Okay, back to regular programming again and working through my list of blogs that need to be done is “The Chong Mek Border crossing with Laos and how not to cross the border.”
This was originally going to be a quick day trip for Clint and I to do a B-double E-double Are You In to pick up a box of the worlds best beer but it didn’t work out so we ended up doing it on the way to the village.
A few years ago you used to be able to walk over the border to do some shopping and come back no problems with all your booty. Now it seems to be a different story. First of all we were unable to park right up next to immigration like usual but a few hundred metres away.
There is a new tourist police box set up there and they set upon us very quickly as they wanted photos for their own records of them ‘helping’ us. Who knows what poster/brochure that they will end up appearing on.
I explained to them what I wanted to do and they said the we can leave but to come back we would need to make sure that we had legally entered Laos. The only way to do this is to get a Laos Visa on arrival then stamp back out again. At 1,500 baht ($55 AUS) each that was never going to happen. I complained so they took me inside to meet the big boss but she just said the same thing and apologised and said she couldn’t bend the rules.
So that was the end of that. I took a photo of my friends as close as they could get to the border before making the slow walk back to the car past some rather ordinary looking markets.
Thankfully the day was soon to get better as we were off to Siridhorn Dam for a look around and lunch……. blog coming soon.
9 responses so far ↓
Brunty // August 18, 2009 at 11:20 pm |
Andrew it is who you know. There is often a run you can do with other farangs who go across the border with the men in Brown officials, pick up their needs and then return. It costs half the price it would for real. I only found out about by another expat who asked me if I wanted to go.
You can still cross illegally but it impossible to do the old way now.
Brunty // August 18, 2009 at 11:23 pm |
Oh and cricket. No luck. I went today and the cricket will probably be shown on Thursday and Friday but the weekend is going to be dedicated to the football.
Really shite I know.
MeMock // August 19, 2009 at 7:12 am |
Hi Brunty, when you mean half price do you mean half of the 1,500 baht price or half the regular 20 or so baht it cost a Thai to go over? If it is half the 1,500 baht that is still way to much to be paying in my book. I might ask some of the top ranking police that come into the shop from time to time if there is any other way.
MeMock // August 19, 2009 at 7:13 am |
This was an email I received which I thought I should post as the author Michael was having problems posting it.
Well Andrew, I thought you would have known that the days were long gone of strolling across the Lao border for a couple of hours to shop, eat and drink. It must be almost 6 years since formal passport controls and visa formalities were reintroduced.
1500 baht is a fairly reasonable visa rate to enter another country. All your passport information is entered into a computer. I have to pay 1800 baht for a visa to go to Vietnam and over 2000 baht to go to China.
Currently, Thailand is giving free visas to enter so you don’t have to pay on the way back. But this will change some day and so don’t be surprised if suddenly you have to pay another 1500 baht to re-enter Thailand. 3000 baht for a round trip!
However, for Thai citizens different rates apply. Last Saturday, 4 of my men took grass seed across the Mukdahan-Suvannakhet bridge to a client. Only 2 had passports.
For the passport holders, they had to pay 20 baht at the Thai gate (photocopying passport charge) and 20 baht at the Lao gate. They could stay for 1 month. They only stayed 2 hours to deliver the seed.
For the non-passport holders they had to show their Thai ID cards and pay 180 baht at the Thai gate and I think 40 baht at the Lao gate. They could stay for 3 days and 2 nights.
Regards,
Michael
PS I tried to leave a comment on your site but for some reason my comments to you are never shown even though they go through. I send two comments today and they have not appeared.
MeMock // August 19, 2009 at 7:19 am |
I guess I better answer a few things as well!
It was only 3 years ago when I was able to cross over the border for free with my parents which is why I was a little surprised to not be allowed entry.
1,500 baht is a lot of money to get a visa I believe. Why do we actually have to pay money to visit a country where we plan on spending money? Thailand has the right idea by allowing free tourist visas as does Macau and Hong Kong etc. 1,500 baht just to walk across for 5 minutes and by a box a beer? No thanks.
memock // August 19, 2009 at 9:52 am |
Andrew,
Your argument is with Lao PDR, not Thailand as it is Lao PDR that asks for 1500 baht. Lao PDR is a very poor country and I suppose it is a way of getting revenue.
The only way to solve your problem of not being able to go across for a beer free is for Australia and Lao PDR to have a joint visa-free policy like the Asean countries do.
Many years ago my late wife and I were in Germany. Our German hosts wanted to take us into France for lunch. Being a NZer was no problem-visa free show passport at the border. But for my wife, a Thai, no way. She had to get a visa. This could not be done at the border but at a consular somewhere and she would have to pay. So no French lunch.
Some years later I was asked to do a consultancy in New Caledonia. No problem for me-visa free. But for my wife it took ages. Passport had to be sent to Lyon in France and a visa fee paid. Took about 3 weeks to get the visa.
So while it is easy for Thais in Southeast Asia and difficult for others, it is reversed in other parts of the world.
To go to the USA I just hop on the plane after filling out those forms at the airport. But for a Thai passport holder they have to have an interview at the USA Embassy.
I think Thais have to get a visa from the Australian Embassy before going to Australia but you get yours for Thailand on arrival at Suvanaphum. Is that correct?
In summary-us farangs have it easy in regard visas in most places in the world but other countries like Lao PDR have difficulties in almost all countries.
Regards,
Michael
memock // August 19, 2009 at 9:59 am |
I agree Michael that my argument is with Laos and not Thailand, mind you I never really said I had a problem with it, just posting a blog about what actually happened. Although on second thoughts, at the Chong Mek border, you an cross into Laos and do your shopping before you even get to the Laos immigration offices, in other words they never even see you. For some reason though Thai immigration will not let you back into Thailand unless you have a Laos Visa in your passport. Why do they really care if you got a Laos Visa or not? Unless of course they get some kind of kick back….
Mike // August 22, 2009 at 8:44 pm |
I have twice previously enjoyed crossing at Chong Mek and shopping in Lao. First time no fee. Second time a nominal fee. I won’t pay 1000 baht or more to go there. Sorry to say they have lost my business.
Mike
Sirindhorn Dam « Life in rural Thailand // September 4, 2009 at 3:13 pm |
[...] road and went and checked out the beautiful Sirindhorn Dam. We had a good look around en route to Chong Mek and then decided to head back for [...]