Mekong visas and border crossings: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand

Laos: $50 e-Visa or visa on arrival

US citizens need a visa for Laos. There are two options. The e-Visa is issued on the official portal, laoevisa.gov.la: $50 for US passports, for a 30-day stay, normally processed in three business days; the approval letter, which you must print, lets you enter within 60 days^[1][2]. The visa on arrival is issued at the checkpoints that offer it^[3]; its fee is not officially published, and travelers paid around $40 in 2026, in US dollars, with a passport photo^[4][5]. The full process, from the e-Visa application to extensions, is in our Laos visa guide.

The trap is in the list of checkpoints: the e-Visa is only accepted at nine entry points, including Friendship Bridges I (Vientiane), II (Savannakhet) and IV (Huay Xai) on the Mekong^[1]. At Bridge III (Thakhek), Vang Tao and Nong Nok Khiene, you have to pay for a visa on arrival, and the e-Visa is not refunded^[1][3].

Since September 1, 2025, a digital arrival form, the LDIF, has replaced the paper card at the Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Pakse airports and at Friendship Bridge I^[6]. It is free, on immigration.gov.la, and its rollout to all checkpoints was announced for 2026^[7]. Make sure your passport is stamped on entry: without a stamp, the fine is at least $200^[8]. An extension costs 20,000 kip a day plus a 40,000 kip fee^[9]; overstaying costs $10 a day^[8].

Cambodia visa: $30 e-Visa or visa on arrival

Cambodia's tourist e-Visa is issued only on evisa.gov.kh: $30, single entry, one-month stay, valid for three months after issue, in three business days^[10]. A visa on arrival is available at all checkpoints; at land and river borders with Laos and Vietnam, the French government reports a variable fee of around $40, paid in cash in US dollars^[11].

The e-Visa is not accepted for entry at Kaam Samnor, the river checkpoint on the Chau Doc – Phnom Penh boat; it is accepted at Bavet, on the Ho Chi Minh City road, and at Trapeang Kriel, facing Laos^[12]. Checkpoint names vary from one source to another on the Lao border: keep some dollars for a visa on arrival in case your e-Visa is turned down. By air, the Cambodia e-Arrival form is mandatory, to be filled out within 7 days before arrival^[13][11]; it is not yet available at every land checkpoint^[11]. Overstaying costs $10 a day^[11].

Vietnam visa: get your e-Visa before you leave

US citizens need a visa for Vietnam: the e-Visa, issued on the official portal evisa.gov.vn, or an embassy visa^[14]. The e-Visa costs $25 for a single entry or $50 for multiple entries, for up to 90 days; it is non-refundable and cannot be extended in Vietnam^[15][14]. Allow three to five business days^[14]. It is accepted at 42 designated checkpoints, including Vinh Xuong (the boat from Cambodia) and Moc Bai (the road)^[15][14]. We found no official source mentioning a visa on arrival at land borders: get the e-Visa before you leave.

An online pre-arrival form has been mandatory since April 15, 2026, at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City; it is not required at other airports^[16]. Elsewhere, immigration recommends it^[15].

Thailand: 30 days visa-free since September 15, 2026

Since September 15, 2026, US citizens can stay in Thailand visa-free for 30 days, down from 60, with a possible extension of up to 30 days at immigration's discretion^[17][18]. The TDAC digital arrival card is mandatory for every mode of transportation, to be filled out within three days before arrival on tdac.immigration.go.th^[19]. Proof of funds of 20,000 baht per person may be requested^[17].

Watch out for repeated border runs: visa-free entries by land are limited to two per calendar year^[18][19]. In another sentence of the same page, the French government applies the limit to every mode of transportation^[19]: if your itinerary goes back into Thailand several times, count your entries.

Crossing borders along the Mekong

The land border between Thailand and Cambodia has been closed since the 2025 conflict, and the French government still listed it as closed on October 7, 2026^[20][11]. For visas on arrival in Laos and Cambodia, bring US dollars in good condition: travelers report damaged bills being refused at Bridge IV^[4].

Pierre-Marie Coupry

Editor-in-chief of the French travel site Bon Plan Voyage, where he has published since 2012. He checks every practical detail against official sources and proofreads everything before it goes live.

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