lordblackader

Did the run a month ago, police everywhere for inspections, but mostly on the way back. The Songteaw to the bus station even got pulled over and the Burmese looking folk having their bags inspected.

There has always been inspections on the way there, but they seem to be cracking down more, 5 in total from the border to Chiang Mai when I did it. 

Last 2-3 nights in CNX it has poured for hours at a time. Plenty of rain here.

When last night?

I was at Sunday walking street, it threatened but it never rained. It had a downpour what Friday?? and was a bit drizly Saturday morning that was the first serious rain we'd had in weeks.

Unless you're elsewhere in the provence and not in the City proper.

Dry in Chiang Mai.

We had a bit of rain last week, but that's it, where as this time last year it was raining 2 in every 3 days, often more.

Wet season definitely seems to be late in the North this year.

Don't forget the Myanmar border officers that don't get their 500 THB /a farang...

It's still US$10 or 500 THB. I paid US$10 which works out at 330 THB at a money exchange in CM (with fees)

It's always been US$10 but enterprising Myanmar immigration officials will almost always ask for 500 Baht first up. As soon as you give them US$10 without so much as saying a word they'll accept it. Out of 6 entries on short term passes (5 at Mae Sot and 1 at Mae Sai) in the past year or so, this has always worked for me. Entering with a visa of course you don't need to pay anything (I've entered at Mae Sot with a visa 3 times).

They may sometimes ask but half a dozen times now, and a bit more: you don't ask, you just present the US$10 note with your passport with the Burma side of the trip and they don't argue. Put the note in your passport page as you hand it over. End story. Their own signs say they take it and I've never had a problem.

Not once have I had a problem. US$10.

Neither have I: every time (about 7 times now) US$10 not a problem

Is going to mae sai to activate 3rd entry of triple TV (1sr 2 extended 30 days) a bad idea? ! No other stamps in pp, will take 20k cash and printouts for much more. Anyone done this past few days?!

done this, but on the second part of a double entry.

You will be fine.

Don't forget the Myanmar border officers that don't get their 500 THB /a farang...

US$10. it's 500 THB or US$10, anyone who knows how it works does the stamp in/ out with $10.

Don't forget the Myanmar border officers that don't get their 500 THB /a farang...

It's still US$10 or 500 THB. I paid US$10 which works out at 330 THB at a money exchange in CM (with fees)

It's always been US$10 but enterprising Myanmar immigration officials will almost always ask for 500 Baht first up. As soon as you give them US$10 without so much as saying a word they'll accept it. Out of 6 entries on short term passes (5 at Mae Sot and 1 at Mae Sai) in the past year or so, this has always worked for me. Entering with a visa of course you don't need to pay anything (I've entered at Mae Sot with a visa 3 times).

They may sometimes ask but half a dozen times now, and a bit more: you don't ask, you just present the US$10 note with your passport with the Burma side of the trip and they don't argue. Put the note in your passport page as you hand it over. End story. Their own signs say they take it and I've never had a problem.

Not once have I had a problem. US$10.

Don't forget the Myanmar border officers that don't get their 500 THB /a farang...

It's still US$10 or 500 THB. I paid US$10 which works out at 330 THB at a money exchange in CM (with fees)

My only gripe from the trip: border police can't count. I was stamped out on 6 July but the stamp back in reads 3 Sep (it should be 5 Sep.)

Sorry but it's you who can't count. A simple addition shows you have 60 days including the date stamp day. They count actual 60 days, they do not round up using 30-day months.

Should be 4th, not 3rd, presuming July and August both have 31 days.

At the moment it may be slow because most of the border runners have gone to Vientiane for tourist visas. Once they start having to use their second entries things it will pick up again.

Possibly, but no. The whole 15-30 day visa exempt stamp runners have been wiped out.

Vientiane runners...don't do the trip as often: 60/90 days on a double entry, which I guess kills the visa runner companies...full stop.

Yes it was deserted last week too. I was the only one at the counter both exiting and entering. Not a minivan in sight. Plenty of Thais shopping, but no foreigners!

It's weird isn't it, vs this time last year.

The Visa run companies out of CM and CR must be be out of business or close there to.

Did a visa run to Mae Sai on Sunday (6 July.)

Was to get the second entry on my double entry tourist visa (I naturally had my initial 60 days extended by 30.)

No problems at all with customs, indeed it has never been quicker..or quieter for that mater.

But here in is where it was different.

I did it half a dozen times last year on the "visa exempt" stamp run, and there was always queues and always a pile of white people.

This time no white people, no Visa run vans sitting near the border.

In fact the lack of white people in Mae Sai was staggering. Spent shy of 2 hours before my trip back wandering around, I was the only white person in the Mae Sai market..as in the ONLY white person. This time last year there would have been 2-3 dozen wandering around. Even the bus up and back (Green Bus) would have been half full of white folk doing a Visa run (of various sorts) last year, this year I was the token going up, one other coming back.

Suffice to say the crackdown on Visa exempt stamp runners is working, and I'd hate to think how Visa run companies are coping, if they're still in business.

My only gripe from the trip: border police can't count. I was stamped out on 6 July but the stamp back in reads 3 Sep (it should be 5 Sep.)

Should I head to the CM immigration office to argue for two extra days or don't bother?

No such thing as a 14 or 28 day stamp, it's 15 or 30 days depending on where you are from.

That said, was in Maesai Sunday to activate my second entry on a tourist visa and the customers officers there can't count dates.

I exited on 6 July and only later did I notice that I was stamped back in until 3 September, despite a 60 day entry visa, 2 days shy of what it should have been.

My girlfriend has a small restaurant in CM with thai and farang food. On a average day she had 30-40 customers who loved the food and the place. Now? If she is lucky 10 customers a day. Its been like this for months here in chiang mai

Sent from my GT-I9082L using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

This.

A little Japanese BBQ Chicken place just up from where I live closed there doors this week.

Some of my favourite CM places which last year were hard to get a seat in are empty, often with the staff sitting around outside waiting for a customer.

As much as we're coming into tourist low season it has gotten really really quiet of late, particularly compared to the same time last year.

I'm surprised so many on here moan about Immigration suggesting they need to have 20'000"baht in their pocket.

That was certainly the complaint from the Russian woman who was rejected yet that sum will not last long in Phuket.

Lots of Russians have bought condos in place like Karon and are now renting them out on sites such as AirBnB.

Hotels hate that site as it offers great accommodation at half their room rates.

Thailand if rife with Farangs working in the tourist sector as diving instructors etc,bar owners, and teachers.

How many people come into Thailand with 20k THB in their pocket...seriously?

Her gripe was that she had it in her bank account but they played the literal rule of the law re having it in cash. She even offered to have her Russian bank statements translated.

It's 2014 for gods sake, with the exception of Chinese tourists who seem obsessed with cash, the rest of the world has moved on from there.

Also can confirm no problems with Brisbane (obtained double entry in March via mail) and unlike Melbourne they don't require an itinerary.