Visa Runs - 6 seater van for 3,700 baht (Cambodia Visa Run)

[bbi1]

Anyone needing to do a visa run next week by any chance?

 

In the past we've had reports that service  operates out of Soi 6 Queen Victoria Run has very comfortable 6 seater van for 3,700 baht (Cambodia Visa Run). For the people that have used them in the past, why are they now completely not booked out and don't even have anyone booked in for next week, not even one customer for nearly all of next week? Apparently they need 3 people to do a visa run, otherwise you have to go with their friend's company for a 9 seater for 3,400 baht. Are people in Pattaya too cheap to pay 3,700 baht for a comfy 6 seater van?

 

 

 

[Trippy]

I've used them a few times pre-covid and thought it was a great service. Don't know why people aren't using them much anymore, my only guess would be that with the new tax situation, maybe less people are staying long term. 

[bbi1]

Just now, Trippy said:

I've used them a few times pre-covid and thought it was a great service. Don't know why people aren't using them much anymore, my only guess would be that with the new tax situation, maybe less people are staying long term. 

The lady said now is low season. But surely there must still be lots of people doing visa runs now. Or are all Pattaya visa runners too cheap to pay 3,700 baht for a 6 seater VIP comfort van?

[steve187]

35 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

The lady said now is low season. But surely there must still be lots of people doing visa runs now. Or are all Pattaya visa runners too cheap to pay 3,700 baht for a 6 seater VIP comfort van?

its a border hop, not a visa run, maybe people are saving the land border hops for later in the year, only 2 allowed per calender year

36 minutes ago, Trippy said:

I've used them a few times pre-covid and thought it was a great service. Don't know why people aren't using them much anymore, my only guess would be that with the new tax situation, maybe less people are staying long term. 

that's some ridicules guess, why would people doing border hops be thinking of a tax return, in 12 months time

it seems income tax is still getting mentioned in lots of threads

[transam]

Are the van's fitted with roll cages..........🤔

[bbi1]

2 minutes ago, steve187 said:

its a border hop, not a visa run, maybe people are saving the land border hops for later in the year, only 2 allowed per calender year

that's some ridicules guess, why would people doing border hops be thinking of a tax return, in 12 months time

it seems income tax is still getting mentioned in lots of threads

What's the difference between the two? Everyone calls it a "visa run", the company's name has "visa run" in it, and all the other shops around pattaya mentions "visa run to Cambodia". I have yet to see anywhere advertised as "border hops"

[transam]

2 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

What's the difference between the two? Everyone calls it a "visa run", the company's name has "visa run" in it, and all the other shops around pattaya mentions "visa run to Cambodia". I have yet to see anywhere advertised as "border hops"

Is this an ad for them, do you get a discount...........😉

[bbi1]

  

8 minutes ago, transam said:

Are the van's fitted with roll cages..........🤔

 

Another option would be to cross the border via Nong Khai Friendship Bridge and back to get 30 days visa exempt, but that would be 1k baht to BKK airport and 1k baht back, flights around 2.5k, car to and from Udon Thani airport at least another 1k, lunch & meals for about 200 baht, Laos eVisa about 1,800 baht. That would be leaving Pattaya about 4:30am and arriving back in Pattaya around 10pm, and that would be at least 7,500 baht spent all up with a whole day wasted on travelling.

[transam]

2 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

  

 

Another option would be to cross the border via Nong Khai Friendship Bridge and back to get 30 days visa exempt, but that would be 1k baht to BKK airport and 1k baht back, flights around 2.5k, car to and from Udon Thani airport at least another 1k, lunch & meals for about 200 baht, Laos eVisa about 1,800 baht. That would be leaving Pattaya about 4:30am and arriving back in Pattaya around 10pm, and that would be at least 8k spent all up with a whole day wasted on travelling.

Own up, you're canvassing for this company.............🤗

[steve187]

10 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

What's the difference between the two? Everyone calls it a "visa run", the company's name has "visa run" in it, and all the other shops around pattaya mentions "visa run to Cambodia". I have yet to see anywhere advertised as "border hops"

the difference is there is no visa involved in your visa run, i agree with others a bit of canvassing on their behalf on your part.

[jacko45k]

18 hours ago, transam said:

Are the van's fitted with roll cages..........🤔

No, just Buakhao Expat cages......

[Denim]

Just hire a car for the day and go alone.

[Olmate]

21 hours ago, bbi1 said:

The lady said now is low season. But surely there must still be lots of people doing visa runs now. Or are all Pattaya visa runners too cheap to pay 3,700 baht for a 6 seater VIP comfort van?

Too cheap? Too funny! Go get a proper longstay visa, you bodgy dicks make it much harder for us legit retired folk who pay an agent!! 😭

[2baht]

20 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Another option would be to cross the border via Nong Khai Friendship Bridge and back to get 30 days visa exempt, but that would be 1k baht to BKK airport and 1k baht back, flights around 2.5k, car to and from Udon Thani airport at least another 1k, lunch & meals for about 200 baht, Laos eVisa about 1,800 baht. That would be leaving Pattaya about 4:30am and arriving back in Pattaya around 10pm, and that would be at least 7,500 baht spent all up with a whole day wasted on travelling.

I spent 2 hours at Immigration last week, travelled 12 km, paid 1900 baht and I'm good for another year!! What are you doing??? 🤔

[Lemsta69]

20 hours ago, bbi1 said:

What's the difference between the two? Everyone calls it a "visa run", the company's name has "visa run" in it, and all the other shops around pattaya mentions "visa run to Cambodia". I have yet to see anywhere advertised as "border hops"

 

A visa run is when you leave Thailand and travel to an Embassy or consulate, apply for an actual visa and then wait a couple of days or so until the visa application is processed. 

 

A border hop aka border bounce aka in/out aka out/in is when you head to the nearest land border, cross over into the other country, get stamped in by that country, then turn around and re-enter Thailand.

 

Well that's what I was taught by the old hands when I first started travelling. I'm not sure if "border bounce" includes doing an out/in by air, we couldn't afford to do that when I was coming up through the ranks 😂

 

Some people expand the definition of visa run to include doing a border bounce to activate the 2nd or subsequent leg of a multiple-entry visa.

 

Why do those companies advertise a border bounce as a visa run? Dunno, probably to cater to the masses who think that entering visa exempt is a "visa on arrival" and get upset when you point out the difference. Semantics they cry, yet dare to call football "soccer" and see how worked up they get 🤣

[bbi1]

5 hours ago, Olmate said:

Too cheap? Too funny! Go get a proper longstay visa, you bodgy dicks make it much harder for us legit retired folk who pay an agent!! 😭

Legit retired folks who bribe agents & IOs because they can't afford 800k in a bank lol. Thanks for the laugh.

 

I was on a proper visa, a METV which has now expired and now looking at doing a 30 day exempt + 30 day extension. It's proper, legit and legal. I'm not an old fart who can get a retirement visa. They age discriminate against younger folks who are sooooooo far away from being an old fart, even though younger folks could be on a retirement visa legitimately without having to bribe agents & IOs like many on this forum. We could easily afford the 800k in the bank method without bribing, if they didn't age discriminate us.

 

Maybe I'll just stick to doing my own border bounce via the Laos Friendship Bridge, even it if till cost me a whole day of travelling and double the cost of a van border bounce. I'll make a decision soon.

4 hours ago, 2baht said:

I spent 2 hours at Immigration last week, travelled 12 km, paid 1900 baht and I'm good for another year!! What are you doing??? 🤔

 

[2baht]

18 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

I'll make a decision soon.

Do let us know, we'll lose sleep over this! 

[Olmate]

3 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Legit retired folks who bribe agents & IOs because they can't afford 800k in a bank lol. Thanks for the laugh.

 

I was on a proper visa, a METV which has now expired and now looking at doing a 30 day exempt + 30 day extension. It's proper, legit and legal. I'm not an old fart who can get a retirement visa. They age discriminate against younger folks who are sooooooo far away from being an old fart, even though younger folks could be on a retirement visa legitimately without having to bribe agents & IOs like many on this forum. We could easily afford the 800k in the bank method without bribing, if they didn't age discriminate us.

 

Maybe I'll just stick to doing my own border bounce via the Laos Friendship Bridge, even it if till cost me a whole day of travelling and double the cost of a van border bounce. I'll make a decision soon.

 

Ah,who would have figured you would bite on that, too obvious for a  bright 'cashed up' Ozzie youngster like you hey!    Come in spinner! lol.

[JimTripper]

I'm flying out to do mine. I need to goto Bkk anyway and it's close to the same price, slightly more if you include the hotel rooms. It's much nicer to stay in a hotel for the night and have a one hour flight each way.

 

I can't figure out why people would sit in a minivan for 8 hours unless they are in such a big hurry they can't lose a day in Pattaya. There are a lot of people like that around Pattaya though, everybody is in a rush these days.

[jacko45k]

17 hours ago, bbi1 said:

We could easily afford the 800k in the bank method without bribing, if they didn't age discriminate us.

It is called a retirement Visa (Extension actually) for a reason, and aimed at a particular market. It isn't a responsibility of Thailand to provide a home for all and sundry..... but if the young cry babies can afford the 800k, easily, add a 100k to it and get an elite for 5 years. 

[ChaiyaTH]

Most people fly nowadays, its a waste and frustration to sit all day in a minivan being useless. Also cost me same to pre-book a round way ticket out + 1-2 nights hotel.

[bbi1]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

It is called a retirement Visa (Extension actually) for a reason, and aimed at a particular market. It isn't a responsibility of Thailand to provide a home for all and sundry..... but if the young cry babies can afford the 800k, easily, add a 100k to it and get an elite for 5 years. 

The smart ones don't want to throw away their money for nothing, they'd rather keep their money and invest it wisely. If Thailand would allow the 800k to stay in a bank instead of being a fee paid to be wasted on an Elite visa, then it would make sense for younger folks. Otherwise the younger crowd will stick with METV and visa exempt entries, which really should only be used for the under 50s who can't qualify for a retirement visa due to age discrimination.

[jacko45k]

4 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

The smart ones don't want to throw away their money for nothing, they'd rather keep their money and invest it wisely. If Thailand would allow the 800k to stay in a bank instead of being a fee paid to be wasted on an Elite visa, then it would make sense for younger folks. Otherwise the younger crowd will stick with METV and visa exempt entries, which really should only be used for the under 50s who can't qualify for a retirement visa due to age discrimination.

Well it is hardly for nothing... it is for 5 years of the right to reside, with a few other benefits. As to using the METV, whatever works and presuming the younger person is not 'working' in Thailand. But  I expect those to become harder to use for non-tourists as they were pre-Covid. Age discrimination  is just another woke whine surely! Retirement is expected to be older people. 

[TaaSaparot]

16 hours ago, JimTripper said:

I'm flying out to do mine. I need to goto Bkk anyway and it's close to the same price, slightly more if you include the hotel rooms. It's much nicer to stay in a hotel for the night and have a one hour flight each way.

 

I can't figure out why people would sit in a minivan for 8 hours unless they are in such a big hurry they can't lose a day in Pattaya. There are a lot of people like that around Pattaya though, everybody is in a rush these days.

So, you live at the airport?

[bbi1]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Age discrimination  is just another woke whine surely! Retirement is expected to be older people. 

Who says you need to be an old to retire? Plenty of younger folks who can retire without working.

[bbi1]

50 minutes ago, TaaSaparot said:

So, you live at the airport?

Costs 1k to the airport & 1k back to Pattaya by a private taxi service. That's 2k spent. Add the cost of flights, visas for neighbouring countries, etc. and it's easily double a van trip. I know, I've done the flying trip a few times in the past.

[Olmate]

5 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Costs 1k to the airport & 1k back to Pattaya by a private taxi service. That's 2k spent. Add the cost of flights, visas for neighbouring countries, etc. and it's easily double a van trip. I know, I've done the flying trip a few times in the past.

Its 150bht bus direct to Swampy, KL entry free, next! 

[bbi1]

10 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Its 150bht bus direct to Swampy, KL entry free, next! 

And you need to make your way to the bus terminal on Theppasit Rd, Jomtien to be able to take that bus. I'd rather not waste an extra few hours which includes going to the Jomtien bus terminal, buying a bus ticket then having to wait a few hours till the bus leaves due to so many other people also wanting to take the cheap bus.

 

Then you need to do the same at the airport to come back to Pattaya and I've seen the queues for the bus line to buy a bus ticket to Pattaya at the airport. It's ridiculously so long.

 

I'd rather just pay the 1k each way and get a comfy car to and from the airport door-to-door, without all the hassles, all the people and all the time wasted. That's what I keep doing each & every single time I need to make a trip to the airport or from the airport to Pattaya.

[Fujionrye]

3 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Costs 1k to the airport & 1k back to Pattaya by a private taxi service. That's 2k spent. Add the cost of flights, visas for neighbouring countries, etc. and it's easily double a van trip. I know, I've done the flying trip a few times in the past.

Jomtien bus to the airport is 150 baht

[proton]

On 3/15/2024 at 7:39 AM, Olmate said:

Too cheap? Too funny! Go get a proper longstay visa, you bodgy dicks make it much harder for us legit retired folk who pay an agent!! 😭

 And you agent bribers make it much harder for the legal people