This post specifically refers to the border crossing from Thailand to Myanmar - the crossing is located in Ban Phu Nam Ron near Kanchanaburi

It looks like the immigration drones on the Burmese side suddenly started to get lots of work and that didn't suit them so they shut it down for non visa holders to get rid of the visa runners - lazy gits.

The last time I passed through this crossing to get a 30 day stamp (beginning of 2014) there were huge piles of paperwork there, presumably from those who had done the crossing earlier in the day - I did it about 30 minutes before they closed late in the afternoon.

So I suspect this border is closed to visa runners due to the laziness of the Burmese workers there.

My error was in inverting his description of the policy which was to clamp down on visa runs of tourist visas. In doing so I omitted the other types you listed.

No problem, I'm glad to be corrected whenever I'm wrong. Beside, I would love to do some international bike touring someday.

Same here on both counts. Ironically the furthest I have ridden my bike outside Thai borders is at the crossing specific to this thread... Two planned trips to Laos failed due to lost passports!

My error was in inverting his description of the policy which was to clamp down on visa runs of tourist visas. In doing so I omitted the other types you listed.

No problem, I'm glad to be corrected whenever I'm wrong. Beside, I would love to do some international bike touring someday.

Not sure if this has been addressed in other threads, but I just completed my visa run without a hitch. I went to Mae Sot with no Burmese visa in my passport. It all went down like every time prior; stamped out, walk over, pay 500 Baht, walk back, stamped in with 90 days. I am on a Non-Imm 'O' issued in Singapore (FWTW).

Just be aware that the official cost for a day pass into Burma at Mae Sot and Mae Sai is US$10-.

The Burmese immigration officials prefer that people pay in Thai baht at their exchange rate ($1 + 50 baht) that has not been changed for over 10+ yrs. You pay 500 baht and they pocket the difference, in the case about 180 baht.

Always pay in nice, new US dollars if you can (they are picky and will use this as an excuse) .

1 CRISP $10 bill for Ranong entry as well

plus copy of ur passport

I want to go to this border crossing tomorrow.

Is it open for "Visa runs". I have a Non-immigrant -O- multiple entry visa.

You can cross the border to use another entry from your visa at this crossing.

The fee is now a total of 900 baht that is for transportation across no mans land and the border pass. Plus 10 baht for a color copy your passport.

This post specifically refers to the border crossing from Thailand to Myanmar - the crossing is located in Ban Phu Nam Ron near Kanchanaburi

It looks like the immigration drones on the Burmese side suddenly started to get lots of work and that didn't suit them so they shut it down for non visa holders to get rid of the visa runners - lazy gits.

The last time I passed through this crossing to get a 30 day stamp (beginning of 2014) there were huge piles of paperwork there, presumably from those who had done the crossing earlier in the day - I did it about 30 minutes before they closed late in the afternoon.

So I suspect this border is closed to visa runners due to the laziness of the Burmese workers there.

Good explanation, but they seriously would never have been busy anyway. I can't imagine that remote crossing getting more than a handful of people crossing daily, and that includes Thais. They must have been super lazy if they can't even be bothered to stamp like 10 passports and maybe 20 border passes a day and that's probably an optimistic estimate of mine.

But it doesn't surprise me. The former head of immigration at the Myawady checkpoint (a good friend of mine) originally claimed he quit his post last year because of the large number of foreigners crossing and that he felt "overwhelmed". But more recently, the real reason emerged: some infighting with other officials and a health scare. The fact is, not much more than 10 foreigners a day enter or exit the country via that crossing using visas, in addition to the same number or occasionally more who are visa runners and thus arrive on a day pass. Numbers are expected to increase over time, but those numbers are a far cry from the thousands of foreigners (including Laotians) that cross the Thai-Lao crossing at Nong Khai/Vientiane every day, for instance.

Hello. Maybe have new info about this checkpoint. Can make visa on arrival for Russian citizen ? Or not need Visa? Because 150 Km is better than go to Laos.

You can get a 30 day visa exempt entry there unless you are on one already.

You can get a 30 day visa exempt entry there unless you are on one already.

Oh.. Sorry I write no all information.

Now I have Two Entry TR Visa. 60 days + 30 days (ext). I have 2 days now and my visa is over.

Can I make one more Entry in this checkpoint?

Yes you can get an entry.

I did it on June 11th, 2015

I arrived at 9.15am on a Wednesday morning.

It was 910 Baht and the whole thing took 1 hours and 15 minutes.. including all the time in immigration lines.

I have NON-O Multi entry, had no hastes.

Hello, any update on this ? Thanks.

you have posted in 2 old threads, newer threads are out there