Mae Sai/Tachilek Border Info

[sceadugenga]

I did, I did... I plead advancing senility.

[DanceAllNight]

Hey, I am going on a border run soon. Can I use $10 for the Burmese day permit or must it be 500 baht?

[villagefarang]

Hey, I am going on a border run soon. Can I use $10 for the Burmese day permit or must it be 500 baht?

There is a standing disagreement on this issue so I would take both and try the $10 first. Good luck.

[Briggsy]

My experience on this is confidently hand over your $10 note without speaking, definitely no asking.

Never cross at the same time a minibus full of visa runners turns up. They seem to go into 500 Baht mode when these guys arrive. Shopping?

[DanceAllNight]

Thanks for the advice. All they can do is deny me, right?

[boomerangutang]

Hey, I am going on a border run soon. Can I use $10 for the Burmese day permit or must it be 500 baht?

Here's what works 87% of the time: Go in the tiny Burmese office and, without smiling, hand them your passport and a crisp $10 (not an older style bill). If they act weird, stand there and insist, speaking softly (don't carry a big stick, ha ha). Then, you can joke with the guys - which is something that's not easy to do with any official on the Thai side.

Thanks for the advice. All they can do is deny me, right?

Well, they could do what the King of the Aztecs did to a rival warlord: Took the warlord's daughter, stripped off the girl's skin, dried it, then invited the warlord to visit The King greeted the warlord while dancing in his new tunic - made from the girl's skin.

[anto]

Was up there yesterday the 9 th of September .Good deal at the shop on the bridge .3 large cans of beer lao for B100 .The cans were marked at B40 each ,but on paying for 10 cans the nice girl at the desk told me of the special offer .Only found small cans of export Guinness at another shop at B55 each .Anyone found good deals on Guinness up there ? Also how much beer are you legally allowed bring back .They did not exray my bag on my return to the Thai side but Burmese people had to have their bags exrayed .P.S, I was there on a 3 month visa run ,so a day pass did not come into it .

Edited September 10, 2015 by anto

[anto]

Just to add that it was very quiet there yesterday .I only saw one other Farang .As well as beer bought some cracking CDs to play in the car at B30 each.Nicely packaged and good quality.

[sceadugenga]

The legal limit is 1 liter only of any alcohol to be brought in.

In more than 10 years... and many crossings carrying bottles... I've never seen it enforced at Mae Sai.

Edited September 10, 2015 by sceadugenga

[anto]

After a lot of searching ,as no web site seems to mention beer ,i found out that you are allowed 16 liters of beer ,duty free.The one liter ,is for spirits only .

[boomerangutang]

Beer: the only beverage that looks the same going out as coming in.

As for the topic: I did a day-only trip, no problem. On the Burmese side, they took us$10 easy as pie.

[loungmaak01]

Anybody have info about borderruns at Mae sai? I ask this for a friend who comes here next month, and he stays two days more than 30.

With the current fuzz on borderruns on the Cambodia border i wonder if it's the same in Mae Sai,

Thanks in advance for any reply.

[sceadugenga]

Not sure how they handle overstays, just the fine normally.

Other than that it seems to be business as usual.

[heybruce]

Good to read that things are normal as far as crossing and returning, I assume I won't have a problem with my non-Immigrant multiple entry visa later this week.

How is the river? Any flooding or risk of flooding?

[sceadugenga]

Needs a lot of rain to flood the Mae Sai and I've never seen it high enough to prevent a bridge crossing for immigration/visa purposes, usually just filling the carparks and the lower business areas on both sides.

I'd say no problems at all this week but let us know how you get on.

[homemade514]

Was up there yesterday the 9 th of September .Good deal at the shop on the bridge .3 large cans of beer lao for B100 .The cans were marked at B40 each ,but on paying for 10 cans the nice girl at the desk told me of the special offer .Only found small cans of export Guinness at another shop at B55 each .Anyone found good deals on Guinness up there ? Also how much beer are you legally allowed bring back .They did not exray my bag on my return to the Thai side but Burmese people had to have their bags exrayed .P.S, I was there on a 3 month visa run ,so a day pass did not come into it .

what shop was the beer lao at? going this week, would like to grab some if possible.

[heybruce]

Needs a lot of rain to flood the Mae Sai and I've never seen it high enough to prevent a bridge crossing for immigration/visa purposes, usually just filling the carparks and the lower business areas on both sides.

I'd say no problems at all this week but let us know how you get on.

Thanks. I was a little worried about the market after the dousing we had last Friday, but the rains have tapered off since then. I'm sure things will be fine.

[thai006]

people make border run ? i need to go there in november , my non O extension will finish on 8 nov and i need 30 day before new visa and passport , i will have 20 000 in cash

[sceadugenga]

If you want a visa exemption they only give you 15 days on a land crossing.

Maybe think about Vientiane for a tourist visa?

Other than that you could come back for a second 15 days when the first expires.

[Will27]

If you want a visa exemption they only give you 15 days on a land crossing.

Maybe think about Vientiane for a tourist visa?

Other than that you could come back for a second 15 days when the first expires.

If you're from a G7 country, you're eligible for a 30 day exempt entry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G7_(major_advanced_economies)

[sceadugenga]

Sorry... thought we were talking civilised countries here...

[thai006]

If you want a visa exemption they only give you 15 days on a land crossing.

Maybe think about Vientiane for a tourist visa?

Other than that you could come back for a second 15 days when the first expires.

If you're from a G7 country, you're eligible for a 30 day exempt entry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G7_(major_advanced_economies)

i have passport from G7 country and i need 30 day before 60 extension again father of thai child , before make new passport in december because i just have 1 free page

[boomerangutang]

the requirement of showing 20,000 baht is bunk. They never ask to see it They only asked to see it for about 3 weeks, 14 years ago when they first instated that ridiculous rule. Thai bureaucracy, once it gets a silly rule, will hang on to it like a dog with a flea infested piece of rug, for years. It's akin to the electric company not allowing a farang name on an account, yet they'll happily accept a Thai name, even if that person's been dead for 15 years (my situation).

[sceadugenga]

I was asked to show money once in ten years and countless crossings.

I would not have had anything near 20K on me but just opened my wallet for a few seconds and was waved on.

As most of us go and return on the same day on shopping trips or visa business I suppose common sense prevails.

[Paul888]

I was asked to show 20,000 at Mae Sai a couple of years ago but I only had about 8,000 on me and the lady wasn't impressed.

She didn't accept the ATM receipt from 2 hours earlier or the sms from my bank showing my balance and was just standing there saying no 20,000 no entry. There was a long queue behind me so I said "Do you want me to walk over to that ATM and take out another 12k?" and to my surprise she said yes, so I did.

Two minutes later I returned with the additional 12k and she made me count the full 20k out in front of her before reluctantly letting me in with a scowl.

Point of the story. Mae Sai is not a predictable border at the best of times so always be prepared.

[boomerangutang]

I was asked to show 20,000 at Mae Sai a couple of years ago but I only had about 8,000 on me and the lady wasn't impressed.

She didn't accept the ATM receipt from 2 hours earlier or the sms from my bank showing my balance and was just standing there saying no 20,000 no entry. There was a long queue behind me so I said "Do you want me to walk over to that ATM and take out another 12k?" and to my surprise she said yes, so I did.

Two minutes later I returned with the additional 12k and she made me count the full 20k out in front of her before reluctantly letting me in with a scowl.

Point of the story. Mae Sai is not a predictable border at the best of times so always be prepared.

Let me guess: you weren't dressed formally, with coat and tie, like a guy posing for an advert in a clothes magazine. Border personnel are hopelessly subjective, as are all Thai bureaucrats. If they saw Jeffry Dahmer (the serial killer) dressed in a nice suit, and Bill Gates dressed in bluejeans and a scruffy shirt. They would kowtow for Dahmer, and give Gates a hard time. Appearances are 95% of the game with Thai bureaucrats. Feigned politeness is the other 5%.

[thai006]

I was asked to show 20,000 at Mae Sai a couple of years ago but I only had about 8,000 on me and the lady wasn't impressed.

She didn't accept the ATM receipt from 2 hours earlier or the sms from my bank showing my balance and was just standing there saying no 20,000 no entry. There was a long queue behind me so I said "Do you want me to walk over to that ATM and take out another 12k?" and to my surprise she said yes, so I did.

Two minutes later I returned with the additional 12k and she made me count the full 20k out in front of her before reluctantly letting me in with a scowl.

Point of the story. Mae Sai is not a predictable border at the best of times so always be prepared.

2 year living in north go to mae sai before for visa run 15 day or 30 after G7 rules , never ask for money

i m so worry now because i need 30 day in november because my non O extension is finish , people say if you are on visa exempt entry they will not accept ; so i will see

[doctor pat]

i once saw someone being made to show 20,000 baht at Poipet. they had to hold it in front of the web cam, next to their face, fanned out to get a photo of all 20k

they were Asian, i think possibly philipino. I was on the next counter, the IO said nothing to me about money.

so can you confirm Mai Sai is open for people without visa, to go and come back in with 15/30 day stamp? because i thought that was not possible anymore

[thai006]

i once saw someone being made to show 20,000 baht at Poipet. they had to hold it in front of the web cam, next to their face, fanned out to get a photo of all 20k

they were Asian, i think possibly philipino. I was on the next counter, the IO said nothing to me about money.

so can you confirm Mai Sai is open for people without visa, to go and come back in with 15/30 day stamp? because i thought that was not possible anymore

last time i been there in november 2014 after a non O extension they say nothing and got 30 day

[villagefarang]

I was asked to show 20,000 at Mae Sai a couple of years ago but I only had about 8,000 on me and the lady wasn't impressed.

She didn't accept the ATM receipt from 2 hours earlier or the sms from my bank showing my balance and was just standing there saying no 20,000 no entry. There was a long queue behind me so I said "Do you want me to walk over to that ATM and take out another 12k?" and to my surprise she said yes, so I did.

Two minutes later I returned with the additional 12k and she made me count the full 20k out in front of her before reluctantly letting me in with a scowl.

Point of the story. Mae Sai is not a predictable border at the best of times so always be prepared.

Let me guess: you weren't dressed formally, with coat and tie, like a guy posing for an advert in a clothes magazine. Border personnel are hopelessly subjective, as are all Thai bureaucrats. If they saw Jeffry Dahmer (the serial killer) dressed in a nice suit, and Bill Gates dressed in bluejeans and a scruffy shirt. They would kowtow for Dahmer, and give Gates a hard time. Appearances are 95% of the game with Thai bureaucrats. Feigned politeness is the other 5%.

A nice appearance and feigned politeness seems like a pretty easy game to play to me. Makes me wonder why anyone would ever have problems.