Visa run in Mae Sai

[adams view]

Good evening

 

i m thinking of crossing the bridge at Mae Sai to extend my Visa. Originally I was going to extend. 

 

I have been for six months in Thailand and I wonder if a visa run in Myanmar will be a guaranteed success , maybe they will not accept it and what is the worse that can happen in that case?

 

Has anyone else done 6 or 7 visa runs consecutively?

 

Thank you and regards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by adams view

[StayinThailand2much]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but most nationalities can only get 2 visa-free entries overland per year, so for '6 or 7' you'd have to do 4 or 5 entries by air.

 

What do you mean, by the way, with "visa run in Myanmar"? If you're after a Thai tourist visa, you can only get it in Yangon. As long as the border is open, no problem to do the border hop to Myanmar as such.

Edited April 30, 2023 by StayinThailand2much

[adams view]

47 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

As long as the border is open, no problem to do the border hop to Myanmar as such

That's what I was after. Considering I already did my two free entries overland this year. What I mean is.  To run over the bridge and come back like one hour and a half later, there's not much Myanmar to it.

[adams view]

As for the second part, apparently foreign embassies are dragging their feet

[BritTim]

45 minutes ago, adams view said:

That's what I was after. Considering I already did my two free entries overland this year. What I mean is.  To run over the bridge and come back like one hour and a half later, there's not much Myanmar to it.

A border bounce in Mae Sai qualifies as a land entry. If you have already received two visa exemptions by land in 2023, you will not be allowed to get another at Mae Sai. With your history, you may also find it difficult to find an embassy/consulate in the region who will issue you a tourist visa. You are running short of safe options.

[still kicking]

Well, you are all experts on here why do you have to do make visa runs anyway if you can do it online?

[BritTim]

35 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Well, you are all experts on here why do you have to do make visa runs anyway if you can do it online?

The "experts" on here do not know of any online service to facilitate staying indefinitely. If you are aware of some way that allows you to extend your existing permission to stay in Thailand via some kind of online application, please do explain.

[still kicking]

2 minutes ago, BritTim said:

The "experts" on here do not know of any online service to facilitate staying indefinitely. If you are aware of some way that allows you to extend your existing permission to stay in Thailand via some kind of online application, please do explain.

No i am not an expert but why have 90 days reporting 

[freedomnow]

Am guessing you are in north just now from your Mae Sai focus.....SO - you could get a flight to KL and fly back to Chiang Mai...1-2 days later.

I like Brickfields KL to sample all the Indian and Malay food...lots of OK small hotels there.

Should be OK if you do not have a long tourista history behind your 6 months stay so far coming back in. Not a hostile airport usually from reports.

 

 

[Lemsta69]

5 hours ago, still kicking said:

No i am not an expert but why have 90 days reporting 

are you fair dinkum? TM47 is for people who stay here longer than 90 days. you can't stay here longer than 90 days on visa exempt or tourist visa.

[Lemsta69]

8 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

What do you mean, by the way, with "visa run in Myanmar"?

I'm assuming he means border bounce and that he doesn't actually have a visa, rather he is here visa exempt. 

 

Presumably he would have mentioned METV if that's what he's got.

[BritTim]

7 hours ago, still kicking said:

No i am not an expert but why have 90 days reporting 

(Hoping you are not just some kind of clumsy troll...)

90-day address reporting exists because the authorities, in their wisdom, have decided they want to keep regular track of where those on lengthy permissions to stay are living. That is a separate matter from extending the time when you are legally allowed to stay in Thailand.

[itsari]

10 hours ago, adams view said:

That's what I was after. Considering I already did my two free entries overland this year. What I mean is.  To run over the bridge and come back like one hour and a half later, there's not much Myanmar to it.

You will be refused entry at Mai Sai if you have had two land border entries this year . The immigration officers will inform you on the way out if you will meet problems coming back which gives you a chance to make alternative choices . 

From the information you have given your best way out is to apply for a two month tourist visa at the Thai Consulate in Vientiani . You will need financial proof of funds . 

Edited May 1, 2023 by itsari
More information

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, itsari said:

You will be refused entry at Mai Sai if you have had two land border entries this year . The immigration officers will inform you on the way out if you will meet problems coming back which gives you a chance to make alternative choices . 

At the current time, there is no possible way he could leave at Mae Sai without a way to legally return to Thailand.  Thai immigration are well aware that, without this, the Myanmar authorities will not grant him a border pass.

[itsari]

6 minutes ago, BritTim said:

At the current time, there is no possible way he could leave at Mae Sai without a way to legally return to Thailand.  Thai immigration are well aware that, without this, the Myanmar authorities will not grant him a border pass.

Thai immigration will tell you of the consequences of you crossing the border , yet they will not stop you .

Been there and done that 

[BritTim]

4 hours ago, itsari said:

Thai immigration will tell you of the consequences of you crossing the border , yet they will not stop you .

Been there and done that 

They will do so when the authorities on the other side will allow you to enter. Yes, if you want to cross the Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai to enter Laos, and have already used your two allowed visa exempts by land, Thai Immigration will warn you of the consequences and stamp you out. That is because the Laos authorities will allow you to get a visa-on-arrival, and maroon yourself in Laos until you can find a way to leave.

 

At Mae Sai, you need either a visa or a border pass to enter Myanmar. At the current time, visas to enter Myanmar at Mae Sai are unavailable. You need a border pass. As I mentioned, the Myanmar authorities will not allow you to enter on a border pass when you are not legally permitted to re-enter Thailand. If Thai immigration erroneously allows you to leave under these circumstances, you will not receive a fresh visa exempt entry when Myanmar denies you entry. Thailand will simply cancel your exit stamp (and probably arrest you if you are already on overstay). There have been many cases of foreigners wanting to make a quick trip across to Myanmar who were unable to do so because they had no Myanmar visa, were not eligible for visa exempt entry to Thailand, and had no re-entry permit on their existing permission to stay.

[itsari]

9 minutes ago, BritTim said:

They will do so when the authorities on the other side will allow you to enter. Yes, if you want to cross the Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai to enter Laos, and have already used your two allowed visa exempts by land, Thai Immigration will warn you of the consequences and stamp you out. That is because the Laos authorities will allow you to get a visa-on-arrival, and maroon yourself in Laos until you can find a way to leave.

 

At Mae Sai, you need either a visa or a border pass to enter Myanmar. At the current time, visas to enter Myanmar at Mae Sai are unavailable. You need a border pass. As I mentioned, the Myanmar authorities will not allow you to enter on a border pass when you are not legally permitted to re-enter Thailand. If Thai immigration erroneously allows you to leave under these circumstances, you will not receive a fresh visa exempt entry when Myanmar denies you entry. Thailand will simply cancel your exit stamp (and probably arrest you if you are already on overstay). There have been many cases of foreigners wanting to make a quick trip across to Myanmar who were unable to do so because they had no Myanmar visa, were not eligible for visa exempt entry to Thailand, and had no re-entry permit on their existing permission to stay.

What you explain makes sense . Thank you for the explanation.