Visa Run From Kanchanaburi

[StickKettleOn]

Hi All

Where do you Kanchanaburi (and surrounding areas) people go for visa runs? I was planning on going to Mae Sot, thinking it was just a couple hours from Kan but it is actualy quite far away.

Is there a border available at Songkala (spelling?) which i believe is only a couple hundred k's from Kan?

Failing that - any suggestions on where to go would be appreciated. I do hope its not a question of going into Bangkok only to get a bus out to Ranong or Cambodia.

Cheers

SKO

[StickKettleOn]

Actualy Mae SOt is not that far away.... i am thinking of hiring a car and driving up. By my estimation, it is around 200 miles from kan. Would anyone know the driving time to Mae Sot from Kan? 3 hours?

Any help here would be truly appreciated.

[jdinasia]

I'm thinking it is about 5=7 hours if I remember my last trip through that way

[DEREK-C]

To Mae Sot it's about 500k as there is no direct route at present, and there are a couple of possible traffic bottlenecks on route. There is a border crossing at Sangkhla, but when I had to do a visa run years ago it wasn't open. You'd have to check with immigration. I did the Ranong run, lift to Petchaburi then a bus to Ranong and a long tail boat accross. It was a horrible journey even though I stopped a night in Ranong then a few nights in Hua Hin on the way back.

[StickKettleOn]

Thanks JD and Derek.

Seems there is no easy way, looking at it. Mae Sot could take 5-7 hours, then again on a bad day it could be 9/10. There is also the problem that given the current political problems, the border may be closed as i believe Mae Sot is known for this.

Plus, my visa has finished. So, this would be a 30 day bounce. Given that i do not have an onward air ticket, and a couple of old overstays, a border bounce will be risky.

So for me, its a flight down to Penanag or Hat Yai and taxi to Kota Buru - aquire a new 60 day TV.

Oh well. Thanks for the replies.

[apetley]

Mae Sot is a nice easy visa run but takes at least 5 hours from Kan. The road from Tak is all up and down and can be painfully slow, thats what buggers up the journey time.

I have been told by an immigration officer that one day Three Pagoda Pass will be upgraded for visa runs but that this is several years away and relies on a major upgrade to travel links between Thailand and Burma.

In times of border tension give immigration a quick call before you go as the bridge can be closed for a couple of days at a time.

And get there 4 pm at the absolute latest. Return into Thailand closes at 4.30 for farangs and its quite a walk back and forth across the bridge.

[Boon Mee]

Has anyone gone for the O-A Visa extension at Kanchanburi?

I've heard there are English-speaking Immigration Officers there and it's closer than Suan Plu for me.

Cheers,

BM

Edited June 12, 2007 by Boon Mee

[apetley]

Has anyone gone for the O-A Visa extension at Kanchanburi?

I've heard there are English-speaking Immigration Officers there and it's closer than Suan Plu for me.

Cheers,

BM

I havent done an extension there myself yet but I know a couple of guys who have and they say it was all very painless.

I have only ever talked with one of the female officers there and her English was excellent.

[chavy]

Has anyone gone for the O-A Visa extension at Kanchanburi?

I've heard there are English-speaking Immigration Officers there and it's closer than Suan Plu for me.

Cheers,

BM

I havent done an extension there myself yet but I know a couple of guys who have and they say it was all very painless.

I have only ever talked with one of the female officers there and her English was excellent.

A couple of my mates have mentioned this lady at the immigration office & have got nothing but good things to say about her. For a visa run close to Kan...forget it. It's either Ranong , Mae Sot or some guys there do the Mukdhan run up to Laos..a decent run but they claim is efficient & quite painless up there

[Badbanker]

Going to Sangkla to do a visa run is not allowed. The reason is, If I remember correctly you have to leave your passport at Thai immigration in Sangkla and get a border permit to enter Burma.

This means of course you won't get stamped out of anywhere!

Badbanker

PS correct me if the situation has changed!

Edited June 17, 2007 by Badbanker