Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam travel visas!

R.O.S.S.I

R.O.S.S.I

R.O.S.S.I

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Having a bit of difficulty sussing out the info available online.

Will be having a 3.5 week holiday to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam early next year and just want to know if anyone knows what the visa situations are for visiting those countries.

I've been to Thailand before and i'm pretty sure I just got my visa on arrival (at no cost), but can't seem to suss out what the protocol will be for Cambodia and Vietnam.

We'll be flying from Bangkok to Siem Reap when we go to Cambodia and then going from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh by bus taking us into Vietnam.

Do I need to apply for visas before I go or can we just get them on arrival (by land or air)?
 
You can get your visa on arrival at all these destinations you have mentioned for a small fee when you arrive .

Check out TripAdvisor for the best guides and advise .
 
You can get visas on arrival for Thailand and Cambodia but you need a visa to travel to Vietnam from the embassy in London or one of those letters from an agent and pay for your visa when you get there. People from the UK can't get a visa on arrival, I went there in February this year.

If you were flying direct to Vietnam from the UK and either didn't have a visa or a letter from an agent, you wouldn't be allowed to board the plane.
 
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So for Vietnam i'll need to make sure i've got one sorted prior to leaving the UK?

Just been reading lots of stuff about doing visa on arrival in Vietnam though? Seems to be a lot of conflicting stuff written about how to obtain a visa to go into vietnam. I've read of people being quoted all sorts of prices for a visa from the embassy in London, as if they are just making numbers up. I may seek out an agent and go that route by getting one on arrival.

And for Cambodia and Thailand I should be fine to get on arrival?
 
R.O.S.S.I said:
So for Vietnam i'll need to make sure i've got one sorted prior to leaving the UK?

Just been reading lots of stuff about doing visa on arrival in Vietnam though? Seems to be a lot of conflicting stuff written about how to obtain a visa to go into vietnam. I've read of people being quoted all sorts of prices for a visa from the embassy in London, as if they are just making numbers up. I may seek out an agent and go that route by getting one on arrival.

And for Cambodia and Thailand I should be fine to get on arrival?
Click to expand...

You can use an agent to get you an official letter of an approved visa, which you can show and then pay for the visa when you arrive (this is visa on arrival, not to be confused with just turning up and paying for one), or you can get a visa from the embassy, you can't enter Vietnam without either i.e. you can't just turn up and pay for a visa.

Thailand you don't need to get a visa, you just get stamped in and is valid for 30 days.

Cambodia I if I recall its $20 on arrival, there might also me a $2 handling fee of some sort. Don't forget to bring with you at least 4 off passport photos for the visas.

Edit: I don't think you can do the visa on arrival if you cross via a land border and have to have a valid visa. Visa on arrival is only valid at the main airports.
 
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did them all earlier this year

Vietnam, get visa pre approval letter from an agent, about $10 , then $45 fee on arrival

I used these for the letter


http://www.vietnamvisapro.com/


Cambodia $20 on arrival ,. nothing to do in advance


Thailand , no visa needed
 
Sorted Rotty, exactly the info I was after, cheers!

EDIT - just noticed those sites mention mostly about getting the visa at the airport. We'll be arriving in Vietnam via bus from Phnom Penh. Will this matter?
 
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On a serious note might be worth taking some USD to be on the safe side. I had a few issues arriving in Indonesia which conviently solved with 20 USD.

Just a thought.
 
It takes a few days to process a Visa application if you visit the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok. You will be without your passport for that period.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@13.7...ata=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sMzdCXg_x3iSR77X2s54DQA!2e0

I can't remember how much it was back in 2006 when I was there, maybe $15...weirdly, 4 of us when crossing the Thai/Vietnamese border had to go in quarantine for 15 minutes and that cost $2 each. We basically sat in a room and got AK47s pointed at us until they decided we didn't have rabies/lurgy.

As has been said, Thai and Cambodian Visas are available on arrival, also if you fancy a trip into Laos you can get that on arrival at any border, same goes for Burma.
 
We are only in Bangkok for 3 days before flying to Siem Reap so won't have time to do it there. The agent route is the most appealing for getting into Vietnam, just need to suss out if I can still use one if we are arriving overland.

If worst comes to worst i'll get it sorted by the Vietnamese Embassy in London prior to flying however i've heard they literally pluck figures out of the air to charge people and as such you get heavily ripped off (which i'd rather not be!)
 
Radec said:
Very jealous, would love to visit all three of these places.
One day I hope.

Hope all goes well for you!
Click to expand...

Thanks mate!

I've done a spot of travelling in Thailand a few years ago but going back over that neck of the woods as the Mrs hasn't done anything over in SE Asia and i've never done Cambodia and Vietnam so be a new experience for us both!
 
I take it you'll be in PP for at least a day? The Vietnamese Embassy will turn a 15 day Visa round for you within the hour. I should have read the OP properly.

http://www.vietnamembassy-cambodia.org/en/nr070521170031/nr070521170456/

Get the Moto driver to drop you at the Embassy before a trip to Tuol Sleng (round the corner) and pickup on the way back to your digs.
 
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Ignore everyone else. I'm currently in Vietnam, was in Cambodia ten days ago and was in Thailand 8 weeks ago. This is what you need to know:

Thailand - get 30 day visa on arrival at the airport. Don't need anything.
Cambodia - get 30 day visa on arrival at most land borders, any bus company will go to a border you can get a visa. It costs 20 us dollars. You need a passport photo, or you pay a 2 dollar bribe. Ignore the touts. There'll be lots.
Vietnam - need a visa in your passport when you arrive. No such thing as visas available at the border. The prearranged ones only apply at some airports. Get the visa at either the embassy in phnom Penh or if you're going to shiniukville, get it there. They are cheaper. It cost me 60 dollars for 30 day, single entry. Avoid the agents, it's really easy to do yourself. If you do it in shinoukville you just get a ride to the embassy, go in, fill in a few forms, pay your money, give a passport photo and then return later in the day.

I can highly recommend giant ibis for travel from phnom Penh to Saigon.


If I can help any further let me know.
 
Just read that you're flying into Siam reap. I've flown into there twice. The process is super simple. On the plane you'll get a landing card and customs card. Fill them out (bring your own pen), very straightforward, on the plane. Once you arrive in siem reap just go into the building and get given another form. Fill that out, then go to the counter with your passport, completed forms, 20 us dollars (need to be crisp notes, nowhere in Cambodia will take damaged notes. And don't bother changing money into real, us dollars are the de facto currency) and passport photo. Give to the first guy, your passport will then be passed down six people before your name is called. Collect passport and continue through the tiny airport.

If you let your guesthouse or hotel know what flight you're on, they'll arrange a free tuk tuk transfer to the hotel.
 
Get your Vietnam visa from the London embassy. I did mine by registered post.

When we arrived the queue for people picking up visas on arrival was approximately 1 hour because two holiday company flights had just landed. Not the best thing to have to do after a long flight.
 
Yeh looking like it'll be best part of £65-£70 though once you take into consideration special delivery postage there and back if I get it from the embassy in London.

It will cost about half that if I get it done whilst in Sihanoukville or Phnom Penh!
 
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