Last week, I traveled to Vientiane, Laos, to change my visa. The process in of itself was easy enough, but the traveling for the purpose of getting a new visa is such a hassle. There are really only 2 airlines that go up there, Thai Airways and Laos Air, and they both run about 10,000 baht roundtrip from Bangkok. You can also take a train from Hua Lompong train station, which runs about 500 baht for a second class bunk.
The Thai embassy in Vientiane is only open from 8:30am - 5pm. They ONLY accept the visa applications from 8:30 - noon, and they ONLY allow you to pick up the visas from 1pm to 3pm, and they process takes 24 hours. That means if you turn in your application on Monday morning, you cannot pick it up until 1pm Tuesday afternoon. The process is fairly simple - you walk up to the ticket machine and get your number, and when it's called, they take your paperwork, etc. Then you move into the next building to pay the fee. The next day, you line up like cattle until they open the gates, then you just systematically get your passport and visa.
Vientiane is actually a really nice place. It's a tiny tiny city - the airport only has like 3 gates. And when we got to passport control, we kinda had to wait for the officers to come up and assume their positions. It's very peaceful - nobody is in a hurry, nobody is in a rush. Everyone observes the speed limit. It's kinda a nice change from Bangkok. And the scenery is absolutely stunning! I stayed at a hotel right along the river, and I could see Thailand just across the river from my hotel. In the morning, the haze just kind of hangs over the water and makes it super beautiful. And at night, they setup their food and drink stands and you can just sit there sipping a drink and watching the beautiful night. So amazing!
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