Grumpy, Lumpy And Bumpy

[fanciman]

The 9 30 am bus from CNX was full, and the next available was 10.30. That set everything off.

Seats were hard, ars* sore. Had to change bus at Chiang Rai. (The Rai / Rangers or whatever it is called...)

The immigration staff on the thai side looked stressed, like they had been leant on to provide some loot.

Do we really need to get the Burmese stamp once through thai immig? I could go to outerspace for all anyone cares.

The burmese immig guy looked like trouble. I havent had that feeling before. They wanted 500 baht for the stamp! Is that normal? I didn't even want to go there and just wanted to go right back.

Anyway, bus from Rangers was full, had to spend night there. 400 baht for fan room!

So, do we really need to pay the 5oo at burma?

[tropo]

So, do we really need to pay the 5oo at burma?

What choice do you really have? Once you've received your exit stamp from Thailand you're really in no-mans-land. They could ask you for any amount they please and what could you do?

You're actually doing well compared to Laos who charge for a visa ($30?) and Cambodia ($20) and you waste a whole page of your passport.

[fanciman]

So, do we really need to pay the 5oo at burma?

What choice do you really have? Once you've received your exit stamp from Thailand you're really in no-mans-land. They could ask you for any amount they please and what could you do?

You're actually doing well compared to Laos who charge for a visa ($30?) and Cambodia ($20) and you waste a whole page of your passport.

I heard recently that embassies will top up pages in your passport, if it is full... don't know if it is true, or free, though.

I could have a rocket pack, fly into the sky, and enter international air space, and then parachute back to the crossing. Do we HAVE to pay the burmese for a stamp?

[farangsay]

Could it be that the guy in Thai immo looked stressed

because he was confronted by a farang who looked

stressed because he had less than enjoyed his trip

thus far.

The 500b Burma side is strange (because I always

understood they only wanted yankee paper ) but

reasonable.

The fee used to be $5 which cost you 200b if you

went down town the day before to buy the or 300b

if you bought them at Ranong.

This is historical (hystarical whatever) information

as I understand the fees have been raised in Burma.

Chill out dude.

It is nothing personal !

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Could it be that the guy in Thai immo looked stressed

because he was confronted by a farang who looked

stressed because he had less than enjoyed his trip

thus far.

The 500b Burma side is strange (because I always

understood they only wanted yankee paper ) but

reasonable.

The fee used to be $5 which cost you 200b if you

went down town the day before to buy the or 300b

if you bought them at Ranong.

This is historical (hystarical whatever) information

as I understand the fees have been raised in Burma.

Chill out dude.

It is nothing personal !

now its $10 or 500 baht. Obviously if you hit the military bank there in Mae Sai then you can get 360 baht converted into a $10.

What did the Original poster get stamped at the border? VOA? How many stamps did he have. Did he talk to anyone there about the current 3 stamp limit issue? how about a report on something other than bus seats.

[tropo]

I could have a rocket pack, fly into the sky, and enter international air space, and then parachute back to the crossing. Do we HAVE to pay the burmese for a stamp?

It might work if you exit Thailand by boat, hit international water and return...there might be a turnaround period of 24 hours.

If you used your "rocket pack", where would you launch it? From Thailand after they stamped you out, or in Burma before you reach the Immigration post? How high would you have to fly to reach "international air space"?

[tamaique]

I heard recently that embassies will top up pages in your passport, if it is full... don't know if it is true, or free, though.

Some countries let you add pages to your passport some don't. Once my Mexican passport is full it's time to get a new one.

I believe US passports can be topped-up at the embassy (not completely sure though)

[ovenman]

Do we HAVE to pay the burmese for a stamp?

At a land border, inbound Thai immigrations will often want to see the exit stamp of the country from which a traveler just departed.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I heard recently that embassies will top up pages in your passport, if it is full... don't know if it is true, or free, though.

Some countries let you add pages to your passport some don't. Once my Mexican passport is full it's time to get a new one.

I believe US passports can be topped-up at the embassy (not completely sure though)

US Embassies and Consulates will add pages without any charge.

[endure]

Once a UK passport is full the British Goverment will charge you HUGE quantities of money for a new one

[tropo]

Do we HAVE to pay the burmese for a stamp?

At a land border, inbound Thai immigrations will often want to see the exit stamp of the country from which a traveler just departed.

Are you sure about this? Wouldn't it be kind of obvious when you arrive at a border post that you've just left that country?

[lopburi3]

Land borders will always check for an exit stamp when you arrive and if you do not have one you will be subject to arrest and prosecution. Don't try to play games to save 500 baht. If in any doubt below is from home page of Aranyaprathet Immigration web site:

Foreigners crossing into Thailand from Cambodia must have valid a exit stamp from the Cambodian immigration authorities in their passport.

- Foreigners entering Thailand without having their travel documents checked will be considered illegal immigrants and are subject to prosecution according to Thai immigration laws.

The international waters trick was tried several years ago - Immigration was not impressed.

[chuchok]

The burmese immig guy looked like trouble. I havent had that feeling before. They wanted 500 baht for the stamp! Is that normal? I didn't even want to go there and just wanted to go right back.

So, do we really need to pay the 5oo at burma?

As Lop has mentioned,yes you do have to pay.

The Burmese immigration blokes are a friendly bunch.They speak excellent english and are always polite.

Edited January 7, 2007 by chuchok

[Crossy]

At a land border, inbound Thai immigrations will often want to see the exit stamp of the country from which a traveler just departed.

Are you sure about this? Wouldn't it be kind of obvious when you arrive at a border post that you've just left that country?

Absolutely, Thai immigration want to ensure you have not just entered no-mans-land and come back to Thailand, you must enter and exit the other country. Same as (at least one of) the reasons they want to see your boarding card at the airport immigration on entry, to prevent people doing an 'airside' visa run.

Edited January 7, 2007 by Crossy

[dr_Pat_Pong]

At a land border, inbound Thai immigrations will often want to see the exit stamp of the country from which a traveler just departed.

Are you sure about this? Wouldn't it be kind of obvious when you arrive at a border post that you've just left that country?

Absolutely, Thai immigration want to ensure you have not just entered no-mans-land and come back to Thailand, you must enter and exit the other country. Same as (at least one of) the reasons they want to see your boarding card at the airport immigration on entry, to prevent people doing an 'airside' visa run.

Buggered if I know how anyone gets airside very easily.

[dantilley]

At a land border, inbound Thai immigrations will often want to see the exit stamp of the country from which a traveler just departed.

Are you sure about this? Wouldn't it be kind of obvious when you arrive at a border post that you've just left that country?

Absolutely, Thai immigration want to ensure you have not just entered no-mans-land and come back to Thailand, you must enter and exit the other country. Same as (at least one of) the reasons they want to see your boarding card at the airport immigration on entry, to prevent people doing an 'airside' visa run.

I've never been asked to show my boarding card when landing. In fact I usually don't have it on me by the time I reach passport control, it will have been casually discarded a long time ago as it's generally understood that it's not needed any more once you're on the plane.

Also, it would be nigh on impossible to get airside without actually exiting from a plane, how do you envisage anyone could do an "airside" visa run? Unless you're talking about smaller international airports such as Chiang Mai where I guess it may more feasible.

And for UK passport holders you need to get a new passport when your old one's full, and you have to pay over 6,000 Baht for only 24 pages or so, a bit of a rip-off really.

[LivinLOS]

At a land border, inbound Thai immigrations will often want to see the exit stamp of the country from which a traveler just departed.

Are you sure about this? Wouldn't it be kind of obvious when you arrive at a border post that you've just left that country?

Absolutely, Thai immigration want to ensure you have not just entered no-mans-land and come back to Thailand, you must enter and exit the other country. Same as (at least one of) the reasons they want to see your boarding card at the airport immigration on entry, to prevent people doing an 'airside' visa run.

Buggered if I know how anyone gets airside very easily.

A one way 499 baht Air asia ticket does the job.. Walk into large international airport.. use cheap ticket.. Sit airside for the afternoon.. Enjoy a beer.. Come back through immigration..

I often fly out on visa runs.. My record is about 4 hours from departure HKT to sing and back on the same airplane (40 min turnaround).. By not flying you save the return ticket and flight taxes..

Of course a smart immigration officer could inspect for a Sing entry and exit stamp buy when hordes of people fly in from countries with no exit stamps they dont look.. Having a stamp out that day would show up but not for dual passport holders it wouldnt.