Visas ~~ Burma, Vietnam, Laos from BKK
 

I understand that we can get a Laotian visa on arrival, for a fee. Is this also possible for Burma and Vietnam if we decide to take side trips from BKK during our 6-weeks stay there later this year?

If on-arrival visas are not granted, would someone please let me know what is required. Yes, I have already checked the websites, but am still questioning.

Thanks.

Sandra (McBeanie)

You can get the Lao visa on arrival, as you mention.

The VN visa must be pre-aranged. You can do so through one of the many VN travel agencies offering this service. You will pay them a fee, get a confirmatory email and must take it with you to be able to board the plane to VN. You will also pay a "Stamping fee" upon arrival, when your visa is put into our passport. The amount of this fee seems to vary, perhaps depending on the greed of the immigration officials. Alternatively, you can get your VN visa at the embassy in Bangkok.

Burma has recently implemented a visa on arrival system. There are lots of forms to be completed (including a job history) and it's generally recommended that you print out these forms from the web and fill them out before you get there. There are not yet a lot of reports on this. Some people report it goes smoothly, others report it takes a long time in line at Yangon, and there have been a few reports of people being denied visas and put back on the plane to Bangkok. You can also apply for a Burma visa at the embassy in Bangkok.

Thanks, Kathie! This is just what I need to know.

Sandra

I just got back from Burma. We arranged for our visas before leaving through the Myanmar Embassy in D.C. It was very efficient.
When we arrived in Yangon there was a longer line for people who were doing visa on arrival. I don't know how long it took them to get through. I asked the representative from Santa Maria who met us at the airport how the visa on arrival process was going. He said that he didn't recommend it, because things change all the time, and that even if it's successful now that there's no guarantee that it will be the next time someone tries to enter this way.

Artsy, I'm looking forward to your Burma report!

I will be writing a report shortly, but in the mean time, I will just say how wonderful Burma is! We also enjoyed Thailand and Hong Kong, of course but I suspect it will be Burma that stays with me forever. Kathie - we arranged for Min Thu in advance, based on your recommendation. What a bright, lovely young man!

I'm delighted that you used Min Thu and that you enjoyed him. We thought he was a gem!

It is easy to get a next day visa from the embassy in BKK (or if you don't arrive early enough to get it the next day, then the day after. Also, I believe you can go to a BKK travel agent - pay a little more - and they will send someone to get your visa(and a handful of others).
But don't forget to plan ahead for delay because of holidays and/or weekends.

Thank you all for your advice. Looking forward to touring SEA.

Sandra