Visa Run

[bobo1]

Seems the visa run by boat is starting soon.

I've seen pamflets in several bars already saying they'll start on Friday

visarun by yacht

[astral]

I thought they did that last year, but it was closed down as it was an

excuse to run a casino?

[sriracha john]

can't seem to get their site to load up....

do you recall any of the details from the pamphlets?

[bobo1]

If I recall correctly it said they'll pick you up at 11 in the morning at foodland, transfer you to where the yacht is and bring you back after the trip at 5 in the afternoon.

Think they only do it on fridays

The all in price was 2950 Baht with BBQ on board...

Next time I go out I'll take one of those pamflets with me...

When I first posted the link was working, now it doesn't...

[welshchris]

So how would that work? from the way i took the link you go into Internation waters and then an immigration officer on the boat stamps your passport??

Why not the 20 or so people on the boat give him an extra 500 baht and never leave the shore everyone can go back to bed!!!

[sriracha john]

Thanks Bobo...

Sounds like an interesting alternative.

Hmmm... wondering where they stamp you out to/in from? Cambodia official on board?

[bobo1]

Astral,

Star cruises was the one doing the casino trips, but they got into trouble because the loaded a lot of Thai's for the casino onboard...

Always wondered how anyone wants to play roulette on a rocking and rolling boat

[bluebear]

The link works for me but here it is for everyone else.

Phala Beach Cruises Co. Ltd. introduces:

Visarun in 6 hours

Every Friday. Pick-up 11:00 am at Foodland, central Pattaya and back at 17:00 pm. Transfer to the Yacht, cruise in International Waters, all you can eat BBQ and softdrinks included. Immigration will stamp your passport on the boat.

2950 Baht All-in. Deadline Wednesday evening. 2 Copies of your passport required on booking (foto-page, current visa-page and TM card)

Immigration will stamp your passport on the boat. ??? So, you go out into international waters float around for a while then come back in and the friendly immigration man along for the ride will stamp you out and back in. It sounds like a good alternative to Poipet but have to be honest, it sounds really dodgy from a legal viewpoint.

It would be interesting to see how long it lasts and immigrations view on this.

[Thetyim]

Why not the 20 or so people on the boat give him an extra 500 baht and never leave the shore everyone can go back to bed!!!

For that amount of money he should come to your hotel room so that you don't even have to get out of bed.

[sriracha john]

The link works for me but here it is for everyone else.

Phala Beach Cruises Co. Ltd. introduces:

Visarun in 6 hours

Every Friday. Pick-up 11:00 am at Foodland, central Pattaya and back at 17:00 pm. Transfer to the Yacht, cruise in International Waters, all you can eat BBQ and softdrinks included. Immigration will stamp your passport on the boat.

2950 Baht All-in. Deadline Wednesday evening. 2 Copies of your passport required on booking (foto-page, current visa-page and TM card)

Immigration will stamp your passport on the boat. ??? So, you go out into international waters float around for a while then come back in and the friendly immigration man along for the ride will stamp you out and back in. It sounds like a good alternative to Poipet but have to be honest, it sounds really dodgy from a legal viewpoint.

It would be interesting to see how long it lasts and immigrations view on this.

Thanks for the additional info, bluebear

If Immigration official is onboard to do the stamping, then would be safe to conclude it's with Immigration's concurrence. Guess it's not so important to be actually stamped into someplace else before being re-stamped into Thailand.

Absolutely a more relaxed trip than the chaos of Poipet. Throw in a decent buffet and a chance to win back your visa expenses at the blackjack table, to boot, makes it the preferred method. Not to mention the time-savings.

[bartender100]

So why is it not possible to cross over into no-man's land at the border,then come back.

[unbiasbob]

can't seem to get their site to load up....

do you recall any of the details from the pamphlets?

It's hardly a site. It's a geocities type of page. what'll they think of next?

[unbiasbob]

The link works for me but here it is for everyone else.

Phala Beach Cruises Co. Ltd. introduces:

Visarun in 6 hours

Every Friday. Pick-up 11:00 am at Foodland, central Pattaya and back at 17:00 pm.  Transfer to the Yacht, cruise in International Waters, all you can eat BBQ and softdrinks included.  Immigration will stamp your passport on the boat.

2950 Baht All-in.    Deadline Wednesday evening.  2 Copies of your passport required on booking (foto-page, current visa-page and TM card)   

Immigration will stamp your passport on the boat.    ???  So, you go out into international waters float around for a while then come back in and the friendly immigration man along for the ride will stamp you out and back in.  It sounds like a good alternative to Poipet but have to be honest, it sounds really dodgy from a legal viewpoint.

It would be interesting to see how long it lasts and immigrations view on this.

Thanks for the additional info, bluebear

If Immigration official is onboard to do the stamping, then would be safe to conclude it's with Immigration's concurrence. Guess it's not so important to be actually stamped into someplace else before being re-stamped into Thailand.

Absolutely a more relaxed trip than the chaos of Poipet. Throw in a decent buffet and a chance to win back your visa expenses at the blackjack table, to boot, makes it the preferred method. Not to mention the time-savings.

Man, you are so fired up for this thing one might think you are a founder of this venture. It all sounds very unofficial and shaky. and even if it were not, what would this do to the budgets of the "live of 10k per month" crowd

[astral]

2950 Baht All-in. Deadline Wednesday evening. 2 Copies of your passport required on booking (foto-page, current visa-page and TM card) [/i]

Immigration will stamp your passport on the boat. ??? So, you go out into international waters float around for a while then come back in and the friendly immigration man along for the ride will stamp you out and back in. It sounds like a good alternative to Poipet but have to be honest, it sounds really dodgy from a legal viewpoint.

If the officer is getting a good back hander it could last some time.

Just think, free booze and food, a day out on the sea and stamp a few passports for 10 minutes................

Sounds like a good way to spend a day.

I wonder why the photocopies are needed, perhaps for later checking and registration on the computer.

The legal aspect could be interesting.

IDC here we go?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The link works for me but here it is for everyone else.

Phala Beach Cruises Co. Ltd. introduces:

Visarun in 6 hours

Every Friday. Pick-up 11:00 am at Foodland, central Pattaya and back at 17:00 pm.   Transfer to the Yacht, cruise in International Waters, all you can eat BBQ and softdrinks included.   Immigration will stamp your passport on the boat.

2950 Baht All-in.    Deadline Wednesday evening.  2 Copies of your passport required on booking (foto-page, current visa-page and TM card)   

Immigration will stamp your passport on the boat.    ???  So, you go out into international waters float around for a while then come back in and the friendly immigration man along for the ride will stamp you out and back in.  It sounds like a good alternative to Poipet but have to be honest, it sounds really dodgy from a legal viewpoint.

It would be interesting to see how long it lasts and immigrations view on this.

Thanks for the additional info, bluebear

If Immigration official is onboard to do the stamping, then would be safe to conclude it's with Immigration's concurrence. Guess it's not so important to be actually stamped into someplace else before being re-stamped into Thailand.

Absolutely a more relaxed trip than the chaos of Poipet. Throw in a decent buffet and a chance to win back your visa expenses at the blackjack table, to boot, makes it the preferred method. Not to mention the time-savings.

Man, you are so fired up for this thing one might think you are a founder of this venture. It all sounds very unofficial and shaky. and even if it were not, what would this do to the budgets of the "live of 10k per month" crowd

It sounds dodgy Bob. It cannot be an officially sponsored legal run.

[welshchris]

I wouldnt trust it, would stick to the runs you know are legal.

[sriracha john]

I guess it comes down to if they are using an Immigration official to do the stamping or not. If they are, then it's ok, and if not, then I guess it's the same as the illegal visa services of the past.

For Bob's benefit.. (btw, good to see you back in on this subject again, Bob ), I'm for anything that makes for a more pleasant trip, with the benefits as pointed out by Astral, others, and myself. If those benefits aren't clear, then maybe it's because you've never, ever done a land border run.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I guess it comes down to if they are using an Immigration official to do the stamping or not. If they are, then it's ok, and if not, then I guess it's the same as the illegal visa services of the past.

For Bob's benefit.. (btw, good to see you back in on this subject again, Bob ), I'm for anything that makes for a more pleasant trip, with the benefits as pointed out by Astral, others, and myself. If those benefits aren't clear, then maybe it's because you've never, ever done a land border run.

No way is management of Immigration going to authorize an official to man an unofficial ' border point '. An independent unofficial official is just that. A legal nullity.

[sriracha john]

If it's not an official Immigration official, then I would expect the whole operation to be shut down before it even begins. To put out brochures and advertise as freely as they have done so and then not to have the legality to do so... PARTICULARLY at this time of heightened visa issue awarance... seems almost too ballsy to believe.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The Immigration officer might be just taking his stamps for a lil trip. But it takes two officers from two countries to have the in out in stamps line up. A bit iffy for mine.

[Khutan]

A bit iffy for mine.

Dr Pat, agree totally, I would think you havn't entered another country, which starts you into "troubled waters"

Same thing if you get on a domestic flight and you end up diverted or traverse over another country, yes, rare, but it does happen, technically you havn't left that country.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

A bit iffy for mine.

Dr Pat, agree totally, I would think you havn't entered another country, which starts you into "troubled waters"

Same thing if you get on a domestic flight and you end up diverted or traverse over another country, yes, rare, but it does happen, technically you havn't left that country.

Usually in that circumstance, they endorse your passport to the effect that you did not leave the country. It sounds a bit too risky. It is a bit like the visa agents of yester-year.

[sriracha john]

The Immigration officer might be just taking his stamps for a lil trip. But it takes two officers from two countries to have the in out in stamps line up. A bit iffy for mine.

I agree, as per my earlier comments, but then realized i'm not stamped in or out of america when i go home, only getting stamped out of and then into Thailand upon return, so perhaps it's not all that necessary.

Regardless, here's hoping it does turn out to be a workable, legal option... as it's certainly a preferable method of accomplishing the task.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The Immigration officer might be just taking his stamps for a lil trip. But it takes two officers from two countries to have the in out in stamps line up. A bit iffy for mine.

I agree, as per my earlier comments, but then realized i'm not stamped in or out of america when i go home, only getting stamped out of and then into Thailand upon return, so perhaps it's not all that necessary.

Regardless, here's hoping it does turn out to be a workable, legal option... as it's certainly a preferable method of accomplishing the task.

All I hope is that there aren't dozens of punters banged up all screaming that a guy told 'em it was all above board.

[astral]

The Immigration officer might be just taking his stamps for a lil trip. But it takes two officers from two countries to have the in out in stamps line up. A bit iffy for mine.

Not sure there Dr Pat.

If you cross a land border then you need stamps both sides.

Arriving by sea, is a bit like flying in.

There is no guarantee that the country you left will have stamped you passport.

If I took a boat, nonstop from the UK,

agh......................

sorry I get seasick.

Then there would be no stamp to say I had entered, or left the UK.

Probably the same in your country?

Nevertheless, I agree the concept is fraught with problems.

All I hope is that there aren't dozens of punters banged up all screaming that a guy told 'em it was all above board.

There is one born everyday, probably several!!

Edited September 28, 2004 by astral

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I mentioned that Astral. In Asia you always get a stamp, in the west, it is somewhat rarer to get stamps.

[toopeekaa 1]

The Immigration officer might be just taking his stamps for a lil trip. But it takes two officers from two countries to have the in out in stamps line up. A bit iffy for mine.

I agree, as per my earlier comments, but then realized i'm not stamped in or out of america when i go home, only getting stamped out of and then into Thailand upon return, so perhaps it's not all that necessary.

But I believe, as in the example of in/out of US having no in/out stamps... I would think that the original 2 part TM Card that is always filled in on arrival to Thailand, on the half that Immigration keeps has a has a block for method of arrival [like Airline and Flight Number] and last port of embarkation....

Might be little difficult to enter Don Muang from Bkk and slip around in front of Immig. and join with passengers getting off a flight from somewhere into Bkk. at just the correct time Discrepency could easily be found

[Axel]

Arriving by air it is perfectly OK to be on a plane from (let's say) Singapore, but not to have a Singapore chop in your p/port, as you could have been only in transit there. They might wish, however, to see your boarding pass confirming you did arrive on a declared flight from Singapore.

Arriving by sea will come under Immigration Div. 3, also being in charge for arriving overland.

For Pattaya the Immigration Check-point Pattaya is at

Amphoe Bang Lamung Changwat Chon Buri 20260, Tel: 0 - 3841-0240

[email protected]

and that is the place I would check wether or not the boat trip is legal.

Believe following should apply:

IMMIGRATION ACT Entering and Department the Kingdom

Section 11: Persons entering into or departing the Kingdom must other <sic>

and leave by way of immigration check points, designated landing, stations or areas and in accordance to the prescribed time as published in the Government Gazette by the Minister.

Section 23 : The owner or person in charge of a conveyance must bring the conveyance into or out of the Kingdom thought the proper route , immigration check point , port boundaries station , or area , and time , which the minister shall publish in the Government Gazette.

[ELVIS]

Good idea from Axel

Have to go to immigration in soi 8 tomorrow for an extension. I'll try to find out if it is legal and if it is indeed an officer from Soi 8 who gives the stamps. It should be since Axel wrote the immigration checkpoint Pattaya would be responsible.

Will post what they have to say about it!

Elvis

[monty]

Still looks a good alternative!