ChristianPFC

Why do vans stop at petrol stations during the ride? (Technically not a petrol stop, as they all run on LPG.) Whenever I travel by van between Bangkok and Pattaya, it stops for petrol. Going to Pattaya, the stop takes 15 minutes and is 30 minutes before reaching Pattaya.

Does the LPG in the tank not last longer? Do they need the fare paid by the passengers to pay for the LPG? Is it just poor planning, wasting passengers' time, not to do it before or after the trip? Is there only on LPG petrol station between Bangkok and Pattaya (actually two, one for each direction)?

I find it annoying and a waste of time, 15 passengers x 15 minutes = 3.75 man-hours, half a working day! I certainly need neither a cigarette (I'm a non-smoker anyway) nor a toilet nor a food break between Bangkok and Pattaya.

But at Mae Nam Railway station (near MRT Klong Toey, there is only freight passing), you can buy train tickets for trains departing from Hua Lampong, that destroys my theory that any train station only sells tickets to/from that station. And how about booking offices, where to they buy the tickets?

Quote

How can one bother about a few Euro/Baht playing around with train tickets

It's a matter of principle.

Walked several times, about 30 min for a fast walker like me.

Alternative is bus 52 from BTS Mor Chit which gets you closer to Government Center than Lak Si Railway station.

Even better bus 166 from Victory Monument, which goes to the bus station next to Government Center.

I asked at Hua Lampong foreigner booking office: they sell only tickets to/from Hua Lampong. The two cases I inquired (Nong Khai to Thanalaeng and Surat Thani to Khirirat Nikom) can only be bought at these stations.

Minimum number of free pages in passport?

My passport is almost full. Minimum of 6 months validity for passport is well known, and I vaguely remember having read that there must be at least 2 empty pages in the passport. Does anyone have experience in this matter in south-east Asia in general (Thailand and visa runs around Thailand in particular)?

I have left 2x1 page, 2x2/3 page, 1x1/3 page. That means I can get maximum of 2 visa stickers, and 2/3 page is enough area for Thailand entry/exit stamp and extension of stay stamp. (One visa sticker from Cambodia Feb 2016 is loose, whereas Jul 2014 still sticks well. I could easily pull off the Feb 2016 sticker, but part of the stamp on the sticker is on the rim of the page. I don't think this is a good idea.)

My plan is to take a long holiday over winter (current plan is 4 months: 2 visa free entries to Thailand and 2 extensions of stay and one trip to another country in south-east Asia, most probably Taiwan, Malaysia, Cambodia or Vietnam) and there is enough space for all stamps (for Cambodia I might get e-visa to save one page in passport).

I have never been asked for proof of onward travel by airline or immigration, but I want to be prepared for that case. When I applied for tourist visa it was compulsory.

On 29.9.2016 at 3:49 AM, LukKrueng said:

The idea of a departure ticket from your destination is just in case a passenger is refused entry. Aviation regulation...

But the departure ticket will be days or weeks from arrival, might even be a different airport in the country (I arrive from Europe at Suwannaphumi, but my visa runs are mostly from Don Mueang), and therefore of no use to the airline that took you to Thailand as a means to get you out of Thailand.

On 29.9.2016 at 4:42 AM, Ulic said:

Just a heads up, if you do buy a fully refundable ticket with plans to cancel it

just make sure the ticket agent does not attach it to your arrival ticket.

Once the travel has started the remaining portion of the ticket is usually

no longer refundable.

I do all my booking on the internet, no agent. I would do the bookings with different airlines so my real flight Germany-Thailand will have no connection to the flight I just want to use to satisfy airline/immigration requirements and want to get fully refunded once I am in Thailand (and choose a place and time for visa run closer to the actual visa run and not months before).

On 29.9.2016 at 5:21 AM, Bullie said:

If the possible loss of 9,99 US dollars over a reservation is keeping you from getting the visa I really think you should reconsider coming to Thailand in the first place. It's not the cheapest place in the world anymore, you know.

I knew someone is going to say that. I try to avoid all unnecessary expenses. 9.99 USD is for 24 hour, which is too little in my case (I travel about 20 hours door-to-door). 48 h costs more, and then I can already get a ticket for a flight in the area (e.g. Bangkok-Saigon for around 1000 THB). The money for the reservation would be gone AND I would have to buy a flight ticket for visa run.

I can live comfortable on very little money in Thailand, for 9.99 USD I could eat three days or stay in a hotel one night or travel an entire day.

Are train tickets accepted as proof of leaving Thailand?

Even though Nong Khai and Aranyaprathet are border towns, you are still in Thailand. A ticket from Nong Khai to Thanalaeng (Lao) would constitute a real departure from Thailand, but as far as I researched, these cannot be bought online and not even at Hua Lampong railway station, a friend thinks only at Nong Khai railway station and not in advance.

The Thai embassy in Berlin says they accept train, bus or plane tickets as proof of leaving Thailand (but train tickets are sold only up to 60 days in advance, and how do you get that ticket to Germany when applying - unless you buy via an agent who sends ticket as email attachment); what does Thai immigration accept? And if I get a Thai friend to buy a ticket on my name with my passport number, will a printout of a picture of that ticket be accepted?

My dilemma is the following: when entering Thailand on tourist visa or without visa, I like to be prepared and have some proof of leaving Thailand (actually I wouldn't even get a tourist visa without this, but when entering without visa I have never been asked); but I don't want to commit on place and time where and when to go on visa run.

I would happily spend 48 Baht for a ticket Bangkok to Aranyaprathet or 20 Baht (?) for a ticket Nong Khai to Thanalaeng and then do not take that train. Whereas for buying a train ticket Bangkok to Malaysia, I can as well buy a flight to Phnom Penh or Saigon (that's where my last visa runs lead me).

There are companies that offer a plane ticket that is valid 24 or 48 hours, but at 9.99 USD for a 24 hour ticket on https://flyonward.com/en/ I rather buy a flight that I am going to use. Alternatively buy a fully refundable ticket, but these come at high cost and if something in the refunding process goes wrong, I lose money instead of saving money.

If someone knows of cheap bus tickets across the border, on sale up to 2 months in advance, and if possible with my name and passport number, let me know.

Summary: visa run Phnom Penh - Cham Yeam - Baan Hat Lek - Trat all fine.

My plan changed back to original (because friend in Battambang not available, stay one day longer in Phnom Penh to wait for friend who lives there).

Wed 10.08.2016

Check at Sorya: no buses to Koh Kong any more (and new table with destinations without Koh Kong, while the picture I took in January still had Koh Kong). Lady at counter recommends I take taxi, but then I can find someone else who points me to G.S.T. (about 50 m south-east of Sorya) where I get a ticket to Koh Kong for 9 USD (staff tells me to be at G.S.T. bus station 7:00, departure will be 7:30 from in front of bus station). Furthermore check Mekhong Express and Capitol Tours: no buses to Koh Kong! (I didn’t check with Giant Ibis Transport, Tep Sokha Express and Virak Bothan Bus.)

Thu 11.08.2016

Arrive at G.S.T. bus station 6:45 and show staff my ticket to Koh Kong, then have breakfast around the corner. Then back at 7:25, they put me on a tuk-tuk with two local passengers to drive us to Olympic transport (Olongpich transport, street 217 between street 328 and 338, 11.554733,104.9056134), where we board the bus and depart 7:42. It takes a while to get out of Phom Penh (slow traffic). Stop at Phnom Penh Bakery 8:23-30, stop for toilet and lunch 11:01-28, arrive at Koh Kong bus station (just a field and a roofed waiting area at 11.6195648,102.9857148 about 1km by road to the bridge) 13:31. Apart from aircon too cold, a quick and pleasant ride that was not delayed by medium rain.

At the bus station get a motorbike for 3 USD to take me to the border crossing (11 km, 13:34-51), after original asking price of 5 USD. Toll for bridge (1400 Riel) included, don’t know if there is any parking fee as he said, well then that’s included as well. After about 1 km and some small talk in good English, change to another mocy and driver who takes me the rest of the way to the border. Maybe they have only one who speaks good English and approaches foreigners?

Immigration departure Cambodia 13:54-56, immigration arrival Thailand 14:04-07. The fastest and most pleasant land border crossing I have experiences in South-East Asia (comparison with Nong Khai to Vientiane twice, Vientiane to Nong Khai, Sadao in both directions, Poipet to Aranyaprathet, Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai, Phnom Penh to Saigon).

On the Thai side, there are vans at the border, they will leave when full (which might take an hours judging by low traffic). Approach mocy taxi drivers and get to narrowest point of Thailand for 60 Baht (about 7 km ride, 14:22-33). After walking around there, hitchhike to Khlong Yai (lady who stops for me even calls songtheo in Khlong Yai and delivers me to their stop – such acts of kindness happen to me all the time when I travel in non-touristy areas in Thailand, having a good command of Thai probably helps), 60 Baht to Trat (15:09-16:40).

Side note about google maps: Cambodia is not available for download for offline use. But when I zoom in and move around the areas I need on my phone, it saves these areas in cache and I can navigate without internet connection. (I don’t want to buy a SIM card for 3 days in Cambodia, but I want to use google maps.)

On 4.8.2016 at 3:35 PM, kurtcap said:

500km ride combined with only 30 mins at the border (did not even cross it physically) Iam now in possession of a 30 day visa exempt stamp.

(my underline) Can you elaborate on this? I have been wondering for a long time if it is possible to exit Thailand and turn around in the neutral zone and enter Thailand, thus avoiding all visa fees and stickers and stamps of the neighboring country.

I can highly recommend canby publications for such questions (their printed editions distributed for free as well as website and pdf for download), the best free tourism publication I have ever seen.

This link answers most of my questions (bus times, location of bus station).

http://www.canbypublications.com/cambodia/overland.htm

But I just learned from my friend in Phnom Penh that he will not be in town the night I stay there, however another friend will be in Battambang so I will go to see him. From Battambang to Thailand (will probably stay in Chanthaburi) will be via Phsar Prom (Pailin) /Ban Pakard ( Chantaburi).

Any recent experience with that border crossing (as in my op: visa waiver and 28 or 29 days stay in Thailand with flight back to Germany at the end)?

(The Cham Yeam / Baan Hat Lek (Trat) crossing will have to wait, I will do the sightseeing smallest point of Thailand 450 m from coast to Cambodian border another time.)

I just checked pictures I took of timetables at bus station in PP (Phnom Penh Sorya Transport near the yellow dome central market): buses to Koh Kong leave 7 am, 9 am, 1 pm. The 7 am bus should allow me to cross to Thailand the same day.

But on Map, Koh Kong is about 10 km from the border crossing. Where exactly is the bus station, and how do I get to the border crossing? On the other hand, the highway goes to the border, and there is no bridge to the island, so the bus probably goes to the border town and people going to the island have to take a boat from there?

Thanks BritTim, helps me a lot.

I pondered about visa extension, but decide for a visa-waiver-run, as I have friend to visit in Phnom Phen.

Googlemaps gives PP to Trat 393 km and 6 h 30 min. Is it realistic to do this by bus from Phom Penh (add time for border crossing and for sightseeing smallest part of Thailand 420 m about 5 km north of the border crossing) in one day or should I spend a night in between?

(My experience PP to Saigon Jan 2016 in about 8 hours by bus, 279 km 6 h 7 min by google maps shows it would be doable, unless there are no early buses to Cham Yeam or that route is slower.)

Does the bus run up to the border or are there even buses that cross the border (longer waiting for all passengers to process immigration), or does the bus stop in a nearby town?

I am planning to return to Thailand from a visa run to Cambodia via the Cham Yeam / Baan Hat Lek (Trat). Actually it's not a visa run, I am currently on visa waiver and have a flight to Germany (my home country) 29 days after entering Thailand. Will take 20 kTHB as proof of funding and a hotel booking as proof of accommodation.

Does anyone have recent experience at this border crossing for 30 days visa waiver? Is it accessible by public transport from Cambodia and is there public transport on Thai side (Thai side not that important, I could go by hitchhiking and want to have a look at the smallest point of Thailand 420 m from the sea to Cambodian border)? On google maps, it doesn't look like there is a town on either side of the border. Will I be able to get something to eat and a hotel if necessary?

Thank you for your very informative posts. I had less trouble, but did get the impression that they were steadily becoming more difficult.

As did Bali who finally became fed up with the scammers !

Poor choice of words. Even people who work illegally in Thailand and fulfill the requirements for tourist visa will usually get one.

The illegal working is a completely different story, but that's more difficult to tackle.

Because the authorities are too lazy to go out in Thailand to find those who work illegally, they suspect everyone who has been in Thailand for a while (in my case two years, traveling 35 provinces so far) of illegal working and create difficulties when you apply for a visa, which is easier because then I come to them.

Think previous post asked for lease? LUDICROUS

That's not what I said. I had no hotel reservation, so I gave then last year's rent contract instead (which extends simply by paying my rent, without need for new contract). However last year's rent contract was not accepted, so I go new rent contract (over lunch break, via Line) to submit.

Tourist visa at Thai consul Saigon 10.-11.03.2016

"You should not come back here", I take that as a challenge, not a warning. Anyway, I had a flight to Saigon booked already, so I had to go to Thai Consul in Saigon again.

This time better prepared: bankbook (and 20,000 THB in cash should they ask to see cash, or deny me a visa and I have to enter on visa exempt), rent contract, one hotel booking and an itineraray with all my trips in Jan-Feb (with bus or train tickets, hotel receipt, national park entrance tickets as proof, and a collection of selfies at various places I visited on my phone) and upcoming trips Mar-May (supported by one hotel booking).

Hand in application form, rent contract, hotel booking, flights into and out of Thailand. After taking it to the back room, front desk staff comes back and tells me if I have a guarantor in Thailand, the consul will issue one more visa. Enquire what exactly they want: letter of guarantee, copy of ID card and copy of housebook. She gives my documents back (but keeps the 40 USD application fee, I don't even get a receipt). I ask if I will get visa tomorrow if I submit complete documents this afternoon: yes.

(Website says processing two days, which could mean you get it back the third day. But I don't have a third day stay in Saigon!)

Here it occurs to me that taking the documents to the back room is already the consul, hence it would be pointless to ask to see a superior or have an appointment with the consul; or pointless ask if itinerary is accepted instead of guarantor.

Return to my hotel for WiFi and their desktop computer for guests. Message 3 Thai friends on Line, of which one can provide copy of ID immediately and copy of house book within one hour. I wrote a letter of guarantee myself and sent it to my friend, who put it down in handwriting. Took me a total of 2 h 30 min from first contact to having everything printed out [1]. Submit in the afternoon, pick up passport with visa the following afternoon. Handwritten note in Thai on the visa sticker "Guarantor name of my friend".

There were not many other customers, about 10 in the course of one hour [2]. One didn't have printout of flight into or out of Thailand, showing the document on mobile phone was not accepted, had to go somewhere to print it out.

Other random visa information (not pertaining to Saigon):

One friend said Thai embassy in New York offered him or a friend retirement visa under the age of 50, clearly a misunderstanding or misinformation?

Another friend said staff in Chaeng Wattana compared passport pictures from current application with pictures from a year ago, found them to be the same, and insisted he get recent passport pictures (easily done, there are shops in the basement).

[1]Cannot print directly from desktop for customers, copy on USB and print from receptionist's computer. However he has to process guests in between, and then the printer ran out of paper, and then there was a paper jam, so after half an hour and printing 3 pages he sent me to nearby copy shop. There two misprints, then everything fine although excrutiatingly slow (color ink jet felt like 5 minutes per page, at home I have a laser printer b/w 5 seconds per page). Thus, it took me one hour to print 6 pages.

[2]Let's say Saigon processes 30 applications per day, Vientiane 300. If every visa runner spends 200 Euro during his stay in Lao, that's 16 million Euro per year for Lao economy, just because their Thai embassy is easy. And the same for Savannakhet.

Copyright 2016 ChristianPFC

I got an SETV in Saigon on 07.01.2016:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/873344-where-to-get-thai-tourist-visa-in-vietnam/

(post number 9 is reporting my experiences)

Did you observe others before you, and stay longer to sort your stuff and observe how others after you were dealt with? In my case, I had to come back in the afternoon with additional documents and two others had to make phone calls to get additional documents.

Visa at Thai consul in Saigon

Application for Single Entry Tourist Visa at Thai Consul Saigon

My background: German 35 y.o., had a job in Thailand in 2013 and have been living on my savings on tourist visas 2014-15 and traveling extensively all over Thailand (can read and write Thai).

Wed 06.01.2016

Arrive at Thai consul 10:06. At the counter a note is posted: fee is 40 USD, and only USD are accepted as payment; there is no copy or printing service. And a long note about visa abuse for illegal working. I hand in my documents (passport, application form, flight bookings in and out of Thailand) and rejoice that I’m not asked for proof of funding.

But then I am called back to the counter to provide proof of funding. “You have been in Thailand for a year.” (Actually 3 years, 2 of which on tourist visas, but she can see for herself in my pp.) I pull out a total of 1,200 EUR in cash, but she doesn’t even look at it (I have about 15,000 THB and 300 USD as well). I give her my bank book (with 37,000 THB last statement begin of December, I withdrew 10,000 since then but didn’t have time to update it). She disappears with the bank book and about 15 minutes later calls me again to the counter.

Do you have hotel booking? I don’t have hotel booking (all my trips are spontaneous, walk-in), but I have last year’s rent contract (Jan-Dec 2015). Last year does not count, I have to provide a current rent contract! (Procrastination: I could have gotten one mid-December, but not over Christmas – I was travelling – or New Year – everywhere closed).

They return all documents and application fee and I leave 11:07. About 15 others were there during this time. Some had issues with documents, a White called his wife or girlfriend to provide documentation about their son, a Black has or had a work visa but needed additional documents.

Return to hotel (for WiFi), contact my landlord on Line to set up a new rent contract, send it as email attachment and print it out.

Back at the consulate 14:20-27, they accept printout of front page (my landlord sent just front page, with all necessary information, 2^nd and 3^rd page are the same as in old contract).

Thu 07.01.2016

Get my passport with visa back 13:45 (no waiting time).

Ask her which additional documents I should bring next time (I have already flight booked to Saigon), she replies “You should not come back here”. I suggest bringing hotel receipts, bus and train tickets, national park and museum entrance tickets and selfies of me in front of tourist attractions from upcoming travels Jan-Feb-Mar, but she doesn’t get into discussion: “I told you already, you should not come back here.” Ultimately it’s the consul’s decision, she tells me.

I have nothing to hide, I really travel and can provide details as far as I remember, and name and locate a wide range of tourist attractions. (When I go to TAT offices in the provinces, I ask them questions whose answers I already know to assess how well they know their job.)

With flight already booked, I will try again in Saigon and bring everything I have (e.g. last year’s statements from withdrawing money from ATM from my bank in Germany), and hope they issue me one more, especially as I will fly back to Germany after that. If Saigon fails, I can go to Thai Embassy in Hanoi, or Phnom Penh (combine with visit friend who lives there), or Lao.

Sidenote: bus Phnom Penh to Saigon without problem, 6 hours driving and 1 hour at immigration, now visa exempt entry.

Copyright 2016 ChristianPFC

Bump this up again.

Any first hand experience in which form proof of funding is required in Saigon or Hanoi?

I don't want to carry 500 Euro, 500 USD and 20,000 THB with me to be on the safe side, plus my Thai bank book and print of German bank account with > 5000 Euro. Print screen or better take latest statement (that will be Dec 31) with me. A friend told me he was in Kuala Lumpur and they wanted a statement from his bank in Europe, which would have taken too long, he went to Penang instead.

Thanks for your replies. I guess I can pick up visa form at the embassy.

Interesting point about proof of funds other than cash, and here http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/830367-got-double-entry-tourist-visa-in-hanoi/#entry9480376 it says

No problems except they wanted money in USD, not Thai Baht or VN Kip (Hanoi)

Will take Euro and my Thai bank book with > 20,000 on last statement, and ask friends from USA if then can lend me USD (leaving EUR as deposit and change back after return to avoid losses by changing money).

Talked about this with a friend, he knows someone who had visa over night at HCMC. Furthermore he thinks long processing times at PP are to get some extra money by getting people to use agents for faster processing.

Glad this is sorted!

My situation: German passport, have been traveling in Thailand for two years on single or multiple entry tourist visas (from Vientiane, Berlin, Penang, Berlin).

Have flight to Phnom Penh on 03.01.2016. With Thu Jan07 2016 Victory over Genocide Day and weekend, it would take over 5 days to get visa in PP, and there is not that much to do in PP (have been before for some days). Hence I plan to go to Vietnam (here again weekend will delay visa) over land (any scams at the border?) to take advantage of their visa free entry.

Where in Vietnam is best to get a tourist visa for Thailand?

Ho Chi Minh consulate http://www.thaiembassy.org/hochiminh/en/services/33685-Tourist-Visa.html

and Hanoi embassy http://www.thaiembassy.org/hanoi/th/services/1761/25691-Tourist-Visa.html

have the same requirements. Any personal experience?

There is no information how long it takes to issue a visa, and there are no links to the particular embassy's visa formular.

Any alternative suggestions? Cross from Vietnam by land to Lao and get visa in Vientiane or Sawannakhet? (In that case I would not have proof of leaving Vietnam in form of flight ticket, however Vietnam embassy Berlin does not say proof of leaving V is required for visa free entry.)

Or do not take the flight to PP (cost was 2407 THB, booked as proof of leaving Thailand, was required at Thai embassy Berlin) and go somewhere else? Visa for Cambodia alone would cost 25 USD, for that I can almost get a flight to elsewhere in the region.

(Speaking and reading Thai at intermediate level and having traveled Thailand extensively, these visa runs are a nuisance and I want to get back to Thailand as quickly as possible where I can communicate in Thai, know the transport system and the food.)

I don't know nationality and type of visa of the person who was refused entry to Thailand because he didn't have 20,000 Baht in cash to show.

I have a German passport and came with a tourist visa I got in Penang.

The officer did not say "What illegal activities are you up to under the guise of being a tourist?", but that was the mood.

Or are you just attempting to add "colour" to your post?

Yes.

Thanks for your replies.

I just filled out my Arrival and Departure card for upcoming trip to Thailand (tip: get an extra card so you can fill it out at home, more comfortable than in the airplane or in the airport), and here it struck me again:

What is "From / Port of embarkation" and "Next city / Port of disembarkation". I filled in "Berlin" (even though there is a stop in Moscow to change plane), and "Bangkok". They know where I enter Thailand, and (I think) it will be stamped on the arrival card.

Here again, it seems to be of little importance what you fill in. I once sat on the plane next to a passenger who let me take part in the process of filling out his arrival card, his handwriting was illegible.

In January did some search for this route (Penang to Padang Pesar), without remembering details, there was nothing that suited me (either change bus in Malaysia or direct connections too early or too late).

I can confirm that Sadao is no fun when coming from Malaysia, one passenger on my van (Penang - Hat Yai) was refused entry for lack of 20,000 Baht in cash to show, I had the cash to show, but still reception was unfriendly (not "Welcome back, Sir, and have a great time in Thailand" but "What illegal activities are you up to under the guise of being a tourist?").

Good to know: Bali, Vienna (from posts above) and Berlin (own experience) require proof of leaving for each entry, whereas Vientiene still issues double entry tourist visas without proof of leaving (but how long until they want proof of leaving as well?).

Nothing new, but I have to admit a year or two ago I found out by chance (but didn't lose time or money over it).

The question is: why do Thai embassies issue visas with such little extra time? To fully eploit the entries and extentions, you can't spend significant time elsewhere.