I know that one get a Lao visa at the Nong Kai friendship bridge, but I had some free time and decided to go from Udon to the Lao consulate in Khon Kaen to get a visa before I went to Laos.

The Lao consulate has apparently changed location, but I don

That is $13.50 higher than the $35 at the bridge and 100 baht higher,I wonder if they take USD if you don't want the visa right away?

BKKSTAN wrote:That is $13.50 higher than the $35 at the bridge and 100 baht higher,I wonder if they take USD if you don't want the visa right away?

Stan, the only benefit by getting the Lao visa is the queueing you save at the border. The 1600 baht express fee puts your application on top of the pile and you get it in stamped in 10 minutes.
If you want to travel on the "International Bus" you must have a Lao visa, the bus won't wait at the border while you shuffle along in the queue.

Pretenders in correct. I got the visa not only because I had free time, but to be able to take the international bus, and to save time at the border. Before I went, I read previous posts about the consulate, and I don't remember any saying that one could not pay in USD, so that was a suprise but, hey, life is full of them. You lives and you learns.