Step By Step Visa Run - Ranong

[TenDreams]

In case anyone is thinking of doing it soon, here is a report of my visa run of August 2011. I didn't take the Andaman route.

>Bus from Pranburi to Saphanpla, Ranong, 9am, 6 hours, 280 Baht, very comfortable, free lunch.

>As you get off the bus, you'll hear "You! Visa!", if you say yes, you'll get a motorbike taxi to the immigration pier (about 10 minutes), and he'll wait and take you back to the bus station. 200 Baht.

>When you get off the bike someone will take you right up to the departure desk at immigration where you hand over your passport (I was the only person there, no wait). And the guy will help you fill out any forms, arrange the boat to Myanmar (400 Baht round trip if you go alone, less if there are more people), and sell you a $10 bill if you need one (400 Baht, but I was told upon arrival in Myanmar that there is an exchange there where they charge 320 Baht) (5 minutes)

>Boats about a 30 minute ride, quite wet. Stops once before you get off and driver takes your passport up to a cabin. (2 minutes)

>Get off the boat and some boys will take you to Myanmar immigration and deal with everything there. They need the passport copy here, and they take your photo with a webcam also. Gave them a 100 Baht tip as they made me laugh quite a bit (3 minutes)

>Have a quick look around, then back on the boat to the pier.

>Go to arrivals window, get your stamp and photo taken, and all done.

>Buses leave from the bus station at 20.00 (Bangkok) I had to wait 2.5 hours for one (didn't want to spend the night in Ranong). At the ticket office they offered 3 prices, 350>666. I ended up with a 2nd class bus ride for 220 Baht, must have not been too uncomfortable cos I slept the whole way.

Overall, very easy and stress free, total cost excluding beers at the bus station was 1600 Baht.

The worst part was waiting for the bus back, but the cold ones helped.

Edited August 28, 2011 by TenDreams

[thaibeachlovers]

Thanks for that report.

One of the first that didn't leave me feeling confused, LOL.

One claification though please. When they took your passport to the cabin on the boat- what was that for, and did you get it back after the 2 minutes?

[TenDreams]

Yeah, I'll try explain that a bit better- the boat stopped by this rickety cabin, the driver took my passport up to it (not the photocopy or anything else), then came pack down pretty quick and returned it to me, and we set off again. I am not actually sure what they did with it as it was raining and I just shoved it into my bag without looking (which I should have).

If they did anything more than check it, I guess it was the entry stamp for Myanmar, but it was pretty much just a shack on a rock from what I could see!

One other thing I forgot to mention was that on the way back the boat was called over to a group of Thai soldiers who checked the passport and bag of a Myanmar national, they didn't check any of my stuff, but another boat that got there before us was having a pretty thorough search.

[digitalchromakey]

Yeah, I'll try explain that a bit better- the boat stopped by this rickety cabin, the driver took my passport up to it (not the photocopy or anything else), then came pack down pretty quick and returned it to me, and we set off again. I am not actually sure what they did with it as it was raining and I just shoved it into my bag without looking (which I should have).

If they did anything more than check it, I guess it was the entry stamp for Myanmar, but it was pretty much just a shack on a rock from what I could see!

One other thing I forgot to mention was that on the way back the boat was called over to a group of Thai soldiers who checked the passport and bag of a Myanmar national, they didn't check any of my stuff, but another boat that got there before us was having a pretty thorough search.

Used to be that you got a 'temporary' exit stamp on a piece of paper that was stapled into your passport at the Immigration Post that was not at the pier, then you got the actual exit stamp while the long tail stopped at the wood cabin on the estuary's edge - but I thought that this procedure ended when they opened up the 'one stop' immigration post at the pier itself.

Edited August 28, 2011 by digitalchromakey

[Madivad]

I'll be driving by there (Ranong) in a couple of days and so this is pretty helpful. I have a couple of quick ones though:

- you had to get a US$10? Is that for all costs on the Mayanmar side?

- you just needed a photocopy of your passport? Just one? And did you do that at the border?

- what time should I approach Ranong immigration, AT THE LATEST?

Thanks

[4evermaat]

it seems like unless you have onwards travel, or you want to DIY perhaps to spend more time in Mynmmar, the visa run companies are not such a bad deal. 1400-1500 in phuket, and 1100-1200 in Chumphon town (or 650-750 if you have your own $10 bill). Phuket is a mad dash, but the distance is far also. The chumphon run is much more quiet, and all the seats recline. The 5:30am run is back by noon, and 12:30 run is supposed to be back by 1900-ish

My friend in phuket DIY to Malaysia. Cheap bus to Hat Yai, then mini-bus to Malay border. You have to walk over to Malay and back. I think it was 800-900 baht for everything. It takes a little longer than the phuket border run. There are a couple of companies that do phuket/patong > Hat Yai.

Have a local guy who said he drove the chopper to Ranong and DIY. If you are coming from Touristy area, maybe you want to collect the $10 at one of the banks first. Does Ranong local banks have the $10 bill? Fame tour will charge you 450 baht for the privilege.

[digitalchromakey]

I'll be driving by there (Ranong) in a couple of days and so this is pretty helpful. I have a couple of quick ones though:

- you had to get a US$10? Is that for all costs on the Mayanmar side?

- you just needed a photocopy of your passport? Just one? And did you do that at the border?

- what time should I approach Ranong immigration, AT THE LATEST?

Thanks

- $10 dollars (must be crispy new note(s)) are required for the Burmese Visa, they will charge you a lot more than this if you try to pay in Thai Baht.

- One Photocopy of Passport ID Page.

- By Long Tail it takes around 2 hours minimum including Burma Immigration and 2x River Customs checks; plus you really don't want to be crossing the estuary in the dark during low season, so would advise setting off from Ranong Pier probably 14:00 at the latest.

[Madivad]

Thanks for that. Great.

Edit: I removed a question I will ask back in my original thread.

Edited September 2, 2011 by Madivad

[digitalchromakey]

Thanks for that. Great.

Edit: I removed a question I will ask back in my original thread.

Here's a video about the getting to the Andaman Club Pier

(in the video the bike is approaching Ranong from the north).

Andaman Club Hotel is very quiet (not many people), but the boat trip is more comfortable than by Long Tail - note that you may find your self 'stuck' there for a couple of hours, waiting for the next boat back.

Edited September 2, 2011 by digitalchromakey

[Madivad]

Cool. Can't watch it now because on edge here (bl00dy true)... But thanks for the info. It is one of the avenues um looking at

[TenDreams]

I tried every bank in Pranburi and Paknampran - no $10 bills!

Probably easier to get it in Hua Hin, and surely Bkk wouldn't be a problem.

They sell them on the Thai side at immigration for 400 Baht, the boys on the Myanmar side said I could have got it there for 320 Baht.