Hi all,

Just done a visa bounce to Myanmar from Samui. I have a triple toursit visa, just having fun and activating the last one, Hope this helps some, especially info on Ranong etc. This is the story....

Agencies, travel agents etc in Samui wanted anything from 850thb to 1250thb per person, to get to Ranong one way.

In Ranong, many places were offering to shuttle you to do the visa run, costs from 250thb to 800thb. Not necessary, think ahead and DIY.

We went and took a gamble, paying as we went. My aim was to provide an update and see something of Thailand and Myanmar, GF had a few days off work too. I think it’s also fun to beat the rip offs, I have learnt, if they say it’s 1000thb, it really is 2/3 of the price.

Extra special weekend, so we took a hotel, The B Ranong for two nights, trendy but shit service. Restaurants outside were great, the Jammy Bar food being superb. Options exist in Ranong to find rooms from 150thb upwards, search the net or walk in, too many to choose from in Ranong, some almost located at Saphan Pier, very handy.

I took along the GF, and made a trip of it for the weekend. I feel that you cannot do it in one day from Samui, possible, with good luck and no hiccups, so two days needed in reality.

1. Ferry Nathon to Donsak (Seatran). Cost 150thb for boat and an additional 100thb for bus Donsak to Surat Thani Bus Terminal number 2. Ticket was bought at Samui Nathon ferry terminal. (NOTE - It is possible to take a boat from Samui direct to Surat Thani (the pier in Surat centre), reducing the need to take a bus Donsak to Surat Thani. You will pay lots more for it too, 500thb plus)

2. In Surat Thani, the bus drops you at the Terminal 2, also a market, takes about 1 hour. Options for move to Ranong, one, take a big bus (180thb one way each) takes approx 4 1/2 hours. Two run each Day, 08:30am and 14:30pm. Option 2, walk to the mini-bus street, directions from anyone in the bus station, about 100m from the bus station, and haggle for a mini-bus, cost were 350thb, each. Locals paid 220thb. See my fight report.... We took the mini-bus (3 1/2 hours and bare knuckle) to Ranong, drop off at Ranong Bus Station. The mini-bus is overcrowded, loaded up with packages and very uncomfortable. The mini-bus stopped for 10 mins half way along the route at a petrol station, with a 7/11 and soup kitchen. There were many shops offering a mini-bus to Ranong, all in all, they all work for each other, filling up each others mini-buses and spare seats.

3. In Ranong, we took a songthaew to my hotel, 20thb for 3km.

4. In Ranong, the next morning, we took a songthaew to Saphan Jetty (30thb took 15mins from our hotel in central Ranong), where you will find a combined arrival and departure immigration control point at the pier, and if like me your taking the GF, the local Thai Immigration Office for Thais, separate to the combined imm office I needed. (Note: At the pier, there are many touts, offering a range of services, if you need help with forms, etc they stepped in. I saw many tourists gaining help, I didn’t feel pressured, many Thai police manning the place, checking passports etc)

5. Imm opens 8.00am, for locals 8:30 am, close 6:00pm. I was stamped out, and after GF was sorted, we haggled a long tail, 300thb for both of us, with a one hour shopping stay in Victoria Point also called Kawthaung (Myanmar). (Note: GF had to pay 30thb and make papers to leave Thailand and enter Myanmar, using her ID Card only, all done at the pier. If she had used her passport, it would have been 500thb and lots more paperwork).

6. We left the pier in a long tail, made the journey across the water to Victoria Point (30 mins), stopping at various customs, immigration points etc. The crew took our passports a few times and did all the necessary legwork at each stop. We paid an extra 20thb each at one Thai point...reason, ‘It’s the weekend’. (Note: If it was raining, or blowing a gale, this crossing would of been horrendous, tip is to take waterproof top and umbrella. The boat had 6 people onboard, I felt fairly safe and the lad driving was friendly and helpful. Life Jacket helped me too! Options to take a big covered AC boat, not as frequent and also option was to go to the Anderman Club.

7. Arrived at Victoria Point, bustling place, market, boats galore and many eyes watching your every move. Boat driver, escorted us to Myanmar Immigration, very easy, no forms, just a crisp, new $10 note for me to pay (not GF) took my picture, asked if I was staying or leaving the same day. We got stamped in and left the office. Took 10 mins. My entry stamp gave me 12 days.

8. We then went and looked at the port, market and shopped for some bits. I picked up 200 Benson & Hedges, for 450thb, they were pukka too. Market and shop prices way below Samui, and in fact in Ranong, we got many bargains too, again much cheaper than Samui. Perfume copies galore, one shop wanted 1800thb for a copy D&G ladies one…lol

9. Returned to Thailand after an hour, reverse of the outward journey, using the same long tail, which waited for us. On arrival at Saphan Pier, I went to the same Imm office, separate widow for arrivals, completed arrival slip and activated my last 60 days visa, fairly easy and no queue’s. GF papers were taken on the water and never returned after the Thai’s final checkpoint. On arrival no questions or checks on her, simply get off the boat, have a nice day.

10. Total time in crossing the water etc, was 2 hours 45 mins, included above and taking in one hours shopping.

11. Had a wonderful day in Ranong, then the next morning, after leg over and toast, we returned to Ranong Bus Station, got a big bus, for 180thb each, to Surat Thani. In Surat we were dropped at the Seatran Office, where you can catch a bus and ferry combination to Samui, one leave almost every hour through the daylight, until 6pm. Cost was 250thb each.

12. Arrived back in Samui, made a PG Tips and reflected upon this journey. We did it cheaper than the quotes and had some flexibility and fun along the way.

Would have been easier to do the bounce to Malaysia, cheaper too, but we made a weekend of it.

I will attempt to upload some maps and schedules tomorrow.

If this help anyone, that’s great.

Cost's

Samui to Surat - 250thb

Surat to Ranong - 350thb (Cheaper if not ripped off, normally 220thb, Big bus 180thb)

Ranong Song's Average 30thb per trip

Boat Crossing - 300thb for two people return

Visa $10 - Me only

Ranong to Surat Big Bus 180thb

Surat to Samui - 250thb

Going solo, no GF and no hotel, this would of cost approx 1800thb incl visa.

It was fun.....

Ranong Map

Nice trip report Jack244...Hope it helps somebody.

I'm currently on Bali for APEC but I live South of

Ranong town by the beach. Lot's of neat things

to do in RT...if you like a slower pace of life...

and as you now know...Burma is just a short ride

away! Beer's a bit cheaper...

My Mini-Bus Fight Story....

Hey just sharing,

I did a border bounce over the weekend with the GF. It was great, we paid as we went and saved lots of money...however,,,

In Surat Thani, we had to seek a mini-bus to take us to Ranong, near the crossing point to Myanmar. There is a place near the bus station which has a street full of 'mini-bus shops', people arrange travel to many places. We found one, and the GF did all the speaking, she tells me the following:

'Av won bus can go 10 am. Is 350thb each. I book and pay alledy...' (Lol, I take the mick, she is trying)

So, she magically found a bus, leaves 10am and gives me 15 mins for a coffee and smoke.

Whilst waiting for the mini-bus, a large group of Thai's were waiting for buses, in a shelter in between the shops.

10 am, no bus, 10:30 am no bus, 11 am still no bus. Me get's my Thai head on and asks the bus boss 'Where Buz", and he states, smiling and no English, 'Cum'. Hmmm

Whilst I am doing this, a Thai group of ladies are speaking with the GF. They return to the shelter and call over the bus boss.

It's hard to describe this, but when a woman goes from 0 to Wild Tiger in 2 seconds it's beyond me.

A massive argument breaks out, many people pointing to bus boss, some men start pushing, the large lady drops her bags and lashes at him many times. Everyone is looking at me and GF, I start to worry, what have I done? The language is angry, I don't speak Thai that good, but felt the anger. The fight stops and many face saving exchanges occur for the next few minutes. The bus boss actually runs off....great thinks me...

I look at GF, who is now crying, and telling me 'sorry teelak'. I grab her,squeeze her arm and I say 'hey, no problem, but wait what was all that about?'

She tells me, the ladies heard him speaking to other drivers and taxi drivers, laughing at us, he had charged me double the rate to use the mini-bus. The crowd heard this and ladies asked GF how much we paid and what time he said the bus leaves. He had basically ripped of the farang, gave duff info and took the piss.

The group had decided to give him a hard time for ripping us off. I was amazed, they had stepped up and outed him. My GF was saddened, she told me she understood that in bars we would be done over if pi55ed, but here...hmmm

Bus arrived at 11:49 am. Typically, we had been done over. He had lost face, and never returned to his shop whilst we were there waiting. He sent a young pregnant teen girl to deal with others....lol

We enjoyed our trip, it's not the same all over Thailand, but may just be. Despite this, it was fun and just wanted to share.

great report, am driving up from phuket next week as gf needs to leave every 90 days

Thanks

Hi, glad it helped. It's $10 for Myanmar visa, has to be crispy new with no marks on it.

Have a great trip.