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AJARN TOM
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Just wanted to share my experience getting a free 60-day tourist visa from Vientiane. I took the night train to Nong Kai 2nd class aircon sleeper upper bunk for 688 baht, then cleared Thai Immigration at the Nong Kai train station and took the 20 baht train across the Friendship Bridge to Laos. Lao visa on arrival available for US$35 (don't know if they accept baht) plus 1 passport photo but I got mine at the Lao Embassy in BKK. Vans to Vientiane and Vang Vieng await passengers after clearing Lao Immigration; I paid 100 baht to Vientiane. Visa processing has moved from the Thai Embassy to a new building on Bourichane Road and is open 0830-1200 for visa applications. Thai visa application forms are available there or download. The visa application requires 2 small passport photos, a copy of your passport photo page, a copy of the latest Thai visa stamp, and a copy of the latest Thai exit stamp. There's a copy vendor on the 2nd floor and they know what is required. To save time I suggest downloading the form and completing it before arriving because they won't give you a queue number unless you have a completed application (you can get passport copies after you receive a number). Once you hand in the visa application you will directed to the office to pay (if necessary) for the visa, then return the next business day between 1300-1500 to collect your passport. I was there on a Monday morning and was in and out in about 1.5 hours. The visa application office is an open-air covered waiting area so it can get hot but there are food and drink vendors nearby. There's an excellent pho noodle shop nearby too.
Coming back to Thailand is easy aircon buses to Nong Kai and Udon leave the bus station behind the Talat Sao Morning Market several times a day. I bought my ticket to Udon at my hotel for 250 baht which included a ride to the bus station. When leaving Laos there's a departure tax of 2,500 kip or 10 baht.
I stayed at the Lao Paris Hotel on Samsenthai Road, was quoted 1,000 baht a night but I asked (in Thai) for a discount got down to 800 per night. The room is the same one I stayed in 7 years ago, number 102. The rate includes air, fridge, cable TV, breakfast, bottled water, free Internet and Wi-fi and the hotel is spotlessly clean. There's a French restaurant in the hotel run by a Frenchman. There are plenty of cheaper guesthouses nearby as well. Along the river there are many Western restaurants and Lao/Thai food street vendors. Restaurants and vendors will take baht. There are ATM's and exchange booths available too. Unfortunately views of the river were obstructed by fencing for a construction project along the riverbank. As for P4P I didn't partake even though the night manager of my hotel said he could send ladies to my room. There are some streetwalkers along the Namphu fountain circle after dark. Hobomaps.com has a very detailed map of Vientiane available for download.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:31 pm on May 30, 2010
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retiredintahoe
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AT,
Great detailed information. I saved it in case it becomes useful. Thanks for posting - a good example of how useful this forum could be.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 1:36 am on May 31, 2010
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AJARN TOM
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Thanks RIT I was half expecting someone to criticize my post for not enough info LOL!
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:48 am on May 31, 2010
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vox
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Note that roundtrip airfare on AirAsia, BKK to Udon, is under 2,000 right now, IMO a way better and more comfortable way to go than the train for not a whole lot more money. Vans from Udon airport to the bridge for 200.
Never pay for your Lao visa on arrival at the Friendship Bridge in baht, they will totally ream you on the exchange rate...have USD ready, or do as the OP did and get your visa in advance in Thailand.
P4P in Vientiane now is quite good, a big improvement in the FL department over even just 3 years ago: several good FL joints, Bor Pen Nyang on the river until midnight, Samlor Pub 12-2 am, and the Don Chan disco in the high-rise hotel a bit south along the river is open until 3 am, gets going at about 12:30.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 4:31 am on May 31, 2010
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haam sup
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Just to second the recommendation on the Lao Paris Hotel. I stayed there several years ago, and found it excellent, great location, with plenty of food nearby.
Thanks for the update, Tom.
hs
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 11:34 am on May 31, 2010
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vox
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I stayed recently at the Lao Inter City, right on the road that runs along the Mekong, a few doors down from the fourth floor Bor Pen Nyang (freelancer bar), very convenient! $30 US rooms without river view, $55 with (and with the irrigation project currently underway with all the attendant dust and noise, river views are not so desirable!).
Not the fanciest rooms in the world, but quite serviceable, and the decor of all the public areas in the hotel is quite nice. Extremely guest friendly too, haha. Oh yes, decent wi-fi throughout as well.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:57 pm on June 10, 2010
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Shredded Wheat
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Quote: from vox on 9:31 am on May 31, 2010
..Never pay for your Lao visa on arrival at the Friendship Bridge in baht, they will totally ream you on the exchange rate...have USD ready, or do as the OP did and get your visa in advance in Thailand...
The Baht price on arrival is THB1,500. I always pay in Baht because its easiest for me. If you have US$ then fine pay in US$ if you want, but if you don't carry US$ no need to go out of your way to get them. THB1,500 should not break the bank.
I can't be bothered staying in Laos.
Just cross the border, then turn round and come back into the land of smiles. On my last visa run when the Laos immigration officer asked me how long I intended to stay in the country I said "10 minutes".
My visa isn't the 60 day tourist visa that the original poster talked about, mine is a multi entry non-imm visa and I just needed to kick start another 3 month stay in LOS. But leaving LOS and re-entering at Nong Khai is just as straightforward if you have a tourist visa - no need to stay in Laos unless you really want to. (EDIT IN: Because I understand you can get a tourist visa on arrival in LOS at Nong Khai, much the same as you can get when arriving at the airport in BKK).
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:49 pm on June 15, 2010
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