Big JD Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Hi guys, I have got an upcoming Visa run and was thinking of combining it with a weekend away in Vietnam. I have not been to Vietnam before so just wanted to run it by the board first ;p I will fly down for about 4-5 days and then fly straight back to BKK. Do I need a Vietnam Visa (I am an Australian citizen)? Also is there anything else I need to know or should this just be as simple as leaving the Kingdom by plane and then getting my Visa extended when I re-enter a few days later? Any advise on this would be much appreciated. Many thanks in advance. Cheers, JD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Should be fine but you will require a visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
challenger99 Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 For Vietnam you need a e-Visa ... (google e-visa Vietnam there are a lot and safe). Since this year it is expensive: 1 month 1 entry = 20 $ visa letter (e-Mail) and 45 $ stamping fees on arrival in Hanoi, Da Nang or HCMC. To obtain Thai visa you need about 3 days. If never been in Vietnam take Hotel in or close Bui Vien street District 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keeniau96 Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 VN is very enjoyable. Hanoi is more of a change with some wide, shady streets: HCM/Saigon seems more familiar after BKK. Vehicle traffic is somewhat disorganized due to lack of traffic lights. Good deals on hotels (I use Agoda). Careful of airport taxi touts, use the official taxis to downtown. Beautiful lacquerware and wall panel paintings are very cheap and seller will pack for air transport. Check the guidebook (LP, Rough) for activities and things to see, plenty of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dddave Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 The Thai consulate in Saigon (HCMC) can be fussy about details and required seeing my return ticket but they did issue a single entry visa. You must get there before 11 am to apply in order to get a visa the next day. If you do an online search: VIETNAM VISA, you will find a plethora of sites that for anywhere from $14 to $50 will issue you an "Invitation Letter" to VietNam that you will present when entering. Visa fee's have apparently gone up since my last visit. Many inexpensive hotels in the PHAM NGU LAO area of Saigon, sort of a mini Koh Sarn Rd. Some good deals on Agoda.Com though at this time of year, you might do better as a "walk in". Watch out for the shoe shine boys...rip-off artists, one and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubacraig Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 The Thai consulate in Saigon (HCMC) can be fussy about details and required seeing my return ticket but they did issue a single entry visa. You must get there before 11 am to apply in order to get a visa the next day. If you do an online search: VIETNAM VISA, you will find a plethora of sites that for anywhere from $14 to $50 will issue you an "Invitation Letter" to VietNam that you will present when entering. Visa fee's have apparently gone up since my last visit. Many inexpensive hotels in the PHAM NGU LAO area of Saigon, sort of a mini Koh Sarn Rd. Some good deals on Agoda.Com though at this time of year, you might do better as a "walk in". Watch out for the shoe shine boys...rip-off artists, one and all. Hi everybody, I just wanted to let everybody know I just finshed a less than one day jaunt to HCMC (Saigon) Thai VISA run. The Thai Consulate here was awesome. Just make sure you have the paperwork that is listed on the website. I walked in at 2:00 PM and in less than 2 minutes I walked out submitting my paperwork. The following morning I went back late morning and picked up my Non B (thats right a Non B with all the paperwork). I stayed at Hotel 165 which was 2 blocks away and walked to consulate. There are a couple good restaurants and my hotel was about $30 for one night through Agoda. Everybody was great although I heard to be careful of street thugs within HCMC. I didn't have a problem. Now I am off to do two days of diving in Nha Trang. Everybody, if you want a good get away with little hassle go to HCMC Thai Consulate I highly recommend it. The staff was was fantastic. And no one asked to see my return ticket. Most Farangs will need the VISA on Arrival letter which took only about 2 days and on arrival I spent about 30 minutes waiting for the VISA to be added to my passport. It was easy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMA_FARANG Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 (edited) Regarding visa for Vietnam .... I don't specifically know the situation for Austrian citizens but I am reasonably certain you will need a visa to enter Vietnam. The other poster is correct about the current fees for a Vietnam visa. Vietnam visa fees were increased on 1 January 2013. I have been there 3 times in the last 6 months. About your current Thai visa, If you have a SINGLE entry Thai visa you will not be able to get an extension on that visa after you return or in Vietnam. The reason is that any single entry visa you had was terminated when you exited Thailand for Vietnam. (A single entry visa means one entry into Thailand and therefore exiting Thailand ends that single entry visa). Now if you have a multiple entry visa for Thailand (either a 2 or 3 entry tourist visa, or a Multi entry Non O visa) when you enter Thailand again that will count as a 2nd or 3rd entry for you. If you had a single entry when you left Thailand the only entry you can get is a non visa 30 day entry stamp at the AIRPORT or a 15 day non visa entry stamp if you enter by an OVERLAND crossing. (You can do an overland crossing by bus from Ho Chi Minh City, through Cambodia, and enter Thailand for Cambodia .... which will give you a 15 day stay in Thailand. P.S. You can try to get another Thai tourist visa at the Thai consulates in Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi. I've never done that, so I can't tell you how long that takes to get, but I expect at least 2 days, maybe 3 days. Tip .... on arrival in Ho Chi Minh after you exit the airport, you may have someone approach you asking for $10 to take you to your hotel. He/she will want you pay in dollars only. Use your own judgement there, but at the exchange rate, that's a reasonable deal. Just be aware it's not a legal taxi, probably a private car. If you do take that private car, the driver will have to pay a small Vietnamese Dong "fee" to the gate guard. I did it, and it was worth it. Just be careful, and use your good judgement on the person making the offer. Edited August 28, 2013 by IMA_FARANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asiaexpat Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 To get a visa on arrival for VN you must contact one of the VN visa agents on the internet and purchase a pre clearance letter. That cost from 20 to 25 USD depending on the agent. The will email your pre approval letter to you within 24 hours normally. Download a visa application form and fill it in, attach a picture (take spares)and take it along with the pre approval letter to the Visa on Arrival window in the immigration hall. In Feb they charged me (USA) 50 USD for the stamp (actually a sticker that takes up a whole page.)I enjoy HCMC as well as Hanoi but HCMC is better set up for tourists in my opinion. Have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worldfun Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 danish citizens visa exempt at VN just though I'd mention that HCM is a cool city and nice change of scenary for a few days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asiaexpat Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Viet Nam Visa Exempt countries: Areas Countries Term of residence Asia Singapore less than 30 days Thailand less than 30 days Malaysia less than 30 days Philippines less than 21 days Laos less than 30 days Indonesia less than 30 days Japan less than 15 days South Korea less than 15 days Nordic Sweden less than 15 days Finland less than 15 days Denmark less than 15 days Norway less than 15 days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquarius83 Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Hi, i'm not sure if this is a appropriate question but let's give it a shot... i have 3 tourist visa's and one Non Immigrant ED visa to Thailand in my passport. I still have almost 3 months left on my Non Immigrant visa and since i'm going to Ho Chi Minh anyways, i will try to apply for the Double Entry Tourist visa. I know the Double Entry is almost impossible to get but i'm worried if i even get the single entry. So what i'm asking is that is there any reliable agency in Ho Chi Minh which could get me the Double Entry without me even going to the Embassy in person. I think all the other nearby countries have these kind of agencies but don't know about Vietnam... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Your previous tourist visas and non-ed should not hurt your chances I have seen no reports about agents being available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquarius83 Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Your previous tourist visas and non-ed should not hurt your chances I have seen no reports about agents being available. Unfortunately looks like they can hurt my chances. I have heard this from many people who have several previous Tourist Visa's to Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Just if they are back to back from the same location is the norm. Also you broke the chain of tourist visas when you got the ED. Have you done your very last entry just before your visa expires. If not that would give you another 90 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquarius83 Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Just if they are back to back from the same location is the norm. Also you broke the chain of tourist visas when you got the ED. Have you done your very last entry just before your visa expires. If not that would give you another 90 days. Hmm, i see. I have applied all of the Visa's from different cities and yes, i extended my visa just before the 1 year expired so i got the full 15 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katareya2006 Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Just been to HMC Vietnam from Thailand. Fantastic place. Best to stay at any Hotel in HMC but I stayed in The Intercontinental which is expensive. You can get a Hotel for as little as £8.00 a night there though. A lot cheaper than Thailand. Obtain a Visa from the Australian Embassy which is easy to obtain. Don't book your Hotel before you depart but research it first. Trip Advisor is excellent for this. Use only Metered official Taxi's from the Airport to the Hotel. Completely different to Thai's. A large number speak English. But just make sure you are as confident as they are and you will not have an issue. I stayed for one week and had no issues at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ovenman Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Obtain a Visa from the Australian Embassy which is easy to obtain. Obtain what visa from the Australian Embassy? Use only Metered official Taxi's from the Airport to the Hotel. Look for either a VinaSun or a Mai Linh taxi. They have the best reputation of the HCMC taxi companies. Same is true if you need a taxi around the city itself. Alternatively, use the #152 bus to/from the airport for VND 5,000 (~7.50 baht). It runs between Tan Son Nhat Airport and the Ben Thanh Market area in District 1. Service stops at 18:00 though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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