2 months in Thailand - Vietnam - Laos

[fatwhale 10]

Been loads of times and eaten at street stalls. Never been poorly or had an upset stomach once.

 

They are also one of the friendliest nationalities you could ever meet.

 

The best people in the world, They have virtually nothing, But what they do have they will give you.

[johncocker 10]

The best people in the world, They have virtually nothing, But what they do have they will give you.

 

 

 

funny how people who have absolutely nothing all ways want to share it with you

[royb121 10]

I haven't planned a route yet, but we will plan a route before we go.

 

What is the situation with the visas for Thailand Laos and Vietnam?

 

For example, We will be in Thailand for less than 30 days before heading through Laos (less than 30 days) and then enter Vietnam from Laos (less than 30 days) followed by entering Thailand again to fly home from Bangkok.

[netnikki 10]

less than 30 days in thailand o.k travel into laos entry fee $30 US.via Friendship bridge in Nong Khai province.Not sure about vietnam but would say it will be along the same lines as Laos as cambodia is the same...

[callippo 10]

there's several border crossings foreigners can use in Laos from Thailand :

 

travelfish.com is the best online resource for the detail of SEAsian border crossings for tourists, here's their current page : http://www.travelfish.org/border_crossings/laos

 

you need to always research these, because some crossings you can get visa-on-arrival, some you need visa in advance.

 

it also depends on your nationality. I was in a taxi from Siem Reap, Cambodia going over the Pailin border crossing into Thailand with a group of people that included a Mexican girl, we were all able to get over the border without a visa (it's 15 days now overland in Thailand ; it used to be 30) but she wasn't. She had to go all the way back to Phnom Penh to go to the Thai embassy and get herself a visa.

[royb121 10]

Thanks for that! Now I know that I need a visa when entering Thailand to Vietnam and Vietnam to Laos. I plan on getting one of the bus routes available at one of the Vietnam to Laos crossings as Laos visa are available on arrival.

 

Is it possible to purchase a visa when entering Vietnam from Thailand? As we are flying into Bangkok first, does this matter?

[callippo 10]

check travelfish for which border crossings have visa on arrival. If you arrive by plane in either Cambodia or Vietnam, you can always get visa on arrival.

 

if you want to, you can always get visas at the Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok, or else pay a commission on top of the fee for the visa to get a travel agent to do it for you. Vietnam visas are not cheap, Cambodia is $20, Laos around $30-35, but Vietnam it's at least $60 and might be even more than that. $60 might not seem a lot of money here, but it is in SEAsia. I wouldn't bother going to Vietnam for just a week or 10 days when a visa is as expensive as that. I'd go somewhere else.

 

besides Vietnam is like Thailand, a big, major nation state - not comparitively small, like Cambodia and Laos. You need time to do it justice and figure out what makes it tick, even if you're familiar with Asia already. In fact that is why I've never been myself so far. I've never had the month spare that I would class as the minimum time needed.

[cleanup 10]

they call it the land of smiles (thailand) smiling at you while their hand is in your pocket

[callippo 10]

at least you can get in Thailand for free, unlike Vietnam, where they want at least 60 bucks, to start, just to get in.