Urgent Chiang Rai Info!

[aussiestyle1983]

I need to do a visa run soon and this will be my last as we will be leaving before I will need a new entry stamp. Rather than just going to boring Cambodia on the visa run bus, I was thinking of taking the wife to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai as I have not seen these popular areas yet. We were gonna go Chaian Mai, but i still need to do a border crossing to get my next 90 day stamp on a Non O visa, so now I am thinking ?Chiang Rai is closer to the border. From Chiang Rai can I go into Laos or Burma to get my 90 day stamp? I know Burms is cheaper, but I havent been to Laos before so we were thinking of a trip into Laos for the day.

Any info on where to stay that would be close to the border, we will catch bus there and back. Also, can you get the Laos visa at the border and are these borders always open. Thanks in advance.

[Austhaied]

I need to do a visa run soon and this will be my last as we will be leaving before I will need a new entry stamp. Rather than just going to boring Cambodia on the visa run bus, I was thinking of taking the wife to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai as I have not seen these popular areas yet. We were gonna go Chaian Mai, but i still need to do a border crossing to get my next 90 day stamp on a Non O visa, so now I am thinking ?Chiang Rai is closer to the border. From Chiang Rai can I go into Laos or Burma to get my 90 day stamp? I know Burms is cheaper, but I havent been to Laos before so we were thinking of a trip into Laos for the day.

Any info on where to stay that would be close to the border, we will catch bus there and back. Also, can you get the Laos visa at the border and are these borders always open. Thanks in advance.

You can't get a LAO visa at the border you would need to go to a Lao consulate / embassy for that. For what it's worth the Mae Sai visa run is much more streamlined and simple. NO visa req for Burma, just 500 baht for a day pass..

[THAILIBAN]

I need to do a visa run soon and this will be my last as we will be leaving before I will need a new entry stamp. Rather than just going to boring Cambodia on the visa run bus, I was thinking of taking the wife to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai as I have not seen these popular areas yet. We were gonna go Chaian Mai, but i still need to do a border crossing to get my next 90 day stamp on a Non O visa, so now I am thinking ?Chiang Rai is closer to the border. From Chiang Rai can I go into Laos or Burma to get my 90 day stamp? I know Burms is cheaper, but I havent been to Laos before so we were thinking of a trip into Laos for the day.

Any info on where to stay that would be close to the border, we will catch bus there and back. Also, can you get the Laos visa at the border and are these borders always open. Thanks in advance.

I dont know about the Laos border there as I only used the NONGKHAI border to travel to Laos so far, but if u want to do it cheap, then Myanmar is certainly the best option.....

from Chiang Rai to Mae Sai it's about 60 km, and if u wanna stay there overnight, there are some okay-options in MaeSai, some very new and inexpensive hotels. 1-Day-Visa entarnce fee for Myanmar is 300 Baht, if I remember that right. border closes at 16.30 Myanmar time.

but not much to do at Mae Sai, and TACHILEIK on the Myanmar side of the border is a depressing shithole full of aggressive street vendors, though not as worse as PoiPet....

LAOS for sure is more interesting, but dont forget, it costs u 30 US-$ Visa-fee. A lot of money, if u plan to go back the same day.

I dont know if there is a VISA ON ARRIVAL - option for Laos near the golden triangle, but I am sure there are members of the Forum who know it, and will post information about that here soon...

[Austhaied]

As i said before its 500 baht not 300 baht for the Burmese day pass, and you can not get a visa on arrival for Laos at the Golden Triangle. I have just been there.

Edited March 11, 2007 by Austhaied

[toybits]

Cheaper for you if you pay in US $. Only $ 10 for one day pass (converts to about 360 baht if 1 US$ is 36 baht).

As i said before its 500 baht not 300 baht for the Burmese day pass, and you can not get a visa on arrival for Laos at the Golden Triangle. I have just been there.

[my friend I]

Tachileik [ opposite Mae Sai] visa is $10US or 500 BAHT on arrival. This is for 14 days. U could go to Kengtung. U can stay in Tachileik also.

Huay Xai [ opposite Chiang Khong] visa starts at $30US but goes up to $42 for Canadians. Can get visa on arrival. This is for 30 days.

Borders open everyday [except when there is some dramarama near Mae Sai]

time in Burma is half an hour behind Thai.

officially 8am to 6pm thai time