Please help. Where to go for visa run not effected by Covid March 2020

[Guest]

I am from USA. I have 10 days left on 30 day plus 7 day extensions( I got the 7 day today). I usually travel to Hong Kong every month but haven’t done so since December.  I live here with my wife and am applying for my marriage visa. I need to do a visa run but I cannot find a country that isn’t banned or receiving of a quarantine when you return.  I have never done a driven border run.   I am ready to get on an airplane but I don’t know where to go.  Can anybody help?  Or do I drive to a border?   As many details as possible please.   It’s March 10, 2020 

[EricTh]

As far as I know, you can go to all the neighbouring countries like Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Malaysia. They haven't imposed travel restriction from Thailand or USA yet.

 

Just don't travel to Hong Kong anymore or you will need to be quarantined for 14 days.

 

Vietnam might impose travel restriction on those countries with more than 500 cases, so that might include USA later.

Edited March 10, 2020 by EricTh

[DrJack54]

54 minutes ago, EricTh said:

As far as I know, you can go to all the neighbouring countries like Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Malaysia. They haven't imposed travel restriction from Thailand or USA yet.

 

Just don't travel to Hong Kong anymore or you will need to be quarantined for 14 days.

 

Vietnam might impose travel restriction on those countries with more than 500 cases, so that might include USA later.

Thailand currently is not on Vietnam list. 

Going there Friday.

[Guest]

I know I sound stupid I really have only went to and from my operations in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

 

- there are some countries lie Malaysia that prohibit Thai but Thais don’t prohibit them. It’s not as cut and dry as meets the eye.  Cambodia I believe is 14 day quarantine .   
 

the best route seems to be what DrJack54 said use a visa run drive service or Nok Air to Laos.  Anyone have any recommendations on who to use to drive one of these visa runs. 

 

I am so busy with work that this has really got me perplexed.   I still need visa for Laos?  Or do I get when I get there (USA passport). 
 

sorry if I have some very basics questions.  I was not prepared to get a 7 day visa today and it’s got me stressed 

[Andrew Dwyer]

Post your location and ask for advice on the nearest border run, if we don’t know where you are it’s difficult to advise.

[champers]

I would go to Vientiane which is a lovely break; take the wife. Down by the riverbank there are some nice hotels, bars and cafes. Some nice temples and a mini Arc de Triomphe are good to visit further inland.

More knowledgable posters can update if you need an appointment at the Thai embassy; you did a few months back.

Good luck.

[Saraburi121]

Assume you are married to Thai and going to apply for a Non-O multiple entry Visa (5000 baht), no financials/bank statements required at the Thai Consulate in Savannakhet, Laos.  You can do Air Asia fly and ride from Don Muang to Nakhon Phanom onward via van ->Mukdahan, cross the bridge to Savannakhet.  You can also fly to Savannaket from Suvarnabhumi Airport on Lao Airlines.  You will need a visa for Laos which you can get at the before crossing the bridge at Mukdahan, Thailand  border 1500 baht bring photo. Im a US citizen and have done the S-ket run before.  Never flown to to S-Ket but know the flight stops at Pakse, Laos which you can get a visa on arrival but due to the short layover not sure if enough time.  You can also apply online for a Lao evisa online (50 USD plus transfer fee) for entry into S-ket via bridge or via Pakse according to the Lao Immigration website. Make sure you hit the .gov site for Laos Visa.   No quarentine restrictions on Laos yet unless you are coming from China that I have read.  Lots of info on TV on S-ket runs.  Plan on spending overnight in S-ket.  As Andrew Dwyer said, it would be easier to help you if you would post you location.

 

Grab a beer and research the posts on TV for detailed/latest info on S-ket.  Lot of help here on TV but you have to do the research then ask more questions. 

[ubonjoe]

9 hours ago, RobShambro said:

I am from USA. I have 10 days left on 30 day plus 7 day extensions( I got the 7 day today). I usually travel to Hong Kong every month but haven’t done so since December.  I live here with my wife and am applying for my marriage visa.

You could of applied for a 60 day extension to visit your Thai  wife.

Are you wanting to apply for a multiple or single entry non-o visa based upon marriage to a Thai?

You can get a single entry non-o in Vientiane or Savannakhet, Laos, Penang, Malaysia or Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Savannakhet, Penang or Ho Chi Minh City will issue a multiple entry non-o visa.

None of those countries have travel restrictions since you have only been in Thailand.

 

[Guest]

Thank you everyone.  I hate sounding dumb but this is all foreign to me.    I was prepared to travel to Phnom but found issues with Cambodia. 
 

I don’t drive here so I either have to use a service or pay grab to take me to one of the borders .

 

I appreciate it. Unjust want the easiest one that I don’t have to think and have the most help.   My company pays for so it not a money is not the driving force. 
 

on the marriage to Thai. I am filing for 3 month visa then 12 month.  Stamp at embassy , translation, yellow book and the money in thai bank  for three months.  This is the one. Non O?  
 

thank again.  I am going to decide today. 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Phrom Phong is location. 

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, RobShambro said:

on the marriage to Thai. I am filing for 3 month visa then 12 month.  Stamp at embassy , translation, yellow book and the money in thai bank  for three months.  This is the one. Non O?

In your case getting a single entry non-o visa in Vientiane that will allow one 90 day entry would be a good choice since you plan on applying for a one year extension of stay based upon marriage at immigration.

You can fly to Vientiane from Bangkok. Or you can fly domestic to Udon Thani and then take a van from the airport to the bridge in Nong Khai and cross over the bridge to Vientiane.

You will need your marriage certificate and a copy of it, copies of your wife's house book registry and ID card signed by her. The fee is 2000 baht.

You will need to make an appointment to do the application. See: https://thaivisavientiane.com/#  Just checked and there are appointments available for non immigrant visa applications on the 17th (also Friday of this week but you would have to stay until Monday to pick up your passport).

[spinner2020]

According to some of the latest from govt, ALL passengers entering Thailand (ie returning) are going to need a medical certificate, which might make HCMC a bit less attractive. I'd be inclined to go to a land border and get 30 days this time to let things pass by. You are near where the buses go to Burma, and I am sure they don't bother what you're suffering from!

 

PM me and I can give you more.

 

But if you really want more than 30 days, then do as has been mentioned, bite the bullet and do the multi-O in Lao or VN. Get the 90 days, take the strife on the way back, and pray this is all over by the next time you need to travel!

 

NB if you do/intend to travel regularly - to your China and HKG ops - then just get the non-O multi without the extensions and the drama with bank accounts. Then all you need to do is leave every 90 days, and it sounds like normally you would do that anyway. No IOs, no filings.

Edited March 11, 2020 by spinner2020

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, spinner2020 said:

According to some of the latest from govt, ALL passengers entering Thailand (ie returning) are going to need a medical certificate, which might make HCMC a bit less attractive. I'd be inclined to go to a land border and get 30 days this time to let things pass by. You are near where the buses go to Burma, and I am sure they don't bother what you're suffering from!

 

PM me and I can give you more.

 

But if you really want more than 30 days, then do as has been mentioned, bite the bullet and do the multi-O in Lao or VN. Get the 90 days, take the strife on the way back, and pray this is all over by the next time you need to travel!

What is the source of "...ALL passengers entering Thailand...." Along with reference to Vietnam????8

[spinner2020]

18 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

What is the source of "...ALL passengers entering Thailand...." Along with reference to Vietnam????8

Fair question, and I did say "SOME of the latest" because there is so much conflicting cr@p flying around. One TV thread (about The Virus - can't see it now because there are so many!) has:

=======

This is the latest

 

https://www.tatnews.org/2020/03/tat-update-notification-of-the-civil-aviation-authority-of-thailand-on-covid-19-control-measures/?fbclid=IwAR3VJt_ZT7h80520C4dcgSwb_X5X8G4752A8yywA7EYq_koQoZW2cvWJPmk

 

and the form required

 

https://ddc.moph.go.th/viralpneumonia/file/g_form/general01.pdf
=======

There's also the report in a certain BKK newspaper this morning.

 

The VN reference was simply that IF a medical certificate is going to be needed, Saigon may not be a simple place to get it. I know Saigon reasonably well but I would not know where to start with that.

 

[les1]

My wife & I (Both British) have just returned from 10 days in DaNang, Vietnam. No restrictions up to today 11th March.

Edited March 11, 2020 by les1
Additional info'

[from the home of CC]

Mars should be safe I would think..

[NanLaew]

7 minutes ago, les1 said:

My wife & I (Both British) have just returned from 10 days in DaNang, Vietnam. No restrictions up to today 11th March.

Correct. Thailand requiring a medical declaration starts from tomorrow, Thursday 12th March according to the leading English language newspaper in Thailand that we can't link to.

 

People wishing to enter Vietnam will need a visa and also file a health declaration, either online in advance or upon arrival.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, spinner2020 said:

Burma

I don’t want to push it.  This is a complex scenario considering this virus and things changing by the minute.   I don’t feel bad for asking these questions as there are 50 options and caveats all wrapped up in the next press release or new broadscast.  My goodness all I want to do is avoid getting infected , pay my money and and do the right thing.   That’s tough.  Based upon all the advice. I am going as soon as possible and not wait the 9 days I have left.   I am going to drive to Cambodia and get a guide to help me and pray the next one isn’t so complex.  I really want to contact some of you as this experience here has given me a wealth of information that I couldn’t find anywhere.  I plan on being a part of thailand for many years to come.   I love it here and love the people. This visa thing is confusing to me though.  I want to be by the book in everything I do here and Covid has made it the most challenging scenario.  I am still not sure if I have to spend the night in Cambodia or not.  I have gotten conflicting information.  Thank you everyone. You guys are cool as hell. Does anyone get together or meet or have any events.  It would be cool to converse about normal things and these issues with people in the same boat.  unequivocally, Keep it simple is the game plan on this visa renewal.  [email protected]   thank you again.  I will let you know how it went. .  

[Guest]

Ps..   medical certificate or not?  USA citizen that’s been in Thailand for 2 months driving to Cambodia.  How do you find that out.   I have a good doctor here I guess I can get certificate from her but where do you guys find out all this information. I watch the new here but is there a defacto website with all this information ??  

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

Correct. Thailand requiring a medical declaration starts from tomorrow, Thursday 12th March according to the leading English language newspaper in Thailand that we can't link to.

 

People wishing to enter Vietnam will need a visa and also file a health declaration, either online in advance or upon arrival.

I flew to Saigon couple weeks back. We were handed out stupid form on plane.

Lame questions. Upon arrival no one collected it. 

I'm and flying again to Saigon this Fri. I assume it will be same lame form.

It's just yes/no X box form. 

Fever Y N

Cough Y N

etc.

Nonsense

[Andrew Dwyer]

9 hours ago, RobShambro said:

Phrom Phong is location. 

From this location I would go to Phu Nam Ron ( Myanmar ), about a 3 1/2 hr drive from Phrom Phong, just north of Kanchanaburi.

I have done a border crossing there, very simple, pay 960 baht and a guy will take you over the border, get your passport stamped ( I didn’t even leave the pick up ????) and drive you back.

Takes about 15 minutes, no visa required, just turn up with your passport and boarding card ( you will get a new one ).

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

I flew to Saigon couple weeks back. We were handed out stupid form on plane.

Lame questions. Upon arrival no one collected it. 

I'm and flying again to Saigon this Fri. I assume it will be same lame form.

It's just yes/no X box form. 

Fever Y N

Cough Y N

etc.

Nonsense

Yes, the earnest efforts of neighboring countries struggling to keep abreast of each other's attempts to control this contagion and ultimately protect the well being of their own nationals must look like nonsense to the know-it-all foreigner who treats all these efforts with such utter contempt.

[DrJack54]

44 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Yes, the earnest efforts of neighboring countries struggling to keep abreast of each other's attempts to control this contagion and ultimately protect the well being of their own nationals must look like nonsense to the know-it-all foreigner who treats all these efforts with such utter contempt.

Get over yourself. Quote facts not fiction.

Vietnam has low case numbers (if that can be believed) similar to Thailand.

Your suggestion I'm guessing is zero movement of people. Get a grip.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Get over yourself. Quote facts not fiction.

Fact: Both countries have introduced inbound passenger health declarations. Maybe you should save some of your contempt for the other countries that will also start doing the same.

 

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Vietnam has low case numbers (if that can be believed) similar to Thailand.

Ah yes, the 'if that can be believed' caveat that allows you and many others to be totally dismissive of the efforts and a bit cavalier with regard to the health of others. But glad to see that you think the Vietnamese are lying as well. Have you an opinion on Taiwan? So much closer to the epicenter but even further below the radar when it comes to the numbers?

 

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Your suggestion I'm guessing is zero movement of people. Get a grip.

It appears to be working for the Chinese in Wuhan and it's virtually the case in Italy. Do you have a better idea?

 

[DrJack54]

I'm flying to Saigon Friday. Already filled in form. It amounts to nothing. Similar to declarations in the past. 

Have you been to farm with live animals.

Disregard rubbish post #24

Alarmist. Not helpful. 

Whatever rows your boat.

[DrJack54]

15 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Fact: Both countries have introduced inbound passenger health declarations. Maybe you should save some of your contempt for the other countries that will also start doing the same.

 

Ah yes, the 'if that can be believed' caveat that allows you and many others to be totally dismissive of the efforts and a bit cavalier with regard to the health of others. But glad to see that you think the Vietnamese are lying as well. Have you an opinion on Taiwan? So much closer to the epicenter but even further below the radar when it comes to the numbers?

 

It appears to be working for the Chinese in Wuhan and it's virtually the case in Italy. Do you have a better idea?

 

Italy has 10,000 cases. 600+ deaths.

So now let's extrapolate. Close all borders to ALL countries. How will that work out.

Granted it's a pandemic but your suggestion is nonsense. 

Personally I think current restrictions are positive but person to person in own country inevitable. 

Yesterday 2 people from flight from USA to Au are positive and already transmit to family members. One guy is a Dr and treated 70 patients. Tests being done.

Closing borders helps slow spread. That's all.

[NanLaew]

3 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Italy has 10,000 cases. 600+ deaths.

So now let's extrapolate. Close all borders to ALL countries. How will that work out.

Granted it's a pandemic but your suggestion is nonsense. 

Personally I think current restrictions are positive but person to person in own country inevitable. 

Yesterday 2 people from flight from USA to Au are positive and already transmit to family members. One guy is a Dr and treated 70 patients. Tests being done.

Closing borders helps slow spread. That's all.

Thanks for taking time to enlarge on your dismissal of my earlier 'rubbish' and 'alarmist' post. It's not MY nonsense BTW.

 

Like the ripples spreading in a pond, the Chinese government's own internal travel lock down has undeniably slowed the progression. There's a reason why Italy is choosing to go down the same road. The inevitability of person-to-person infection means that Italy won't be the last one to go into lock down either.

 

It is already the pandemic that the WHO is reluctant to call so the result is each country initiating their own safeguards be it the passenger health declarations, suspending the easiest and fastest entry methods such as visa-exempt entries or a blanket ban on certain nationalities. Some of these visa restrictions are based on your nationality and regardless of the fact that you don't live in any badly infected country. That is needed to circumvent the Italian, Iranian, Korean (and others to come) who consider avoiding the inconvenience of a lock-down at home is more important than slowing the spread and possibly accelerating the death of an unknown elderly person.

 

Put it this way, if the Chinese hadn't initiated their internal lock-down and heavily restricting their own people from traveling overseas, the situation would probably be a lot worse than it is now.

[soi3eddie]

13 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

I flew to Saigon couple weeks back. We were handed out stupid form on plane.

Lame questions. Upon arrival no one collected it. 

I'm and flying again to Saigon this Fri. I assume it will be same lame form.

It's just yes/no X box form. 

Fever Y N

Cough Y N

etc.

Nonsense

I arrived back from South Korea last night. We were given the T8 quarantine questionnaire form on the plane. On disembarking, Thais were being processed by workers in full hazmat suits. Foreign passport holders were waved on to the health control kiosk to have temperature taken and stamp on TM6 arrival card. Without that stamp no entry to Thailand. Check the list of countries in case Vietnam gets added. It could only be a matter of time before there's a global lockdon and grounding of flights. From 8pm to midnight there were only 9 flights out of Seoul last night! There were more staff than passengers in the terminal. As airlines are losing trade they are grounding flights so your return may get cancelled while overseas. I feel more relaxed now back in Thailand.

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

I arrived back from South Korea last night. We were given the T8 quarantine questionnaire form on the plane. On disembarking, Thais were being processed by workers in full hazmat suits. Foreign passport holders were waved on to the health control kiosk to have temperature taken and stamp on TM6 arrival card. Without that stamp no entry to Thailand. Check the list of countries in case Vietnam gets added. It could only be a matter of time before there's a global lockdon and grounding of flights. From 8pm to midnight there were only 9 flights out of Seoul last night! There were more staff than passengers in the terminal. As airlines are losing trade they are grounding flights so your return may get cancelled while overseas. I feel more relaxed now back in Thailand.

I bet you do. South Korea is on list of highly infected countries. Good news you made it back to Thailand. 

Any country could be added to that list over time. The big problem is things are changing daily. Example currently Vietnam not on list. I fly there tomorrow. If it was a 2 week trip then I would be concerned as things can change. 

Your reference to airlines is another good point as it's not just government. I was due to fly Bangkok to Osaka March 18 return April 2. Both flights cancelled by AA.

Travel is becoming guess work.

[mockingbird]

17 hours ago, spinner2020 said:

According to some of the latest from govt, ALL passengers entering Thailand (ie returning) are going to need a medical certificate, which might make HCMC a bit less attractive

Really?  Where's your link to this?