Chiang Mai- Mai Sai Visa Run

[thaijasmine]

M & J Visa Service ( described as a family run business run by 'Martin and Jan' ).

is mentioned on a number of Web sites regarding the " Chiang Mai- Mai Sai Visa Run " .

But based on my recent experience of dealing with these people,I definitely would not recommend that anyone

should use these people.

Before I made the trip to Chiang Mai last week for the specific purpose of renewing my visa,

I exchanged several e-mails with Janta Winters. Because I was on a tight time schedule,

I was looking to deal with someone reliable. I still gave them the benefit of the doubt

even though I was already somewhat apprehensive because both web sites for M & J Visa

Service only seem to work sometimes.

http://www.freewebs.com/visarun-chiangmai-maesai/

http://www.visarun-chiangmai-maesai.webs.com/

In one e-mail to me, after Janta Winters said she required payment for the Visa trip in advance and then

I asked her to confirm she would issue a receipt or a ticket. She replied to say "of course

I would get a receipt and dont worry because we could sort out the payment after I arrived ".

But after I arrived in Chiang Mai specifically for this purpose I phoned her and it was only

then that she told me the only way I could deal with her was for me to pay the money for the ticket into

her bank account ! I told her I dont agree to pay cash into the bank account

of a stranger that I have only dealt with on the internet because in this day and age of Internet scams

you have to be careful. But I said I was prepared to travel anywhere in Chiang Mai to pay the money there and then

if I could be issued with a ticket or receipt. At first she said they didn't have a physical address

and then tried to defend her position saying she has only ever done business this way.

Then she said she would get back to me.

The following day I received an e-mail from her simply saying it was best me to deal with another company

because obviously I didn't trust her !

Its quite obvious M & J are acting outside the tax laws anyway because if they don't have a physical address

and if they only collect money through deposits into their bank account, they are unable to issue

tax receipts which the Thai authorities are fastidious about which would be quite ironical. How

can she acheive that without a physical office address?

If you deal with people like this you have absolutely no recourse if for example the bus service

was canceled or didn't turn up ? They only exist in cyberspace.

As it happens because of this incidence I found someone far more reliable and considerably

cheaper. This person is a Thai and he is also the owner of a successful guesthouse in Chiang Mai

so he does have a physical address. For anyone wanting to do this Visa trip- I highly recommend them.

He is also a registered tour guide and he speaks perfect English.

These are his contact details :-

Name - TU

Email for visa service :- [email protected]

Mobile number :- 089-835-7543

OWNER OF " SAME SAME CAFE AND GUESTHOUSE "

Website :- www.samesameguesthouse.net

His visa trip cost is much lower than M & J are asking and it even includes a free lunch.

[Sojourner]

My guess is you were dealing with someone piggy-backing off of a legitimate van service and tacking on a service charge. The actual van service would never know the difference. It's an extension of all these tour services that list hotels across the world but must book thru them.

[thaijasmine]

My guess is you were dealing with someone piggy-backing off of a legitimate van service and tacking on a service charge. The actual van service would never know the difference. It's an extension of all these tour services that list hotels across the world but must book thru them.

Yes I'm quite convinced it's something along the lines. The immediate giveaway

is Janta Winters is charging 750 baht wheras I I discovered others are only charging 550 - 600 baht

even through intermediaries or agents.

The owner of the guesthouse mentioned in my original post only charges 500 baht including lunch

at Mai Sai.

It's not the money-I would pay a premium if I knew who I was dealing with but why would anyone

want to deal with someone who refused me the opportunity to do business with them unless

in cyberspace with all the risks attached to that

when they can deal in person with a very nice Thai person who offers considerably better value for money

and total reliability.