Help with getting a Tourist visa in Laos.

[usual suspect]

As with many ex-pats with limited funds, the new ruling on obtaining a Non O visa is now out of reach...so then, my idea is to come into the L.O.S. on a triple-entry Tourist visa..THEN (when this has been used up) drive up to Mukadan & go over into Laos for a single or double entry tourist visa to complete my stay.
My questions are..* Do I need to get a visa to enter Laos in advance?
* Does this visa fill a page in my passport? (as with a Cambodian visa).
* How far is the Embassy from the border? (nearest town or city?)
* Would my tourist visa be issued the same day? (or do I need a hotel?)
* Do I have to show proof of income to obtain a Tourist visa in Laos?

Finally, does my Thai wife need a passport c/w visa to accompany me into Laos or does her ID card
cover this requirement...?
Love to hear from anyone that's done this, my aim being to drive up to Mukadan from wife's
village in Buriram & do this visa thing without to much time, hassle & expense..???
Cheers now.. U.S.

[johnnyk]

Can't answer all your questions but here are some answers
Visa on arrival at the Lao border, might take 10 mins might take an hour depends on traffic
Its a small stamp in the passport, good for 30 days
Embassy is in the capital Vientiane about 12km from the crossing at Nong Khai but you don't need to go there for a tourist visa
No proof of income needed, you are a tourist
I believe she can enter with Thai ID card, AFAIK the two countries have an agreement allowing citizens to go back and forth easily w/o passports. Lao girls often make 2-3 week visits to the sights of Pattaya and Nana Plaza because its easy for them.

[barrys]

Hi US

Yes, your wife can enter Laos just using her ID.
You can get the visa at the border - not sure what the fee is now, used to be 1200 baht I think, but if you pay in US$ it works out cheaper.
On the occasions I've been there, the visa certificate does take up 1 whole page of the passport, plus the entry and exit stamps.
No proof of income needed for tourist visa at any time I've been there.
Lodge application at the Embassy in Vientiane before noon one day and collect passport with visa after noon the following day.

The whole procedure runs very smoothly, but the queues can sometimes be long!
The embassy opens for business at 8.30 a.m., so it's best to get there a bit before that.
If the queue is very long, there are always local agents around who can "fast track" you for a negotiable fee.

Before you go, make sure you check there are no Thai or Lao public holidays during your visit - the embassy will then be closed!

[johnnyk]

I take back my comment about not needing to go to Vientiane for a visa. I thought us meant a Lao visa....doh!
Barry is right, Thai tourist visa eats a page of your passport. Get a 60-day double entry that can be parlayed into 6 months.
If you cross near Mukdahan you will have quite a drive to Vientiane and in Laos the roads are two lanes, no large highways, so if time is tight you might want to drive to Nong Khai via Udon on a big highway. I daresay though driving up through Laos would be more interesting.
NOTE: Driving in Laos is on the right.
Have a good trip!

[usual suspect]

Thanks for the info here lads..I hope to still get a Non 0 here in the UK before I come back, but a bit of forward planning in case plan B swings into motion is always welcome.. Cheers now.