Update tourist [30 day] visa

[thaiprivateeye]

No doubt well documented, however as up there Jan 2nd, thought an update may be useful ;  To cross out of Thailand, the Aranyaprahthet/poipet crossing is the closest. 3 hours by car, you can take an aircon bus from the main Northern [Chatujak] Bus station, cost 170 bt, and depart regularly from 3;30am daily. From Aranyaprathet a Tuk Tuk to the border is 50 bt, the crossing opens at 7:30am - it will take you nearly 4 hours by bus. plenty of Guys will offer service to escort you around, ignore them, getting across the bridge, and stamped out of Thailand is straightforward - however once on the Cambodian side, "farangs" seem to be open targets !  At the visa on arrical office, a couple of official looking Guys hang around outside, holding visa permit forms, they will ask you for 1500 - 2000 bt, for the visa, then tell you to go sit down, whilst they fill in the form and file your application, along with your passport and a passport photo [ make sure you have one with you ]  - anyway, IGNORE this rip-off, the Visa costs 1000 bt, if you cant find a form, knock on the door or window of the office, fill out your own form, hand it in with your passport/photo/1000bt - then wait nearby for about 5 mins, and they will hand your pasport back, with a green visa sticker in it. You have to validate this, walk on a few hundred yards, past the casinos, to the immigration entry office, fill in a small arrival paper, likewise, you will have to go to the window to ask for one, hand this in with passport, you also have to hand over 100 bt [ dont pay more -] I can not even get a straight answer as to why, even tho I speak Thai and Khamen ... - then cross the road to the exit office, to get stamped out - The guy here will stamp your passport, and then also ask for money, he may ask how many days your staying, irrelavant, probably ask for 200 bt - just say i paid already at the entry office, take your pasport and head back. Once back over the bridge on the Thai side, fill in the same paper you do on arrival at Don Muang - then get your new 30 day tourist stamp - Tuk Tuk back to Aranyaprathet, and Bus [999 tour the best] Back to Bangkok, - If you are at the Border by 7-30 to 8am, you should be back in time to get the 9am Bus back to Bangkok - and be back there by 1pm.

[george]

Thanks for the update from Aranyapratet, we are always happy to have fresh visa-run reports here.

[jayenram]

Has anyone tried to renew their visa without actually entering Kampuchea; i.e. obtaining an exit visa from Thailand and then crossing the road to re-enter? It should be possible but I cannot see the authorities letting you get away with it.

[campyman]

I did.  I exited Thailand and then crossed the road (or bridge) and then just walked back to re-enter Thailand.  I was expecting to be apprehended, but nothing happened.  I re-entered Thailand without any problems.

[fester]

Not recommendable. It they find out it could be "illegal entry", perhaps in both countries. No entry/exit stamps from another country could lead you into BIG trouble if your passport were scrutinized by Immigration for some reason.