Thailand is not only a great country for epic holidays, but also popular for working or just staying longer.
However, one thing that I found to be a hassle is getting a long-term visa. If you enter the country without a visa you may get a 60 day visa exemption stamp (depending on your nationality). This is free so we can’t complain too much, however if you really plan on staying in Thailand for more than two months, you’ll have to leave the country and apply for a proper 60 day tourist visa.
This is because you can only get two free 60-day visa stamps in a calendar year, and it’s best if they aren’t consecutive.
One of the most popular places for a “Thai visa trip” is the Lao capital of Vientiane.
Train or Flight from Bangkok to Vientiane
There is now an overnight train connecting the Thai and Lao capitals. It leaves from Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grand Station (picture) at 9:25pm and arrives at Khamsavath Train Station in Vientiane at 9:05am (travel time: 11 hours and 40 minutes).
The ticket prices are as follows: 874 Baht for 2nd class air con sleeper, 574 Baht for 2nd class air con seat and 281 Baht for 3rd class fan seat.
Alternatively, you can also simply take a flight from Bangkok to Vientiane – AirAsia has usually the cheapest fares from only 1,500 Baht one way.
Bus Trip from Bangkok to Vientiane
During my stay in Bangkok I went on a visa trip to Vientiane in Laos by bus – all organized by myself. It’s not difficult, but you might find this post useful as I will tell you the cheapest way to do this tourist / business visa trip.
Starting in Bangkok, go to the Chatuchak Bus Terminal. To get there, take the MRT to Kamphaeng Phet Station and from there a motorbike taxi (50 Baht) to the Bus Terminal. Here you buy your bus ticket to Nong Khai, the border town to Laos. There are buses going up there very frequently, I recommend the night bus at 8:30pm (about 10 hours, 600 Baht 2nd class aircon, 750 Baht VIP aircon) as you save time and money for accommodation in Vientiane.
Once you arrive in Nong Khai in the early morning, take a tuk tuk to the Thai border (15 minutes, 60 Baht). Get stamped out of Thailand and take a bus to the Lao border (5 minutes, 20 Baht).
Here you get your Lao Visa on Arrival. It costs 40 USD or 1,400 Baht for most western countries (e.g. Germany, France, UK, USA or Australia). A bit more or less for other regions. You will also need to submit 2 passport sized photos. After receiving back your passport with the Lao visa (it takes about 10 minutes for them to process it) walk through the boarder into Laos and hop on another tuk tuk to Vientiane (25-30 minutes, 100 Baht).
The Thai Visa Application
Since 2025, you will need to apply for the Thai visa online on this website: www.thaievisa.go.th
After submitting your application, you only need to go to the Thai Embassy in Vientiane in order to pay the visa fee in cash. You can do so from Monday to Friday from 9am to 12pm.
Tell your tuk tuk driver to drop you at the Thai Embassy (just telling them “Thailand Visa” will be enough). The visa fee is 1,000 Baht for a single entry 60 day tourist visa with the option of a 30 day extension in Thailand (1,900 Baht). The fee for a 90 day Non-Immigrant Business Visa is 2,000 Baht.
Note that it usually takes between 5 and 10 days for your visa application to be processed.
Rooms in basic guesthouses in Vientiane are located near the Mekong river and cost between 15-20 USD for single rooms or 25-30 USD for double rooms per night – breakfast and WiFi are usually included.
Overland travel back to Bangkok using the same means of transport: tuk tuks / bus to Nong Khai (100 + 20 + 60 Baht) and from there back to Chatuchak, Bangkok.
I hope this helps organizing your Thai visa trip. It may sound a bit complicated but seriously, it’s not. That’s basically all you need to know and if you should be unsure during some part of your trip, you will meet a lot of other foreigners along the way that do the same thing who you can always ask for help.
