Getting in and visas for Laos

Lao or Laos? The people call themselves Lao and the language is Lao, so where did that "s" come from? The answer seems to be a mistranslation from French: somebody read royaume des Laos ("kingdom of the Lao people") as royaume de Laos ("kingdom of Laos"), and the name stuck. The politically correct form of the name, however, is Lao PDR and, should you have any incoming mail, using it will increase the odds of it passing the censors. Most ASEAN nationalities as well as a few others like Russians can enter Laos "visa free"[1]; all other tourists need a visa in the form of a tourist visa (for one or possibly two months) issued by a Lao embassy or consulate, or a visa on arrival now available at all ports of entry with the exception of overland crossings from Cambodia. Virtually all nationalities are issued a 30 day entry permit stamp. When applying for a tourist visa or to obtain a visa on arrival, one passport photo is required. Prices range from US$30 to US$42 depending on nationality - Australians pay $30, Canadians US$42, Belgians US$30, British, Dutch US$35. Visas can be obtained in advance from Lao embassies/consulates. The fee varies by nationality/embassy; US$20 is common. Processing times also vary; 2-3 days is typical, though you may be able to pay an extra small amount to receive the visa in as little as one hour. In Phnom Penh the travel agencies can arrange the visa the same day (but may charge as much as US$58) while getting it from the embassy takes a few days. There are Visa-on-Arrival facilities at the international airports in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Pakse, and at all border crossings with the exception when entering overland from Cambodia. The cost varies between US$30 and $42 (if paid with US$ notes; paying with Thai baht will cost considerably more and border officials will not accept Lao kip at all). A US$1 "out of office hours" surcharge, and a small (possibly 10 baht) entry stamp fee, might also be charged. Entry permit extensions (sometimes referred to as "visa extensions") are available from the Immigration Department in Vientiane (US$2 per day) and via agencies elsewhere in Laos (who will courier your passport to Vientiane and back again, around US$3 per day minimum of 7 days).

By plane

The international airports at Vientiane and Luang Prabang are served by national carrier Lao Airlines and a few others, including Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways (Luang Prabang only) and Vietnam Airlines. Some seats on flights of Vietnam Airlines are reserved for Lao Airlines (codesharing / better price). Pakse is the third international airport, with flights to/from Siem Reap (Vientiane - Pakse - Siem Reap by Lao Airlines). Laos used to be off-limits to low-cost carriers, however Air Asia now flies to Vientiane from Kuala Lumpur three times a week. Another cheap option for getting to Vientiane is to fly to Udon Thani in Thailand with discount airlines Nok Air or Air Asia and connect to Nong Khai and the Friendship Bridge via shuttle service directly from the airport (40 minutes); from here Vientiane is just 17 km away.

By train

At present, Laos has no international train links, but the Thai railhead at Nong Khai is just across the Mekong from Vientiane. However, the long-awaited extension across the river to Dongphosy is finally nearing completion, and trains may start running across the border as soon as May 2008.

By land

Most border crossings open for foreigners, with an indication where visas on arrival can be issued, are listed on the web site of the National Tourism Administration. This list is unfortunately incomplete. Cambodia: Visa on arrival for Laos is currently not available when entering from Cambodia overland, however it IS possible to get a Cambodian VOA when travelling in the opposite direction. The nearest Cambodian town is Stung Treng, and the border is a 90-minute speedboat ride away. Note that the border is lightly used and both Customs officers and transport providers have a reputation of gouging foreigners. China:

• Boten (Luang Namtha) - Mengla (Yunnan)
• Boten Vien Tian - Luang Prabang - Kunming (Yunnan)

Myanmar:

• Foreigners cannot legally cross the Laos/Myanmar border.

Thailand: The busiest crossing is at the Friendship Bridge across the Mekong between Vientiane and Nong Khai. It's also possible to cross the Mekong at Huay Xai / Chiang Khong (with easy bus connections to Chiang Rai and points beyond on the Thai side), Tha Khaek / Nakhon Phanom, Savannakhet / Mukdahan (via the Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, opened early 2007), and elsewhere. Lao VOAs valid for 15 days are available using the ferry route. Vietnam: There are at least six border crossings that can be used by foreigners. These include:

• Donsavanh - Lao Bao
• Keo Nua Pass
• Nam Can
• Tay Trang
• Bo Y (nearest town on Vietnamese side being Ngoc Hoi and on Lao side Attapeu)