Laos the cheapest and quickest way?

[Guest Simon208]

I am sitting in LHR awaiting a flight to Bangkok for a short trip to Asia.

 

As part of my trip I would like to visit Laos this Saturday for a few days.

 

I have been looking at flights from BKK but what ones there are seem VERY expensive. I have check out Air Asia and they do not fly there except going via KUL and Bangkok Air are a bit on the rich side.

 

So are there any other airlines that fly there?

 

If I have 3 days what would you recommend places to stay and things to do?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Simon

 

 

[Gaybutton]

If you are going to Vientiane there is a much less expensive, and in my opinion much more interesting, way to do it. Fly from Bangkok to Udon Thani. A few years ago I wrote an article about it. The information if probably somewhat out of date now, especially regarding prices, but maybe not. Someone else who has done this recently may be able to supply updated information.

 

Here are the appropriate excerpts from that article:

_____

 

The price (from Bangkok to Vientiane) would be greater than US $200 for the round trip fare. That’s when I was told by one of my Thai friends that a ticket to Udon Thani, which is not far from the Laotian border, is much cheaper. He said that the way to do it is to go to Udon Thani, and then take a bus to Nong Khai, the border crossing. Once I am there, he said, it is easy to cross the border, at which the Mekong River separates Thailand from Laos, and I would be in Vientiane. When I checked, the price of a round trip ticket from Bangkok to Udon Thani amounted to about US $75. That was the way to do it.

 

The flight took fifty minutes, and now we were at Udon Thani.

 

As soon as we exited the luggage retrieval area at the Udon Thani airport, just to the right we saw signs for a bus that leaves right from the airport to Nong Khai. The price of a ticket for the bus was 100 baht (about US $2.50) per person, and the trip takes about ninety minutes. We bought the tickets, boarded the bus, and the bus left immediately. Ninety minutes later, the bus stopped at Nong Khai, the border town. If you are traveling with a Thai citizen, he can enter Laos even without a passport. All he needs is his national identity card. There is a small, easy-to-find office right there at the bus terminal at which the Thai citizen pays a 200 baht fee, fills out some paper work, and is granted an exit permit. Once we finished the twenty minute process, we boarded another bus that takes us across the border. The bus makes a stop just before crossing the Mekong River. At that point, you go through a line at which the Thai customs officials take your departure card out of your passport, and they rubber stamp in your exit. Then, you re-board the bus and cross the river. If you happen to miss the bus, you can take the next one, which will come along in about ten minutes. Make sure you take your luggage off the bus you were riding just in case you miss it.

 

Once you cross the Mekong River, now you are in Laotian territory. The bus stops at the Laotian customs offices. The first thing you have to do, assuming you don’t already have an entry visa for Laos, is to go to the window, which is clearly marked in English, that is the visa-on-entry window. The fee for foreigners, other than Thai foreigners, is US $30, which is payable in either U.S. dollars or Thai baht. You will first receive some documents to fill out. Then you submit the documents, along with your passport and fee. A few minutes later, you will receive back your passport, which will now have the Laotian entry visa. You will also receive an entry-departure card, not very different from the one you received in Thailand. Then there is a second series of lines. One is for Thai citizens entering Laos. One is for Laotian citizens returning to Laos. The third is for all other foreign nationals. You present your passport and entry-departure card there. A few more rubber stamps are entered, and now you pass through. At that point, there will be a table where customs officials will inspect your luggage, if they so choose. Most people, however, are merely waved on through without anybody bothering to inspect your luggage unless you somehow appear suspicious to them. Now, you have to pay an additional 10 baht entry fee, and receive a receipt for it. I have no idea why they don’t simply include that in the visa fee, but that’s the way they do things. Now you have to pass through one final line, at which the receipt for the 10 baht is taken, the entry portion of the entry-departure card is taken, the visa is inspected, and the departure card is stapled to the inside of your passport. Welcome to Laos. The whole process took about a half hour.

____________________

 

Once you are clear and are in Laos, there are taxis and tuk-tuks that will take you to your destination in Vientiane. When it's time to make the return trip, your hotel or even guest house, can easily make the arrangements for you to get back to Nong Khai and the bus back to the Udon Thani airport.

[fedssocr]

Lao Airlines also flies from BKK to Luang Prabang and Vientiane. But I don't know if they are any cheaper. I think they are basically charging the same as Bangkok Airways.

[Guest]

I am looking at doing this trip in November. Something I have always wanted to do. A few questions.

 

Are there any really great hotels in Vientiane?

 

If I take a Thai friend with me, does he need a passport if we fly or only a Thai ID card?

[fedssocr]

I am staying at the Settha Palace Hotel in Vientiane. It looks pretty nice and has mostly good reviews at http://www.tripadvisor.com. It's an old French colonial building. It is fairly small by the number of rooms. I will know more in a couple of weeks after I have been there. I read recently that there are lots of new buildings and hotels going up there.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

If I take a Thai friend with me, does he need a passport if we fly or only a Thai ID card?

 

 

He will need a passport for Laos.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

He will need a passport for Laos.

 

Thais are not required to have a passport to enter Laos. The ID card will do. US passport holders can get visa on entry, and a year ago it cost about $35. I entered Laos with a large family, and the only hangup was getting passes for the younger family members that didn't have ID cards because of their young age. Only one member of the family (my bf) had a passport.

[Gaybutton]

Regarding the issue of a Thai entering Laos with or without a passport, I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the travel mode by which he enters. When I entered by bus with my Thai friend, all he needed was his ID card. Is it the same when entering by airline?

 

Maybe the only way to be absolutely certain is to contact the Laotian embassy in Bangkok at:

 

http://www.bkklaoembassy.com

[Guest George]

I am looking at doing this trip in November. Something I have always wanted to do. A few questions.

 

Are there any really great hotels in Vientiane?

 

If I take a Thai friend with me, does he need a passport if we fly or only a Thai ID card?

 

He will need a passport for Laos.

 

Hi GT, if you fly from Bangkok to Udon Thani and then make your way to Vientiane from there, your Thai friend will not need a passport. He will only need his Thai ID and for about 200 Baht, he will be able to obtain exit papers in Nong Khai, allowing him to travel to Laos and also allow him to stay there for three days. I would recommend this option as a way to go and Gay Button's post above, apart from being very imformative, is still pretty much current.

 

If you have time and haven't visited Nong Khai before, I would also recommend an overnight stay there. If you stay at an hotel such as the the Royal Mekong, http://www.sawadee.com/hotel/isan/mekongroyal/ The Grand, http://www.nongkhaigrand.com/ or The Pantawee, http://thailand.pantawee.com/ all three of these particular hotels have their own travel desks and whilst staying there, they will take care of your Thai friends travel pass into Laos.

 

By spending one day in Nong Khai you can take in the the Sala Kaew Ku Statue park, which is well worth a visit, as it is unique with some amazing statues there such as this one. Another place you may also like to take in whilst in Nong Khai; is The Tha Sadej Indochina Market. http://trips.traveltosiam.com/article.php/...arket-Nong-Khai

 

With regard to your question: Are there any really great hotels in Vientiane? There are many choices as far as hotels go in Vientiane, but in view of the way you have worded your question, let me say that my own choice and where I have always stayed on my many visits to Vientiane, is the Lao Plaza Hotel. here is their website: http://www.laoplazahotel.com/

 

I hope the above information helps and wish you a great trip, which I am sure it will be.

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

George.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest George]

Regarding the issue of a Thai entering Laos with or without a passport, I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the travel mode by which he enters. When I entered by bus with my Thai friend, all he needed was his ID card. Is it the same when entering by airline?

 

Maybe the only way to be absolutely certain is to contact the Laotian embassy in Bangkok at:

 

http://www.bkklaoembassy.com

 

You are correct in what you say GB when a Thai National travels overland, but if he travels by air direct from Thailand to Laos, he will be required to have a passport..

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

George.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

"Hi GT, if you fly from Bangkok to Udon Thani and then make your way to Vientiane from there, your Thai friend will not need a passport."

 

Keep in mind that you cannot take a rental car into Laos. The rental companies won't allow it. My bf just moved from Udon Thani and he is my source of information regarding passport, rental car, etc. He tried to go to Laos from Udon. At that time he didn't have a passport and wanted to go by rental car.

[Guest fountainhall]

Are you definitely set on Vientiane? I think Luang Prabang is one of the most fascinating destinations in the region and really should not be missed if possible. It is very compact and so you can do a lot in just a couple of days.

[KhorTose]

I am looking at doing this trip in November. Something I have always wanted to do. A few questions.

 

Are there any really great hotels in Vientiane?

 

If I take a Thai friend with me, does he need a passport if we fly or only a Thai ID card?

 

It depends on what you call great. There are three very good hotels that are gay friendly, but you must be a little discrete as technically same sex relations are discouraged in Laos. At one end of town is the Don Chan Plaza, new modern, with gay friendly Disco, at the other end is the Novotel (where I stayed) that also has a gay disco near by, but I did not like the hotel. There is also the Setha Palace a wonderfully old restored French colonial mansion (gay friendly). In the middle of town is the Lao Plaza which has the most convenient location of the modern hotels, but may not be gay friendly. There is one other five star hotel, (The Mekong) but they seem to cater only to Chinese. However, I highly recommend their restaulrant, and don't let the neon lights discourage you. First class Chinese food, and every table has an attenative but unobtrusive waitress.

 

I assume you have been to France. Well Vientiane is just another French city with an Asian touch. One nice touch is that they do obey the traffic rules, and it is a fun and safe city to drive in.

 

Hope this helps. Lao Pabang is more interesting and the boys are great. No passport for Thais and book early.

[KhorTose]

I am sitting in LHR awaiting a flight to Bangkok for a short trip to Asia.

 

As part of my trip I would like to visit Laos this Saturday for a few days.

 

I have been looking at flights from BKK but what ones there are seem VERY expensive. I have check out Air Asia and they do not fly there except going via KUL and Bangkok Air are a bit on the rich side.

 

So are there any other airlines that fly there?

 

If I have 3 days what would you recommend places to stay and things to do?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Simon

 

 

It depends on where in Laos you are going. If you wish to see Vientiane, Gaybutton's advice is very good. If you wish to go to Laung Pabang then I would suggest Lao Air, as the roads are just not that good, in spite of what you have read. Vietiane is a French city with an Asian touch and gay life is very underground. Having been to France, I was not terribly impressed with Vientiane, and would recommend Lao Pabang. It used to be unspoiled with some delightfull boys, but sadly the secret is out. It is still a far better place for a gay man then Vientiane. Several inexpensive guest houses and two very nice gay friendly hotels. Prices are lower, but I do not know your budget. Suggest three Nagas for a nice and gay friendly hotel, but check around. Unlimited budget try La Residence, a five star hotel. If I was in Chiang Mai I could find out the name of some good low priced guest houses, but can only remember the Aspara, okay accomodations, great location--very basic. However, a gay bar is near-by.

 

[Guest]

Thanks guys for all the great information. This has really helped a great deal.

 

I don't need to go to any particular city and have never been to Luang Prabang or Vientiane. I need a place with a Thai consulate and just thought that Laos would be the perfect place as I usually go to KL for some reason.

[Gaybutton]

I need a place with a Thai consulate

 

That would be Vientiane.