Cheapest Way To Do A Border Crossing

[carl_]

Thanks for the replies to last post. Can anyone tell me the cheapest way to cross a border when you're based in Bangkok. I know that crossing into Cambodia and back again will cost me 1000B+ for a Cambodian visa (plus train fare). But would it be cheaper to cross into Myanmar or Laos. Do you need to buy a visa if you're crossing into these countries and back again straight away? Also if anyone could give me an idea of travelling time to the various borders (preferably by train) then I'd be grateful. Basically, I'm trying to weigh up the cheapest and/or hassle-free way of doing a visa run from Bangkok. Many thanks.

[lopburi3]

Yes, you need a visa.

Probably the least hassle would be the organized bus trips from Bangkok for this purpose.

[RamdomChances]

I always used to go to Mae Sot.

500bht to get into burma, no photo req'd, no hasstle, it used to take about 15-20 min inc the walk across the bridge.

Of course I dont live in BKK so you'd have to get there, prob about 6 hr drive, so I'd agree with Lopburi, catch one of the organised busses

[ovenman]

A cheap AirAsia flight to Kuala Lumpur/Johor Bahru/Penang/Singapore/Macau is also a possibility. You could ostensibly fly to Singapore on their moring flight and return that evening if you did not want to stay overnight.

[Gazza]

Cheapest for me from BKK is to go to Mae Sot on the m/c. Takes about 6 hours each way. 5-600 baht each way for fuel. 500 baht Burmese entry fee (tea money?) 30 baht for day pass for a Thai.

A bit tiring doing it in one day, so I usually stay a night in Mae Sot at DK Hotel in a 250 baht fanned room. Plus whatever you want to spend on food during the trip.

Gazza

[bkk barney]

buy a bicycle and take sandwiches

[RamdomChances]

Gazza

I bet the road from Tak to Mae sot is great on a bike

[thaiflyer1]

Anybody ever managed to fly down to Penang from Bangkok and come back the same day with Air Asia.....you only have 45 mins turnaround time in Penang......is it possible? The Air Asia flight into Singapore lands at 9pm and returns at 11pm ......seems feasible?

[Highwayman]

Bangkok-Poipet-Bangkok.

DIY is 4-5 hours each way by bus from Morchit, 130-180 baht each way. Train takes longer, not so comfortable and not so easy to do in one day. Allow up to 2 hours for the border formalities. Avoid Friday-Sunday. Total time is 10 hours if lucky, 12 if busy at the border. Total cost including visa should not exceed 1,500 baht.

Jackgolf and others run VIP buses and take care of everything for you for around 2,000 baht.

To do it yourself you must read this.

[ovenman]

Anybody ever managed to fly down to Penang from Bangkok and come back the same day with Air Asia.....you only have 45 mins turnaround time in Penang......is it possible?

Theoretically this is a no-go. You would need to check-in for the PEN-BKK return flight in Penang and AirAsia closes their flight check-in forty-five minutes before departure.

[opalhort]

Anybody  ever  managed  to  fly  down  to  Penang  from  Bangkok  and  come  back  the  same  day  with  Air  Asia.....you  only  have  45  mins  turnaround  time  in  Penang......is  it  possible?  The  Air  Asia  flight  into  Singapore  lands  at  9pm  and  returns  at  11pm ......seems  feasible?

years ago (8-10?) they had a special counter at Penang for "turnaround" passangers. Do they still have this?

I never used it, but observed many foreigners hand over tickets and PP, get a new boardingpass and head for the transit lounge, presumably taking the same plane back to BKK.

opalhort

[thaiflyer1]

Anybody  ever  managed  to  fly  down  to  Penang  from  Bangkok  and  come  back  the  same  day  with  Air  Asia.....you  only  have  45  mins  turnaround  time  in  Penang......is  it  possible?

Theoretically this is a no-go. You would need to check-in for the PEN-BKK return flight in Penang and AirAsia closes their flight check-in forty-five minutes before departure.

Wasnt sure if they could sort it so it was possible.......would be handy if they could.

[opalhort]

Theoretically this is a no-go.  You would need to check-in for the PEN-BKK return flight in Penang and AirAsia closes their flight check-in forty-five minutes before departure.

Wasnt  sure  if  they  could  sort  it  so  it  was  possible.......would  be  handy  if  they  could.

as I said, my info is old. the budget airlines have different rules now.

last time on TG or MAS you could check in at the last minute.

I recall one flight which was even delayed for 10min because 2 "turnaround" passengers didn't make it in time.

opalhort

[Gazza]

Gazza

I bet the road from Tak to Mae sot is great on a bike

Not so nice this time of year as you ride mostly in the rainclouds. Great when it's sunny and clear as the R105 is the first real biking road you come to after motoring up the flat and boring R1. Nice views going both ways Tak-Mae Sot-Tak.

Hope to try the Ranong crossing next month. It's really beautiful crossing on the boat. Probably works out about 500-1000 baht more for the trip, but worth it.

Gazza

[astral]

It depends where you live and your nationality.

Malaysia is the cheapest border to cross as most of us do not need a visa to enter Malaysia,

so you will be a 1100baht in pocket already!

Cambodian officials levy an unofficial fine of 100-200 baht if your return the same day.

With the cheap airfares, Malaysia becomes a real possibility, even for the Bangkok based, like you.

Edited August 27, 2004 by astral

[carl_]

thanks a lot for the info. Malaysia sounds like a good idea. Enter near Ranong, I think.

[lopburi3]

thanks a lot for the info. Malaysia sounds like a good idea. Enter near Ranong, I think.

No. Much further than that.

[ovenman]

Enter near Ranong, I think.

Ranong is the southernmost point that one can cross to Myanmar.

[Gazza]

How much roughly are we talking about if I was to fly the cheapest airline to Malaysia? I'm 5 mins from Don Muang airport so no expense or time used getting there. How much does all the departure taxes add up to?

Carl, years ago I used to fly to Hat Yai on Thai Airways. From the airport a minibus to Hat Yai market. From there a bus (17baht and 45 mins) to Pedang Besar. Get my stamps. Back to Hat Yai to kill a few hours before getting a free limo from the Thai office to the airport.

Depending on any time and money constraints, this may provide an option for you.

Gazza

[unbiasbob]

Anybody ever managed to fly down to Penang from Bangkok and come back the same day with Air Asia.....you only have 45 mins turnaround time in Penang......is it possible? The Air Asia flight into Singapore lands at 9pm and returns at 11pm ......seems feasible?

Air Asia will not book a r/t ticket without 3 hours between arriving and departing flights so the answer to both questions is no. Also as for the OP in this thread, he is looking for a cheaper way to do a visa run than the Poipet border run from BKK. The Air Asia flights are cheap but they are not that cheap. You normally shell out 4000 baht with airport and departure taxes or more. I wouldn't call that a cheap visa run or a convenient one either. I know, I just did one. In addition, you have the transport cost of getting to and fro airport, which in the case of the latenight Singapore arrival, there is no bus service. So there is another 200 one way ride min. So for me it was a hellish visa run starting at 5AM, a 200 baht taxi to airport (no bus early morning either), followed by a 9 AM arrival in Singapore. then the longest day of my life waiting 13 hours for the flight back to bkk at a r/t cost of 4k and 500 dep tax + 400 taxi. I was back in my pad 5000 k poorer and beaten to a pulp after a 22 hour day. It was ######. I can't recommend it. I would take poipet bus any day

[unbiasbob]

How much roughly are we talking about if I was to fly the cheapest airline to Malaysia? I'm 5 mins from Don Muang airport so no expense or time used getting there. How much does all the departure taxes add up to?

Carl, years ago I used to fly to Hat Yai on Thai Airways. From the airport a minibus to Hat Yai market. From there a bus (17baht and 45 mins) to Pedang Besar. Get my stamps. Back to Hat Yai to kill a few hours before getting a free limo from the Thai office to the airport.

Depending on any time and money constraints, this may provide an option for you.

Gazza

OK, this option is for people not concerned with cost as an r/t ticket to hat yai is 6000 baht. These visa run flight options are too expensive for someone seeking to make such run for minimal cost.

[lopburi3]

OK, this option is for people not concerned with cost as an r/t ticket to hat yai is 6000 baht. These visa run flight options are too expensive for someone seeking to make such run for minimal cost.

While I agree it is not the cheapest it is not as expensive as you indicate with the new flights. The NokAir morning flight and return on the evening flight would cost 2878 for round trip including all tax charges. AirAsia might be even cheaper if you book in advance on a weekday.

[unbiasbob]

OK, this option is for people not concerned with cost as an r/t ticket to hat yai is 6000 baht. These visa run flight options are too expensive for someone seeking to make such run for minimal cost.

While I agree it is not the cheapest it is not as expensive as you indicate with the new flights. The NokAir morning flight and return on the evening flight would cost 2878 for round trip including all tax charges. AirAsia might be even cheaper if you book in advance on a weekday.

Right, I was just referring to the poster's comments about flying down to hat yai on Thai Air and thus getting freebie transport to and from hat yai town from thai air as part of the cost cutting scheme. So sure, perhaps you can cop a 3000 baht flight and then you shell out 500 baht taxi fare to and fro town. Air Asia is always steeper than they appear (higher fares) after they tack on huge airport taxes to those cheapo looking base fares

[Khun ?]

wooden box compliments of the embassy.

[Family Values]

If you want to use Air Asia for a day trip for a visa run, Singapore is the place to go IMO.

07:40 Depart Bangkok (BKK)

11:05 Arrive Singapore (SIN)

23:10 Depart Singapore (SIN)

00:20 Arrive Bangkok (BKK)(next day

Total Amount THB 4,256.00 + 500BT Departure Tax

Edit Some other days

Total Amount THB 3,655.00 + 500BT Departure Tax