Best place for a Tourist visa run?

[TPDH]

Hey! I have been in Thailand for 7 months soon and I plan on being a tourist here for another 2-3 months before I go home to Sweden. Currently Im in Bangkok and I need to do a Visa run. I made trips around South East Asia and at the moment I have 3 Thai Tourist Visas in my passport. Last time I did a visa run/vacation to Singapore and they denied my first application to get a new tourist visa because they thought i had stayed in Thailand too much, but they approved my second application the day after. At the suvarnabhumi airport the immigration questioned me a lot why I stayed in Thailand for so long and why I had so many visas. Luckily, after some questioning, they decided to let me in.

Based from what I read at the forums it seems like its getting more difficult to stay in Thailand on tourist visas. And I heard that the Thai embassy in Vientiane has become more strict about giving out tourist visas which makes unsure on where I should do a visa run.

So my question is: Where should I go to be sure to get another single entry Tourist visa?

Edited January 1, 2014 by Hansen88a

[wayned]

Singapore seems to be very unfriendly. Your best bet is either Vientiane or Savannaket, Laos. There are van services from Bangkok, just google "visa runs bangkok", You will have to spend at least one night in Laos, as you submit your application in the morning of day 1 and pickup the visa in the afternoon of day 2.

[ubonjoe]

If you haven't gotten any visas from Vientiane before you will not have a problem getting a single entry visa there.

The easy way to get there is to fly to Udon Thani and take a van to the bridge in Nong Kai.

[bunter2000]

Hi,

I have not lived in Thailand for a few years now but come back every year. I will be moving over in the next 2-3 years but while I lived in Thailand as a teacher in Bangkok my favourite Visa run was Ranong. It was over night bus from southern bus terminal which arrived in Ranong about 6AM. While I waited for my contact to pick me up and take me to the immigration office I went next door to the bus stop and had a coffee.

After finishing with immigration my contact then took me to the harbour where I got a longtail to Victoria point in Burma, you can stay and hire a bike to look around or head straight back to the boat and back to Thailand through immigration and then back to the bus stop for the next bus (about an hours wait from memory) then back to Bangkok. At a time when the fast trips to Cambodia were at a cost of 2200 baht the complete trip including all costs (plus food) was around 1000 baht.

The bus trip was the usual boring trip but the half an hour or so trip across the water was great and enjoyed that very much. I still have the details of the Thai guide I used at Ranong - Konad 0869415365 (the original number in my phone was 9 digits long so I assume and added the 8 in the number). He cost 300 baht for his services, as it was 6 years ago all prices would have changed. Even if you do it once just for the experience its worth it.

[Ruin]

Why not combine Siam Reap with the visa run?

[ubonjoe]

The OP wants to get a tourist visa not a visa exempt entry by doing a border run.

[Sceptict11]

Why not combine Siam Reap with the visa run?

The OP needs a new visa "Siam Reap" would not be a good place to obtain a Thai via !

[Everton1888]

if you go overland you get 2 weeks extension if you fly out you get a month for uk .I flew to vientiene,laos last time and got 1 month on return to BKK. next time will go to Phnom Phen,more expensive but more to do there.

[bunter2000]

Just sharing my story, if it works for some great if not move on

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ubonjoe]

if you go overland you get 2 weeks extension if you fly out you get a month for uk .I flew to vientiene,laos last time and got 1 month on return to BKK. next time will go to Phnom Phen,more expensive but more to do there.

Since you are a UK citizen you can now get 30 days at a border crossing. Same for the other G7 country citizens since Nov.1st of last year.

[ubonjoe]

Two nonsensical and off topic posts removed.

[techboy]

For a simple 30-day extension go north to Maesai and walk across to Tachileik in Myanmar. Myanmar has a 500 Baht entry fee- Thai exit and entry is free. All fast and efficient. Great international markets on both sides. Be warned that this time of year it is cold at night up there and not many places have heat in rooms. You will need to cover yourself well in the rack and waking up in the morning the last thing that you want to think of is getting into a shower. Personally I think it is worth it. Maesai is great.

For a regular 60-day visa I like Malaysia. The Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is friendly and efficient- I have been there twice this year. They do not require you to present airline departure tickets as does Singapore. No double entries, if you are wondering. KL is overall friendly, speaks a lot of English and restaurants & shopping are surprisingly cheap. Also some great markets. A decent hotel room at Thai prices is difficult. I have found in Little India good mid-range places that convert to about 1400THB. Also China Town, which goes from mid to backpackers to sleaze backpackers.

The link below provides excellent info on getting the visa.

http://www.travelfish.org/blogs/malaysia/2012/05/18/getting-a-thai-visa-in-kuala-lumpur/

Oh yeah. Expensive, long cab ride into town from the old airport which is where you will arrive if you go with AirAsia. I did not look into alternate mass transit but it is available.

[slipperylobster]

Vientiane for the double entry wins. New modifications on the services will be completed soon...but its quick and easy. Nong Khai has a great riverfront...and Vientiane...the restaurants.... Easy fly in to Udon and short bus trip.

[slipperylobster]

Those service modifications are new structures built at the border...not at the Thai consulate.

[TPDH]

For a simple 30-day extension go north to Maesai and walk across to Tachileik in Myanmar. Myanmar has a 500 Baht entry fee- Thai exit and entry is free. All fast and efficient. Great international markets on both sides. Be warned that this time of year it is cold at night up there and not many places have heat in rooms. You will need to cover yourself well in the rack and waking up in the morning the last thing that you want to think of is getting into a shower. Personally I think it is worth it. Maesai is great.

For a regular 60-day visa I like Malaysia. The Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is friendly and efficient- I have been there twice this year. They do not require you to present airline departure tickets as does Singapore. No double entries, if you are wondering. KL is overall friendly, speaks a lot of English and restaurants & shopping are surprisingly cheap. Also some great markets. A decent hotel room at Thai prices is difficult. I have found in Little India good mid-range places that convert to about 1400THB. Also China Town, which goes from mid to backpackers to sleaze backpackers.

The link below provides excellent info on getting the visa.

http://www.travelfish.org/blogs/malaysia/2012/05/18/getting-a-thai-visa-in-kuala-lumpur/

Oh yeah. Expensive, long cab ride into town from the old airport which is where you will arrive if you go with AirAsia. I did not look into alternate mass transit but it is available.

I guess I just wanna get the visa as quick and cheap as possible. KL sounds great, but wouldn't a visa run to Vientiene be smoother, cheaper and just as safe/likely to get a Tourist visa there?

[ubonjoe]

Vientiane would be the least expensive.

From recent reports KL has gotten a little less friendly for getting visas also.