Is there visa on arrival at Veun Kham

[bill]

I will be entering Laos from Cambodia in January through the Southern Laos entry at Veun Kham (Cambodia Stung Treng)

Is the Laos side issuing visas on arrival yet at this crossing ?

What about permitting and insurance for motorbikes?

A year ago it was still neither of the above.

[beddhist]

Still no visas, but bikes should be OK. There is only a couple of small shacks there, so I don't think you can get insurance there. In my experience in Laos nobody cares too much about those sorts of things. We tried to leave to Cambo there yesterday and they didn't ask for any papers. As we didn't enter Cambo, because we refused to pay the demanded bribe of 20$ each, we then left via Vang Tao and again, nobody asked to see any bike papers. At the Mekong Falls we met two Cambodians on a bike without plate!

[bill]

Beddhist
Thanks for the info, at least I know they will let the bike in at Veun Kham.
Agree, they are fairly casual about it, until something goes wrong like an accident.
Would be interested to know if insurance and bike permit could later be obtained up the road at Pakse.
However, there's the chance that could cause more problems than its worth if the Pakse officials
decide the bike should have been permitted and insured upon entry at Veun Kham....which we know is not possible [/u]

[Davidfl]

Bill
When & if you get the insurance & it should be no problem in Pakxe, Id recommend getting insurance for 12 months at a time. That way you dont haver to worry about it each trip. I pay approx 1,500 baht for max 3rd party for 12 months. You dont have to take out that level, but the point is it is not expensive.

[beddhist]

I don't bother with bike permits, nobody cares about them. I entered Laos twice without ever seeing customs, at Boten and Huay Xay. At Muang Pakxan I almost rode into the country without even getting a visa. Not something I want to do. I was asked for paperwork upon exiting at Savannakhet, but as I didn't have any just showed them my French rego and was sent on my way. My travel companions had the same experience. In Boten we actually asked for customs twice and were told to leave.