Mae Sai/Tachilek Border Info

[KC 71]

Thanks

[thomasrussell]

Thanks for the info Boomerangutang

If I get through on VIP I will post here to confirm that its ok

Thoms

[boomerangutang]

Maybe this has been posted here already, but the border crossing is open now until 9 pm. It was 6:30 pm - Thai time. 7 days/week.

[Mickeem]

Thanks for the info Boomerangutang

If I get through on VIP I will post here to confirm that its ok

Thoms

Any update on the VIP pass situation for non Thais ?

If you managed to use a VIP pass what about on the Burmese side do you still need to get a pass for $10 / 500B

Any one else have up to date info on this

thanks

[hittindaroad55]

My wife and I are crossing the border and hoping to stay in Tachilek for 1-2 days just out of curiosity and to explore. It's amazing how little info there is about Tachilek and the border crossing online. Thank you to this thread we are not totally clueless!

I still have a few questions:

Can anyone recommend a place to spend 1-2 nights in Tachilek? We've been spending under 500 baht for rooms (fan is okay) throughout Thailand and would like to stick to that budget. Shared bathroom is also okay. Would like it to be safe enough to leave our bags during the day. We don't mind a family run guesthouse since we will not be partying or anything involving late nights.

Since we are 2 people crossing can we use a $20 to pay for both of us in Myanmar or will we need 2 $10 bills?

Can you take photos at the border crossing? We want to put it in my wife's blog since so little info about this crossing online other than this thread.

Any recommendations of stuff in Tachilek is appreciated. We will see market, any specific restaurants recommended or street food stalls? We might check out the casino since I heard there is 10 baht roulette and we might be able to get free lunch by exchanging 2000 baht to chips, gambling a little, and exchanging back. At the teahouses, do they do the Burmese milk tea or is it Thai style throughout Tachilek?

Thanks for info! We will report back here after our visa run + mini trip to Tachilek.

[hittindaroad55]

Thanks for the info Boomerangutang

If I get through on VIP I will post here to confirm that its ok

Thoms

Any update on the VIP pass situation for non Thais ?

If you managed to use a VIP pass what about on the Burmese side do you still need to get a pass for $10 / 500B

Any one else have up to date info on this

thanks

My understanding is that VIP pass concerns the Thai side only. You still pay 500 baht\$10 on the Burmese side. They don't want Thailand taking their tourist money, and why should they give it away to Thailand?

[boomerangutang]

Tachilek no longer does VIP passes (or, as farang would call them; 'Day Passes').

They wouldn't say why or when/if VIP passes would be re-instated.

[boomerangutang]

If anyone has an update on the note above (VIP passes halted), let us know.

[JAG]

That should put the boot into most of the businesses in Tachilek!

Is it permanent does anyone know? I fancied a shopping trip soon.

Edited May 22, 2015 by JAG

[nellyp]

My nephew and his girl friend are coming over soon , and as we are so close, he is considering a few days in Myanmar. If he leaves on a tourist visa (after coming in through Bangkok), how does it affect his length of stay ( he is only here for 2 week s in total), and does he need to pay for 2 tourist guide or 1, also is it 1,000 baht a day ?

Any help would be appreciated, as I would lik ehim to see Burma too.

Cheers

[JAG]

I went "out and in" this afternoon, hopefully the last time I will need to to leave and re-enter on a tourist visa, I should have my "B" soon.

The Immigration officers at both leaving and entering were surprisingly chatty. I asked about the VIP pass and they said that they were still being issued. Burmese immigration said the same.

That said I was the only white face in the Tachilek market for a couple of hours, and the subject of continuous and persistent attention from the gentlemen with plastic crates slung round their necks flogging cigarettes, Viagra, Cialis and playing cards of Saddam Hussein and his mates!

[sceadugenga]

Thanks JAG, good information on the VIP passes.

[boomerangutang]

My nephew and his girl friend are coming over soon , and as we are so close, he is considering a few days in Myanmar. If he leaves on a tourist visa (after coming in through Bangkok), how does it affect his length of stay ( he is only here for 2 week s in total), and does he need to pay for 2 tourist guide or 1, also is it 1,000 baht a day ?

Any help would be appreciated, as I would lik ehim to see Burma too. Cheers

It sounds like you'd like your nephew to go north of Tachilek. When entering Burma at the north end of the bridge, he should first go to the tiny office just north/adjoining the immigration office. They speak English (...better than Thai imm. officials, btw). When he gives his passport to the officers at the Burmese Imm office, he will have to specify where he wants to travel to north of Tachilek (Keng Tung of Meng La). If he doesn't, he won't be able to leave Tachilek.

When he comes back in to Thailand (he has up to 2 weeks allowable in Burma) - he will either get 15 day visa-on-arrival, or, if he's a citizen of a G8 country, he'll likely get a 30 day v-on-arrival.

I went "out and in" this afternoon, hopefully the last time I will need to to leave and re-enter on a tourist visa, I should have my "B" soon.

The Immigration officers at both leaving and entering were surprisingly chatty. I asked about the VIP pass and they said that they were still being issued. Burmese immigration said the same.

Burmese officials will say 'ok' about issuing VIP or day-only voucher. But it's not the Burmese we're concerned about. It's the Thai officials on the Thai departure side. I asked a few days ago, and the lady said 'NO.' Unless they've eased up on the rule in the past 3 days, then I assume it's still 'no'. I wonder if you asked the right question, in the right manner? Sometimes officials will say 'yes' to something - even if they don't completely understand what the question is - or perhaps because the person asking is so handsome or friendly, that they don't want to say 'no' to that person.

I'd like to get another opinion on that VIP issue. I'll ask again, next time I go up there.

[JAG]

I asked the Thai Immigration Police Officer, who stamped my passport when I re-entered Thailand, if the VIP passes were still being issued. He said yes they were.

I can't put it any clearer than that. If you choose to disbelieve me fine, I suggest that you go there yourself and ask the question. If you ask people to ask it for you, and then say that you don't believe them when they take the trouble to do so and report back, then there is no other option for you but to do it yourself, is there now?

[angiolo]

Maybe this has been posted here already, but the border crossing is open now until 9 pm. It was 6:30 pm - Thai time. 7 days/week.

now 8pm

[boomerangutang]

I asked the Thai Immigration Police Officer, who stamped my passport when I re-entered Thailand, if the VIP passes were still being issued. He said yes they were.

I can't put it any clearer than that. If you choose to disbelieve me fine, I suggest that you go there yourself and ask the question. If you ask people to ask it for you, and then say that you don't believe them when they take the trouble to do so and report back, then there is no other option for you but to do it yourself, is there now?

It's nothing personal. It's just that I had spoken to the woman official who deals with farang leaving Thailand at that crossing - two different times in 10 days, and each time she made it clear to me that there was no VIP option. I spoke with another farang who had the same rebuff in the same recent time frame.

JAG mentions: "I asked the Thai Immigration Police Officer, who stamped my passport when I re-entered Thailand, ....."

Bmrgtang responds: Thai officialdom is subjective and often doesn't know what's really going on - even in their own departments. The officials on the SE cormer of the bridge may not know what their buddies on the SW corner are doing/thinking. If the VIP pass option is again available, that would be good news and sensible. We'll have to wait and get one or two added verifications from other travelers to know for sure.

More than a few times, I've had to deal with Thai officialdom which didn't know up from down, and there have been times when it's taken me the greater part of a day or several days to find out what's really going on. I have a half dozen stories in that vein, as I'm sure other farang have their stories of frustration also.

[sceadugenga]

I had a trip to Mae Sai on Tuesday and spoke to several people who assured me that the VIP border pass was still available.

Unfortunately I did not have the time to test it personally, but I'm confident that I could have crossed without a problem.

[sceadugenga]

I successfully put in the paperwork for my new visa today and was told that it would begin when my current visa expired in 2 months time.

The officer was down from Mae Sai for the day so I asked her about crossing to Tachilek as the old visa was single entry.

She said... just do a VIP pass for the day.

[boomerangutang]

I did the crossing two days ago. I got there before 8 pm, because a prior poster said the border closed at 8, but (as I experienced earlier) it closes at 9 pm. However, for farang wanting to do a quick 'visa run' (cross over and return right away), the cut-off time is 8 pm.

As for 'VIP pass' which we would call a 'day pass,' The Thai officer on duty couldn't say. I asked him twice, using a hypothetical ("My American friend is coming tomorrow. Can he do crossing with a VIP pass/photocopies?") At first the officer said he didn't understand the term 'VIP pass.' (he should know). Then, when I explained it to him, he said twice that he didn't know, and it would depend on what the person on duty might say the next day. The whole conversation was civil, with no one getting hot under the collar.

In sum, it's a subjective issue. Personally, I think it's possible to do a VIP pass. I forgot to go to the same window the next day and ask the person stationed there.

Sorry to be repetitive, but it's still a night and day difference between dealing with authorities on each side of the bridge. The Burmese are personable and aren't hiding behind little slits in windows. They're like people. On the Thai side, it's impersonable, stand-offish, scant eye-contact, like dealing with automatons who don't like their jobs. Maybe it's a residual effect of so many Thai officials getting posted to 'inactive posts.'

[villagefarang]

In my experience, some people have problems with Thai officialdom and others don’t. I tend not to blame the officials.

[sceadugenga]

I suspect that the VIP pass is discretionary and not a right.

I'd certainly make sure that I acted in a courteous manner at any border crossing, let alone one as potentially sensitive as Mae Sai/Tachilek, regardless of how annoying or provocative the situation became.

I believe that the VIP pass is a very useful and convenient way of spending the day in Tachilek shopping or sightseeing without using up the best part of a page in your expensive passport, trashing a single entry visa or even a genuine tourist inadvertently reducing his visa exemption days as happened to a friend of mine.

[thomasrussell]

Thanks for the info Boomerangutang

If I get through on VIP I will post here to confirm that its ok

Thoms

I visited Mai Sai on 3rd March 2015 . I presented my photocopies, photographs and cash and asked for a VIP pass. They were thrown back at me with a curt, " Not possible" I tried again 20 minutes later with the same result. Later I spoke to an oficer smoking outside his booth and he confirmed that it was no longer possible. The situation may have changed since then but I see no positive results.

[boomerangutang]

Day trips / VIP passes are allowed now (late June '14), though the process seems less streamlined than in days-gone-by. Earlier, there was a long period where the VIP were issued upon request. Now it appears more of a subjective issue. I went with a friend and there were several questions asked of us in stoccato Thai - which we didin't understand - like we were being reprimanded for something (What?). Same, no eye contact and curt mannerisms, as expected on the Thai side. As usual, the contrast with the Burmese side (like people dealing with people, even some joking around) was evident.

[sceadugenga]

Crossed the bridge on a VIP pass today; polite service, smiles all round.

[chang35baht]

Yep, its been a while.

Hello to all. Was told by a Dutch person a few days back that the border crossing at Mae Sai was closed. She didn't know why.

Can anyone please confirm for me whether this is the case. Or is the border still open?

Asking on behalf of a recent aquaintance who just wants to go across. Not for a border run. Just to see Tachilek. Not much to see I know, but at least he can say he was in Myanmar.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can put me straight.

Regards,

Stuart.

[boomerangutang]

Yep, its been a while.

Hello to all. Was told by a Dutch person a few days back that the border crossing at Mae Sai was closed. She didn't know why.

Can anyone please confirm for me whether this is the case. Or is the border still open?

Asking on behalf of a recent aquaintance who just wants to go across. Not for a border run. Just to see Tachilek. Not much to see I know, but at least he can say he was in Myanmar.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can put me straight.

Regards,

Stuart.

I'd like to help out, but in recent crossings, I'm met with confusion, subjectivity obfuscations on the Thai side. On the Burmese side, no problem.

I may go on up today, so I'll have a better idea of what the latest is on the Thai side.

[boomerangutang]

update: apparently, no 'VIP passes' from the Thai side - or what we'd call 'day passes.'

I say 'apparently' because it's not always clear what officials on the Thai side are conveying. Sometimes even they don't know policy.

border open until 9 pm. I got that from a Thai cop at an 'information booth' located 20 meters from the border crossing.

[chang35baht]

Thanks for the info.

Sorry for the delay in Responding.

[sceadugenga]

A pleasant lunch at the Condotel Cafe yesterday, tasty food at a reasonable price.

[villagefarang]

A pleasant lunch at the Condotel Cafe yesterday, tasty food at a reasonable price.

Think you hit the wrong topic there, Scea. It happens to the best of us I guess.