Visa at Chong Mek

Anyone aware of any problems getting the 30 day Laos visa at Chong Mek border crossing in southern Laos (we are Australian, I assume cost will be US$35).

Anyone have any info on transport from Ubon Ratchathani (arriving by train from Bangkok) to Pakse.

Visa at Chong Mek

We used this crossing in late June. We actually had our visas (also Aussies) as there had been a few posts about this previously but you definitely can get your visa at the border. If its after 4.00pm you will pay an overtime fee.

Although we flew to Ubon we had intended to take the international bus across and through to Pakse. We had a morning flight and so could have caught the bus easily - there are 4 per day and its pretty cheap (about 200bt) One of the reasons for getting our visa beforehand was that the bus only waits so long at the border - if there aren%26#39;t many people getting visas then its no problem but if you%26#39;re the last - well who knows. In practice I think this happens rarely but I do know it happens more often at the Nong Khai crossing with some people being left behind.

As it happened we were meant to fly with Nok Air and on that day they canceled all flights - we eventually got on a Thai flight early afternoon which meant we were too late for the last bus. You can get cars/tuk tuks easily though. We took a car from the airport to the border - 1000bt (a really nice comfortable one) and then walked across the border getting our passport stamped and paying the overtime fee of a couple of dollars. Then got another beaten up old wreck to take us straight up to the Bolovean Plateau as we wanted to be there that night. Around 800 bt from memory. There were lots of motorbike taxis and fancy vans at the border - it was getting fairly late and I think they were expecting us to pay a fortune Vans looking for about 3000bt- none too enthusiastic - one of the motorbike guys when off to get his brother and the old car! It was getting dark when we got to the plateau - the car was okay if you made sure you kept your mouth shut - the windows wouldn%26#39;t close so lots of bugs coming in - fortunately only a light rain until we got there when the rain did come down.

There is a good bit of info on this crossing on the travelfish board.

Visa at Chong Mek

Really appreciate the info, thanks. I keep forgetting to look over on travelfish.

We%26#39;ve now decided to get Laos visa before we go. Will save any hassle at the border and with the collapse in the A$ it is actually cheaper to get the visa in Australia now (A$45 as opposed to US$35).

I think its as well to get the visa - its a pain about our dollar!!!! We were very glad to have gotten the visas as our trip did go a bit askew. You just never know what hold ups you might get.

Have a great trip.

Yeah, thanks again. I%26#39;m annoyed about the A$ too. Our economy looks like it will handle the current crisis better then anyone, yet we get smashed. What%26#39;s heappening here in Aus is all based on fear, although we are a commodity based economy there is still a great demand for our resources, and we will keep chugging along.

I can%26#39;t say the same for the US who played a very large part in causing this mess. There%26#39;e plenty of fear over there too, but unfortunately, they have reason to be frightened.

I also wish the Asian economies would go it alone and unpeg themselves from the US$. The cost of our trip keeps climbing by the day.

This last trip (in July) to Lao I noticed things changing a bit with the kip/dollar thing. In the other trips everyone asked for dollars - now the US to kip was not so good and kip was the preferred currency in many places. A couple of the hotels who put their rates in US$ were finding themselves out of pocket and were going to change to kip in their advertising.

Doesn%26#39;t help with our dollar though. Hope it goes up a bit for you before you go. I%26#39;d bought US a bit too early before we went just wish now I%26#39;d bought more at the top of the exchange. Mind you I brought some home and could now change that at a profit!!!! Hardly enough to worry doing that though as I managed to spend most of it.