Just came back from Savannakeht Laos and decided to provide a FR for those who might need reference in future.
Took a VIP bus from Mo chit to Mukdahan and made advance booking via calling. Made payment at 7-11. Price of ticket was 790฿ ++ admin charges was 833฿ Proceed to counter to get ticket and went down to wait for bus. Bus was quite empty. Double decker and I had the whole bottom decker to myself. Lol. Departed at 0930pm and stopped once at 0030am. Reached mukdahan at 0730am. Quickly went to the counter at mukdahan and paid 50฿ for the bus ticket from mukdahan to savannakhet. Missed the first bus at 0730am and got on the 2nd at 0830am.
Reached the Thai border, cleared immigration and board the bus to cross the friendship border bridge. Alighted and filled in form and paid 40฿ Beerlao to immigration. Met a local there and was kind enough to drop me at the Thai consulate at savannakhet. Was lazy to fill up the form ( form is free of charge in the consulate ) and got the guys outside the embassy to do it for 60฿. There was no long queues like the one at vientiane. Went in and was done in less than 2mins. Got the slip of paper and went out and shared a tuktuk with a russian to my hotel.
Stayed at Avalon residence hotel which was just a few blocks away from the Thai consulate. Had prior booking and paid 760฿ whereas walk in rate was cheaper. Lol. Room was clean and new. Went to top up my Unitel SIM card for 10,000kip and activated data roaming. Wireless at hotel was good anyway. Value for money. Had dinner at Vatsana restaurant and the good quality was rather good I would say given the trips I made to laos in the past.
Checked out 12pm noon and had lunch at the hotel restaurant. Tuktuk from yesterday came over to fetch us at 1pm and waited outside the Thai consulate for my visa at 2pm. Queue was short and quick and I was at savannakhet bus station in no time. Paid 50฿ for the bus ticket and took us to border. Did not pay 40฿ Beerlao money this time. Not sure why. Then proceed to the Thai immigration. Next was on my way to mukdahan station. Reached there at 330pm and went to enquiry about transport to ubon ratchathani airport as I had a prebooked flight back to Bangkok. Paid 111฿ For a 2hours journey by van to ubon. Also negotiated with driver to fetch me to airport for another 100฿.
Checked in and security check was brisk and waited for nok air to bring me back. If I took bus I would only board bus at 8pm and reach Bkk 6am the next day. Luckily I booked the 9pm flight back to Bkk and I reached the airport around 645pm for check in.
Over all savannakhet is a quiet town compared to vientiane. But visa applications of all sorts are easier to get than vientiane itself. Did not fly in as the timing is not compatible for the application of visa which only starts at 9am - 11am. Would have to spend two nights there if I would fly in.
