Ranong Visa Run Updates?

[blakegeee]

I used a visa run service in Ranong about 6 years ago to take the boat to Victory Point (Island) to get a 30 day visa exemption. I now live in Chiang Mai but I am going South with visiting family and they will need to do a visa run. Of course they will only get 15 days now, but that's long enough anyways.

-Have there been any major changes I should know about?

-Can anybody recommend a particular visa run service located in Ranong?

-How long does the whole process typically take?

-How much do these services cost?

Again, we will be staying in Ranong already so we don't need a service from Phuket or anything, just a local one. Thanks a lot for any help!

Edited November 30, 2011 by blakegeee

[melvinmelvin]

You don't really need a Visa service for this.

You can just go to the fish market and take the boat across.

Alternatively you take a taxi or drive to Andaman Club Pier ( a few clicks north of the city) and use their boat.

If you do want a Visa service, enquire at Pon's Place on the main street in the city centre.

[blakegeee]

Also, I assume that the roads are fine now North of Ranong? I won't be going through Bangkok as we are coming from Chiang Mai so we will be West of BKK as we come South.

From what I remember from years ago, the visa service made it a lot faster and more convenient than doing it on your own. People doing it on their own had to stop at many stilt buildings whereas the visa service could bypass most of them. Is it more straight-forward now? If I were doing it alone, I wouldn't mind the more-adventurous option but I'd like to find the easiest way possible for my mother and her husband.

[melvinmelvin]

Also, I assume that the roads are fine now North of Ranong? I won't be going through Bangkok as we are coming from Chiang Mai so we will be West of BKK as we come South.

From what I remember from years ago, the visa service made it a lot faster and more convenient than doing it on your own. People doing it on their own had to stop at many stilt buildings whereas the visa service could bypass most of them. Is it more straight-forward now? If I were doing it alone, I wouldn't mind the more-adventurous option but I'd like to find the easiest way possible for my mother and her husband.

Dunno know about the Victory Point option. Maybe a visa service would speed things up a bit on the Burmese side, although I don't think so.

If you do the Andaman Club trip you do it as fast and hassle free yourself as with the assistance of a Visa service company.

In my view this is a quite comfortable, quick and easy way of doing a visa run.

The roads from Samuth Songkram and southwards are OK but not much motorway, hence it takes time to get down to Chumpon.

From Chumphon over the mountains to Ranong the roads are not great.

[blakegeee]

Also, I assume that the roads are fine now North of Ranong? I won't be going through Bangkok as we are coming from Chiang Mai so we will be West of BKK as we come South.

From what I remember from years ago, the visa service made it a lot faster and more convenient than doing it on your own. People doing it on their own had to stop at many stilt buildings whereas the visa service could bypass most of them. Is it more straight-forward now? If I were doing it alone, I wouldn't mind the more-adventurous option but I'd like to find the easiest way possible for my mother and her husband.

Dunno know about the Victory Point option. Maybe a visa service would speed things up a bit on the Burmese side, although I don't think so.

If you do the Andaman Club trip you do it as fast and hassle free yourself as with the assistance of a Visa service company.

In my view this is a quite comfortable, quick and easy way of doing a visa run.

The roads from Samuth Songkram and southwards are OK but not much motorway, hence it takes time to get down to Chumpon.

From Chumphon over the mountains to Ranong the roads are not great.

Do you know how much it costs from the Andaman Club? I assume it also goes to Victory Point?

With the roads, I was more referring to the flooding. Still need to find out if the roads are ok West of BKK, as we'll be going past Chai Nat and SW from there of course.

[keestha]

Do you know how much it costs from the Andaman Club? I assume it also goes to Victory Point?

It doesn't. The Andaman Club is on a small island just inside Burma, it is a casino with a 5 star hotel. They have their own pier at the Thai mainland, where there also is a Thai immigration checkpoint. On arrival on the island you have to pass through Burmese immigration, you don't need a visa.

[melvinmelvin]

Do you know how much it costs from the Andaman Club? I assume it also goes to Victory Point?

It doesn't. The Andaman Club is on a small island just inside Burma, it is a casino with a 5 star hotel. They have their own pier at the Thai mainland, where there also is a Thai immigration checkpoint. On arrival on the island you have to pass through Burmese immigration, you don't need a visa.

Right,

and as for cost a figure of 600 or 800 seems to come to mind.

That includes transport from/to Ranong centre as well as the boat to/from the Burmese side/island, at least I think so,

(I have only used land transport from Thai immigration back to Ranong centre.)

[Mosha]

Farang price across to the Andaman Club from the pier, was 680 Baht about 4 months back.

[blakegeee]

Thanks a lot for all the info! I just found a fairly detailed step by step for doing this Andaman Club Visa Run;

http://www.ontheroadthailand.com/Andaman_Club_Ranong.html

The last thing that I don't see detailed is "where is this Andaman Club pier in Ranong?" I have my own truck so I'll be bringing my parents there myself.

Also, does anyone know what time the first boat leaves, and are these boats currently hourly as that link suggests?

[digitalchromakey]

Thanks a lot for all the info! I just found a fairly detailed step by step for doing this Andaman Club Visa Run;

http://www.ontheroad...lub_Ranong.html

The last thing that I don't see detailed is "where is this Andaman Club pier in Ranong?" I have my own truck so I'll be bringing my parents there myself.

Also, does anyone know what time the first boat leaves, and are these boats currently hourly as that link suggests?

The boats are pretty much hourly during the day, from memory the first boat is at 07:30, but there is a gap over lunch; expect to be at Andaman Club for a miniumum of one hour before you can return.

When my friends did this run about six months ago they arrived at lunch time and thus were at Andaman Club more than two hours before they could catch a boat back.

Even though there are two boats, the other one is just leaving the Andaman Club Pier as the first boat arrives.

[melvinmelvin]

Thanks a lot for all the info! I just found a fairly detailed step by step for doing this Andaman Club Visa Run;

http://www.ontheroad...lub_Ranong.html

The last thing that I don't see detailed is "where is this Andaman Club pier in Ranong?" I have my own truck so I'll be bringing my parents there myself.

Also, does anyone know what time the first boat leaves, and are these boats currently hourly as that link suggests?

The pier is north of the city.

If you drive northwards on the highway towards Chumphon I'm reasonably sure you will see a sign saying Andaman Club.

Its in an area commonly referred to as Pak Naam, but alas, there are more than 1 area referred to by Pak Naam in Ranong and surroundings.

If you google the hotel itself, Andaman Club, they might have a map on their www-site.

[Mosha]

Farang price across to the Andaman Club from the pier, was 680 Baht about 4 months back.

Sorry 850Baht oops

[Mosha]

Thanks a lot for all the info! I just found a fairly detailed step by step for doing this Andaman Club Visa Run;

http://www.ontheroad...lub_Ranong.html

The last thing that I don't see detailed is "where is this Andaman Club pier in Ranong?" I have my own truck so I'll be bringing my parents there myself.

Also, does anyone know what time the first boat leaves, and are these boats currently hourly as that link suggests?

The pier is north of the city.

If you drive northwards on the highway towards Chumphon I'm reasonably sure you will see a sign saying Andaman Club.

Its in an area commonly referred to as Pak Naam, but alas, there are more than 1 area referred to by Pak Naam in Ranong and surroundings.

If you google the hotel itself, Andaman Club, they might have a map on their www-site.

Keep going until you approach an underpass, take the exit. After that it's easy.

[digitalchromakey]

Thanks a lot for all the info! I just found a fairly detailed step by step for doing this Andaman Club Visa Run;

http://www.ontheroad...lub_Ranong.html

The last thing that I don't see detailed is "where is this Andaman Club pier in Ranong?" I have my own truck so I'll be bringing my parents there myself.

Also, does anyone know what time the first boat leaves, and are these boats currently hourly as that link suggests?

The boats are pretty much hourly during the day, from memory the first boat is at 07:30, but there is a gap over lunch; expect to be at Andaman Club for a miniumum of one hour before you can return.

When my friends did this run about six months ago they arrived at lunch time and thus were at Andaman Club more than two hours before they could catch a boat back.

Even though there are two boats, the other one is just leaving the Andaman Club Pier as the first boat arrives.

GPS Co-ordinates for Andaman Club Pier 9^o 58' 47" N, 98^o 35' 55" E