I'm just starting to plan my Southeast Asia trip, but I have a couple of questions.

Do I need a visa for thailand, singapore or bali? if so, do you know how long it takes to get one? I live in the U.S.

thanks!!

if you stay less than 30 days you do not need a visa for thailand....for bali you can get one on arrival at the airport....not sure about singapore but i think you do not need one for short stay....you are in luck....i'm awaiting my indian visa which was $60---wow

As Bob says, you can get all of these on arrival. In Thailand, you don't need a visa, you get visa-free entry for up to 30 days, likewise in SIngapore, you get free entry for 60 or 90 days. For Bali, you must buy an Indonesian visa on arrival at the airport. They take US cash or credit cards. Sorry, I can't remember the price - $25 or $30.

Indonesian visa for Bali is $10 for 7 days, $25 for 30 days, in cash, in US$. Process in Bali (as opposed to Jakarta) is quite straight-forward. First queue to pay your fee and get a coupon, second queue to get the visa, and third queue to have it stamped.

You can get the visa requirements and lots of other info on the countries you are considering visiting by going to the US State Department's website at http://travel.state.gov/, clicking on "International Travel" from the center menu, then choosing "Consular Information" from the left menu, then choose the country you are interested in from the alphabetical list. This site is a wealth of info.

Michael, has the Indonesian visa changed? Originally they had a 3 day visa at $10.

Kathie, Indonesia changed to $10 for 7 days quite some time ago. The 3-day visa didn't last long, since I assume there were a lot of complaints. A LOT of web sites (including some Indonesian government ones) are out of date on this point, not to mention every guide book.

I was just in Bali two weeks ago, so I can verify the visa fees are as I've stated.

Thanks for that info, Michael. The 3 day visa never made any sense to me. I had heard rumors it was going to change, but I haven't been to Indonesia for about a year and a half, so it was still the 3 day when I was there. Yes, Indonesia is notorius for inaccurate info on their web pages!

Thank you all for your help.

Just curious, is it safe to travel to Bali right now? My husband is a little nervous about it. If we do go, it will be for only a few days.

I've just come back from Bali and it is still relatively quiet. Security is very tight in most places - Some hotels are using sniffer dogs, which is reassuring. Most restaurants are checking bags.
However, with the impending appeal and possible executions of the Bali bombers, I would steer clear for the next couple of months. Alternatively, find resorts that are fairly secluded (Meridien or Ritz Carlton would be better than somewhere like the Intercon).