[Visa Run] Obtaining a Thai Visa in Savannakhet, Laos
From September 24th to September 27th, 2023, I went to Savannakhet, a town in Laos just across the border from the eastern side of Thailand, to obtain a tourist visa for the Kingdom of Thailand!
The method involved taking a night bus from Bangkok to Mukdahan (Thailand), a cross-border bus from Mukdahan to Savannakhet (Laos), and taxis for other legs of the trip. The total cost for these two types of bus tickets was about 1500 baht round-trip.
By the way, this is my second visa run. Last time, in early July, I went to the Thai Embassy in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, to get my visa. I heard it's better to vary the location, so this time I'm trying to get it in Savannakhet, the other place in Laos where you can obtain a Thai visa!
Also, Laos has the advantage of having a culture similar to Thailand's, and Thai is widely understood.
By the way, I was able to get the visa without any issues 🙆
Comparison of Thai Visa Application Locations in Laos
First, I will briefly summarize the differences between obtaining a Thai visa in Vientiane and Savannakhet.
[Vientiane]
*Refers to the "Embassy of Thailand" on Google Maps. It is not the main Thai Embassy on the main road, but a location slightly further away.
◯ Since you can book online for the application date in advance, you rarely have to wait for a long time.
◯ Access from the nearest airport (Wattay International Airport) is convenient. It is about a 25-minute drive from the airport.
◯ It is the capital city, and there are many tourist attractions nearby, such as Patuxai.
◯ There are many convenience store-like shops (mini BigC), so foreigners won't have trouble shopping.
△ It takes 2 business days from submitting the visa documents to receiving the visa. For example, if you submit on Monday the 4th, you will receive it on Wednesday the 6th.
△ If you cannot submit on the reserved date due to travel troubles, you may need to rebook. (There is a limit to the number of reservations accepted per day, and some slots are fully booked. Also, there are restrictions such as only being able to book one slot at a time, or not being able to make a new reservation for a certain period if you cancel a booking.)
[Savannakhet]
*Refers to the "Royal Thai Consulate - General, Savannakhet" on Google Maps.
◯ It only takes 1 business day from submitting the visa documents to receiving the visa. For example, if you submit on Monday the 4th, you can receive it on Tuesday the 5th.
◯ Since there is no online booking system, there is no need to book in advance. If you have trouble on your way there, you can flexibly change your schedule to submit the next day or later at your own convenience.
△ Flights to the nearest airport (Savannakhet Airport) are not very good. Although the airport is not far, there are few flights, and you need to adjust your schedule.
△ There are few tourist attractions nearby.
△ There are few convenience store-like shops. (Supermarkets have almost the same things as in Thailand.)
That is all.
Don't forget to check the closed days and business hours for both locations. By the way, there was no significant difference in closed days or business hours.
Round-trip journey from Bangkok to Savannakhet
*I am accompanied by a Thai acquaintance.
<<Quick Introduction to the Schedule>>
9/24
19:10 Purchase night bus ticket at Mo Chit Bus Terminal
20:45 Board night bus
22:05 Night bus departure
9/25
9:20 Arrive at Mukdahan Bus Terminal
10:30 Enter Laos
10:40 Arrive at the Embassy
11:05 Visa application procedure completed
9/26
13:40 Visa collection completed
15:00 Exit Laos / Enter Thailand
19:00 Night bus departure from Mukdahan Bus Terminal
9/27
5:00 Arrive at Mo Chit Bus Terminal
<<DAY 1 September 24th>>
19:00
I arrived at the long-distance bus terminal "Mo Chit 2" by bus from a town outside the Bangkok area where I live. Since I didn't have much time to spare, I crossed the pedestrian bridge and went straight to the neon-lit Mo Chit, also known as Bangkok Bus Terminal (Chatuchak). There were already many touts outside the terminal.
When my companion told the tout "Mukdahan," he was able to guide us to the night bus ticket counter. Mukdahan is the name of the Thai town bordering the border. I think the ticket counter was on the 3rd floor...? Anyway, I think you can get taken there if you just say "Mukdahan."
19:10
There were several types of buses to Mukdahan. To be honest, I didn't really understand the difference, but based on my acquaintance's decision, what we bought was a standard ticket to Mukdahan at counter 115, for 653 baht.
Counter 115 was located further back from the elevator.
I didn't have much time to spare, so I was worried if there would be any buses, but it seems none of the buses were fully booked.
After receiving the ticket and confirming the departure time, we had dinner. The departure time was 21:00.
There was a 7-Eleven and a food court on the same floor inside the terminal.
I ate Khao Man Gai (50 baht) at the food court. By the way, it was a meal ticket system, so please purchase your ticket in advance at the ticket counter in the center.
20:40
The food court wasn't crowded, so I killed some time there before moving to the bus boarding area. I checked the bus bay number written on my ticket and headed to the boarding area. We passed through a gate directly connected to the food court.
20:45
We boarded the bus without waiting too long. There are seats on the first and second floors.
The seats on the bus were provided with snacks, 600ml of water, and a small blanket. As for power outlets, there are USB ports on the ceiling, one for each seat. They are a bit difficult to use (the USB plug came out and hit my acquaintance's head), but I was satisfied that I could charge my devices. It is better to prepare a long charger cable.
It seemed there were no assigned seats on this bus. I didn't use it, but there was a restroom on the first floor.
22:05
I heard it was supposed to depart at 9:00 PM, but the bus left over an hour late.
The seats were reclinable, but for some reason, no one reclined them, and we reached the morning just like that. Along the way, there were 2 or 3 restroom breaks where passengers could get off, and we could also buy light snacks.
<<DAY 2 September 25th>>
9:20
Arrived at Mukdahan Bus Terminal.
I was worried because it took longer than expected, but it was fun to look at the scenery of Isan.
At the terminal, I brushed my teeth and bought breakfast like bread. Using the restroom costs 3 baht. Please pay at the register of the shop at the entrance of the restroom.
I bought a ticket from Mukdahan Bus Terminal to Savannakhet inside the terminal. The counter I bought it at was the bus company 999.45 baht.
9:45
When I went to the bus after buying the ticket, the seats were full, and we departed while standing. It seems that cross-border buses run every 30 minutes to at least once an hour. We are heading from Mukdahan to Savannakhet.
10:20
Completed the Thai departure procedures and boarded the same bus again.
Around 10:30
I completed the immigration procedures for Laos. I paid 100 baht upon entry.
I parted ways with the bus here. I have arrived in Savannakhet.
The Royal Thai Consulate (where visas are issued) closes its reception at 11:00. Since we were in a hurry, we used the taxi of an older man who approached us immediately after we arrived.
This time, since I planned to return home the day after entering the country, I did not purchase a SIM card to use my smartphone outside of Wi-Fi environments. However, I did see people soliciting SIM cards after entering the country, so I believe it is possible to purchase one. Please be aware that depending on the smartphone model, the SIM might not work.
Also, for the same reason, I did not exchange money for Lao Kip. Although I didn't do any shopping at supermarkets or similar places, local people like street vendors and taxi drivers seemed to have a general idea of the exchange rate, and I was able to pay in Thai baht.
By the way, the fare I paid the taxi was 400 baht, which included all pick-ups and drop-offs between the guesthouse, the Royal Thai Consulate, and the border for both the day of submission and the following day.
10:40
Arrived at the Royal Thai Consulate by taxi.
There are many white people, and nearly 20 people are lined up. There are very few chairs. I was able to use the restroom here.
11:05
It was my turn. Unlike the embassy in Vientiane, the staff member only shows their hands.
After being told, "Tourist... hmm...", it seemed my application was accepted. I paid the 1,000 Thai baht issuance fee, received a claim ticket with a number on it, and that was it. Since I had prepared the documents properly this time, the procedure took less than a minute.
That concludes the schedule for this day.
After this, we had the same taxi take us sightseeing, but due to the unfortunate rain, we only managed to visit one temple.
The facility where we stayed was a guesthouse called Avalon Residence, located about a 20-minute walk from the Royal Thai Consulate. It was a twin room with two single beds, including breakfast tickets for a nearby cafe, and cost about 760 baht per night. The shower smelled a bit moldy, but overall it was kept clean, the room was spacious, and the reception staff was helpful, so I would recommend it to foreigners.
《DAY 3 September 26th》
I bought some souvenirs in the morning and arrived in front of the embassy around 13:00. It was raining, and since we weren't in a hurry, we took a break at a restaurant across from the embassy. We had already eaten, so I bought a cup of Nescafe coffee. I think it was about 15 baht.
13:30
The embassy opens. The visa distribution is actually scheduled to start at 14:00, but the taxi driver said it always opens at 13:30. Indeed, 30 or 40 people were already lined up.
By the way, even companions who are not applying for a visa could use the restroom if they asked at the entrance.
13:40
We lined up once the crowd thinned out and we could wait indoors, handed over our claim ticket, and exchanged it for our visa. You don't have to line up in numerical order; as long as you have the claim ticket, I believe you can exchange it anytime during the day's hours.
The receipt for the issuance fee was tucked into the passport.
14:15
Completed the Laos departure procedures. After that gate, there was a place to buy bus tickets from Savannakhet to Mukdahan. You can pay in Thai baht, but for some reason, it was 55 baht, which was more expensive than when we arrived.
We exited the building to the Thai side and waited for the cross-border bus.
15:00
It was this time by the time we did the Thai entry procedures. I paid 100 baht upon entering Thailand as well.
15:30
After the departure procedures, we boarded the same bus as when we arrived and arrived at the Mukdahan Bus Terminal.
We bought tickets to Mo Chit Bus Terminal in Bangkok. Inside the counter, there were about four different company windows open for buses to Mo Chit. I chose a standard seat from a cheaper company, which cost 558 baht. It departs at 18:00.
After this, we went sightseeing in the markets and shopping streets of Mukdahan from the bus terminal.
19:00
Although it was supposed to depart at 18:00, the bus didn't come for a while, and it ended up departing at this time. The lady at the counter where we bought the tickets came to let us know the bus had arrived.
This bus is a single-decker with a restroom. There were no snacks or water, only blankets provided. There was a USB plug on the armrest.
《DAY 4 September 27th》
4:00
A McDonald's Egg McMuffin, orange juice, and a bottle of water were distributed. It is quite nice to be able to eat a warm McDonald's meal at this price.
5:00
Arrived at Mo Chit Bus Terminal.
I might have just been sleeping, but this bus did not stop anywhere for a bathroom break, and perhaps thanks to that, we arrived in about 10 hours, which was faster than the trip there.
After this, we transferred from Mo Chit to another long-distance bus to return home. To board long-distance buses that run during the day, I think for many destinations you will need to use the ticket counters on the Chatuchak Park side, which you reach by crossing the pedestrian bridge from the terminal.
With this, our visa run trip is over!
Expense Summary
Mo Chit to Mukdahan: 653 Baht
Mukdahan to Savannakhet: 45 Baht
Laos entry fee: 100 Baht
Taxi (border, embassy, and guesthouse transfers only): 400 Baht
Visa issuance fee: 1000 Baht
Savannakhet to Mukdahan: 55 Baht
Thailand entry fee: 100 Baht
Mukdahan to Mo Chit: 558 Baht
Total: 2911 Baht
Guesthouse Avalon Residence: 760 Baht
Taxi (sightseeing): 200–300 Baht
Meals: Day 1 dinner, Day 2 and Day 3 breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus other snacks: 400 Baht
Grand Total: 4271–4371 Baht
(At the current exchange rate, about 18,000 Japanese Yen)
We purchased standard seats on the night bus and didn't eat particularly luxurious meals, so we were able to keep it to around 4300 Baht. By the way, the hotel accommodation and taxi costs are for two people combined.
I hope this is helpful to everyone.
I would be happy to know there are others in the same situation, so please feel free to leave a like 👍 as you pass by!
Thank you for reading until the end✨
Finally, I will post a few photos of Laos.
