Next Week's Border Run Mae Sai

[realthaideal]

Hey all.

I'm due for the 90 day run next week or so. I'm already wondering what the climate will be like in Tachilek given the protests that are happening everywhere in Myanmar. Assuming the border's unaffected, I'd like to do a little dvd shopping. Last I heard there was a crackdown on the Shan, and all the movie n music shops were boarded up and emptied out - that was about 3-4 weeks ago. Anybody have a more recent report on the scene up there with regards to shopping?

Shopping's about the only highlight of a long day riding busses to jump thru a hoop, if you know what I mean.

[Nienke]

Garro and Goski have been there recently, you could PM them.

From the CR forum: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=143917

Nienke

LuckyDogs Resort and Training Center

(Also cat boarding)

[Ulysses G.]

A buddy went about 2 days ago and said that everything was back to normal. One shop had closed, but the rest were selling at the same price as before.

[Maejo Man]

The way things are shaping up in downtown Yangon I'd be looking at an alternative right now. At the first sign of trouble, the Burmese government tend to close all borders, and worry about it later. Huay Xai is great this time of year

[Ulysses G.]

That is most true.

[Maejo Man]

If there is major trouble today or tomorrow, and I pray there will not be, expect a closure of all borders with Thailand.....

Burma showdown: Rifles vs robes

Rangoon - At least 12 truckloads, each of about 40 police and soldiers, were dispatched Tuesday night to City Hall after tens of thousands of monks defied a government order to end their protest marches and return to their temples.

Hundreds of riot police and soldiers were stationed Wednesday at Rangoon City Hall, prepared for what is likely to be a crackdown on a monk-led rebellion that has seized the city for the last week.

City Hall is near the Sule Pagoda in the centre of downtown Rangoon, where the monks have congregated, joined by thousands of laymen, over the last four days in a show of defiance against the Burmese ruling junta.

The marching monks appeared determined to take to the streets again Wednesday, despite signs that a confrontation is looming. As on past days, they are to first meet about noon at the Shwedagon Pagoda and then march on Sule Pagoda.

"Most monks will march," one Rangoon temple abbot told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. "We are even ready to die."

Rangoon's barefoot rebellion that started September 18 drew up to 100,000 followers Monday and Tuesday, without reprisals from the regime.

Now, the signs are looming that the junta is ready to spill blood, as they did in September 1988 when the army unleashed its fury on pro-democracy mass demonstrations, killing up to 3,000 people including hundreds of protesting monks.

Around midnight, the government announced via public loudspeakers that a curfew had been imposed in the city from 9 pm to 5 am, until the situation returned to normal.

Rangoon General Hospital has been instructed to clear wards in preparation for an influx of patients, hospital sources said.

In 1988, Burma was rocked by nationwide rallies against the military regime's incompetent rule, which had dragged the country down from one of the wealthiest in Asia prior to World War II to an economic basket case by 1987.

Economic hardships are partly behind the latest protests.

Without warning or consultations, the government more than doubled fuel prices on August 15, exacerbating overnight the plight of impoverished Burmese. The country has suffered double-digit inflation since 2006.

Anti-inflation protests started building on August 19 in Rangoon, led by former student activists and opposition politicians. Earlier this month, the movement was taken up by the monks.

Burma's 400,000-member Buddhist monkhood has a long history of political activism in Burma, having played a pivotal role in the independence struggle against Great Britain in 1947 and the anti- military demonstrations of 1988, which ended in bloodshed.

Observers have been amazed that the Burmese military rulers have waited so long to suppress the monks' rebellion and attribute it to China's influence on the pariah state.

"I can see no other explantion for their restraint," one European diplomat said. "They've shot monks in the past." (dpa)

[JoshMyPickle]

CNN on the tube is now reporting that warning shots have been fired and batons are a'swingin near the central Pagoda in Yangon; one of their correspondents is also reporting from an undisclosed location (for security reasons) at the Thai-Burma border.... reckon that's Mae Sai?

[Maejo Man]

There is a thread running on the general forum that has all the latest

CLICK THIS LINK

[Maejo Man]

As I said earlier this morning........Huay Xai is great this time of year

[tigerbeer]

CNN on the tube is now reporting that warning shots have been fired and batons are a'swingin near the central Pagoda in Yangon; one of their correspondents is also reporting from an undisclosed location (for security reasons) at the Thai-Burma border.... reckon that's Mae Sai?

a blog with pictures and videos.

[Flatouthruthefog]

The way things are shaping up in downtown Yangon I'd be looking at an alternative right now. At the first sign of trouble, the Burmese government tend to close all borders, and worry about it later. Huay Xai is great this time of year

Almost all the advice from almost all you lot is great, but I have to beg to differ re Huay Xai unless the OP is 1,000% confident of his status.

A low budget French expat here left Thailand via the Huay Xai route a few months back and the following day was refused re-entry due to lack of proof of cash in Thailand PLUS lack of an air ticket to fly away. No discussion. He had to take a 25 hour bus journey to Vientiane and the Friendship Bridge, where he was re-admitted to Thailand without a murmur!

His story (reported accurately in the CM Mail) was followed up by letters from 2 genuine S.Korean tourists. Despite the facts that they had identical tourist visas and were doing their first and only re-entry, one was forced back into Laos to spend a second night there on the whim of the All Powerful Uniformed One on the Thai side of the river.

A pleasant tour into Vientiane from Nong Khai, or Cambodia via Poi Pet could be nice at this time of year.......

[JIM7]

Hi, Ulysses or anyone. I have to go to Mae Sai on Sat or Sunday for a border run. Is it still farily easy to get out and in, or are they requiring air tickets and money to show or is it sort of hit and miss still?? Wondering in Chiang Mai.

[mild7even]

Hi, Ulysses or anyone. I have to go to Mae Sai on Sat or Sunday for a border run. Is it still farily easy to get out and in, or are they requiring air tickets and money to show or is it sort of hit and miss still?? Wondering in Chiang Mai.

I was there on the two weeks ago and wasn't required to show money or air ticket. I am on a non-imm O (spouse) visa. YMMV.

As you can tell from this thread, though, it seems the big problem may be a possible border closure.

[Maejo Man]

Almost all the advice from almost all you lot is great, but I have to beg to differ re Huay Xai unless the OP is 1,000% confident of his status.

A low budget French expat here left Thailand via the Huay Xai route a few months back and the following day was refused re-entry due to lack of proof of cash in Thailand PLUS lack of an air ticket to fly away.

I think you said it all in that one sentence Who, but a complete idiot would cross an international border without being full prepared?

[Ulysses G.]

Every once in a while they close the Mai Sai border for short periods or long ones and it is usually Burma that does it, not Thailand, so the rules that you are concerned about probably would not change from any other time.

The main concern is getting stuck in Burma with no exit allowed until Burmese authorities decide to do so, which could be days or month from now.

I'm not sure if I would chance it, or not, but as MM said, the SMART thing to do is go across the Laos border instead. Just make sure that you have enough money and an on-going air ticket with you.

[realthaideal]

So..... If I wanna do the Huai Xai crossing, what do I do ? DO you recommend the bus up thru Chiang Rai and then on to Chiang Kong, or go via Phayao and then on to Chiang Kang ? Is there a VIP one way so I don't have to stress about alot of connections? And what else should I do ? Never done the Laos border run b4....... except flying in to LP n Vientienne.

[waveydavey]

So..... If I wanna do the Huai Xai crossing, what do I do ? DO you recommend the bus up thru Chiang Rai and then on to Chiang Kong, or go via Phayao and then on to Chiang Kang ? Is there a VIP one way so I don't have to stress about alot of connections? And what else should I do ? Never done the Laos border run b4....... except flying in to LP n Vientienne.

Busses from Chiang Rai to Chiang Kong leave from the main bus station roughly hourly and take 2-3 hours. From the drop off in Chiang Kong get a tuktuk to the border. They may try and take you to an agency to get a Laos visa but there's no need, you can get one easily enough at the border.

[realthaideal]

And... mostly a plain old visa question. Does the CM Immigration ever grant a week extension to you if you go in dressed nice and asked politely ? This would help with my constantly evolving border run plans as I do have work to attend to also.

[Ulysses G.]

They usually will give you an extension, but do you have a work permit?

It is VERY important not to lose your work permit by going over the due date when you get a visa extension.

Usually, you have to do both on the same day!

[JoshMyPickle]

You could always hop on AirAsia to KL non-stop from CNX. Since it's a Malaysia AirAsia flight--not Thai AirAsia--the plane is brand-new... although the new Airbus has a very annoying bulkhead divider on the first row, unlike TAA.

KL is the new black of SE Asia; plus they speak English there.

[my friend I]

If the Mae Sai/Tachileik crossing is closed go to Chiang Saen. The Burmese casino opposite the golden triangle always stays open.

[waveydavey]

If the Mae Sai/Tachileik crossing is closed go to Chiang Saen. The Burmese casino opposite the golden triangle always stays open.

Not sure if that counts as an official border crossing. I've been there a few times and never had my passport stamped. I've just had to leave it at the desk on the Burma side of the river and collect it on my way back.

[Ulysses G.]

This might be worth considering RealThaiDeal.

I think that it is true that they CAN stamp your passport and that they NEVER close, because of the casino!

[meadish_sweetball]

Should check carefully first, it'd be a real bummer to go and find out it wont work.

To be on the safe side, I would head over to Vientiane or pop down to Malaysia if I were you.

[Ulysses G.]

Yes, should check before making a choice.

Don't want to get stuck!

[realthaideal]

Actually all worked out fine though a bit edgy.

I miscalculated when I needed to go and discovered around 11 pm last night (should always check the stamp date earlier, idiot!), that with a busy weekend coming, I best do my run today, Thursday. On the usual 4 hrs of sleep I set out at 7a, got a ticket for 8:30a to Chiang Rai still not sure whether I'd then go Mae Sai or Chiang Kong. I found a really friendly tourist policeman who called up to his Mae Sai counterpart who said all was normal despite the unrest in Yangon. So I gambled n went to Mae Sai. Though the Immigration Lady gave me a little of "Yes, you can go in, BUT, what will you do if they close the border suddenly and you can't get back out???" My thoughts exactly. I grabbed my passport after she stamped it, ran past a busload of tourists from various Farang countries (!! Indeed, business as usual !!) and hopped into the Burmese immigration office just before the lot of 20 or so of them filled the place up. I was paid, stamped, and pictured just in time to hear they were from all over, ie France, Eng, Aus etc., and then jetted back out the door and was off to re-enter Prathet Thai. I was the only guy there for re-entry. I got back onto the Mae Sai side within less than 15 minutes from getting stamped out. Easily the fastest border run ever - outside of the 11 hours of bus riding. Bummed not to have dvd shopped - the usual consolation for the long schlep, but c'est la vie. BTW -The Burmese office had the usual vibe. I dared not rustle anybody's feathers and ask about the situation. I kept it polite n short. I'm thankful that my jumping thru the hoops got off without a hitch. If anything, my sense of worry or of inconvenience is dwarfed by the real problems of the citizens on the other side.

[mcgriffith]

Glad you made it back/out, RTD. Was thinking about you today, wondering what you opted for.

Welcome home!

[Maejo Man]

Slick move RTD and a wise one to slip in early. Another couple pf days could have spelled disaster...

[realthaideal]

And to those wishing to purchase tickets early and stay a night in Chiang Kong- or do an even longer border run in one fell swoop, the am bus schedule is like this CM- Chiang Kong: 6:30a, No Air, small seats; 8:30a Air, avg seats; 1p Air, avg seats. I'm pretty sure there are no VIP busses doing the whole route back n forth. They do run a few more up there than I've listed but this am I was only strategizing how to get up there as possible, and maybe come back too. Having spent a few days in CK last year, I've got to say it is a nice little town and a cool place to chill out. Many places with nice river views for decent rates too. I may do it that way next time, as a two-parter with a CK overnight.

[Donnyboy]

Im sure we will hear more from others that usually do their visa runs up there. Im glad Ive done mine and that my non-immg expires in Nov so its off to NZ for me in Nov and back so I wont be going back to Burma for at least 5 months.