Best Border Run From Chiang Mai?

[jsflynn603]

I had explained to my travel agent that I could stay no more than 90 days in Chiang Mai. She must have thought "three months" and so booked my return flight for the same day of the month as my arrival date.

I have two problems:

1) December and January have 31 days each, thus the time period is 92 days.

2) I had assumed that the tourist visa I would get from Boston (US) consulate would be good for 60 days from the date I arrived. I have since found that it is 60 days from the date that the consulate in Boston stamps it. This will add another x days.

A helpful member here has suggested that I get a double entry tourist visa from the Boston consulate, so I will have to do a border run, thus adding a second 60 days, and giving me plenty of time.

The cost to change my return ticket to a week earlier would be $250, so that seems a no-go.

So here is the question.

What is the best border run from Chiang Mai.

Best is defined as that mix between easiest, most economical, with the possibility of "fun" mixed in. The thought of spending a day an a bus, even an A/C bus nauseates me. I could fly from CM to ? and I know that some (is it AirAsia) flights are cheap, so I'm open to suggestions from those in the know...

Thanks

[bubba1]

if you enter before the expiry date of your tourist visa you will get a stamp in your passport that will allow you to stay for 60 days. Your original assumption was correct, you will get 60 days when you enter Thailand.

You can then extend for 30 days for 1900 baht and then another 7 days for 1900 baht. You will be covered.

[jdinasia]

if you enter before the expiry date of your tourist visa you will get a stamp in your passport that will allow you to stay for 60 days. Your original assumption was correct, you will get 60 days when you enter Thailand.

You can then extend for 30 days for 1900 baht and then another 7 days for 1900 baht. You will be covered.

totally correct

[Colabamumbai]

You can overstay your visa and pay immigration $500 bhat per day of overstay, at the airport when you leave, if you do not want to do border runs and only want to stay 90-92 days.

[bubba1]

You can overstay your visa and pay immigration $500 bhat per day of overstay, at the airport when you leave, if you do not want to do border runs and only want to stay 90-92 days.

he does not need to do border runs as i stated earlier.

why are you putting a dollar sign in front of baht?

[chris5346]

hi ,

have you got the visa yet ?

the tourist visas that i have had in the past are valid for 3 months from the date of issue and you get 60 days which start from when you enter thailand .

you can pay 1900baht to add another 30 days at the immigration office near to the airport - this can be done upto 4 weeks before the 60 days runs out , that will give you 90 days.

if you can get a double entry added and simply do a risa run to maesae will cost 500 baht or 5$ to enter burma for the day - it's only 3 hrs on the bus, the larger 1st class seats are 300 baht one way and there's also private transfers etc which will be faster but cost more, it's nice mountain view trip. there's also chiang rai and other sight seeing things to do in the north.

sounds like you shouldn't have too much problem anyway if you have 60 days plus 30 then your only 2 days overstay which you can pay as you leave . you'll need a couple of passport sized photos for the extention.

any question please ask,

good luck,

chris

[digitalchromakey]

As posted above, the best solution would be to get a free Double Tourist Visa, then go to the border when convenient some time before the first 60 days are up, using the second visa for a further 60 day entry to Thailand.

Only cost is the border hop (3+3 hour bus journey, bit of scenic adventure, plus crisp, new $10 to enter Burma); then there is no 1900 THB per extension (30 day then 7 day) and/or no 500 THB per day overstay fines (it's never advisable to break the law).