Visa Run From Chiangmai

[oldgent]

hello all. i would like to know where is the best place to do a visa run,also are there any companies that offer this service thanks

[eyecatcher]

I should think every tour agency in the city can help you there.

i guess they all use the same 3 or 4 companies that service everyone here.

Mae Sai is the esaiest run from here, dont ever pay more than 500bt for your trip. i hear some are trying to charge 700bt for the "pleasure".

[oldgent]

I should think every tour agency in the city can help you there.

i guess they all use the same 3 or 4 companies that service everyone here.

Mae Sai is the esaiest run from here, dont ever pay more than 500bt for your trip. i hear some are trying to charge 700bt for the "pleasure".

thanks for your reply

[hellodolly]

The last time we did it I paid 650 baht for a deluxe bus Two seats on one side of the aisle and one on the other side of the aisle with lots of leg room.

You might want to check on the immigration site here on TV. I have heard rumors that some are only good for 15 days.

[naboo]

Definitely worth going to the bus station to get the bus. http://greenbusthailand.com/en/ offer VIP tickets for 330B each way, 1st class for 212B each way and 2nd class 165B each way.

4.5hrs each way. The 2nd class is more comfortable than the minibuses, you have considerably less chance of death and the 1st class is excellent, the VIP just about worth the extra.

Chiang Mai to Mae Sai departs 08:00am, arrives 12:40pm. Arriving, you can get a SongTaew to the border, sign states the price, about 10-15B. Can get a Sontaew back or if plenty of time, a couple of km walk back to the bus station.

Mae Sai to Chiang Mai departs 2:30pm arrives 7:10pm if you don't mind cutting it tight on the return leg, or 3:30pm departure arriving 8:10pm.

edit: forgot - I don't know what class of bus these times are, I think they're VIP only, not sure, a long time since I did a border run.

Can book both legs online if you can read Thai/have someone with you who can read Thai.

Alternatively, have a night in Chiang Rai. Get the local bus back to Chiang Rai from Mae Sai (1hr) and have a wander around. Night Bazaar every night in the centre of town with open air food court. Saturday nights they have a walking street market between the centre and the river (north a few blocks). In the morning, you'l need (I think) to get a Songtaew from the local bus station in the centre to the modern new bus station out of town to get the Green Bus back to Chiang Mai.

edit2: not sure what sort of visa run the OP wants - Mae Sai or Vientiene or somewhere else?

[bobl]

Mae Sai is not a visa run, it's a border run.

Border run is for 15 (or 30 if you fly) day exemption stamps or to activate a new entry for a 60/90 day stay...

Visa run for getting a new visa...

OP needs to be more specific which he needs to do...

[eyecatcher]

Mae Sai is not a visa run, it's a border run.

..

Stop being pedantic...show me one sign that offers to take falang (or should it be farang?) us on a "border run"

[bobl]

Mae Sai is not a visa run, it's a border run.

..

Stop being pedantic...show me one sign that offers to take falang (or should it be farang?) us on a "border run"

That's absolutely true sorry if I sounded pedantic. 99% of people call everything a "visa run". But for the purposes of obtaining help on the forum it would be useful to know if he requires a visa or a border run they're very different animals...

[oldgent]

sorry guys my question is based on double entry Tourist Visa 60+30 its getting the 30 days and yes i dont know the difference between a border run and Visa run. please can someone explain the difference

[naboo]

If I'm correct in my assumptions, you currently have a double entry and are approaching the end of your first 60 days, correct?

If so, you need to go to the immigration office near the airport. They will extend 30 days for a fee of 1900B. Once those 30 days are up, head to Mae Sai for a border run, exit and re-enter for your 2nd 60 day entry. Once this i up, extend at immigration in Chiang Mai again.

[bobl]

As Naboo says - getting the 30 days extension is just a matter of a visit to cm immigration with an hour or two plus 1900 baht to spare. After 30 days a quick in and out to Myanmar at Mae Sai will activate your next 60 days (border run).

[Afrodite79]

I should think every tour agency in the city can help you there.

i guess they all use the same 3 or 4 companies that service everyone here.

Mae Sai is the esaiest run from here, dont ever pay more than 500bt for your trip. i hear some are trying to charge 700bt for the "pleasure".

What tour agency in the city offers a 500THB border run trip to MaeSai? Online the cheapest offer is 650THB.

[barefoot1988]

are there any tour bus that is hassle free? as in they will pick me up at my place, wait for me near the border and send me back. uncomfortable at catching songthaew, buying tickets at arcade and so on.

i know vans do it, but its uncomfortable. argh

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Uncomfortable going to a bus station to get a bus ticket?

Pick you up, wait for you, send you back.. The only thing missing is giving you a warm bottle of milk every 3 hours and changing diapers, or else I'd recommend the local kindergarten.

[bobl]

pick me up at my place, wait for me near the border and send me back

I think the service you're looking for is called a "taxi"

[Afrodite79]

are there any tour bus that is hassle free? as in they will pick me up at my place, wait for me near the border and send me back. uncomfortable at catching songthaew, buying tickets at arcade and so on.

i know vans do it, but its uncomfortable. argh

That is exactly what the minibus operators do. The cheapest online is 650THB from Wandering star tours. However, Eyecatcher said don't pay more than 500THB so I will visit the tour agencies around town to get a proper offer. See if I can get it cheaper than 650THB.

[naboo]

Seriously, go to the bus station! The minor inconvenience will give you 11 hours of comfort as pay back.

[mowgus]

Seriously, go to the bus station! The minor inconvenience will give you 11 hours of comfort as pay back.

And a slightly higher chance of surviving a crash.

I'm wondering if anyone has ever organized a car for this on here. You can rent a reasonable size car for 1000 Baht, correct? Fit 4 in comfortably and that's a nice deal at 250 Baht a head (+gas) and you have the flexibility to come and go on your own schedule. Or maybe it's just too hard to organize 4 expats for one day?

[bobl]

"+gas". Yes at what, 2,000 baht or so? So now it's 750 baht a head...

As for confining 4 tv members together in a car for 4+ hours... Hmmm...

[SPIKECM]

anyone know what's happening over songkran at the mae sai border... open every day? i am thinking of going up there by car to escape the madness next week but of course I know to keep off the roads at Songkran.. the thing is....Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai road shouldn't be too bad traffic-wise during songkran I wouldn't have thought... anyone have an opinion on this?

[barefoot1988]

Uncomfortable going to a bus station to get a bus ticket?

Pick you up, wait for you, send you back.. The only thing missing is giving you a warm bottle of milk every 3 hours and changing diapers, or else I'd recommend the local kindergarten.

uncomfortable seating in van cramped seats since minivans offer picking up services

but i do know im really spoilt =)

[DowntownAl]

are there any tour bus that is hassle free? as in they will pick me up at my place, wait for me near the border and send me back. uncomfortable at catching songthaew, buying tickets at arcade and so on.

i know vans do it, but its uncomfortable. argh

Check any travel agent. I did the border run in November for 400 baht return. Picked up at my building, full (cramped) mini bus to MaeSai, bus waits until all passengers finish their business (including the dipstick who decided to do a little extra shopping), returned to my building. I agree with the other posters though, who say a VIP or 1st class bus is a better way to go, a little more money but, a lot less fear. If you're uncomfortable with a songthaew, 20 to 40 baht depending on where you live,or flag a Tuk-tuk, 100 baht, you might want to get used to the local transport.