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jimster
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Posts posted by jimster
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3 hours ago, phuketrichard said:
not all land borders offer the ordinary visa ( Vietnam and laos borders and some thai borders do not)$285 for the 1 year extension or so in PP i have never heard of express service for this
Ask any travel agent they will charge an extra US$85-100. You probably never asked
and were never in such a rush - some people however only have a day in Phnom Penh and then need to travel. it's these people who are most likely to need rush service.
All the land borders I've been through offer the ordinary visa. Vietnam borders also do (maybe not all but certainly Moc Bai).
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2 hours ago, jphasia said:
Yes 100% sure. I used to get that VOA the first few times I came to Myanmar for work and was paying $50, then I went to the road of multiple entry 1 year as in / out very often. But my expats staff are getting this business VOA for $50.
As long as you got Letter of invitation for local company + company documents + photos, you can get this Business VOA in Yangon Airport, Mandalay Airport and Nay Py Taw Airport. At least that's where my staff have been able to get one.
Ah, I know what you mean.
The US$50 business VOA only applies to arrivals by air. The US$70 business e-visa is also applicable for arrivals by land and is a new scheme, only available since Sep 1, 2016. I can't choose the former because I always travel by land. The main places of interest to our business are in the provinces not far from the Thai border hence why I have a choice of only the visa in advance applied for at the embassy or the business e-visa.
Thanks for your great summary - while 16000 Baht is quite a lot, it might still be worth applying for.
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On 1/21/2017 at 11:18 AM, BruceMangosteen said:
Any current information on the "ordinary" VISA which can be extended up to one year?(tourist VISA only one 30 day extension) I had been advised this was only available at the PNH airport. I'm scared of flying so any insight much appreciated. OO and God Bless You.
I believe it can be applied for at any land border crossing for US$35, some border crossings especially Koh Kong might ask for a little more. No need to fly to Cambodia. Land border crossings are very easy, just be patient and try not to pay more than the official price. If you are backed into a corner, bargain, but don't pay more than US$5 more than the official price and even then only at Koh Kong. Other border crossings - no problem with paying the official price.
You get any travel agent in Phnom Penh to extend your visa for a year. No need to do this yourself and in any case, it would be advised against. Still costs under US$300 and usually doesn't take more than a couple of days. You can pay extra for express processing, in which case it only takes a day.
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On 8/30/2016 at 0:13 PM, craigp said:
that's interesting ...... Even for a motorbike is it $1500?
What about other possessions?
If going in over land from mae sai?
Basically, I want an easier place to live than Thailand and I don't want to lose my possessions. I am already in the north of Thailand...
Only a few hundreds dollars or so but all quotes include accommodation too. For a proper quote, suggest you contact a travel agent with experience in organizing tours. Burma Senses is one, you can also try Asian Trails or the upmarket (and relatively expensive though very professional) Diethelm. The latter allows you to pay their Thai office in Baht, which is very convenient. For up to 7 days (maybe 14) Thai vehicles can enter Tachilek but won't be allowed in very far. For a proper tour, you need to contact a travel agent.
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On 8/30/2016 at 11:06 AM, phuketrichard said:
Yes, but it will cost ya upwards of $1,500 and take a few months to arrange via a travel agent
3-4 weeks is all it needs, based on personal experience and what the travel agents themselves say. It depends on your itinerary and for a short trip, and especially if there are multiple vehicles in your group it can be down to a few hundred dollars per vehicle, including hotel costs. Thai travel agents, such as those with experience operating tours especially up in Chiang Rai charge a lot less than big western travel agents you contact in Yangon.
Thais who have connections to immigration/customs and other important people can travel in/out of Myanmar by car quiet readily without any special requirements, all others can enter and remain only a short distance from the border for a limited time, otherwise a tour is necessary.
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According to my Myanmar immigration contact she can NOT use her migrant labour passport. She must apply for and use a regular passport. Migrant labour passports will soon be abolished and only one type of passport be offered anyway.
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On 8/8/2016 at 9:22 AM, phuketrichard said:
Of course u need a visa :-)
it varies form $30-45 depending on ur passport, available at all land borders or flying in
Nearly all land borders. Some smaller ones are still exceptions and don't offer VOA on the Lao side. Beung Kan/Paksan is one. Phu Doo is another (though reportedly there is VOA there since Jan 1 but I'd confirm that to make sure).
Some countries are visa exempt for Laos. ASEAN nationals, Russians, South Koreans, Japanese, Swiss, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein. So I wouldn't say "of course u need a visa" this depends on his nationality. -
On 8/29/2016 at 9:33 AM, phuketrichard said:
tourist visa valid for 28 day stay
online its $50 and valid for3 months from date of issue,now valid for land borders ( from Sept 1st)
Valid for 3 land borders for entry. The Phu Nam Ron border has no internet connection so e-visas are not valid for entry there, only for exit. This information can be verified on the e-visa website you have provided.
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Sorry to hear your story, I was expecting to read something like this sooner or later and you'll see why by reading further. I have a good friend who works at Myawady immigration. He is one of the chief immigration officers there.
This is what he told me:
As of 1 Sep 2016 when the Myanmar e-visa was introduced, the government quietly changed the conditions for visa waivers that are applicable to some ASEAN nationals. First of all, visa free entry by land from Thailand is no longer allowed. All ASEAN nationals must obtain a visa sticker or e-visa to enter Myanmar by land. At no time were Thai nationals ever covered by visa free entry by land as the Thai government has only been willing to agree to a visa waiver for Myanmar citizens for air based entry. ASEAN nationals were allowed this privilege however for about a year until the rules changed on Sep 1, 2016.
Thai nationals can enter by land using just a border pass with restrictions on how far they can travel and must return through the same border crossing. Only if they are in possession of a Myanmar visa will they be allowed to travel throughout the country and leave through a different border crossing. However, they won't be allowed to enter or exit through a local border crossing (such as Dan Singkorn or the Three Pagodas Pass) using a passport and visa as these checkpoints aren't international. They must use one of the 4 Thai-Myanmar international land border checkpoints or one of the three international airports.
Filipino, Vietnamese, Lao, Singaporean and other ASEAN nationals eligible for a 14-day Myanmar visa exemption must not only enter by air ONLY but they must also EXIT by air as your experience proves. It is not permissible to enter one way by air and exit by land. Also, a visa exempt national MUST be in possession of a return air ticket, hence trying to leave by land would theoretically not make sense as you're supposed to have a flight out in order to be allowed to board your Myanmar-bound flight in the first place.
All entries from India and China, which require a permit also require the traveler to exit the same way they came, unless traveling by car in transit to a third country, which costs a lot of money and requires 2 guides, advance permission and a host of other requirements.
Hope this helps.
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On 10/25/2016 at 5:29 PM, phuketrichard said:
Thais get a visa exempt stamp at immigration ( land or Air)
They can also apply for a visa if desired for longer than 14 days
Know 100% for sure
By land they require a visa, it can be embassy issued or an e-visa. I'm 100% sure that only entry by air allows visa-free entry. Doing a quick Google search you will realize that the Thai-Myanmar reciprocal visa exemption is only for air entries. Also, it is not possible for a Thai to arrive on a 14-day visa waiver and leave by land. Since Sep 1, 2016 when the e-visa was introduced Myanmar stopped all visa exempt ASEAN nationals from entering visa-free by land. They must now obtain an e-visa.
There is no provision for visa-free land based entry using a Thai passport. However, some border crossings allow Thais to use their ID cards and obtain border passes for travel a certain distance inside the country but not elsewhere. For example, the Mae Sot-Myawady crossing allows 7 days in Myawady and surrounding areas but no further travel inside the country. The Phu Nam Ron-Htee Khee crossing allows 7 days travel to Dawei and Maungmagan beach using just a border pass. The Dan Singkorn crossing allows 14 days for travel to Myeik. The Mae Sai/Tachilek crossing allows 14 days for travel up to Kengtung (and possibly Mong La too). The Ranong/Kawthoung crossing doesn't require a visa for 14 day stays, but not sure if Thais can use a border pass there. However, just like at the other land based crossings, without a passport and visa, Thais are restricted to a certain radius from Kawthoung. Finally, other local border crossings allow day return trips only including the Three Pagodas Pass/Payathonzu border. No doubt some of these border crossings may be unfamiliar to foreigners since they aren't open to us.
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Hi everyone,
I am heading to Myanmar very soon on a business trip and have an invitation letter which requests that the issuing consulate/embassy issue me with a 6-month business visa. If I apply on the e-visa website presumably I can only get a single entry visa, right?
Would I be able to get a 6-month multiple entry business visa at the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok? If so, how much would it cost? The e-visa, which I have used multiple times now for tourist visas avoids the need for a visa sticker in your passport, but on the other hand a multiple entry business visa would help me in that I wouldn't have to apply for a new visa for every entry. This will be my second business visa and my company expects to make an investment in Myanmar requiring frequent travel to the country.
Would it be best in my case just to get a multiple entry business visa to cover my visits in the future? I expect to visit the country at least once a month once our factory is up and running.
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On 1/22/2017 at 9:08 AM, louse1953 said:
That is not true.
Malaysia and Singapore are exceptions, but unfortunately an ATM user fee is also applied to foreign debit/credit card withdrawal at nearly every ATM in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar. Exceptions are exceedingly few.
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4 hours ago, worgeordie said:
That's going to be a wasted trip,he is a hotel owner on
Malaysian island, why does he want to be messing about
with sugar cane growing.
regards worgeordie
Well it might make a sensible investment who knows but why not grow sugar cane closer to home in Malaysia or southern Thailand, would be a much easier trip to check up on things than driving 2500km... -
Although the border crossing itself closes at 10pm, I believe the visa on arrival counter on the Lao side may close as early as 6pm. I have indeed crossed to Savannakhet after dark a couple of times, but as a visa exempt visitor I didn't pay much attention to the visa on arrival counter. Other members on here including UbonJoe have mentioned 6pm, so I assume that still stands.
Assuming you arrived at the Thai side of the border at 5pm, you would have sufficient time to get through. If you only arrive at the airport at 5pm (which airport is it?) I think you'd be pushing it and unlikely to make it on time.
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On 12/26/2016 at 8:48 PM, louse1953 said:
ASEAN was not made to work and it wont.It is all front.
If ASEAN was made to work, it's for the benefit of ASEAN citizens. As the OP is a French citizen, ASEAN is not designed for him. He incorrectly took the EU as an example and thought that ASEAN (or AEC) is the South-East Asian version of the European Union; it isn't.
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On 12/26/2016 at 5:44 PM, reggaebkk said:
I understand if they are trying to protect themselves from people who would come to Thailand and work illegally or make dodgy business. They do a better job than most European nations to protect their people. Also they may have decided to remove the cheap long stay tourists who live on 5000 baht per month and who, in their mind, bring the image of the country down for the upscale tourism they want. It is their choice, their country after all. But in my situation, far from everything except Chanthaburi, I really feel trapped in the cross fire and it's very frustrating. If they have Asean, then they have to recognise the legality of work permit holders in other Asean countries and not handicap us. My competitors are also buying products in Thailand and this ends up being unfair practice... "no, the Farang has the right to work here but can't get supplies like his counterparts".
ASEAN is one thing but you aren't an ASEAN citizen so I'm afraid the Thai authorities won't care much for your situation - they may facilitate the ease of entry of ASEAN citizens but not foreigners from third countries who happen to live in ASEAN countries, which is not the same thing. Why not just catch a cab to Phnom Penh, shouldn't take more than 4-5 hours from Pailin, apply for a METV that you are eligible for and which should get you up to 9 months usage (assuming you apply for 30 day extensions at the end of each 60 day entry) then re-entering Thailand the day before the visa expires you get 60 days, you could get a re-entry permit on that to keep it alive then a 30 day extension and re-entry permit to keep that entry alive? I don't see how a 2-3 day trip to Phnom Penh for a METV would be such a hassle, once in essentially 9 months, even a fairly busy person can manage that somehow. Not to mention I find it hard to believe that living in a small town like Pailin you wouldn't be traveling to Phnom Penh on a regular basis for other purposes anyway. Another possible option may be a travel agency who does your visa for you, so you don't have to leave Pailin.
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On 1/12/2017 at 8:02 PM, wump said:
Get the 7-day-non-extension (1900 Baht) or just overstay (3500 Baht). It would be silly to leave the country and have all the hassle just to get another 7 days... this way you also won't lose your Myanmar visa.
If you do the non-extension make sure you go on the last day (26th) as they will only grant another 7 days (8 days including the day you go) from the date you apply.
A Myanmar visa costs less than 1900 Baht, so why not just use it? Maybe the OP got the Myanmar visa for this purpose and he does not mention if he plans to use it after returning from the UAE. Myanmar, unlike Thailand allows unlimited visa applications so this is actually a better strategy for the OP than getting a 7-day extension and much better than overstaying, which could get him banned for a year if he gets caught.
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On 1/11/2017 at 4:04 PM, juice777 said:
That is still open for debate because the notice says round ticket not a ticket out of Thailand. But you are right but it's not confirmed yet.
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
I think you're taking that "round-trip" part too literally. AFAIK, the term "round-trip" is simply American English for "return trip" in British English, but what consulates/embassies and immigration really care about is an outbound ticket...to anywhere outside of Thailand, even Vientiane, Laos, whose airport is located less than 5km from Thai territory.
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On 1/9/2017 at 5:05 PM, brizz said:
Yes, this is a very good point.
My own bank statement was from BKK Bank. I presented a print-out of my statement, NOT my bank book...and this was fine. In addition, when I was standing in line, I noticed that another American showed a bank statement from a US bank, and I think he was fine. I also noted that someone tried to show a credit card and was refused. The purpose is to show that you have at least 20,000 THB, and a credit card doesn't exactly do this.
A credit card does do this if you show a minimum available credit of 20,000 THB that means a credit card statement must be shown, not a physical credit card of course.
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On 1/11/2017 at 4:15 PM, eisfeld said:
I guess those people would need a METV. But that might probably not be available for them in Malaysia.
They would be if living in Malaysia officially on a proper visa, just like an METV is available for expats living in Laos on "proper" work visas. So-called expats that reside in Laos on tourist visas are tourists in the eyes of the law and not eligible for METV for Thailand.
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On 1/2/2017 at 9:11 AM, hgma said:
Let me get this straight.....Lao nationals not affected by the 2 times rule? but Vietnamese are?
Same bilateral agreement!
If this goes trough the all foreigners in Laos for example who get a month at the border (border run or 2 months when married and not working will be effected..........and how about the goodies shoppers from Laos into Thailand.
Huge investments are made on the Thai border towns to supply neighboring countries (and their expats).......
Laos recently imposed a 10 % VAT tax @the border.....smart move (for 2 time shoppers.)
Thailand does not care about foreigners living in Laos who can't get the right paperwork to get a proper visa there and who in any case only make up a tiny percentage of total border crossers. I think it may only be a matter of time before Laos too no longer tolerates these "visa runners". In the meantime, they can fly into Thailand, catch a bus to Vietnam (very easy to get a visa, some nationalities are visa exempt) or Cambodia (visa on arrival) or China (need a visa in advance) instead if they don't have a "proper" Lao visa. Or they can apply for as many Thai tourist visas until they are stopped by the Thai consulate.
I don't think Vietnamese are affected by this 2 times rule due to being part of the ASEAN bilateral agreement. Even if Lao citizens were treated more favorably, how can this be surprising when they share a direct border with Thailand, which Vietnam does not. Lao citizens have a lot of legitimate reasons to travel to Thailand, in some cases daily and certainly would be very much inconvenienced by any border crossing restrictions, which the Lao government would complain about, just like the Thai government has complained to its Lao counterpart about the 10% VAT tax, which it may be required to remove as it goes against the ASEAN free trade agreement.
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On 1/10/2017 at 6:54 AM, marty14 said:
I just returned from my border-crossing at Chiang Khong. Compared to the "crowded" crossing at Nong Khai this was very very relaxed. Only 11 people went in the bus towards Laos with me so very very relaxed. Entry into Laos went smoothly too.
The return to Thailand went smoothly too. Except for two British travelers and me only a load of Chinese "tourists" in the bus.
At the entry-point the officer wanted to see my ticket out and after showing that to him he started asking questions about where I will stay during these last 3 weeks. Told him my plans and then he turned his monitor around and showed me a big flashing red sticker on the screen. That means, so he told me, that according to the computer I am coming to Thailand "too much". He let me in but he kept a copy of my ticket and urged me to fly out February 1 (which I will and must do). I asked him what the "rule" was about when the computer starts flashing and his answer was 3 times a year an entry on a visa-exempt and every time buying a 30 days extension at the same local immigration (Chiang Mai) looks suspicious. Staying mostly at one spot during my time here is, by the computers standards, not regarded as typical tourist behavior.
I asked him what I could do to avoid all this and he answered: every time get a tourist-visa before you enter.
Chiang Khong was relaxed but..........they ask questions. But all in a polite/ non-threatening way. In fact the officer was trying to help me . A big difference compared to the sometimes "stress-crazy" officers at Bangkok-airports.
Two British travelers doing the same thing had the same "problems". But they also could show two tickets out within the 30 days so they also could enter.
The Chinese "tourists" have their own entry-gate (only Chinese passports) and were let in without much questioning. Made me wonder but T.I.T.
So for my next visit in june I will get me the tourist-visa and hopefully avoid all this.
And....yes I got 30 days by the way
Entered through CHiang Khong recently and didn't notice any special gate for Chinese, only for Lao and Thais, unless Chiang Khong has a "Lao and Chinese passports" lane just like the Mukdaharn border has a "Lao and Vietnamese passports" lane perhaps it does, just that I didn't see it. Probably they just went through the same entry gate because that's what they were told to do. Also, the reason they were let in without much questioning is unlike you, this was probably their first trip to the country (or they are infrequent travelers).
Definitely a good idea to get that tourist visa, avoids a lot of trouble.
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On 1/1/2017 at 10:21 PM, mickeymiles said:
ubonjoe
- Star Member
"More like which one does not allow a same day turnaround. Only Sadao and occasionally Padang Besar do not allow it.
But there are 3 crossings to Myanmar that do not allow any crossings for new exempt entry. Ban Phu Nam Ron, Mae Sot and Mae Sai do not allow them."
I have a valid Burmese visa in my passport and was hoping to enter Myanmar and return through Mae Sot after 2 weeks. Would you be so kind to confirm that it is not possible to get a visa exempt at Mae Sot after visiting Mynamar?
Much appreciated,
Mickey
Yes no problem to return on visa-exempt in your case. Only same day re-entries are not allowed if attempting to return on visa-exempt. However, if you've had 2 or more land border entries so far this year, you won't be allowed to re-enter.
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On 12/4/2016 at 4:03 PM, freebyrd said:
Not so. When I lived in Thailand, my Thai was a s good as his, it had to be given that I was working closely with many Thai people on a daily basis. And why would I be jealous of some baby faced Yank barely out of
nappiesdiapers, a creature of the Youtube generation who needs to get some time in before giving others the 'benefit' of his wide experience.And by the way, his accent is poor. Really working with Thais, mine was far more polished.
All that said, I kept my head down and didn't spend my days taking the pi*s out of them.
Fair enough, I believe you when you say his accent is better than his. So is mine. I simply said his was "fairly good" in other words much better than that of most foreigners (westerners) who can speak some Thai but by no means excellent, just better than average. I also agree that he is more interested in trying to be the centre of attention than doing anything productive or useful. It's just that I have seen so many bitter expats posting here (clearly you're not one of them) who seem to be jealous of any "Thaier than Thai" expat even if they can only speak a little bit of Thai yet they make no attempts at integrating themselves.
and were never in such a rush - some people however only have a day in Phnom Penh and then need to travel. it's these people who are most likely to need rush service.
Increase of surcharge on None Thai ATM Cards to 220 baht
in Jobs, Economy, Banking, Business, Investments
Posted
Yes they are now. As of my last trip to Cambodia last year (I travel there regularly and went multiple times last year) all Cambodian banks are now charging US$4 or US$5 per withdrawal so while this may be marginally cheaper than what Thai banks are charging (unless you have a Union Pay or BCEL Laos card) they will catch up for sure. Canadia bank used to be free but now charges US$4 per withdrawal. Just like there used to be 2-3 banks in Thailand that didn't charge until recently, including AEON but now they do. Times are changing everywhere.
In Myanmar, most banks are charging 5000 MMK and some have recently increased this to 6500 MMK per withdrawal, including CB Bank, one of the country's largest. Additionally, their ATM withdrawal limits are much lower than those at Thai ATMs, only allowing 300,000 MMK per withdrawal (about AUD 300, USD 225 or THB 8000). Vietnamese, Indonesian and Lao ATMs also charge foreign cardholders. In this region, only mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia so far still don't charge.
This information is correct as of December 2016. Unless you have proof of what you claim, your anecdotes are heresay. As per my accurate to the point previous post, where I stated that "Lao, Vietnamese, Cambodian and Myanmar ATMs ALL charge fees with rare exceptions" this still stands.