossing "independently", leave Vietnam on morning as early as possible. There are not many people using this road and there certainly isn't public transport leaving on either Vietnam or Laotian side of this border crossing.

johnes
newbie
Posts: 1

#15 Posted: 18/4/2008 - 01:29


Vietnam to Laos, Tay Trang/Sobhoun crossing. Dec 18th 2007.

Visa on arrival is available, I paid something around 30-40 USD with a Finnish passport.

Travelling alone, I arrived from Sapa to Dien Bien Phu on a long and eventful bus ride, which was supposed to be 6 hours but ended up being 10 hrs. Great scenery on the way, but the Vietnamese uncle trying to pimp me one of the girls in the bus for half of the ride with sign language, was a bit annoying after a while.

I stayed over night in Dien Bien Phu. I managed to find a few fellow travellers who were trying to get to Lao, and we hired a taxi to take us to the border as there were no buses that day. The buses go only every second day very early (around 5-6 am i think) in the morning towards Lao and Muang Khua. The taxi dropped us at the border, and there were no problems for any of us (the others were belgian and japanese). We walked over the border along a dirt road for around 1-2km and reached the Lao border, where we got our visas issued and passports stamped. The border guards were in no hurry, so we had to wait until they finish their game of petanque while chicken and pigs were running around.

It is good to check your visa to see if they issued you the correct amount of days, which in my case was 30, but they initially gave me only 14. A bit of skillful stamp forgery and they got it to look like 30. Some of the Lao border guards speak surprisingly good english compared to anyone in Vietnam, so communication shouldn't be a problem.

They were building a much fancier border crossing station at the Vietnamese side now that the border is more open, that should be ready by now. If you don't take the morning bus, transport away from the Lao border station to Muang Khua (70km, 4 hrs) can be a problem, as there was no regular transport at the time, and the're is almost no traffic on the road. Some luck, patience and maybe negotiating with the border guards should get you results, but remember, this is Lao, and in Lao, everything happens at a slower pace. We managed to hitch hike a ride with a lorry coming from Vietnam for 7USD each. It was one of the scariest but most exciting rides of my life, as there was 8 of us stuffed in the cockpit of the lorry and the driver was nuts/high and driving like crazy on the narrow mountain roads. I'm sure we killed at least a few chicken and pigs in the tiny villages we passed by, and injured a motorcyclist. The driver just laughed and went on with his horn honking.

The bus over the border shouldn't be too hard to find, just ask around in the guesthouses in either Muang Khua or DBP depending on which direction you're going.
I cannot remember which days the buses go in which direction, but it works so that if for example from Lao to VNam they leave mon, wed, fri, then from VNam to Lao they come back on tue,thu,sat. If you trust in pure luck, be ready to getting stuck for a day or two waiting for the bus. If you're in a hurry you can figure out private transport like a motorbike ride or a taxi if there's more of you.
I dont know how it works into Vietnam, to be sure you should probably get a Visa in advance. Finnish (and other Scandinavian) citizens get a free 14 day visa to Vietnam upon arrival, but I'm not sure if they issue it at Tay Trang.

Muang Khua is nice and relaxing after hectic and noisy Vietnam, and I highly recommend taking the slow boat down Nam Ou to Muang Ngoi Neua, its a beautiful trip (6-8 hours, 100,000 kip). If youre on a budget and dont mind bumpy rides, you can take a bus, its cheaper.

I highly recommend this border crossing for those who like a bit of adventure, IMO the surroundings are amongst the most beautiful in Vietnam/Laos.

liquefiedstars
backpacker
Posts: 13

#16 Posted: 9/5/2008 - 10:55


An update on somtam's post above on getting a Vietnamese visa in Sydney.

The Consulate is still at Level 2, Edgecliff Centre (although strangely the address is now noted differently):
Suite 205, level 2, Edgecliff Centre
203 - 233 New South Head Road,
Edgecliff, NSW, 2027

Tel: 02 93271912 / 02 93272539
Fax: 02 93281653
Email: info@vnconsulate.org.au

Opening hours have changed:
Mon-Fri 09.30-12.30 and 1.30-4.30.

Standard 1 month tourist visa is still a whopping A$70. Takes 4 working-days.

If you go in person, they accept cash, bank cheque or money order...but not credit cards.

And most importantly - the visa starts run out from the date of arrival as indicated by you on the application form, NOT from the date issue.

Hope that helps.

maggiebsfc929
newbie
Posts: 2

#17 Posted: 4/6/2008 - 16:16


Hi to all :)

My initial stay will be in Hanoi. can anyone tell me what is the best way to go from Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu? Also, was wondering if the Boarder crossing at Dien Bien Phu is open for tourist? From that border what can i take going to Luang Prabang? Please help. Thanks much.

If the border at Dien Bien Phu is not open, what is the next best border crossing to take going to Luang Prabang?

My itinerary would consist of Hanoi to Luang Prabang to Chang Mai then back to Hanoi. Is this possible? Would appreciate any suggestions. Again, thanks.