Answered7 years ago
What is the current status of Lao border crossings and visa policies for foreigners?
ATTENTION MEMBERS:
ANYONE traveling to the Vientiane or Savannakhet border this morning please post your experience HERE in this thread.
**
Okay we have confirmation that the Lao border crossings (the ones that weren't closed the other day) are open and selling visa on arrivals to foreigners who are going to thai consulates or bouncing out and back in.**
Lao made an announcement that they canceled the "visa on arrival policy" <- meaning you can't buy a visa for Lao at the border, (only from a consulate or online BEFORE you go) BUT that appears to be something they will implement TOMORROW.
Right now Lao borders are as they always were.. (except for those 3 borders they closed yesterday)
ANYONE traveling to the Vientiane or Savannakhet border this morning please post your experience HERE in this thread.
**
Okay we have confirmation that the Lao border crossings (the ones that weren't closed the other day) are open and selling visa on arrivals to foreigners who are going to thai consulates or bouncing out and back in.**
Lao made an announcement that they canceled the "visa on arrival policy" <- meaning you can't buy a visa for Lao at the border, (only from a consulate or online BEFORE you go) BUT that appears to be something they will implement TOMORROW.
Right now Lao borders are as they always were.. (except for those 3 borders they closed yesterday)
Answer summary
The Lao borders at Vientiane and Savannakhet are currently open and providing visas on arrival to foreigners traveling to Thai consulates or making border runs. However, an announcement has been made that the visa on arrival policy will be canceled starting tomorrow. Visitors can still cross the borders today under the existing rules, but it's important to note that the specific entry requirements and regulations may change rapidly due to ongoing COVID-19 measures.
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Jemes *********
I need some help and advice...
My Tourist visa is expiring soon..... is it possible to get new 60days visa from Laos In this covid-19 situation?? Any body experienced getting visa during this crises?
My Tourist visa is expiring soon..... is it possible to get new 60days visa from Laos In this covid-19 situation?? Any body experienced getting visa during this crises?
Jemes *********
Benjamin Hays thanks.. ๐ stay safe !
Jake ********
@Kinzang *****
youโre weeks behind mate, shit is getting serious. I suggest if youโre on a tourist visa you should probably get a ticket home. Jake ********
@Kinzang *****
unless youโve got a WP, you ainโt doing no border bounce. This isnโt a time to be doing them anyway. Jake ********
I just bounced at Chiang klong
Timothy *****
@Jake *******
FYI, yesterday, this post saved the day for me and I think a bunch of others. Was half way to mae sai when I saw the reports that evisas were rejected. Then a few minutes later, Jakes report for Chiang Khong. Raced up and got there in the evening, looked like a ghost town but it was open and made it through, 30 days more exemption.Thai side said Laos would close tomorrow.
Kintaro ****
@Jake *******
So nice, I am on the way for Chiang Khong :D Feel less stressed now
Richard ********
@Jake *******
what about the Visa for the Laos side?
Austin *******
I spent about an hour riding to and from the Mae Sot - Myawaddy border checkpoint today for the pupose of collecting info for this group. I spoke to an immigration official that gave me info about foreigners not being allowed to cross over, starting Saturday. However, foreigners can still fly in. Now I can't see what I posted. Hopefully this comment doesn't get deleted again.
Connor *********************
Sorry.... Thanks guys.
Robert *******
PLEASE: This is asked: ANYONE traveling to the Vientiane or Savannakhet border
Mae Sai border is a different border to a different country.
Applied for a visa in Chang Mai.
This has NOTHING to do with Vientiane or Savannakhet.
STAY ON topic.
Mae Sai border is a different border to a different country.
Applied for a visa in Chang Mai.
This has NOTHING to do with Vientiane or Savannakhet.
STAY ON topic.
Austin *******
I didn't want to start a new thread about this because the info is similar to situation with Laos.
Robert *******
Mae Sot is the border checkpoint to Laos, near Vientiane or Savannakhet as asked in the OP announcement.
Please do not mix up different countries and borders to avoid confusing in answers.
Please do not mix up different countries and borders to avoid confusing in answers.
Tod *********
OPSo Mae Sot is bouncing like normal until saturday.
Thanx (y)
Thanx (y)
Patrick ********
The Thai consulate in Savanakhet is no longer issuing tourist visas and is demanding health certificates for many different countries. Things are changing by the hour it seems.
Bryan ********
Did you hear that they specifically for sure need a COVID certificate with the lab?
Bryan ********
@Patrick *******
. I guess it would better to phrase it a COVID-19 certificate without lab results as apposed to one with lab results. I went to a hospital today and they said they were going to charge me 11,000 baht for that test and it would take 4 days to receive. They said it was not at all necessary based on me not having any symptoms and also not having travel history in the countries that are being most affected. So I did just end up getting the COVID-19 certificate WITHOUT the lab. They need to swab the mucus membranes and when you don't even have a runny nose or anything there really isn't much to be able to analyze I gather.Patrick ********
Expect to be singled out as ANY foreigner (anybody not holding Thai or Laos passport) and asked medical questions, signing a medical declaration and having your temperature taken.
Patrick ********
Employee at the consulate who was denying tourist visas and asking for COVID-19 certificates claimed there was a real risk of the Savanakhet border closing soon. We then asked the immigration officials attending the border post who said the border would never close. So I think even within different ministries there is still a lot of confusion and miscommunication about whatโs to come.
Patrick ********
Ones specifically ruling out covid19
Bryan ********
@Patrick *******
normal health certificates or ones specifically ruling out covid-19? 
Scott ********
I'm heading to mukdahan now,from yasothon, crossing my fingers and wearing a mask for a 90 day turnaround
Scott ********
Made it no problem, must have been the crossed fingers
Tom ******
Iโm on my way now to the Mukdahan to Savannakhet border but will arrive late tonight. What time does the border close?
Ladek ******
Hello, I stay in Vientiane and I plan to get back to Thailand. It seems that everything is changing every hour. Can someone confirm that I can cross border at Nong Khai from Lao side? I am a Czech nationality, so I should get visa exemption. Do I need a medical certificate or something more than passport?
Ladek ******
Thank you very much๐
Lynn *********
@Ladek *****
I crossed yesterday from Laos at Nong Khai was not that busy and at the immigration counter they told me I had to see their Doctor who is in the little office where you get of the shutttle bus and he just looked on his list and said Australia is OK and just took my body temperature and stamped my arrival card with an international health check stamp and that was it.
James ***********
Anyone aware also of friendship bridge 3 Nakhon Phanom is operating as usual for a bounce?
Ahkim ********
also interested
Linda ********
I would also like to receive information about this. Thanks!
Tod *********
OP๐ข๐ธ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ (๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป'๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐) ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ป.
Nick ********
So if we are doing normal border runs for Thai visa's NongKhai should still be doing VOA after today? The new VOA rule is to stop random tourist from crossing without a reason if I understand you correctly?
Scott *******
Will the e-visa count as buying one in advance?
You still to have the actual sticker issued at the border
You still to have the actual sticker issued at the border
Chris ************
Aussie passport was 30Ys at the border, but 45Us for evisa
Henry *********
A Lao e-visa is a printed email confirmation. Applying online is easy although copy of passport and photo have to be uploaded. Then it takes up to 5 days to process.
Tod *********
OPhaving never seen how the evisa system works I couldn't say, I doubt ANYONE has bought an evisa to lao seeing as you used to buy a visa on arrival at the border
Joe ***********
Link for online visa purchase please
Joe ***********
@Tod ********
- Thank YouTod *********
OP๐๐๐๐, ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ (๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ข - ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ง๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ค๐๐๐ก๐๐ง - ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ค๐ก๐๐ญ) ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ.
๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ'๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐..
๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ'๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐..
Jake ********
@Tod ********
anything on Chiang klong?Nick ********
@Tod ********
will flying into Laos still be able to do VoA? Or are flights not cancelled too? 
Koos *****************
Guys, if you want to follow the post, just turn on the notifications at the top of the post, stop spamming it with "following"
Meladi ******
@Ben **************
have you managed to come back into Thailand no problemsTod *********
OPthey are ENTERING Lao this morninig.. NOT exiting.
Nick ********
@Tod ********
how long does the visa online process take. I need to cross into Laos next Monday or Tuesday Scott *******
@Nick *******
last time I did the online process it took 48 hours Tod *********
OPlet's wait and see if they are actually going to enforce this OR not
AND I have no idea how long the evisa to lao process takes
AND I have no idea how long the evisa to lao process takes
Ben ***************
Update. We can enter. Today is the last day. New rules apply tomorrow.
Tod *********
OPso you just entered today by buying a visa on arrival at the border and the rules they announced as far as NO visa on arrivals being sold take effect tomorrow?
David ***********
Following this to see. Maybe it will take some time to be implemented after the announcement.
Ian *********
Following this also
Janny **************
I've to follow this update too๐
Henry *********
When does this take effect from?
Tod *********
OPwe are trying to find that out
Mollie ********
Including Chiang Khong?
Tod *********
OPreport back IF you can bounce there or not.
Ben ***************
I have just got to the border with an agency. News has just got through to everyone and the staff all seem stressed. I'll update
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