Two week+ wait for visa appointments at Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Laos

PHOTO: Waiting to get into the Thai Embassy in Vientiane

Expect to wait up to two weeks if you want to visit the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Laos to apply for a tourist or non-immigrant visa.

ThaiVisa reports that, since February 1, foreigners applying for tourist, non-immigrant or transit visas, will need to make an online appointment before submitting the visa application in person.

Appointments can be made on the new online booking platform HERE.

But a screen grab of the online booking says, for now, you’re going to have to wait a few weeks until they can fit you in.

Back in January the Royal Thai Embassy Vientiane said it was adding the online application system to help Embassy staff deal with the large amounts of visa applications that were being made. So far, their new online ‘efficiencies’ have made the process slower.

“The number of visa applicants at the the Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane has increased significantly in the past years.”

“Due to a limited number of officers, the Embassy needs to implement the Visa Application Appointment System in order to maintain service quality with an aim to reduce waiting time of applicants while increasing,” it added.

Last May the Royal Thai Embassy in Penang announced changes and restrictions to their visa applications putting a 100 visa application limit, per day. If you’re the 101st person arriving on the day, bad luck, come again tomorrow. The full story about the Penang Embassy changes HERE.

SOURCE: ThaiVisa