Job Discussion Forums

[jepino]

Hey everyone

I've just returned from my first visa run to Laos and wanted to give you all a heads up if you are thinking of going on a run soon.

DO NOT USE SAWASDEE!!! http://thaivisaservice.com/index.html

For your own safety I can't stress how bad this company is...here is why

When I arrived at the meeting point I was greeted by an ignorant man, smoking and all he said was "passport! passport!" reluctantly I handed it over where the man, spilling ash over it, gave it two a few other bemused looking guys who were sorting out the paper work on top of the hood of a car. They didn't have a clue what they were doing, there was a pile of paper work and passports spread out and falling off onto the floor.

The main guy Claudio is forceful, inpatient, demanding and ignorant, all he cared about was getting the money and shoving us into a van as quickly as possible.

In terms of the actual trip it wasn't too bad, we stopped twice in 9 hours for a break. However, when we got to the border we met a woman who spoke almost no English, who collected all the passports. We then had to wait around for hours while other tour groups (obviously on their visa run) came and went without a problem. At no point where we told what was actually happening and all the woman could say when questioned was 'sit down'.

When we eventually got through the border she placed all of the passports on an open table along with another mountain of paperwork, people where walking over looking through as they pleased - there was no organisation, it was complete chaos, you could have walked over and taken anyones passport at anytime.

Laos itself was really nice and the hotel was decent enough. The trouble came on the way back from the border.

Our driver was a lunatic, we had 10 people in the van, one woman had a small child and a baby with her. The driver drove at an average of 90miles an hour all the way back, he tailgated anything that got in his way and nearly caused our van to tip over or crash dozens of times. I was seriously amazed that we didn't hit something because it felt like a suicidal drive.

I really cannot stress how dangerous this was, when I told the driver to slow down he burst at me with a rant in thai and threatened to leave me at the side of the road. He then stopped for an hour for a cigarette break before continuing. I'd like to think we just had a bad driver but after talking to some of the other passengers from different vans in the same tour it seems to be the norm.

When we eventually got back to Bangkok we were told that we would be dropped off at home - obviously this wasn't the case. The driver wouldn't drop us off anywhere near so we got out and got a taxi. A young woman traveling on her own was unfamiliar with the roads and the driver at first refused to drop her somewhere close to her home. I told the driver he had to and eventually he did, after giving a patronizing rant about which roads connect to each other.

Since I've got back I've spoke to a lot of people about this company and they all say the same thing. DO NOT USE SAWADEE - they regularly have van crashes and there have been cases where they have left people at the boarder or forced them to pay extra money to return (when you have no other option). The staff do not care about anyone's safety, not even their own or a young baby's, and they are ignorant and vile men.

I really hope this will stop you from using them because I seriously believe they are going to get someone killed, life is too short to waste your time on chumps like this - go by train or use a more respected company just please please please do not use these.

Sorry for the rant I just feel I have to tell people because it could seriously save lives.

Thank you and have a very merry christmas

[roguegrafix]

It's been years since I've done a visa run and I understand your concern -- and rightly so if what you say is true (& I have no reason to doubt it). But why don't you do visa runs yourself. I used to book my train to Penang, arrive Penang, check into a hotel that promised you a visa. Pay the money and it would all be over in a day or so. Laos, in those days, took a little longer, but nothing difficult. Am I of the old school of travelling which used to use Poste Resante?

[Bangkok Hound]

Laos is now the easiest place to get a visa.

For the record, I've used Sawasdee once for a Laos visa run and many times for Cambodia border runs. I've always found them cheap and efficient.

[NigerianWhisper]

I used them only last week to renew my Non Imm O.

No problems whatsoever. Claudio was polite and seemed efficient enough.

[totefrosch]

Hey Gringo. Welcome to international.

[takgeyon]

Years back I used Claudio when I went to Cambodia on a run. No problems except the lame movies they showed in the van on the way there.