Border run to Mai Sai CLOSED

[Kammie]

10 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

been coming to LOS since 2008  always ONE way tix and NO visa......I get my free 30 day STAMP not a visa, at BKK...fly to CNX and extend that at immig for an other 30=60 days

 

allowed 2 LAND border runs a year....take bus from CNX to mae sai -Burma...stamp out and walk across small bridge into Burma...pay 10usd or 500 bt ...get STAMP from Burma..walk back into Thailand and again get first of the 2 allowed 30 day stamps.....go back to CNX and extend again--repeat for 2nd burma run and extend totaling 6 months..after that go home-back to work...

 

few times went to Laos but is a haul and i hate buying a laos visa just so can get a thai visa and come back.....long a$$ bus ride too...and have to stay over a night and fight crowds at consulate 300+ in crazy heat.....easier and quicker to do trip to Burma and the 2x is enough for me....

 

*suppose ill wait to get scolded for never having a visa and always buying a one way tix*

 

been doing it this way for 15 years and come her yearly   6 months here--6 months home/work

 

people were much nicer up there and got alot of stares....maybe cos of my hansum-ness   ????

 

burma immig was nice as was THAI--the ladies actually laughed with me..shocker!   555

 

did notice 1st time seeing a burmese army guy under the bridge with an assault rifle..yikes

 

side note im part of G7 which allows me this visa exempt*

Yes story of my life also for the last 15 years (visa exemption), until today: foreigners not allowed in Myanmar.

[Kammie]

Just arrived at the Laos border at Chiang khong. It's even easier than Chong Mek which I did last year! 1800 baht instead of 2000 baht, didn't even have to go in to Laos, they just give me visa on arrival and exit stamp at the same counter. No pictures or forms to fill out. Although an American in front of me did have to do everything: fill out the 2 forms give a picture and walk across to Laos. I'm Dutch btw.

[freedomnow]

5 hours ago, Kammie said:

Just arrived at the Laos border at Chiang khong. It's even easier than Chong Mek which I did last year! 1800 baht instead of 2000 baht, didn't even have to go in to Laos, they just give me visa on arrival and exit stamp at the same counter. No pictures or forms to fill out. Although an American in front of me did have to do everything: fill out the 2 forms give a picture and walk across to Laos. I'm Dutch btw.

Which visa are/were you on to come back U-turn ?

 

 

 

[novacova]

28 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

and that border would be the ferry across mekong into LAOS..not Burma.....can find it with reviews on google maps...

Right, the boat crosses from chiang Sean to Lao. 

[Kammie]

4 hours ago, freedomnow said:

Which visa are/were you on to come back U-turn ?

 

 

 

Tourist I guess, but I'm exempt so I get 30 days when I enter Thailand from Europe and a 30 day extension each time after that, either at immigration office or a border run like today. Both of which can be done 2 times per year. 

[at15]

In December 2022 we had reliable reports Chiang Khong was telling people with significant history in thailand they could not exit and come back through this border and they need to fly out of thailand. Also people trying to do the border run on the last day of their visa expiration were told they need to spend 1 night in Laos. Has anyone seen this stuff still happening?

Edited July 18, 2023 by at15

[elektrified]

On 8/12/2023 at 4:21 PM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

hmmmm.. was talking to a guy at my apt and he said his buddy did a MAE SAI run which was closed to tourists was able to bribe the IO to stamp his passport on burma side for a bribe..

i asked how much and he said....................7000!!!!!  i said he could have flown out by air for that

 

i would certainly consider paying a tip for this but no way am I paying 7000bt.....anyone ever done the border hop in chiang saen??? i got 2 weeks to figure out a plan

Just go to Huay Xai. Couldn't be easier. Very quiet there.

[SiSePuede419]

30 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

any links or info on that run.

I did Huay Xai in March.

 

You stamp out of Immigration.  Take a boat across the river.  Get a Laos visa.  Make a U turn, stamp out of Laos.  Take a boat back across the river to Thailand. Maybe 5 minutes to cross the river.  Go through Immigration in Thailand.

 

They gave me 45 days after some questions.

 

Oh, if you're really up for adventure, there's high rise hotels and casinos on the Laos side built by Chinese mafia, where they're supposedly running human trafficking of underaged girls, drugs and endangered wildlife, so there's where the party is at (if you speak Chinese, presumably). 

 

Good luck. ????

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by SiSePuede419

[elektrified]

On 8/14/2023 at 4:28 PM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

any links or info on that run....man i just wish mae sai would open up...frustrating!

Why? Chiang Khong is roughly the same distance and is very quiet. Much easier than Mae Sai. The visa process at Huay Xai takes about 10-15 minutes to  get your passport back. The only difference is the price of the visa which fluctuates daily.

[elektrified]

On 8/14/2023 at 4:59 PM, SiSePuede419 said:

I did Huay Xai in March.

 

You stamp out of Immigration.  Take a boat across the river.  Get a Laos visa.  Make a U turn, stamp out of Laos.  Take a boat back across the river to Thailand. Maybe 5 minutes to cross the river.  Go through Immigration in Thailand.

 

They gave me 45 days after some questions.

 

Oh, if you're really up for adventure, there's high rise hotels and casinos on the Laos side built by Chinese mafia, where they're supposedly running human trafficking of underaged girls, drugs and endangered wildlife, so there's where the party is at (if you speak Chinese, presumably). 

 

Good luck. ????

 

That's not Huay Xai. You are referring to Chiang Saen. Altogether different.

[elektrified]

On 8/15/2023 at 3:20 PM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

did you drive yourself?   could I do it on a motorbike or bus from CR?   cost of laos visa?

 

need to show money or onward tix?     man i hate wasting money on  a useless laos visa...

He/she is confused and is talking about Golden Triangle to Laos SEZ by boat. You can drive to Chiang Khong in roughly the same time it takes to drive to Mae Sai - maybe 30 minutes longer. I don't know about CR, but you can catch a bus at Arcade at 9:30 A.M. to Chiang Khong. Arrives at 16:30. Tuk tuk to Immigration 50 Baht. Bus over Friendship Bridge 25 Baht each way. Laos visa cost fluctuates day to day. 1500-2000 Baht. You can stay in Huay Xai or in Chiang Khong. Lots of cheap options for food and accommodation on either side. I don't know about showing onward ticket. What kind of visa do you have?

Edited August 16, 2023 by elektrified

[elektrified]

4 minutes ago, elektrified said:

 

 

Edited August 16, 2023 by elektrified

[Ben Zioner]

On 7/6/2023 at 5:38 PM, novacova said:

war, anarchy or whatever you want to call it 

This is coming to Thailand?

[geisha]

On 7/6/2023 at 11:45 AM, chalawaan said:

Most western governments travel advisory emails are advising against all but essential travel to Myanmar. 

 

People think a pack of thugs in a truck can't snatch them for ransom, and possibly execution after years as a hostage?

 

Look up what has gone on in the Southern Philippines.

 

 

Or if you think that's just Islamic terrorism, consider the poor devils out pleasure sailing,  captured by the Cambodian Navy in the pol pot era. 

 

They ended up tortured to death on a bedframe in Teol Sleng.

I do think thé the OP was referring to border hops, and not venturing into the mountains to be attacked by ethnic rebels !

[SiSePuede419]

20 hours ago, elektrified said:

That's not Huay Xai. You are referring to Chiang Saen.

Correct. It was so nowhere I already forgot. ????

[moana]

Any reason to choose Chiang Khong over Chiang Saen for a border hop?

 

If Chiang Khong really doesn't accept USD (per @elektrified's post) AND requires an extra hour of drive time (+30 minutes x2) then I don't see why anyone would choose it over Chiang Saen. Ideas?

[Bill97]

4 hours ago, moana said:

I don't see why anyone would choose it over Chiang Saen. Ideas?

Great scenery, beautiful women, fantastic food, friendly immigration officers, cheap beer….

[moana]

7 hours ago, Bill97 said:

Great scenery, beautiful women, fantastic food, friendly immigration officers, cheap beer….

In this particular scenario (in and out, no time for anything else) I would only care about the "friendly immigration officers" part, but not accepting USD is the opposite of friendly. Any actual immigration/border reasons to prefer Chiang Khong over Chiang Saen?

[novacova]

2 hours ago, moana said:

but not accepting USD is the opposite of friendly

Why would that be? Everyone I’ve met from and in Lao are very friendly. Why couldn’t you bring a wad of ฿?

 

2 hours ago, moana said:

Any actual immigration/border reasons to prefer Chiang Khong over Chiang Saen?

Up to you. Do you want to boat across the river or roll over the river?

[moana]

4 minutes ago, novacova said:

Why would that be? Everyone I’ve met from and in Lao are very friendly. Why couldn’t you bring a wad of ฿?

This is about Laos immigration officers not accepting USD at Huayxay (=Chiang Khong), which goes against their own rules, in order to make a quick buck by demanding THB instead at an inflated exchange rate. See @elektrified's post in the previous page.

 

I really don't care whether it's by bus or boat. I just want to pay USD and optimize for time. If there are no special reasons to go for the Chiang Khong border then I'll definitely go for Chiang Saen.

[novacova]

1 minute ago, moana said:

This is about Laos immigration officers not accepting USD at Huayxay (=Chiang Khong), which goes against their own rules, in order to make a quick buck by demanding THB instead at an inflated exchange rate. See @elektrified's post in the previous page.

 

I really don't care whether it's by bus or boat. I just want to pay USD and optimize for time. If there are no special reasons to go for the Chiang Khong border then I'll definitely go for Chiang Saen.

Be sure to bring a wad of ฿

[elektrified]

5 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

I just know i have to go in a week and always went to mae sai and was hoping to do again..

 

but since no one seems to know when that will be im trying to decide between the 2 options

 

anyone done this by motorbike?  or should just stick with the buses...any tips/links appreciated

Here's an option https://www.chiangmaivisarun.com/chiang-mai-huay-xai-laos-border-run

 

[moana]

5 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

i think im gonna try and adventure and ride my old honda dream..100 cc  1995.....

If you're not using a company to go then there's no reason to prefer CK (or, at least, no one provided a good one). CS is 30km closer and might allow USD on the Laos side.

[Bill97]

9 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

still hate having to pay for laos "visa" when my $10 worked just fine at mae sai.....sigh

Poor boy

[bubba]

On 7/6/2023 at 10:23 PM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

there was a thread here about an alternate border close by mae sai if u can find it

 

something about a boat across a small river in that region

Regarding the border run to Laos across the Mekong (not a small river) from Sop Ruak (not close by to Mae Sai), I posted this back in February and presumably it is still accurate.

 

Go to the immigration office in Sop Ruak. They will stamp you out and they also ask if you have at least 10,000 baht in cash and an outbound air ticket. (On arrival, they did not ask to see that).

 

After getting stamped out walk out the back door which leads to the boat dock. The boat across to Lao costs 70 baht if there are at least three passengers and they run on demand.

 

Once on the other side, you disembark and walk up to Lao immigration. The first window checks passports and hands you an arrival form, which you complete, then hand it to the next window and then pay at another window. The visa cost varies by country - for Americans it was 1,500 baht. There is a small duty free shop inside the Lao arrivals hall just after you enter with decent prices on spirits and wine. If you have USD, use those as they were doing 37 baht/dollar for purchases.

 

You can then go to departures, get stamped out and return to Thailand to get stamped in. The boat back to Thailand costs 150 baht. 

 

Once back on the Thai side, you just need to go through Thai arrivals and you're stamped back in. The immigration officer advised and confirmed that they will only allow this twice each year.

 

All together this will cost you 1750 baht which is more than the Mae Sai crossing would cost you, but it’s there if you need it while Mae Sai remains closed. 

[araiwaja]

On 7/12/2023 at 10:25 AM, elektrified said:

They won't accept USD at the moment.

 

On 7/14/2023 at 8:02 PM, bamboozled said:

he said 1800 baht. I said $40 USD ok? He said, no, not if you're just going back straight to Thailand

 

20 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

if i ENTER laos aka spend money there, he will accept 40 usd....i was doing a turnaround which he said is 50usd

Just came back from Chiang Khong, and had a similar experience but with a different result. Officers asked for ฿1800, I said I only have $40 and persisted. They said if you don't enter the country you must pay ฿1800. I said no problem, I will enter the country, turn around, and exit the country. They acted surprised at the idea, but eventually gave up. They had me fill out the forms, I walked over to the bank window, paid my $40, walked through the gate, turned around, and walked to the departure booth and on to the bus.

So it seems ฿400 (฿1800 - $40) buys you:

- No forms to fill out

- Shorter turnaround time with no arguments

- Saves a ~50m walk through arrival and departure

- Saves a page in your passport since they don't stick a visa in it

If that's worth ฿400 to you, then don't bother going the $40 route. Otherwise, know that $40 is still possible if you insist.

[bamboozled]

4 hours ago, araiwaja said:

 

 

Just came back from Chiang Khong, and had a similar experience but with a different result. Officers asked for ฿1800, I said I only have $40 and persisted. They said if you don't enter the country you must pay ฿1800. I said no problem, I will enter the country, turn around, and exit the country. They acted surprised at the idea, but eventually gave up. They had me fill out the forms, I walked over to the bank window, paid my $40, walked through the gate, turned around, and walked to the departure booth and on to the bus.

So it seems ฿400 (฿1800 - $40) buys you:

- No forms to fill out

- Shorter turnaround time with no arguments

- Saves a ~50m walk through arrival and departure

- Saves a page in your passport since they don't stick a visa in it

If that's worth ฿400 to you, then don't bother going the $40 route. Otherwise, know that $40 is still possible if you insist.

I wonder what they're up to? I can't figure the game. Anyone? If you paid them in 40 in USD they could certainly change it. Not sure the USD/Kip rate but black market is much higher than the official, I know that much. But I suppose they would get less than 1800 baht of Kip? Hmm, what's the Baht/Kip exchange rate? Does that make any sense?

[moana]

3 hours ago, bamboozled said:

I wonder what they're up to? I can't figure the game

When you pay 1800 it stays with the immigration folks and no visa is issued. When you pay $40 it goes to the bank next to the gates. Nuff said.

Edited September 8, 2023 by moana

[bamboozled]

13 hours ago, moana said:

When you pay 1800 it stays with the immigration folks and no visa is issued. When you pay $40 it goes to the bank next to the gates. Nuff said.

They could take $40, too. ...It would seem to me. Plenty of places to change it.

[Dante99]

1 hour ago, bamboozled said:

They could take $40, too. ...It would seem to me. Plenty of places to change it.

The 1800 Baht is no visa so no paperwork and no records.  The $40 is with a visa so there are documents.  Easier to take what there is no record about.