Almudena

1 hour ago, Bredbury Blue said:

I attended the appointment for my son's passport and was specifically told no need to queue.

We could collect M W or F between 1 to 3pm no appointment.

 

My wife went to collect the passport and just went straight in and was sent to a counter immediately.

 

All in the past month.

Fair enough, but that was the case back in July when I collected mine. 

9 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Not currently necessary to make an appointment to collect, just go straight in.

That's what argued with the VFS woman when phoned me to say that my passport was ready.  She said it was due to social distancing.  It was no problem though as she gave me an appointment the following day. 

You don't need the photo's countersigned, VFS staff will verify that and the copies against the original documents on behalf of the HMPO as that's what they are paid to do. 

Renewed mine mid June and was told by VFS it would take a while.  I was gobsmacked when the new passport arrived within 3 weeks.  You also now have to make an appointment for the collection as well.  

4 hours ago, JackThompson said:

This is VERY good news.  Was this at Chiang Wattana, or a smaller office in the sticks?

 

Many times, it ends like this - agent + pile of cash:

 

Up in Issan, but the same rules should apply to any immigration office. There's no need to pay an agent when the school can sort everything out, plus you're the one doing them the favour due to the lack of NES who can't or wont pay the ASQ to get back in. 

I was approached by a government school a few months ago to teach for them as they are desperate for NES teachers while still on an amnesty TR visa.  I have not taught here for 11 years due to that I got fed up with the immigration/WP procedures when it's easier to work in the UK for better money and only come here only on holidays. 

I made it clear to them that I would only do it legally as I can't see the point of doing something illegal when there's no need to.  It's time consuming for the School to get the correct documents as they need to be signed off by higher education authorities who always seems to be away from their offices on other duties and it's only that person who can sign and seal the documents for the immigration.   We submitted the documents to immigration at the beginning of the month and had a "visa under consideration" stapled to my passport and told the real visa will be issued at the end of the month.

The total price I was charged was 2000baht.  

How many are of us on amnesty now paying in and supporting the country?  Me thinks that they don't have the resources to bang us all up in a IDC that also has a drain on the inland revenues pocket.  20,000Baht (max fine) maybe worth it, if you value your life rather than returning to a covid hot spot.  But this is T.I.T. 

Khon Kaen Immigration told me that the letter is only valid for a week.  You will get 30 days from the time you turn up at the immigration office and not from the date of the expiry of permission of stay.  Hence the reason the immigration bloke told me to come back nearer my expiry of permission of stay and he saved me 1900Baht as the amnesty kicked in a week later.

Yes you can easily to a border run using that train - done it loads of times.  However there's nothing what so ever apart from toilets at Thanaleng train station.  The location is far from anywhere so not easy to buy delicious french bread, sandwiches and cheap plonk.  But that said it's peaceful and relaxing as there's no walking involved if you're coming up Nong Khai railway station.    

Once you have left Cambodia you are not obliged to keep that visa-sticker in your passport as they have already stamped your passport.

So far I´ve taken out 6 Cambodian visa-stickers in the past and never been questioned or challenged by Thai or Cambodian Immagration officers.

Almudena:

Can you remember the name of the shop you booked this visa run with ???  1700 baht is a good price... I would like to try their service  for my next visa run.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That puzzled me a bit............1700 baht sounds like a coach as opposed to a mini-bus and i never realised any coaches did that run. I know the outfit in Soi Bourkhao opposite the end of Soi Lengkee do the run but have never used them..........i have used in the past 5 Star visa Runs who operate out of The Sportsman Soi 13 2300 baht last time i went.........would use them again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Booked it through:-

CAMBODIA INTER TRAVEL LTD

261/5 SOI BUAKHAO

TEL: 038-421590

If you go along Soi Buakhao (from Pattaya Tai, they are on the right side of the road with a blue sign that says "visa run to Cambodia 1700baht". They even ring you up the night before to comfirm.

I was expecting a coach to pick us up as I travel better on coaches opposed to minibuses. But to my surprise it was a minibus. There were 8 of us in the minibus. No entertainment, but comfertable.

As I said before the cost for me was 1700baht and 400baht for my Thai wife (as she likes shopping in Cambodia). There is a market near by the Cambodian immagration office for shopping while you wait to get your passport back as this company has a Cambodian representive who takes care of everything so you don´t have to queue and wait and because of this representive, this is why they can do it so cheap.

As before I´ve used the border at Klong Yai and paid 1300baht for the visa PLUS they want an extra 300 for leaving the same day.

So before this new border opened I´d started useing the border at Mea Sot (TAK) as with the train fare and hotel to get up there and back from Pattaya was cheaper than useing Klong Yai.

At the moment they run a bus only twice weekly, but I´m sure this will increase to a daily service with demand.

Freindly tip for EU passport holders:- When you get your passport back and you have been re-admitted back into Thailand. Very carefuly peel off the visa from Cambodia as qickly as possable before the glue dries. Then you have a free page left. As 30/46 page passports don´t last very long when you have to do visa runs.

Just got back from Pong Nam. Bus left Pattaya at 0700 and got back to Jomtien at 1520. Good quiet border and a good road to Pong nam as 85% of the way is dual carrigeway. Total cost 1700Baht including lunch and visa. Booked it through a shop half way along Soi Bakowe.

Never used the border at Aranyapet, due to too many horry stories! But this border seems to be cheaper than Klong Yai (Trat).

I don´t think this border will never be as busy as Aranyapet, due to connections to Pehnom Pehn are diffacult and it´s not easy to get to with public transport from Bangkok. But easy to get to from Pattaya!

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