Advice on doing a border run

[CK1980]

Hello everyone. I need some advice on doing  a border run.

 

Forgive my ignorance in advance, I’ve not done one before and there seems to be a lot of conflicting info…

 

So, I have a DTV which needs a new 180 stamp in it soon. According to Google I must renew it at immigration in Bangkok, but so many people have advised against this and it seems the best way is to do a border run.

 

I also found this YouTube video with an official Thai immigration guy basically confirming that a border run is a legitimate way of getting a new 180 day stamp, although it is from a few months ago. Might be helpful to others wondering if they can do a border run to avoid the hassle of renewing in Thailand:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfy6zvvekkE

 

So I’ll do a border run as it seems the most convenient way. My question is really about where to do it and the timing side of things..

 

I will need to leave Thailand before the expiry date to avoid an overstay, but in terms of coming back through Thai immigration, does the stamp need to be expired to get a new one? If my stamp still has a couple of days left on it will they give me a new 180 days or will they just let me back through on the original stamp which is still valid? I’m wondering if it is best to time it so the stamp expires while I am out of the country then get a new one upon arrival back in Thailand? I might be over thinking this…

 

My second question is about where to do the run. I guess the destination country is irrelevant as long as it has visa exemption, lets say Vietnam for example. It is the way back in to Thailand which is where the new stamp will be issued. I was planning to fly from BKK to Ho Chi Min return, anyone have experience of getting a 2nd 180 day DTV stamp at BKK? I got my original stamp there with no questions asked so was assuming it would be ok?

 

Any advice would be great, thanks!

 

 

[DrJack54]

53 minutes ago, CK1980 said:

...does the stamp need to be expired to get a new one? If my stamp still has a couple of days left on it will they give me a new 180 days or will they just let me back through on the original stamp which is still valid?

You will be given 180 day stamp.

 

53 minutes ago, CK1980 said:

I might be over thinking this…

Yes 

53 minutes ago, CK1980 said:

I was planning to fly from BKK to Ho Chi Min return, anyone have experience of getting a 2nd 180 day DTV stamp at BKK?

Good choice and you will be stamped in for 180 days on return.

Are you visa exempt to Vietnam? 

 

Edit: just now good report of doing extension of DTV at Thai immigration.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1350107-destination-thailand-visa-extension-requirements-posted-on-immigration-website/#findComment-19642048

[Caldera]

31 minutes ago, CK1980 said:

So, I have a DTV which needs a new 180 stamp in it soon. According to Google I must renew it at immigration in Bangkok, but so many people have advised against this and it seems the best way is to do a border run.

 

If you want to extend your stay within Thailand, you don't need to do that in Bangkok unless you're staying in Bangkok anyway.

 

Just throwing that in here. Your idea to leave and re-enter Thailand also works, and Vietnam is a nice destination for a little trip.

[CK1980]

53 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You will be given 180 day stamp.

 

Yes 

Good choice and you will be stamped in for 180 days on return.

Are you visa exempt to Vietnam? 

 

Edit: just now good report of doing extension of DTV at Thai immigration.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1350107-destination-thailand-visa-extension-requirements-posted-on-immigration-website/#findComment-19642048

Excellent, thanks. Yes I am visa exempt for Vietnam, so even if my current stamp still has a few days left on it they will give me a new one at BKK immigration on the way back. I just need to make sure I leave Thailand whilst the current stamp is valid. Perfect.

[CK1980]

43 minutes ago, Caldera said:

 

If you want to extend your stay within Thailand, you don't need to do that in Bangkok unless you're staying in Bangkok anyway.

 

Just throwing that in here. Your idea to leave and re-enter Thailand also works, and Vietnam is a nice destination for a little trip.

Yes, I am in Bangkok, but I hear that is a big hassle to renew in Thailand and much better to go for a little trip across the border. Hope this helps others in my situation. Thanks for the advice.

[BrandonJT]

5 hours ago, CK1980 said:

Excellent, thanks. Yes I am visa exempt for Vietnam, so even if my current stamp still has a few days left on it they will give me a new one at BKK immigration on the way back. I just need to make sure I leave Thailand whilst the current stamp is valid. Perfect.

It doesn't matter how many days you have left because when you leave Thailand your entry stamp is invalid as of the moment you cross the passport gate.

[CK1980]

11 hours ago, BrandonJT said:

It doesn't matter how many days you have left because when you leave Thailand your entry stamp is invalid as of the moment you cross the passport gate.

Got it, yes that makes sense. So really the only benefit of doing it near the expiry date is so you maximise the 180 day period. Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll book my mini break to Ho Chi Min City! Hope this helps others with the DTV as there is a lot of conflicting information  and scaremongering out there!

[DrJack54]

13 minutes ago, CK1980 said:

So really the only benefit of doing it near the expiry date is so you maximise the 180 day period.

That's correct. 

You can exit anytime as often as you like and receive at 180 day stamp.

 

BTW: For future reference in my earlier post I added link to another thread with detailed report of obtaining extension at immigration office. Seems straightforward. 

[CK1980]

18 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

If you want to extend your stay within Thailand, you don't need to do that in Bangkok unless you're staying in Bangkok anyway.

 

Just throwing that in here. Your idea to leave and re-enter Thailand also works, and Vietnam is a nice destination for a little trip.

Yeah, again, there is so much conflicting info. Multiple sources say that to extend DTV within Thailand you MUST renew at Bangkok immigration HQ, you can't do it at any other immigration office regardless of where you live... Don't understand why this would be the case but hey.. There are also multiple reports of immigration being very disinterested and making it difficult, putting 2 week review stamps on so you have to go back again..... and in any case, going through the process and providing all the paperwork again seems like a pain in the **** compared to a weekend trip to a bordering country. The issue was if this was considered a legit way to get a new stamp, or whether this may be used as a reason to deny entry back in. But it seems it is completely legit, even confirmed by the Thai official in the video on the OP and backed up by many with experience in these things. Seems the only reason to renew in Thailand is if for some reason you can't do a border run. I'll try it and not worry about it anymore. I'll put a post up here once I've done it to report how it went.....

[CK1980]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

That's correct. 

You can exit anytime as often as you like and receive at 180 day stamp.

 

BTW: For future reference in my earlier post I added link to another thread with detailed report of obtaining extension at immigration office. Seems straightforward. 

Ah yes, just read that and the guy was renewing at Phuket immigration, so don't know what the 'Only can be done in Bangkok immigration' is all about. Seems you can do it at any immigration....

[Caldera]

52 minutes ago, CK1980 said:

Yeah, again, there is so much conflicting info. Multiple sources say that to extend DTV within Thailand you MUST renew at Bangkok immigration HQ, you can't do it at any other immigration office regardless of where you live... Don't understand why this would be the case but hey.. There are also multiple reports of immigration being very disinterested and making it difficult, putting 2 week review stamps on so you have to go back again..... and in any case, going through the process and providing all the paperwork again seems like a pain in the **** compared to a weekend trip to a bordering country. The issue was if this was considered a legit way to get a new stamp, or whether this may be used as a reason to deny entry back in. But it seems it is completely legit, even confirmed by the Thai official in the video on the OP and backed up by many with experience in these things. Seems the only reason to renew in Thailand is if for some reason you can't do a border run. I'll try it and not worry about it anymore. I'll put a post up here once I've done it to report how it went.....

 

Don't get me wrong, I'd do the same as you, taking a little trip abroad is fun.

 

And you're right that immigration is quite onerous when it comes to those DTV extensions. But you can definitely apply in other places than Bangkok, we've had reports of people successfully applying elsewhere already. In fact, as immigration might very well want to see a long-term lease, the place where you live is the safest bet.

[frank83628]

18 hours ago, CK1980 said:

Yes, I am in Bangkok, but I hear that is a big hassle to renew in Thailand and much better to go for a little trip across the border. Hope this helps others in my situation. Thanks for the advice.

Friends just renewed their last week, was originally going to go to Phangan immigration but they were asked for many documents, so they did a border bounce at Ranong. Hassle free