I recently traveled to Luang Prabang in Laos from Delhi. I am not one to comment on the visa process of a sovereign nation. I am only stating how I experienced it. People in Luang Prabang were truly good and my vacation was wonderful.
I did the e-visa for Laos and it was granted the very next day. I had hotel reservations, my flight was Thai Airways and I had some cash (USD and Japanese Yen) plus multiple credit and debit cards. I was all set or so I thought. I was traveling solo and I am a 50 plus age group.
My flight was Delhi Bangkok Luang Prabang with Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways on the same PNR. I boarded the Delhi Bangkok flight with Thai Airways and arrived in Bangkok without any trouble. I had a longer layover so I roamed around, arrived at the Bangkok Airways terminal as the Bangkok Luang Prabang part was operated by them. I had a hearty breakfast! And then went to my gate, sat down and started reading Bond (Ruskin Bond).
A lovely lady from Bangkok Airways approached me soon after. She said the Luang Prabang immigration wanted her to run a few checks. I said fine. She asked how much currency I had which I told her and it was adequate but not too much! I mentioned that I had multiple cards.
She then asked to see my passport. I renewed my passport last year so this was the first stamp on the new one. Her face fell. I asked if I can show her my previous passport? She lit up and said please do. This one is stamped like there is no tomorrow. She started flipping through the pages visa by visa with her phone screen on and stopped at the very end. I thanked my lucky stars that I carried it.
She told me it seems to be okay and she hopes Laos will clear me. She also said she wish she was not involved in this but it was needed. I told her she was saving me trouble as it would have happened later. She was throroughly prefoessional and cordial all the time.
She went away. I was rattled. This was my country number 34 and I never really came anywhere near to the feeling that I may get deported. I was too tired to get seriously bothered as of now. A little dazed, I kept on reading the book.
A while later she beamed at me and said all was good! I boarded the flight, arrived at Luang Prabang and had no trouble at the immigration. I reached my beautiful hotel at Luang Prabang and after some rest went on a sunset cruise at the Mekong River. I kept thinking I could have been deported!
I kept wondering what triggered them? Was it being a solo woman traveler in her 50s? It didn’t dawn upon me that I was the only Indian on that flight.
A few days later I met another Indian, a gentleman on the same tour as me to Kuang Si Waterfall. I told him about my experience at Bangkok. He said it is common, they do it with all Indians! He had the same experience coming via Hanoi but he knew about it!
I was not aware of this as the official visa process nowhere mentioned it. Had I known I would have been better prepared. So, I am posting this so that if anyone else is planning to travel to Laos, they would know. I think the expectation is to have 500 US Dollars in cash but I can’t be sure as I didn’t has that much.
As I said in the begnning, I am not one to comment on the visa process of a sovereign nation. I am only stating how I experienced it. I only wish I was better prepared. If you are reading this, you know this is a possibility. People in Luang Prabang were truly good and my vacation was wonderful.