The Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane covers northern and central Laos, and it is the embassy most foreigners in Thailand think of when they plan a trip out to get a new Thai visa. It accepts applications from non-Thai nationals who are physically in its twelve provinces, not only from Lao residents. That makes it usable for a visa run, with two exceptions that catch people out: since 31 August 2026 it only takes DTV applications from Lao nationals and permanent residents of Laos, and the multiple-entry tourist visa is also limited to Lao nationals and permanent residents.
The other thing people get wrong is timing. The embassy is fully e-Visa now, but you pay the fee in cash, in Thai baht, at the Consular Section on Bourichan Road (not the embassy building on Kaysone Phomvihane Avenue), and processing runs about 5 to 10 working days from the day you pay. The two-day Vientiane trip with next-day collection belongs to the old sticker-visa system.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Official name | Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane |
| Address | Kaysone Phomvihane Avenue, Sibounheuang Village, Chanthabouly District, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR |
| Phone | +856 21 214581-3 |
| Consular Section (visa fee payment) | 15 Bourichan Road (Rue Bourichane), Ban Phonsinuan, Sisattanak District, Vientiane Capital. Tel. +856 21 453 916, +856 20 5551 2228 |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 08:30-12:00 and 13:00-16:30 (consular section keeps the same hours) |
| Visa fee payment | Cash, Thai baht only, at the Consular Section on Bourichan Road, 09:00-12:00, Monday to Friday |
| Closed | Weekends and embassy holidays (the 2026 list is on the embassy's office-hours page) |
| Who can apply | Non-Thai nationals currently in one of the 12 provinces below |
| How to apply | Online only, at thaievisa.go.th |
| Stated processing time | About 5-10 working days from fee payment, if documents are complete |
| Fees | Tourist 1,000 THB single / 5,000 THB multiple; Non-Immigrant 2,000 THB single / 5,000 THB multiple; DTV 10,000 THB; Transit 800 THB (rates effective 15 July 2024, read 16 Sep 2026) |
Which Areas This Mission Covers
The embassy's own wording is that e-Visa applications go through Vientiane for "non-Thai nationals who are currently in" these provinces:
| Vientiane Capital | Vientiane Province | Bolikhamxay |
| Xayaboury | Xaysomboun | Luang Prabang |
| Bokeo | Luang Namtha | Oudomxay |
| Phongsaly | Xieng Khouang | Houaphan |
The six southern provinces (Savannakhet, Khammouane, Saravanh, Champasak, Sekong and Attapeu) belong to the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Savannakhet. If you are in Pakse or Thakhek, you file there, not here.
Rules for Foreign (Non-Lao) Applicants
This is what the embassy's own pages say, visa by visa:
| Visa | Can a foreign visitor in Laos apply? | What the embassy says |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist visa, single entry | Yes, if you are currently in one of the 12 provinces | Location rule only; the tourist visa page asks for the passport page with your Lao entry stamp |
| Tourist visa, multiple entry | No, unless you live in Laos | "Will only be granted to Lao nationals or those with proof of permanent residence in Laos" (tourist visa page, updated 13 Feb 2024) |
| Non-Immigrant (B, O, ED and others) | The current application page sets no residence rule beyond the location rule | Apply through e-Visa like any other category |
| DTV | No, from 31 August 2026 | Applicants "must be Lao nationals or permanent residents of the Lao PDR" and add a criminal record certificate from Laos or their country of nationality |
The DTV change is not a Vientiane quirk. The embassy's notice says the new DTV requirements "take effect worldwide from 31 August 2026": you must be a national or permanent resident of the country where you apply. Applications already submitted and paid before 31 August 2026 are not affected. If you were planning to cross the bridge and pick up a DTV as a tourist, that option is gone. Apply from your home country or your country of permanent residence.
For single-entry tourist visas the embassy asks for three months of bank statements averaging 20,000 THB per person (tourist visa page). Multiple-entry applicants, who must be residents anyway, need six months of statements showing 200,000 THB per person.
Do You Need a Visa?
Lao citizens travelling on ordinary passports are covered by a bilateral agreement with Thailand for stays of up to 30 days (Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Consular Affairs list dated 24 February 2025). That agreement sits outside the new visa-exemption lists, which did not change it.
Western passport holders doing a border run from Thailand (US, UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and EU passports) now get a 30-day visa exemption when they come back in, not 60. The change took effect on 15 September 2026. You can extend once at a Thai immigration office by up to 30 days for 1,900 THB (form TM.7), so a single entry gets you to roughly 60 days. The exemption is for tourism only. See the visa exemption guide and our 30-day exemption explainer.
Coming back over the Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai is a land-border entry. Exemption entries by land are now capped at two per calendar year (Malaysian, Bruneian, Indonesian and Singaporean nationals are exempt from the cap; Western passport holders are not). Anyone relying on repeated bridge runs needs a proper visa.
You need the embassy when you want:
- A single-entry Tourist Visa (up to 60 days per entry, per the fee schedule)
- A Non-Immigrant visa: business, retirement or family (O), or education
- A DTV, but only if you are a Lao national or permanent resident
- Document legalisation (600 THB per stamp on the same fee schedule)
How to Apply
- Be in Laos first. The embassy only considers applicants currently in its provinces, so apply after you have crossed, not from Thailand.
- Apply at thaievisa.go.th and pick the Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane. The embassy says all visa categories go through the portal since 1 January 2025, and you no longer hand in your passport.
- Upload the documents for your category, including the passport page with your Lao entry stamp and proof of funds.
- Pay in cash at the Consular Section, 15 Bourichan Road, Ban Phonsinuan, Sisattanak District, 09:00-12:00 on a weekday, in Thai baht. You or someone else can pay. The processing clock starts from the payment date.
- Wait about 5 to 10 working days. The embassy notifies you by email. Print the approval and show it to the airline and to Thai immigration.
Practical Notes
Budget a week or two in Vientiane. Ten working days from payment is two calendar weeks, longer across a Thai or Lao holiday. You cannot enter Thailand on the new visa until the approval email arrives. Older guides that describe next-day collection at the counter predate the e-Visa and no longer apply. Our Laos visa run guide has the current timeline.
Bring baht. Fees are cash, Thai baht only, and non-refundable. The fee table above is the embassy's own, in force since 15 July 2024.
Ignore anyone selling speed. The embassy warns that agents claiming they can speed up processing for an extra fee are "not authorized by the Embassy."
Appointment site. Some older pages on the embassy site still point to an appointment booking site from the counter-submission era. The current "Applying for a Visa" page (updated 28 August 2026) describes e-Visa submission and cash payment only. Follow that page.
Two addresses. The embassy building (chancery) is on Kaysone Phomvihane Avenue in Sibounheuang Village. The embassy's homepage gives the district as Chanthabouly, while an older map page on the same site says Saysettha; the street and village are the same in both, so call if you need to go to the chancery itself. Visa business happens at the Consular Section, 15 Bourichan Road, Ban Phonsinuan, Sisattanak District, which is where the "Applying for a Visa" page tells you to pay.
Arrival card. Before you re-enter Thailand, file the Thailand Digital Arrival Card at tdac.immigration.go.th. It replaced the paper TM.6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can foreigners apply for a Thai visa at the embassy in Vientiane?
Yes. The embassy accepts e-Visa applications from non-Thai nationals who are currently in Vientiane Capital or one of its eleven other provinces. You do not need to be a Lao resident for a single-entry tourist visa. The exceptions are the multiple-entry tourist visa and the DTV, which are limited to Lao nationals and permanent residents.
Can I get a DTV at the Thai embassy in Vientiane?
Only if you are a Lao national or a permanent resident of Laos. From 31 August 2026 the embassy requires DTV applicants to hold Lao nationality or permanent residence and to provide a criminal record certificate. It describes the new rule as applying worldwide.
How long does a Thai visa take in Vientiane?
About 5 to 10 working days from the date you pay the fee, if your documents are complete. The approval arrives by email, so plan to stay in Laos until it does.
How do I pay the Thai visa fee in Vientiane?
In cash, in Thai baht, at the embassy's Consular Section at 15 Bourichan Road, Ban Phonsinuan, between 09:00 and 12:00, Monday to Friday. A single-entry tourist visa is 1,000 THB and a single-entry Non-Immigrant visa is 2,000 THB.
Which Thai mission covers Luang Prabang?
The Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane. Luang Prabang is one of its twelve provinces, along with the rest of northern Laos. Only the six southern provinces go to the Consulate-General in Savannakhet.
Do Lao citizens need a visa for Thailand?
Not for a short visit. Lao ordinary passport holders can stay up to 30 days under the bilateral agreement listed by Thailand's Department of Consular Affairs. Longer or non-tourist stays need a visa from this embassy or the Savannakhet consulate.
Sources
- Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane: Applying for a Visa (e-Visa rules, provinces, DTV notice, payment, processing time)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane: Tourist Visa (multiple-entry restriction, financial evidence)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane: Visa fees (announcement 8/2567, effective 15 July 2024)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane: Office hours and holidays
- Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane: Official site (address, phone)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane: Contact Us (Consular Section address and phones)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane: Map (older page giving Saysettha District)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Wellington: MFA summary of the 2026 schemes, incl. bilateral 30-day list with Laos
- Department of Consular Affairs, MFA: Bilateral visa exemption agreements for ordinary passports (24 Feb 2025)
- TAT Newsroom: New 30-day and 15-day visa exemption rules from 15 September 2026
