Vietnam
Popular visa types: Tourist
The Tourist Visa for Vietnam must be issued before arrival and the typical visa is valid for 30 days. Depending on the consulate or embassy that issues it, the visa begins to expire from the day it is issued. Extension of Vietnamese visas is possible once you are in Vietnam.
The cost of a Vietnamese visa varies tremendously depending on where you apply -- a Vietnamese tourist visa costs A$70 in Sydney, Australia, but just US$25 in Jakarta, Indonesia and US$30 in Bangkok, Thailand. If you have the time, get your Vietnamese visa from a Vietnmese embassy somewhere in Asia.
Pauljaymes reports: Vietnam visas can be issued valid for set dates up to 30 days apart -- you specify this on the application form -- I currently have a post-dated visa issued at the consulate in Sihanoukville (cost $33).
A regular 30 day single entry visa for Vietnam costs £38 (and £55 for the express service), when arranged through the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK.
You can see some brief information on Vietnam's border crossings by following the link to border crossings at the Vietnam Tourism official site.
Extensions
Yes, extensions are possible.
Laos
Popular visa types: Tourist
The Tourist Visa for Laos can be issued at some entry points or via a travel agency or Lao consulate. Via an embassy the visa should cost around US$30 -- depending on your nationality.
Visa on arrival is reliably available at most overland crossings between Thailand and Laos, including the Huay Xai, Vientiane, Savannakhet, Tha Khaek and Chong Mek entry points. It is also available at both Vientiane and Luang Prabang airports (US$30 - cash only, one passport photo). Visa on arrival is not available at the Paksan crossing. Nor is it available at the Cambodia crossing.
If you get your visa beforehand from a Lao embassy it should be valid for 30 days. ALL visas on arrival are now valid for 30 days. Be wary of being stamped in for 15 days on a 30 day visa.
Extensions
Tourist visas can be extended on a daily basis.
Validity issues
All tourist visas are single entry only. The visa sticker for visas issued from an embassy are full page, so bear that in mind if you do not have many pages left.
Thailand
Thailand has a multitude of visa options and requirements -- you're best off going to the horse's mouth at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the full spiel.
IMPORTANT As of early December 2008, Thailand's visa-free-entry rules have changed -- effective immediately. If you're entering Thailand for tourism purposes and you're from one of the following 40 countries, you're eligible for a free 30-day stay in Thailand -- if you arrive by air. If you arrive by an overland crossing you will be granted only 15 days. You can leave Thailand and re-enter Thailand to get another 30 days for a total duration of 90 days within 6 months (assumming each time you arrive is by air). This means, for example, if you're planning a trip to Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, which involves four stays in Thailand of ten days each, you DO NOT NEED to get a visa in advance. However if one of the stays is longer than 15 days, and you're arriving by land, you will need a tourist visa. If you're planning on more than 90 days in Thailand though, you will need to look into getting a proper Tourist visa at a Thai consulate or embassy.
If you're travelling on a Malay passport, you're still eligible for the 30-day visa free entry if you arrive by land.
The fourty countries are:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vietnam.
welcome to Thailand
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