Ban Laem "Border Bounce"

[Tod Daniels]

I had the chance to go with a large "visa run/border bounce" company to the Ban Laem border with Cambodia yesterday.

It's just under a 4 hour car ride (much longer if it's a mini-van), the border is dead quiet other than produce, freight and local traffic (cambodianz and thaiz). In fact we were the only three foreigners I saw during the 90 minutes we were there.

I did not need to cross the border, but the Dutch guy that needed to already had his thai pass approved before we went. No issues stamping out, getting into Cambodia, getting the visa on arrival, getting stamped in, getting stamped out and then coming back to the thai side.

On the thai side you take an ATK test (150 baht) and wait for the results before you can stamp back in AND they check your thai pass and proof of insurance.
 
He got stamped back in on a 30 day visa exempt without any issue. It should be noted this person was NOT here on endless covid extensions. They had previously worked here on a Non-B and then gotten ONE covid extension. They had no issues and were not questioned at the border when stamping in.

IF you have many many covid extensions your mileage may vary.

One interesting thing, when we were driving away, the owner of the visa run company got a call from the thai immigrations who said, NO MORE out/in the same day, and that they were enforcing the old rule of you must spend a night in cambodia.

Now whether that is going to be a policy at ALL the border crossings with Cambodia/Thailand or just this one OR if it was just a fluke, no one knows and I think it's gonna take more people hitting the border for a bounce out and back to really know how they're going to do it.           

This is an FYI post ONLY
I didn't post it to get into a pissing match on what the policy is to get in and out of Cambodia by land.
I posted it to let people know that a border bounce is indeed possible at this time with the land borders of Cambodia

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, tod-daniels said:

One interesting thing, when we were driving away, the owner of the visa run company got a call from the thai immigrations who said, NO MORE out/in the same day, and that they were enforcing the old rule of you must spend a night in cambodia.

That is a longstanding rule on the Cambodian side, that would previously invariably be waived on payment of a small bribe. It will be up to the visa agent to negotiate this. The Thai side should not care about the same day out/in. There is nothing in Thai law that forbids it.

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, BritTim said:

That is a longstanding rule on the Cambodian side, that would previously invariably be waived on payment of a small bribe. It will be up to the visa agent to negotiate this. The Thai side should not care about the same day out/in. There is nothing in Thai law that forbids it.

Doesn't the "one night rule" also apply at Malaysian border crossing?

[Tod Daniels]

8 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Doesn't the "one night rule" also apply at Malaysian border crossing?

Yep it was a rule down there in the south well before the covid lock down of the Malaysian border. 

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, tod-daniels said:

Yep it was a rule down there in the south well before the covid lock down of the Malaysian border. 

BTW thanks for report. Assist many.

 

In my days of chasing time in Thailand, living in Bangkok I actually enjoyed trips to Saigon.

Wasn't ridiculously more expensive that border runs. 

The benefit of border run via land is less stress to reenter Thailand. 

[BritTim]

10 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Doesn't the "one night rule" also apply at Malaysian border crossing?

I believe this was different, in that it was a local rule on the Thai side, not a Malaysian law. Also, I am not sure it was enforced at all the border crossings down south. I know for a fact that, on one occasion, I did a same day out/in at Sungai Kolok. Maybe, that predated introduction of an overnight rule.

[mtls2005]

On 5/8/2022 at 6:52 AM, tod-daniels said:

He got stamped back in on a 30 day visa exempt without any issue. It should be noted this person was NOT here on endless covid extensions. They had previously worked here on a Non-B and then gotten ONE covid extension.

 

Was this gentleman, the "he" then "they" is confusing, unable to get a second COVID extension? If so, why?

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Was this gentleman, the "he" then "they" is confusing, unable to get a second COVID extension? If so, why?

The newest rules state those with a non immigrant visa entry cannot get the 60 day covid 19 extension.

[mtls2005]

19 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The newest rules state those with a non immigrant visa entry cannot get the 60 day covid 19 extension.

Thanks.

 

So, assuming the COVID extension policy is further extended - I assume it will - then this gentleman could get a COVID extension, after his first 30 day 'normal' extension in 60 days, right?

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, mtls2005 said:

So, assuming the COVID extension policy is further extended - I assume it will - then this gentleman could get a COVID extension, after his first 30 day 'normal' extension in 60 days, right?

Yes he could if the order for them is extended beyond the 24th of this month.

[Daithi85]

9 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Thanks.

 

So, assuming the COVID extension policy is further extended - I assume it will - then this gentleman could get a COVID extension, after his first 30 day 'normal' extension in 60 days, right?

I wouldn't be to sure about it being extended again. With borders open I can't see it being continued. 

[sandyf]

17 hours ago, tod-daniels said:

Yep it was a rule down there in the south well before the covid lock down of the Malaysian border. 

I went out and back in at PB within a couple of hours on the 5th Feb 2020, not a problem. That was on the platform, may have been different out on the road.

[sandyf]

On 5/8/2022 at 9:59 AM, BritTim said:

That is a longstanding rule on the Cambodian side, that would previously invariably be waived on payment of a small bribe. It will be up to the visa agent to negotiate this. The Thai side should not care about the same day out/in. There is nothing in Thai law that forbids it.

I used that crossing with ME from 2008 to 2014 and never a problem, but I always paid the 200 baht to the guy at the table. Had my passport ready by the time I came out of duty free. Was always quiet there, can't ever remember getting in a queue. One time coming back in the IO asked my wife to help her lift carpets into the back of her pickup, bit of a nervous moment I thought she was going to check the duty free.

I think they work hand in hand so the Thais are likely to go along with whatever the Cambodians decide and vv.

[brianthainess]

On 5/8/2022 at 9:59 AM, BritTim said:

That is a longstanding rule on the Cambodian side, that would previously invariably be waived on payment of a small bribe. It will be up to the visa agent to negotiate this. The Thai side should not care about the same day out/in. There is nothing in Thai law that forbids it.

That's what is always was before, 300baht if not staying overnight paid to Cambodian IO, never had a problem returning at the Hat Lek Trat crossing. Maybe the driver misunderstood as he was driving at the time with his full attention on the road HA  

[KhaoYai]

7 hours ago, Daithi85 said:

I wouldn't be to sure about it being extended again. With borders open I can't see it being continued. 

Nothing surprises me.  Its a little hard to understand that Covid extensions have continued to be handed out to, for example, my countrymen who are 'stuck in Thailand' - whilst at the same time I've been in and out twice.

[KhaoYai]

21 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

BTW thanks for report. Assist many.

 

In my days of chasing time in Thailand, living in Bangkok I actually enjoyed trips to Saigon.

Wasn't ridiculously more expensive that border runs. 

The benefit of border run via land is less stress to reenter Thailand. 

Agreed, make a holiday of it without much additional expense.  Personally I wouldn't want to sit in a minibus for 8 hours, get stamped out and in again and another 8 hours back - as some used to do pre-covid.

[KhaoYai]

4 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Nothing surprises me.  Its a little hard to understand that Covid extensions have continued to be handed out to, for example, my countrymen who are 'stuck in Thailand' - whilst at the same time I've been in and out twice.

Why confused Dr Jack?  They are not stuck, flights out have been operating for a long time.

[MJCM]

3 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Personally I wouldn't want to sit in a minibus for 8 hours, get stamped out and in again and another 8 hours back

It's hardly 16 hours, max I have done was 12 hours and that was because the bus broke down and we had to wait for another bus.

 

Fastest turn around (from Patters) was leaving 6:50am and arriving back 2:30pm. That is was approx 7 hours!

 

I had a "friend" who loved going on these trips because it was a way to supplement his income by buying liquor and cigs on the border and then selling them at a premium!

[KhaoYai]

21 minutes ago, MJCM said:

It's hardly 16 hours, max I have done was 12 hours and that was because the bus broke down and we had to wait for another bus.

 

Fastest turn around (from Patters) was leaving 6:50am and arriving back 2:30pm. That is was approx 7 hours!

 

I had a "friend" who loved going on these trips because it was a way to supplement his income by buying liquor and cigs on the border and then selling them at a premium!

Still too long for me but please note: I said personally.

 

If I'm going to commit expense, I'd rather put that expense to good use. On the rare occasions where I've needed to do a border run (not for quite a few years), I used to simply go online and look for the best flight promotion. - I remember getting a return flight to Singapore for less than 2000.  I did however, have more choice on my re-entry point than those on tourist visas or exempt entries as I was on a Non O so not worried about being allowed back in..

[MJCM]

Just now, KhaoYai said:

If I'm going to commit expense, I'd rather put that expense to good use. On the rare occasions where I've needed to do a border run (not for quite a few years), I used to simply go online and look for the best flight promotion. - I remember getting a return flight to Singapore for less than 2000.  I did however, have more choice on my re-entry point than those on tourist visas or exempt entries as I was on a Non O so not worried about being allowed back in..

To commit expense when I was on ME NON-O (from Savannakhet (basis Marriage) and thus had to leave every 89 days I took my wife around SE-Asia.

 

Singapore (several times (we both love that city)

Siem Reap (we went there many times as it was easy to get to as we are living only 100+kms from the Border with direct access to Siem Reap)

etc etc

 

And it was easy to get a good price for hotels/flights etc because you knew when you had to leave the country