90 day border run to singapore

[tutsiwarrior]

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<font color='#000000'>I asked the question before and the consensus was that the fastest most convenient way (although not the cheapest) to handle the 90 day exit requirement was to fly to Singapore and back the same day.

Now...I presume that the drill is to get an exit stamp at Don Muang, get on the plane, disembark at Singapore, stay in the airport transit area then board the scheduled flight for the return journey. Get an entry stamp with entry card at the Don Muang immigration counter and that's it for the next 90 days. Is this correct? Please advise.

I presume that I could call Singapore Airlines (I'm presumimg that they have the most flights) to book the ticket and pay and pick it up at Don Muang on my way out. Anybody know? More expensive than going through a travel agent? No travel agents where I live and scurrying around the back streets of BKK before going to the airport doesn't appeal.

Any other suggestions regarding ticket/travel arrangements?

Thanks for your help...</font>

[JonnieB]

yes, this is one way to do it.  i did it once and no problem.  you are leaving thailand legally and returning legally.  if you have a multi-entry visa and you have some entries left, you will get another 90 day stamp on your return. if not, then a 30 day "on arrival visa."  

just book any sing or thai flight to singapore (have almost hourly flights) and when you get to changi, as you deplane, instead of going down the stairs to the arrival/immigration hall, take a left into the departure lounge/shopping concorse and await you return flight.  you can also spend your time duty free shopping for booze and cigs, check your email on the free wi-fi service (if you bring your laptop), or watch sports or news in either of the tv lounge areas.  

if you take an early flight and have a later return, you can also go into singapore to shop for the day...but of course, this involves going through singapore immigration twice.

to get your bording pass , just go to the airline service counter in the departure lounge if you decide not to leave the airport.

[tutsiwarrior]

thanks for the info Jonnie. What do you know about booking flights? Can I just call the local Thai or Sing Air number and book the flight and then just pay and collect the ticket at Don Muang? I'll be coming in from the provinces and want to avoid going into town if possible. Is the cost the same as with a travel agency?  I did the travel agent route 2 times and drove endlessly around BKK looking for the office (up an alley just wide enough for a skateboard) almost missing my flight once.

best regards

[dr_Pat_Pong]

You can book most airlines online at ( usually ) sensible prices.  TG SQ QF. Go for it.

[easymoney]

As far as Singapore or for that matter any exit return the Immigration always (or is suppose too) check to see that you legally entered the other country. At Singapore just go thru immigration and then go to airline as I thin you still need a boarding pass to return.

Too in today's atomsphere at Thai immigration plus anti Terrioist checing I thin you would bring undo scrutiny to yourself

[JonnieB]

for the purposes of the "visa run," it is not necessary to leave changi airport.  you are required to leave and return to thailand, i.e., legally get stamped out of thailand and legally get stamped back in.  if you do the singapore, or any other nearby airport stop-over (KUL, HKG, PP come to mind) that has multiple daily flights to and from BNK, you are not required to actually enter that country (pass through immigration) in order to legally return back to thailand/bangkok airport.

i, and several of my friends, have done the singapore run several times without passing through singapore immigration but just waiting in the departure lounge as i described.

as to getting your tix, yeh, as the doc sez, you can book/pay online for sing and thai i think and pick-up the tix at their offices (or maybe even the check-in line) at don muang.  just check their websites or give them a call to find out.  thai also has some type of "e-ticket" system where qiosks at don muang spit-out tix ordered online but i think this is only available for domestic flights.

[Percy1]

Nearly the same but different.

I know a Thai girl thatwas doing a visa run from Malaysia.

She flew to Singapore didn't bother going through Sing. immigration and returned to KL.

The immigration official looked for the Singapore stamp couldn't find it so didn't grant her entry and deported her back to Thailand.

If it were me I would spend the extra 1/2 hour and go through immigration.

Regards

[JonnieB]

sorta a special situation...i am sure the immigration official had suspicions about what this thai lady was doing in KUL.  why did she have to do a visa run to begin with.  if she was  someone working legally in malaysia, she would have had a work permit or other appropriate documentation.  border officials in all asian countries are just looking for any reason to bounce back thai ladies to thailand.

to repeat, if questioned (and i nor any of my friends have ever  been), all you have to do is tell them you went to SNG airport and didn't leave but stayed for some shopping and then returned to thailand.  you can keep your ticket copies and boarding passes if you want to show as evidence.  this is perfectly legal and not in anyway a scam to get around doing a visa run.  you in fact have done a legal visa run and returned.  this only works, like i said, for the regional airports that have multiple daily flights back and forth to bangkok.

of course, if you are doing any border crossing at a land check-point, there will be entry/exit stamps from both countries in order to make it legal.  like you said, if you want to be paranoid, you can just walk through SNG immigration/customs and go all the way out and then turn around and do it all in reverse.

[opalhort]

As far as Singapore or for that matter any exit return the Immigration always (or is suppose too) check to see that you legally entered the other country. At Singapore just go thru immigration and then go to airline as I thin you still need a boarding pass to return.

Too in today's atomsphere at Thai immigration plus anti Terrioist checing I thin you would bring undo scrutiny to yourself

my experience from 10-15 years ago when I still made 90-day visa runs on multiple entry Non-O or -B visas, the Imm officer at Don Muang always wanted to see the exit stamp of Penang (I always flew BKK-PNG-BKK). If the stamp was not obvious, on a different page etc. he'd ask where it is!

I don't know what the rules say, but under the current "climate" I think it makes sense to get an entry/exit stamp from the country you are making the visa run to.

It only takes an extra hour or so. Book your flights accordingly.

opalhort

[easymoney]

Legally by Thai immigration law you must clear immigration in the other country ie Singapore in this case.Granted you don't  have to leave the airport. You may have well gotten by before and if your a gambling man continue. I will say a good gambler doesn't buck the odds especially when they are going against him.

[Guest IT Manager]

FWIW I have just done Vientianne by road via Nong Khai. Great trip only issued a 90 day non Im B but that was fine. Neat drive from Chiang Mai too. About 800 kms, stayed overnight on the river when we got there, crossed over by mini bus in the AM, $30 at the border in Laos, nice chap never smiled but then he was immigration, but no problems at all. Stayed in a mid range hotel overnight in Vientiane. That was to issue a visa remember. Not for stamp out.

As of yesterday, at Mae Sai there is a sign saying maximum 2 30 day visa from there then they don't want to see you again. Seems no problem for Non Im B though.

I keep asking why it is such a hassle to get a proper visa. he*l we do the company set ups all the time that allow it. End of problem.

[JonnieB]

easy money

do you have any citation to a source for saying thai immigration requires official stamped entry into another country in order for the visa run to be considered valid.  i know the stamp "proves" you actually went to that country just like the thai exit stamp proves you really left thailand.  just that, in the case of same-day airport visa runs, your thai exit stamp, plane tix, and boarding pass stub prove you left thailand and of course flew to singapore.  you did not officially enter singpore but you transited so to speak and then returned to thailand.  i am not challenging your statement, just want to get the official word so to speak.

i usually do stay a couple days in sing, cambo, penang, or wherever when i do my runs, it was just once about a year, i was pressed to time and friends said i could do the same day to sing and not even leave the departure lounge.  i did it and it was fine.  of course, that was a year ago and things have changed since then.

i have no wish to advise anyone to skirt the rules.  if immigration says you must have an entry stamp for another country before returning to thailand then by all means, to do the same day return, we will all have to go through sing immigration and do a uturn...no big deal.  but if you don't have to, why do it?

this was just a quirk someone figured out about these same-day visa runs to sing...fly down, eat and shop, and return a few hours later having fullfilled your visa run requirement.  like i said, it only works at these local airports and not at any land crossing.

[easymoney]

JohnnieB

I am having my wife call her uncles secretary tomorrow at immigration and see if she will send copy. When recieve will forward. I always liked doing the Singapore run , when I use to have to, as it was always a reality check plus like Borders book store.

Many people would never have to pay the visa on arrival at Poi Pet because once they step into Cambodia they left Thailand. But doesn't work that way. Singapore gives more cover but they are following much closer now. Also immigration data banks from SE Asia and most of world now linking together in order to track movement. I don't know if activated yet but I am reasonable sure it will be within next two weeks.

[Axel]

I was only once questioned, arriving at Macao from HKG but not having any HKG-chop in the PP. (I use for HKG an imm-travel pass, so they do not chop your PP.) After showing the Travel Pass, i was told, they would have to check, if I was illegal in HKG. Believe this is the only exception. If you fly from Europe, transit in SIN, you will have with an EU-passport no chop at all, as Europe does not do this stamping-nonsense.

On the other hand, morning out of, evening into Thailand...at the present moment I would just walk through SIN-immigration, go up to departure and leave AGAIN. You get two chops and everybody happy. It costs you nothing as airport tax is anyway included in your tkt. Immigration in SIN will never take long, usually a minute or two either way. (and most of them smile and/or say hello.

If you buy your tkt in BKK for same day return, most carriers issue BOTH bording passes in BKK already. You have to ask, but believe SQ and CX are doing this here.

[tutsiwarrior]

I need to do this border run before 19 October so in the face of extra APEC security it might be advisable to go thru S'pore immigration to cover all the bases, so to speak. Probably need to add an hour or two to get back to the departure lounge.

Did some say something about a good bookstore in the shopping area?

Thanks to all for your valuable contributions.

best regards

[Rockhard]

I'm not sure what the dilemma here is. If you go into Singapore, you will absolutely need to go thru immigration in order to be allowed back into Thailand. Once you pass thru Singapore immigration and get your stamp, what you choose to do afterwards is up to you. Turn around, spend a week, a month or howerver long, as long as you go thru immigration, you should be fine. Simple enough.

[JonnieB]

rockhead  :laugh: , if you follow the entire thread, you will see that in the past, it had been acceptable to do a same day visa run to singapore without passing through singapore immigration.  you would do this by flying to changi and instead of heading on into the arrivals hall/immigration you could take a left directly into the departure lounge and wait there for your return flight to bangkok.

for me and others of my friends who did this, never any questions about not actually getting a sing. immigration stamp by the thai immigration staff upon return.

someone has said (still no official source, however) that the thai regs state that a correct exit from thailand (visa run), an actual entry stamp from another country must be in the passport before return to thailand.  makes sense i guess...the changi/sing non-stamp was just a quirk in the system and now that things have tightned-up and every little rule IS being followed, we would all be advised to spend the extra half-hour getting stamped into sing and walking out of the arrivals hall and turning back around and coming back in.

tutis...don't worry, changi is a great airport and have never spent more than 5 mins in line to get through immigration either direction (i don't know how they do it).  

the borders bookstore mentioned is in town, not at the airport.  the electronics shop in the lounge is competive with prices of discounters in town.  also plenty of duty-free shopping for alcohol and cigs.

[Axel]

Probably need to add an hour or two to get back to the departure lounge.

Did some say something about a good bookstore in the shopping area?

Thanks to all for your valuable contributions.

best regards

Once the plane's doors are open you need max 10 min to be out,depending how far away from the door you were sitting, 5 more min to the immigration, escalator down. Through imm. 5 minutes, 10 when really crowded. Once out go one floor up to dept., get your boarding pass (there are special counters for 'hand-luggage' only). Go into dep-imm., just behind the check-in area and you are in the same hall again, i.e. arr/dep-hall. (As said before, depends on airline, you might get your return boarding pass in BKK, already, so can save time to check in in SIN.) Normally, you shold manage out of plane to back to dept. hall 40-50 minutes. You also should be at the departure - gate 20 min before flight leaves, so ideally you can be airborne 1 hour after arrival in the arrival hall. But why such a hurry, take a flight 2 hours after arrival, or 3.  

Yes there are bookshops (you save 4% on GST but no special offers like downtown), well stocked, magazines, electronic-, fashion shops, bars, coffee shops, smoking areas in- and outdoor. If you stay longer, check into the transit hotel to use the swimming pool (after deptarture immigration), sit on the bar or whatever. (If you do smoke, you can do so there)

There are huge duty free shops, albeit at least liquor and cigarettes about same price as in BKK arrival duty free, so no need to lug around.

Still why the hurry? If you take a morning flight from BKK, you can be downtown for lunch in SIN, stroll around. do some shopping, but careful, BKK is usually cheaper. or whatever and be at the airport in the evening for a flight back.

btw, for a few weeks now, BKK-immigration might ask for your boarding pass, so keep it until you are back into Thailand proper. This is also your proof that you arrived from SIN, I do not think Thai-imm wants to see the SIN-chop, but why rock the boat? Have a nice flight but don't blame me if you spent too much on shopping.

[neiln7]

Can anyone give me advise on how to stay in thailand for 6 to 12 months? double extention visa? what do i say iam on holiday for a year? or do i just get 90 day's and have to leave and whats the easyest and cheapest way of renewing my visa? any good advise appreaciated ???

[Rockhard]

I honestly don't know what the big deal is about going thru immigration. It takes no more than 30 minutes to go thru immigration and frankly, if you aren't willing to spend this little amount of time taking care of your legal responsiblities, then you might as well not live here! Changi airport is a great airport and there is plenty to do to kill what little time you may have to wait.

[tutsiwarrior]

Rockhard...relax...I've done border runs for visa purposes elsewhere like Abu Dhabi-Doha-Abu Dhabi and was told then to NOT pass thru immigration but to proceed to the transit lounge and wait for the return flight. As others have indicated, this is the usual drill for BKK-SIN-BKK. However given the present APEC hysteria it might be a good idea to go  thru SIN immigration and get all the stamps, etc one needs to return to BKK and pass thru immigration without hassle.

Who ever mentioned retaining the SIN boarding pass for purposes of displaying to BKK immigration is to be commended. I got to do this business before 19 October so the more I got to show folks in BKK in the run up to the APEC bullshit the better...Don Muang turned into a torture mansion...

BTW Rockhard...I visited your bar in Phuket and it was very nice...met some nice ladies for plh, pluh...cough..ha ha. They also had nice roast chicken on offer...

best regards

[dr_Pat_Pong]

So much effort being spent to avoid a simple set of arrival and departure formalities in the most user friendly Immigration Department anywhere. Hard to believe, particularly during this time of heightened security.

[Axel]

Sure lots of talkings about a minor problem. One starts wandering why? btw the SIN-landing card (Their eq. of TM-form) asks if you ever have been banned from entering SIN.

Re boarding pass to be presented to Thai immigration, became a requirement by now. I was ask twice over the last few weeks and on the last trip back to LOS the pre-landing announcement incl. the point to keep your b/pass.

Hong Kong by now as well asks for it.

OK, the immigration officers not always insist, they might be tired or whatever.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

It is getting more and more complex to travel, and to comply with visa regulations everwhere. But this is not the time to be seeing whether one can cut corners.

[Rockhard]

Tutsiwarrior I am relaxed. I just think that there are far more important things to worry about than if you should take 15 minutes to pass thru immigration. I'm all for doing things quickly, cheaply and efficiently but I really do not see what the big deal is to have to pass thru immigration.

[tutsiwarrior]

Rockhard and Dr PP I'm cool...good to get feed back for something that used to be a sleepwalk number. Last time I was out was in July and there were no problems then...no one said nothing about boarding cards and immigration.

Would be nice if the forum could offer this advice on a general basis as a lot of folks coming for holiday are not aware and couldn't give a shit about APEC anyway...maybe to their later consternation...

all the best

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Good luck Tutsi. A semblance of normality will return by the end of the month ( if all goes well with APEC )        

[Axel]

Probably need to add an hour or two to get back to the departure lounge.

Did some say something about a good bookstore in the shopping area?

Tutsi, wellcome back. So how was SIN? did you go out or straight to the bookshop? Just curios