Back To Back Land Border Crossings

[Fixit89]

Hello everyone .

 

i have used the Nong Khai border and it was pleasantly easy and straight forward . This was my first land border crossing in 5 years.

 

I can only stay for 30 days, so before my 30 day mark I plan to go abroad for a week and a few days. I will return once again by Land into Thailand. Is it okay if I use the same route ie: Nong Khai friendship Bridge ? 

 

It works out in my schedule that I will take travel through Laos or Myanmar as my last destination, so the border crossing makes sense . Was thinking that going through Nong Khai again might create a fuss ? Since it is back to back. 

 

Or should I change it up and cross in Myawaddy near Mae sot thailand?

 

any and all information is greatly appreciated . Thank you !

[BritTim]

It makes no difference whether you enter at Nong Khai or Mai Sai.

You should be aware that you are only allowed two visa exempt entries by land in a calendar year. If you are going to be hanging around Thailand for a while on tourist entries, you should avoid using visa exempt entries. In particular, the visa exempt entry by land is extremely useful for emergency use.

Plan to pick up a tourist visa during your travels. Use the land border of your choice (only avoiding Poipet/Aranyaprathet).

[Fixit89]

52 minutes ago, BritTim said:

It makes no difference whether you enter at Nong Khai or Mai Sai.

You should be aware that you are only allowed two visa exempt entries by land in a calendar year. If you are going to be hanging around Thailand for a while on tourist entries, you should avoid using visa exempt entries. In particular, the visa exempt entry by land is extremely useful for emergency use.

Plan to pick up a tourist visa during your travels. Use the land border of your choice (only avoiding Poipet/Aranyaprathet).

Hi Brit Tim these will be my last months in Thailand as planned per late 2018z So I could say that I am lucky that I will only have to use my other land border entry next time and my final time ever for the remainder of this year .

 

Can you reccomend any friendly land border crossings from Myanmar ? 

 

I know you mentioned Chong mek before for Laos but don’t think I will make it that far south of Laos near Pakse .

 

. Or how does the land border entry near Koh Rong in Cambodia fare ?

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, Fixit89 said:

Can you reccomend any friendly land border crossings from Myanmar ? 

In my opinion, the very best land crossing anywhere is that at Maesot (Myawaddy on the Myanmar side). Unlike most Myanmar crossing points, this one is pretty easy to reach on the Myanmar side if you will have been travelling in Myanmar.

[Tomtomtom69]

On 4/4/2019 at 10:19 PM, BritTim said:

In my opinion, the very best land crossing anywhere is that at Maesot (Myawaddy on the Myanmar side). Unlike most Myanmar crossing points, this one is pretty easy to reach on the Myanmar side if you will have been travelling in Myanmar. 

Kanchanaburi is even better (in terms of the friendliness and easygoing nature of the officials on both sides of the border), but the road on the Myanmar side is a mess and apparently many foreigners who enter or leave Myanmar this way get scared and turn around rather than experience the almost 100km of mostly unpaved road going through the jungle. In the rainy season, it's even worse, however it can be done by 4wd (my first trip using this road was during the rainy season). I've never seen another westerner cross this border on any of the 3 trips where I crossed back into Thailand there - it's very quiet. I know some foreigners do use it, but the vast majority are visa runners who spend only a few mins on the Myanmar side before returning for a new Thai immigration stamp. These people are mostly Laotians, Cambodians and Vietnamese (interestingly not Burmese).

 

There is a new immigration and customs complex being built there which will probably open in around a year's time. No word on when Myanmar will upgrade it's side, meaning that in all likelihood, for now, the Myanmar side will continue to require a physical visa sticker for entry (but e-visa is OK for exit). For ME visa holders and residents of Thailand, a 1 week pass allowing entry as far as Dawei and it's beaches is possible too, otherwise you receive one day to hang around the lonely dusty (or muddy during the rainy season) border town of Htee Khee, though I understand most non-ASEAN foreigners who do the one day thing there pay 950 Baht to Thai immigration and don't even enter Myanmar at all.

[Tomtomtom69]

The 2nd Friendship Bridge connecting Mae Sot and Myawaddy was "opened" in an official ceremony by the Thai and Burmese PMs on March 19 but so far it hasn't actually opened to traffic. Given the major traffic jams at the old bridge and with Songkran/Thingyan coming up, one would think it be rather urgent to at least get trucks over to the new bridge but now the Apr 4 supposed opening of the new bridge to trucks at least, has passed with no word of when it will actually open. I fear it will be an absolute mess at Songkran at that crossing so avoid if possible, unless you have a car with driver and cross very early like 5.30am when the bridge opens or late (like after 7pm) - the bridge closes at 8.30pm Thai time. Already from about 6.30am onward traffic builds up and it's a real mess. Fortunately I'm not planning on using that crossing until after Songkran.