Don't Fancy A Bus Trip For 90 Day Checkout?

[timekeeper]

a mate of mine did a 90 day 'O' visa run out of Thailand recently

he did not fancy the bus trip to Cambodia and just wanted a quick in /out and no buses

i asked him to keep the basic details so i might convey it to others if it worked out

so heres what he did:

drove to airport from pattaya, left at 4-30am arrived 5-45am (diesel costs uknown)

no toll charges on motorway for Songkran

depart air asia flight FD3571 at 07-10 (cost 2734 baht)

arrived Kuala Lumpur low cost terminal 10-10am

purchased a coupon in arrivals hall for a taxi to the other airport KLIA (cost 30 ringits)

15 minutes later arrived KLIA airport

checked in with Malaysian airlines MH788 for the return trip to BKK. (cost 456 ringits)

had lunch at airport (costs optional)

left KLIA at 12-20pm

arrived BKK at 13-15pm

out of immigration 13-35pm

car park fees 180 baht

drove back to pattaya- no tolls

back by 3-15pm

he booked his flights on line with AirAsia & Malaysian

costs more than a bus but more interesting i guess

[funfun]

why did he go to all that trouble, he he dont like bus;s but drives why didnt he drive to ban leam border 3 hours there and return 3 hours plus ya border cross say 30 mins?

[timekeeper]

why did he go to all that trouble, he he dont like bus;s but drives why didnt he drive to ban leam border 3 hours there and return 3 hours plus ya border cross say 30 mins?

he considered that but didn't fancy that either as a lone traveller and was bothered by the paperwork and procedure at border as he has never been to Cambodia

[funfun]

why did he go to all that trouble, he he dont like bus;s but drives why didnt he drive to ban leam border 3 hours there and return 3 hours plus ya border cross say 30 mins?

he considered that but didn't fancy that either as a lone traveller and was bothered by the paperwork and procedure at border as he has never been to Cambodia

fair comment, its very easy once ya done it, i went once with sportsman soi 13 about october 2005 asked and got front seat and took note where we went directions wise and generally watched all paperwork at borders.

now if i go it 3 hours border so there for 9 away witha bit of luck 9.30, 2 hours drive to coast, then car ferry ko chang 40 mins, then 3 days holiday, breaks up the visa run into a nice short holiday.

chris

[Kerryd]

fair comment, its very easy once ya done it, i went once with sportsman soi 13 about october 2005 asked and got front seat and took note where we went directions wise and generally watched all paperwork at borders.

I agree.

I used the 5 Star Visa run service a few times in 05/06. Then I decided to go it on my own (sort of). I had my land-lady's niece drive me to Ban Laem. We left about 2 hours later than the visa-run companies normally do. A couple of short stops on the way and when we arrived, the border was deserted (of other visa runners). I did the whole process myself and was finished and back at the car in about 15 minutes.

As for the "paper-work", it's a breeze. The staff will fill out most of what is needed (on the Cambo side). You'll still have to do the Thai TM (Arrival/Departure card) yourself, no different than if you go through an airport.

A couple more short stops on the way back and we were still home by early afternoon. No hassles of having to wait for other (often drunk or hung-over) visa runners. No line-ups at the borders (it seems most of the visa-run companies all tend to arrive very close together, including those gawd-awful big buses from Jack's Golf). Going alone also gives you the options to stop as often (or as little) as you want along the way.

I considered going entirely on my own, but at the time I only had my little (200cc) Honda Phantom. Wasn't sure about making that trip on that bike. If I have to make the trip again in the future I'll take the Harley (depending on the weather of course).

[JSixpack]

Can't do the same thing w/ roundtrip to Penang on Air Asia, much cheaper? Maybe the timing doesn't work out? (I'm too lazy to check as I don't do this anymore myself.)

[timekeeper]

Can't do the same thing w/ roundtrip to Penang on Air Asia, much cheaper? Maybe the timing doesn't work out? (I'm too lazy to check as I don't do this anymore myself.)

he looked at Air Asia Penang round day trip but he would have had to spend the day in Penang, this way he had only an hour or so to wait in KLIA airport.

he said there was another option that involved Air Asia that went into KLCC and then wait 3 hours and get another Air Asia flight back to BKK

it was around the same price but he wanted the least wait time and after much research he found this route.

[sweetchariot]

I went yesterday to Cambo. Arrived at Witherspoons at 6, had a lovely breakfast, got on the bus, watched a couple of movies in first class seats, and before I knew it we were there. Crossed the border and gave all my paperwork to our man, waited around for 15 minutes then crossed back. Back on the bus, and the same in reverse, back for a nice roast pork dinner before 3 pm.

All the above cost less than ONE of his flights. It was 2 hours quicker, and immeasurably less hassle, so unless you are a lover of airports/ planes I can see absolutely no point in doing this, unless this is a wind up.

I agree with Funfun, I normally try and make a small break out of my border runs, but couldn't this time.

[timekeeper]

I went yesterday to Cambo. Arrived at Witherspoons at 6, had a lovely breakfast, got on the bus, watched a couple of movies in first class seats, and before I knew it we were there. Crossed the border and gave all my paperwork to our man, waited around for 15 minutes then crossed back. Back on the bus, and the same in reverse, back for a nice roast pork dinner before 3 pm.

All the above cost less than ONE of his flights. It was 2 hours quicker, and immeasurably less hassle, so unless you are a lover of airports/ planes I can see absolutely no point in doing this, unless this is a wind up.

I agree with Funfun, I normally try and make a small break out of my border runs, but couldn't this time.

its a fair comment but only if you like to travel by bus, want to pay out less and want to take the risk of travelling with some of the unsavoury visa runners that have been referred to before on this very forum, then by all means use that kind of service.

my friend did not want to take that chance and he can afford it, so thats what he did.

some similar minded members will find it useful information and others will not.

its not a wind up, it was offered to ther TV'ers as an alternative visa run to a bus trip.

if given a choice between a bus and a plane i know which i would choose but i do understand people have to cut their coat according to their cloth...........

[sweetchariot]

its a fair comment but only if you like to travel by bus, want to pay out less and want to take the risk of travelling with some of the unsavoury visa runners that have been referred to before on this very forum, then by all means use that kind of service.

my friend did not want to take that chance and he can afford it, so thats what he did.

some similar minded members will find it useful information and others will not.

its not a wind up, it was offered to ther TV'ers as an alternative visa run to a bus trip.

if given a choice between a bus and a plane i know which i would choose but i do understand people have to cut their coat according to their cloth...........

I went on a bus, as stated, as it was the most direct, quickest, and least hassle route, not because it was the cheapest which you seem intent on implying. If you could show me a quicker less hassle method that cost twice as much, then I would gladly pay it, but to suggest I should take a more inconvenient route and pay extra for it is just ridculous.

I have driven myself to the border many times, and this is probably slightly cheaper, but entails more hassle, so I pay a little extra to avoid the hassle.

As for unsavoury border runners - <deleted>? Most of these were eliminated some 12 months ago with the changes in visa regs. Sounds more like pretenscious paranoia to me.

My next border run is already booked for 5 days in HK which will cost a darn sight more than your friends little budget airline trip, so to claim that anyone who goes on the bus does so because they cannot afford to do your friend's obscure, convoluted iternerary, is just naive arrogance.

[timekeeper]

its a fair comment but only if you like to travel by bus, want to pay out less and want to take the risk of travelling with some of the unsavoury visa runners that have been referred to before on this very forum, then by all means use that kind of service.

my friend did not want to take that chance and he can afford it, so thats what he did.

some similar minded members will find it useful information and others will not.

its not a wind up, it was offered to ther TV'ers as an alternative visa run to a bus trip.

if given a choice between a bus and a plane i know which i would choose but i do understand people have to cut their coat according to their cloth...........

I went on a bus, as stated, as it was the most direct, quickest, and least hassle route, not because it was the cheapest which you seem intent on implying. If you could show me a quicker less hassle method that cost twice as much, then I would gladly pay it, but to suggest I should take a more inconvenient route and pay extra for it is just ridculous.

I have driven myself to the border many times, and this is probably slightly cheaper, but entails more hassle, so I pay a little extra to avoid the hassle.

As for unsavoury border runners - <deleted>? Most of these were eliminated some 12 months ago with the changes in visa regs. Sounds more like pretenscious paranoia to me.

My next border run is already booked for 5 days in HK which will cost a darn sight more than your friends little budget airline trip, so to claim that anyone who goes on the bus does so because they cannot afford to do your friend's obscure, convoluted iternerary, is just naive arrogance.

thats quite a diatribe SC, did you feel my comments were directed at you?

maybe you are a little paranoid yourself

by the way its spelled 'pretentious'