Friday Visa Run To Mae Sai

[FolkGuitar]

Piece of cake.

I took the VIP bus from the Arcade bus station, slept until we arrived in Mae Sai, no one in front of me as I got stamped out of Thailand, paid my $10 and got my temp card to enter Burma and walked across the bridge. I chatted a while with some shopkeeper friends I've made under the bridge, stood on the bridge and took some photos of some interesting looking folk.... including one who decided that wading the river would be preferable to walking over the bridge, picked up my passport and walked to Thai Immigration Control. Not a single person waiting, none even filling out entry cards. I walked up to the window where the woman took my passport and card and actually said 'welcome to Thailand' (she must be new....) stamped my passport and I'm good for another three months! A relaxing bowl of noodles at the shop next to the bus station and a sound sleep and I was back in Chiang Mai by 7:30, not waking up until we hit the Superhighway.

Some enterprising person should offer visa runs as a holiday relaxation event. If only they were all this smooth.

[keddy]

Piece of cake.

I took the VIP bus from the Arcade bus station, slept until we arrived in Mae Sai, no one in front of me as I got stamped out of Thailand, paid my $10 and got my temp card to enter Burma and walked across the bridge. I chatted a while with some shopkeeper friends I've made under the bridge, stood on the bridge and took some photos of some interesting looking folk.... including one who decided that wading the river would be preferable to walking over the bridge, picked up my passport and walked to Thai Immigration Control. Not a single person waiting, none even filling out entry cards. I walked up to the window where the woman took my passport and card and actually said 'welcome to Thailand' (she must be new....) stamped my passport and I'm good for another three months! A relaxing bowl of noodles at the shop next to the bus station and a sound sleep and I was back in Chiang Mai by 7:30, not waking up until we hit the Superhighway.

Some enterprising person should offer visa runs as a holiday relaxation event. If only they were all this smooth.

Thanks for that! with all the strife and mayhem in the world it's nice to hear about an easy ride! It's a pity you can't repeat it for as long as you want (Sigh good old days) and build up a nice collection of those oval red Burmese stamps. That said, we're priviliged enough not to have to wade across the river, yet.

[mcgriffith]

Glad to hear it worked out well for you, FG!

Of course you might consider at some point a retirement visa/extension; you can spend the day sleeping in your own hammock, at home, with zero expense....

[scotbeve]

Do you remember folks to stay on top of the news for border crossing closures the "rebels - not!" and the "government" - shouldn't be there in power, get into it every now and then and stray missles have hit the Mai Sai area. Not that this is likely to happen since the "esteemed" PM is now in bed with the military junta...

[FolkGuitar]

Piece of cake.

I took the VIP bus from the Arcade bus station, slept until we arrived in Mae Sai, no one in front of me as I got stamped out of Thailand, paid my $10 and got my temp card to enter Burma and walked across the bridge. I chatted a while with some shopkeeper friends I've made under the bridge, stood on the bridge and took some photos of some interesting looking folk.... including one who decided that wading the river would be preferable to walking over the bridge, picked up my passport and walked to Thai Immigration Control. Not a single person waiting, none even filling out entry cards. I walked up to the window where the woman took my passport and card and actually said 'welcome to Thailand' (she must be new....) stamped my passport and I'm good for another three months! A relaxing bowl of noodles at the shop next to the bus station and a sound sleep and I was back in Chiang Mai by 7:30, not waking up until we hit the Superhighway.

Some enterprising person should offer visa runs as a holiday relaxation event. If only they were all this smooth.

Thanks for that! with all the strife and mayhem in the world it's nice to hear about an easy ride! It's a pity you can't repeat it for as long as you want (Sigh good old days) and build up a nice collection of those oval red Burmese stamps. That said, we're priviliged enough not to have to wade across the river, yet.

The part I don't understand is why he crossed just 50 meters west of the bridge in plain sight? Another 50 meters and he would have been around the bend in the river and not in view of 237 different border officials!

I guess Burma is happy to get ANYONE who wants to come into the country and doesn't care how they do it!

[FolkGuitar]

Glad to hear it worked out well for you, FG!

Of course you might consider at some point a retirement visa/extension; you can spend the day sleeping in your own hammock, at home, with zero expense....

I had thought about that when we first moved to Thailand, but I can't just sit around every day. That's why I started my business. I need to keep my brain active or I'd go nuts. And it's got to be active with a constructive purpose, not just 'make-work.'

Sometimes, during a really busy high season I envy the guys who can take a nap every afternoon instead of chasing around with my clients, but I just can't do that on a regular basis. I'm afraid my brains will melt and run out my ears....

Maybe in another 10-15 years when my brain begins to rot on its own I'll buy that rocking chair and hammock. Well, maybe not the hammock. Seeing me trying to get in or out of a hammock is like watching a monkey try to F*@K a football....

But no clients today.... I'll make a new saddle for the bridge of my guitar, THEN I'll take a nap!!!

[Niloc]

Don't believe the story that retirement visum are free, I just coughed up three baht for a stamp to send in my 90 day notice and another 3 baht for a return envelope!!