Border Run Or Flight?

[lucanomad]

hello,

i m 30 yo male from france and came to chiang mai to study thai massage. my one month "visa" that i got at the airport is ending the 2nd of august. And my flight return ticket is the 28th of august.

i understand that i could do two border run to extend my visa of 15 days twice.

My questions are : 1) can i go to birma twice ? or would i need to go once to birma and one to laos ?

2) if i was flying to malaysia or any place in asia and back after a couple of days would i get another month visa on my passport ?

it would ovisouly be more expensive but i m not that excited about that whole border run!

Thanks for your answers !

[beechguy]

Yes, you could cross the border twice and get 2, 15 day visa "exempt entries" or fly back into Thailand and get a 30 day "visa exempt" entry. I don't think that it would be a problem to go to Burma twice if that's what you want.

[Oscheck]

Like Beech says 2 times Birma, Mae Sai with the bus or fly direct from Chiang Mai to Vientianne (Laos) and get 30. When I visited Chiang Rai some days ago I saw company advertising they had flights from Chiang Rai going there and Chiang Mai was also on the map. Next time better get a 60 day tourist visa at the Thai embassy in France or a study visa, just sent over your passport with fees, that's what I did in the Netherlands.

But your studying Thai culture , if you have a statement from your school or the bill with end date maybe that you can get you an extension at the emigration office at the Chiang Mai airport, when you study Thai/Thai culture you can get extension up to 5 years, at least that's many language programs claim. So that's more easier, may that somebody in this forum can confirm that? Or ask your school or go up to the Immigration office they were very helpful when I went there 2 years ago.

Good luck!

[Mario2008]

If it is an officialy recognised school he can get an ED-visa, which he has to get from an embassy from abroad. That is much more work then either do 2 border hops or just get a tourist visa.

He won't get an extension of stay on his curent visa exempt entry.

[lucanomad]

thanks for your answers ! im doing classes in different schools to have as i wasnt sure which one would be best..there are so many massage schools here ! they were helpful at the immigration but told me to just do border runs

I ll probably go to birma, i found a van that leave at 7 am and back the same day for 700 baths. I guess that s an ok deal ?

[Lite Beer]

thanks for your answers ! im doing classes in different schools to have as i wasnt sure which one would be best..there are so many massage schools here ! they were helpful at the immigration but told me to just do border runs

I ll probably go to birma, i found a van that leave at 7 am and back the same day for 700 baths. I guess that s an ok deal ?

Don't forget the crisp $10 Bill for the Burmese Visa.