My tourist visa had expired and was on my extension which expires tomorrow 1/6, so needed to do something. Getting a plane at this time of year didn't seem to work, thought about just a 30 day visa on arrival, but in the end decided to go for NON-O Visa in Vientiane.
Both me and the wife didn't want to leave the car for one to three days, hell she didn't even think it a good idea to leave it at her house, go figure. So I told her to check at the Bus stations for the bus to Vientiane, she insisted it was a different station. I said check anyways. Well she told me she was right, it was the one near Tessco.
I also told her to ask about getting a Thai exit / entry forms for both of us and see if can get the form for VOA for Lao. She just wasted a lot of gas and time ! Got nothing.
So because we were not taking the car, she said she would pay for either someone to drive us to NK or to the Bus station, earlier I had said it was too far for a tok-tok (different station). So she checked on a car to the bridge, 800 baht, she thought too much, so she called for a car to the bus station, 150 baht, she thought ok, (its all of 4k from the house, we are talking Tessco here).
So the car arrives at the ungodly hour of 6AM for a 7:30 bus. So on the way, the women driver says to me "that her "MASTER" said it was about the same distance as the airport", I said I didn't think so, but that the wife was paying. The wife ended up paying 200 baht. Guess they (car people) (no names here, some will know) didn't want are business any more.
Well, the bus tickets cost 50 baht each, and left at 7:15AM ! It went all of 1k, and stopped to pickup (just across ring-road). It continued to do this the whole way, never got to over 30k per hour, its what I would call the "LOCAL" and guess what, it didn't go to the bridge, but to NK ! But she is never wrong!
Well, it took about an hour +, saw a tok-tok just past the turn-off, we got off, along with a Swiss guy I had met at the bus stop, (second time I have run into a Swiss on these runs, you do remember the run to Mukdahan - Savannakhet, right?) So we agreed on a price, then another Falong show up, which made it almost to heavy to make the hills. I forget the price, somewhere around 50 baht each. My questions is "Why do other Falongs think they can just share your ride"?
Ok, we make the bridge, tok-tok driver tells wife something about not having any forms at the bridge and she needs to go somewhere, cost 60 baht, I tell her nonsense, so she asks one of the policemen that happens by, and he confirms my view. Well me and the Swiss go thru and get stamped out, wife has problem, she decided to go to different window, and then the person there leaves for break, so she had to get into the other line. Remember, I had told her she need to get a exit/entry form, well she didn't, so after waiting in line comes over to me complaining that its in english. Well honey, I say, it has always been in english, and fill it out for her, then she goes back to the end of the line, then goes back to the other window. The Swiss guy leaves.
So we get on the bus (15 baht each) and cross the bridge. Run into the Swiss guy, get my forms for VOA, entry/exit for both of us, get everything filled out, submit with my 1500 baht, (yes, its 1500 baht or $35, but I did pay 1700 baht in Savannakhet) and then wait for door #2 to open, not fun. Once it opens we proceed thru and pay our 20 baht (10 baht each) then we get a tok-tok to the city, 250 baht for three of us to the Thai embassy!
Get to the Embassy and the lines are long, and it closes at noon for submissions, figure I will be unlucky and start planning on three days. Some people leave behind me. At 11:30AM I submit
passport
form filled out for NON-O
copy of passport
copy of marriage
he asks for copy of wife's ID or passport, I find a copy of her passport
he never asks to see Original marriage, never talks to wife, (standing there), just says ok, go inside an wait.
I go inside, jammed! Wait for them to flash passport, then pay 2000 baht, take receipt and leave.
The Swiss guy is from the Chiang Mai area, also married, applying for same with same result, he has been in Thailand for 19 years.
Well, he takes the same tok-tok, and heads toward the river, wants his phone to work. We get another and head to Royal Dokmaideng Hotel. By the internet, nice picture, four star, and $25 per night. Get there, and it looks a little old, desk says cheapest is $50, I pass and go to restaurant, we order, mine is uneatable, wife says not good, we leave and head to the river and the Don Chan Palace, a five star, not cheap, but nice, and if careful food is good. Bread/rolls are excellent.
Next day check out and head to the Thai Embassy, early. At 12PM they kick us out, so wait across the street under a tree with everyone else, Swiss guy shows up, Embassy open, we get our NON-O Visa's and leave. He has kept the same tok-tok, so we all get in and head to the bridge, me thinking "how are we going to get from the bridge to NK bus station to Udon.
A long ride to the bridge, tok-tok driver gets another 200 baht from me and wife. We all go thru and leave Lao, well except I needed to stop at the duty free. Found Glenlivet 933 baht, sure beats Big C at 1400+
Wife needs to go to other stores, Swiss man leaves, tired of waiting, me too. While waiting man asks where I am going, I say NK bus station, he asks if I am going to Udon, I say yes, he says will take me for 800 baht, I say wait let me find my wife. At speeds of 120k we get to house at 3:15PM and I pop a Leo. Just happy, good til April
Only comments I have are:
Saw no one angry, or raise their voice. Most seem to be going for tourist visa's. It was not fun, but was there on the wrong day or week, first of month and only a three day week. Today Friday, when I got there, no line and only a few people coming and going, but they also will not get visa til Monday afternoon.
But hey,,,, what else have I got to do? 
