Re-entry Permit At Mae Sai Crossing

[tomahawk]

Yesterday a farang told me he just came back from Mae Sai and immigration police there told him if you have 1 year retirement visa you can cross to Burma and do not need to get reentry permit from Thailand. Does anyone know if this is true? Thank you.

[Lite Beer]

Unless they are doing some dodgy cash under the table deal you need a Re Entry Permit.

I remember reading how it used to be possible to leave your passport at the Immigration desk and collect it on the way back.

How legal that was and if it is still possible I have no idea.

[tomahawk]

Thanks Litebeer. Same guy who told me this says you can still leave passport at border.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Seems to me that it's always best to get at least a single re-entry permit at the same time you do your annual extension. That way if you have to depart urgently for some reason, your extension is safe.

Mac

[RubbaJohnny]

For newbies

There is a border control box at the river crossing big arches where Highway Paholyothin enter Burma over the River Sai where the street markets andbUrmese peddlaers vend shlonky electrics phoney Viagara and 2 day old Scotch

Good buys Coffe Burmese collectors notes and Chinese and Burmese crafts

the big Immi Office is about ikm before onleft hand side of the divided highway

After Bus terminus you seeBig Lotus Tesco go ahead across cross rds(right turn to C Saen 2nd freindship Bridge andGolden Triangle)

Look out for overpass bridge

Immigration Office with sign inEnglish is setback in typical Govt Ofice compound

If you overhoot up to the gates do a U turn

NB they like Medical certs from Hospita nearby

where they didnt even look at me but the 50 baht note all done 5 mins never saw Dr

There is a very nice photo of CHIEF WITH AN ERSTWHILE PM!

[Maestro]

From the OP:

Yesterday a farang told me he just came back from Mae Sai and immigration police there told him if you have 1 year retirement visa you can cross to Burma and do not need to get reentry permit from Thailand. Does anyone know if this is true?

A multiple-entry non-OA visa, often called retirement visa, is valid for an unlimited number of entries into Thailand within one year from the date of its issue, without the need for a re-entry permit. On each arrival, the traveller will receive permission to stay for 365 days.

--

Maestro

[tomahawk]

Thanks everyone. probably best as you say to just get reentry to be safe. When I renewed visa I should have got multiple entry as you say but I did not expect to leave country this year. Next time I just get multiple entry.

[naamjai]

maybe have a look at this :

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Day-Pass-Cro...amp;hl=passport

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Border-Cross...amp;hl=passport

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Mae-Sai-Tach...5&start=275

[tomahawk]

Thanks naamjai, this was very helpful.

[jboras]

Next to your Visa Category there should be the word "Multiple" or "Single".

Multiple; you can enter and exit Thailand as many times as you wish (for a 90 day stay or whatever duration it says)) right up until the expiry date of your Visa. You may even enter Thailand a day before the expiry date and stay for the duration allowed by the Visa. eg. If 90 days you can stay ther 1 year and 89 days...

Single; your Visa is valid only for a single entry to Thailnd and you can stay in Thailand right up to the exiry date of the Visa.

Your Visa beinga 1 year Visa I would assume would have "Multiple"

If they stamp 90 day stay you need to make the border trip every 90 day sto get the extension unles you get lucky at the Imiigration office and they extend you for 90 days without an exit!

Until 2000 we use dto just give our passports to a tra vel agent with 2,300baht and woul dpick them up 3 days later. This scam was stopped by th engovernment that was voted in...

[Bokhoma]

-Here is my experience at Mae Sai: Clear Thai immigration, they take exit card. Pay Myanmar 500baht or $10 US. Myanmar immigration takes passport and issues a one day pass. On return collect passport, fill out entry and exit cards. Thai immigartion stamps passport with new visa valid in my case for one year from the date stamped. Clear Thai customs(joke)

Unless they are doing some dodgy cash under the table deal you need a Re Entry Permit.

I remember reading how it used to be possible to leave your passport at the Immigration desk and collect it on the way back.

How legal that was and if it is still possible I have no idea.

Edited February 21, 2010 by Bokhoma

[RedBullHorn]

-Didn't use passport!!! (although i standby it in my pocket and i've got multi re-entry permit, just in case...)

-Helps if you look asian!!!(i won't recommend you try my method if you look western)

-You must have Thai driving license!!!

-2 photocopy of Thai driving license (photo ID) pay 50 Baht and another 10 Baht at Burma side...Done it thrice.

Disclaimer: Take note that i'm actually cheating, i saved on USD that i can use to shop...^^'

Edited February 21, 2010 by RedBullHorn

[tomahawk]

Thanks everyone. I definitely do not look Asian so I will make copies of passport, get reentry npermit and bring passport just in case.

[naamjai]

just an update from today ....

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Day-Pass-Cro...39#entry3357139

have a nice trip to tachilek

naamjai

[blakegeee]

My Dad did the VIP pass to Burma before because he didn't want to use up the rest of his visa and come back getting only 15 days. Recently I did the same thing because I wanted to go in and do some shopping with the family but didn't have a re-entry permit, and certainly wan't going to sacrifice the 8 months left on my single entry non-o visa. I paid about 50 or 80baht or so to Thailand to make a VIP pass for me, then I brought only that to Burma and they accepted that without batting an eye along with the regular 500baht to get into Burma. They held my passport in Thailand and I got it back when I returned with my VIP pass and the passport didn't have a mark in it, like it never happened!

[Ricardo]

They held my passport in Thailand and I got it back when I returned with my VIP pass and the passport didn't have a mark in it, like it never happened!

It didn't happen, in the sense that your passport never left Thailand, only you yourself did !