Best places in Asia to get single or multiple entry tourist visa?

[harry123456]

I'm quite sure this has been covererd bebore but could not find a topic that really describes it.

 

Does somebody of youse know the best (and cheapest for bus or airfare) places near thailand to get a tourist visa.

 

What consulations are the easiest? for instance Penang or the one in Cambodia or maybe even Laos?

 

Airfares seem to be about similar round 1500 to 2500 THB for single flights or maybe 3000 up to 6000 for round trips. What about busses?

[Fondles]

I have just done a visa run and I though I would go through an itinerary that would suit most and which is maybe not the cheapest but probably one of the easiest.

 

Depart Pattaya for Nong Khai 8.50pm (get 5 mins before but book your ticket in person earlier in the day), on the 407 Pattana bus (50 metres left from Pattaya Klang, sukhumvit based in the Petronas petrol station).

 

10 different departure times, though the 8.50pm works perfect!

 

08.10am

17.40pm

19.00pm

19.35pm

20.10pm

20.40pm

20.50pm

21.00pm

21.30pm

22.00pm

 

A VIP seat will cost, 787 baht, you get extra room, massaging seats and with any luck no children...Try and book the front row of the VIP seats, as these fully recline...If you travel single, book the front single left seat, as you can put your feet up too (Only 7 seats in VIP). Being low down in VIP (first deck of the double decker), there is very little sway and list, and very quiet too...They'll play a movie (in Thai of course) and serve you up with a couple of cakes and some water and orange juice about and hour or so into the journey. At around 10.30-11 pm, it'll be lights out, electric off and time to try and get some shut eye...I got a little shut eye but by 2am, we had stopped in Khon Kaen...You get 20 mins to take a dump, grab something to eat which they give you a 25 baht voucher towards your food. This is where I drop a Xanax and within 30 mins I am fast asleep.

Next I know it is 8am and I am in Nong Khai (Final destination)!

 

Feeling seriously refreshed and seemingly hardly travelled, we jump on a tuk tuk (loads of them pandering for your business) paid 60 baht to get to the Nong Khai border. Only need to get stamped out of the boarder and buy a bus ticket over the friendship bridge to Vientiane (20 baht each), so no fuss for me or the wench.

 

So, the Vientiane boarder...It's a simple process but a few little tricks of the trade, which will come in handy and save you some time (maybe).

 

You will see 3 immigration (police boxes), between 2 & 3 on a table will be a cardboard box, you can pick up the form to re-enter into Thailand for when you're coming back (fill at your hotel, saves you queuing when you re-enter).

 

On the left of the three (immigration boxes) are an office with two windows, go and collect the forms to be filled in at window number 2, complete forms and left of the office building is a portacabin that changes currency. Go and buy some dollars, if you pay by baht it will be 1500 baht, pay buy the dollar $30 bucks...Also if anyone is queuing to get change, ask if they want to share a minibus, they'll most probably say yes and it means sharing a 300 baht bus ride to the embassy.

 

The go and hand your completed forms along with your dollars at window number 1. Walk past window 2 and just around the corner is another window, wait there and within a few minutes a hand will hold out your passport. Do not re-queue at any of the 3 immigration offices as you are already now stamped in...You will then come across another 'Immigration Box' where you have to pay 20 baht, just ignore them, don't even look at them and just walk past!.

 

By the time you have gotten through immigration, chances are someone would have done a deal with you for the 300 baht taxi ride to the Thai consulate, if not, it'll be a nano-second before they do. BTW, the 300 baht deal will take you to the consulate, wait for you whilst you do the paper work and take you to your hotel. He will also pick you up and do the reverse the following day for the same fee. So if you are luckily enough to get a taxi share it's a 300 baht round trip.

 

When you arrive at the Thai consulate, you will see an office with two windows right of the main building, go to the right window for your forms, if you not have already got them, then go left of the left window, where there is a machine to get a ticket number, press for visa application and then get filling your paperwork in as quick as you can but DO NOT forget to fill in where it asks for what type of visa..."Tourist X2" is what you should write as they are free until 4th June...In fact, make sure you tell them when your number is called. You will also need two photos and on the table you will see some white containers, which is glue to glue you mug shots on the paperwork.

 

You will be given a receipt...DO NOT LOSE IT...You need it to collect your visa the following day. I was out of there by 10-15am. (Don't forget you must arrive before 12pm).

 

So, off to a hotel...I was recommended one and it did the job just fine...Ask your driver to take you to the night market and directly across from the Bank Ayudha (Yellow Thai bank) is a chinese looking gaff...700 baht for the night, have aircon, minibar, a free breakfast...Nothing special but comfortable enough. Also, remind your driver to pick you up at 1.15pm (get his card).

 

Then for the rest of the day and night do as you please but beware,tuk tuk are robbing b'stards! Haggle,haggle and then some!

 

So, your taxi is coming at 1.15pm, no point going earlier as you'll only be stuck in the soaring heat or rain, queuing up outside the consulate till they open at 1pm...By the time you get there, they would have processed nearly 100 visa already and you'll be in and out in about 5 minutes...Otherwise get in the queue and be sat there 20-30 minutes, upto you.

 

Your chauffeur will then take you to the Lao boarder, where you can buy duty free (on the right) if you so choose. Or continue to walk in the centre strip to get stamped out...You'll walk passed another 20 baht immigration box, ignore it! Don't think twice about taking any dodgy shit as they have x-ray machines for all hand luggage.!

 

Once scanned, you'll see 'another' box on your left where you need to buy a bus ticket back to the Thai boarder...20 baht or 4000 kip (242 kip to the baht). Hop on the bus which will be directly in front of you and off to Thailand you go.

 

This is where that form you picked up (out of the box), the one between cabins 2 & 3, would have come in handy...As you would have filled that in already at your hotel and all you need to complete it is your Thai tourist visa number...So whilst everyone is fighting for forms, squabbling for pens and tables to complete them, you've just gone sailing through.

 

How you come home from Nong Khai is your choice...Personally, my next visit I will get the 5.40pm airasia flight (2000) baht to swampy, as I was back in Nong Khai for 2.30pm but you have to book Airasia tickets on the day at the airport and they were quoting 3800 baht each!!!

Could have taken the bus at 500+ baht or 787 for the VIP but would have meant getting back to Pattaya at 4-5am.

So I opted for the Thai air flight from Udon, to muang 8.35pm at 1600baht per person...Jumped on a shuttle from Nong Khai 150 baht per person (one hour drive).

 

Got to the airport at 4pm, but decided to take a cab to the Irish Clock Paddy Pub in Udon (150 baht taxi), had some scran, met Dale who own Hot Tuna bar on walking street and then it was back off to the airport.

 

Landed and was out by 10pm, jumped in a taxi share with some Thai burd, 600 baht each, round the fookin houses taxi as he didn't take the toll roads, drove like a maniac and was back at my bar at 12.15 am.

 

All is good.

 

Cost rounded to the nearest 100 baht (not including the wench)

 

VIP Bus 800 baht

Taxis, Tuk Tuks and Buses 1300 baht

Lao Immigration 1500 baht

Thai Immigration FREE till 4th June (but should have been 2000 baht)

Hotel 700 baht

Flight 1600 baht

 

Total = 5900 baht not taking into account expenses (which 1000 baht would be more that enough)

 

Could have saved easily 2200 baht just on not having the VIP bus and takinf the plane

 

Realistically 5k baht, would see you get a double entry visa, all your travel, beer lao and fodder, sleep on a bus, a overnighter in a new country...With the opportunity of a trip down to Jomtien for another 30 day extention (1900 baht or is it free till June 4th as you are extending a tourist visa)????

Edited April 20, 2009 by v8tfcorty