Phu Nam Ron trip report, closest border to Bangkok for Visa extensions

[BruceBayliss]

Trip report from Phu Nam Ron, closest border to Bangkok for Visa extensions being only 200km via Kanchanaburi.

I left Bangkok in the morning taking the shuttle from Victory Monument which leaves throughout the day at 20-40 minute intervals. The minibus cost $110 Bhat, but equally I could have bused or took the train. The mini van dropped me at the Kanchanaburi bus station.

From there we then caught the 11:30am (also 10:30 & 12:30) bus from Kanchanaburi to Phu Nam Ron, note this is the blue bus which costs 70 Bhat, not the red one which goes to a similar named town. The bus arrived a little after 1pm. For those driving you need to take the AH 123 / 3512 which is a new road all the way. In Phu Nam Ron there is a cosy café right next to the immigration office which does good coffee and lunches.

The Thai immigration is small but well setup and to stamp and process, being a new border gate the crowds are still minimal. You travel into Myanmar at which point the Visa runner’s return to Thailand. While we got our Myanmar Visa’s stamped by Myanmar immigration and continued through to Dawei and Maung Ma Kan Beach approximately 150km on the Myanmar side of the border. Amazing place much more like Thailand’s beaches 20 odd years ago.

The full blog and info on the Myanmar side can be found on my blog http://www.southernmyanmar.com/transportation/phu-nam-ron-border-crossing-blog/

[lembit]

The new road AH 123 / 3512, where do you turn off for that one? When it's new, I can't find it on my map....is it from 3229/3455?

[lembit]

OK, sorry, found it allready.....

[fifthcolumn]

I'm confused by your terminology. Could you please spell this out in steps? If they don't have a duty free, don't bother but thanks.

You mentioned a visa. Do I need a visa for a border hop or will us10 do it.

You mention going into the interior 6km, is it now possible for onward travel??! Yiu have gone 150km inland, can you yravel the country thru this option??

Edited January 12, 2014 by fifthcolumn

[ubonjoe]

There are other topics about this border crossing.

If you are just wanting a new entry you pay 700 baht (500 for entry and 200 for service charge) on the Thai side of the border for a person to take your passport to the Myanmar side and get your entry/departure stamps then you re-enter Thailand.

[floc]

Please be aware that there are no busses back to Kanchanaburi after noon. We figured the 12:30 bus should take us back, but appearantly it doesn't.

We did the border crossing as a visa run yesterday, also by public transport with the blue bus from Kanchanaburi at 10:30 (70 Baht). After getting stamped back into Thailand, we asked around for the bus back to Kanchanaburi. The Dutchman who runs the cafe said 5pm, but everyone else said no busses today. The dutchman offered to call us a taxi for 500 Baht, which we declined.

We finally hitchhiked back to Kanchanaburi, which was easy as pie. I usually don't hitchhike, but the Thai people passing by won't let you stand there for more than 10 minutes.

If you want to go from Bangkok Victory Monument or Southern Bus Station, you better start early to catch the 10:30 bus in Kancha and plan to spend the whole day, 12h+ in transit.

Edited February 16, 2014 by floc

[Tomtomtom69]

I'm confused by your terminology. Could you please spell this out in steps? If they don't have a duty free, don't bother but thanks.

You mentioned a visa. Do I need a visa for a border hop or will us10 do it.

You mention going into the interior 6km, is it now possible for onward travel??! Yiu have gone 150km inland, can you yravel the country thru this option??

Yes you can, with a visa. This has been mentioned many times on the Myanmar forum.

[angsta]

A 'border hop'costs 700 baht. I guess this is teh price of the visa and erghhh a number they just made up. No negotiations it's 700 baht.

Duty free? 555, when you see it you will realise why that statement is funny. No duty free.

[ubonjoe]

It 500 baht for the visa and a 200 baht service charge for them to take you passport across no mans land to get the Myanmar stamps done.

[KhunBENQ]

Of course you can also use a visa run service from Bangkok.by bus to this checkpoint (for visa runners only, not actually entering Myanmar).

They do not name the checkpoint on their website to keep it "secret" as long as possible I guess.

http://www.thaivisarun.com/index.html

(I have this from a detailed report in a German language forum)

Edited February 16, 2014 by KhunBENQ

[Khun Jean]

Thaivisarun goes to the cambodian border.

Does a myanmar visa take a whole page in your passport or only a stamp. My passport is getting full and saving pages would be nice.

[KhunBENQ]

They don't.

And they explicitely state they don't go to Aranjapratet.

As I told you there is a detailed report that they are going there from Suk Soi 63.

Don't want to link to a German forum.

(Khun Jean: you have a personal message)

The Myanmar visa does not fill a whole page, just a stamp.

Edited February 16, 2014 by KhunBENQ

[angsta]

I was told that a visa run company from Bkk was now using this border when I was at the border a few weeks ago.

[KhunBENQ]

I was told that a visa run company from Bkk was now using this border when I was at the border a few weeks ago.

"Quick Thai Visa Run", as I linked it in my post.

http://www.thaivisarun.com/index.html

[Khun Jean]

Thanks for the details KhunBENQ. The info in the German forum is good.

I will use that border in the future as all those cambodia visas are taking up to many pages.

I went many times with thaivisarun and the website is still exactly the same., good to know that they now go there.

A pity the price is still 2000, but if things are done for you it is convenient.

I think in a few weeks it will be more busy.

[Kan Win]

A pity the price is still 2000, but if things are done for you it is convenient.

I think in a few weeks it will be more busy.

Does the 2,000 Baht include the 700 Baht for a visa? or just the Transport and lunch?

A PR holder btw who would like to know and to tell folks in Kan about this visa run option.

Win

[KhunBENQ]

From the website:

Fee: 2,000 Baht includes visa & meal.
Don't forget to bring your Passport and a 4x6 cm photo! (We provide all the required visa documents.)

The info abut the price is consistent with the report in the German forum.

The information about the photo is contradictionary to (no photo needed).

[Kan Win]

(I have this from a detailed report in a German language forum)

Please could you PM me with that link.

Thanking you in advance.

Win

[Kan Win]

From the website:

Fee: 2,000 Baht includes visa & meal.

The info abut the price is consistent with the report in the German forum.

The information about the photo is contradictionary to (no photo needed).

That is the very best offer that I have seen on this forum.

For 1,300 Baht per person from Bangers and Mash to Phu Nam Ron the closest border crossing from Bangkok with a lunch of Western food? is OK, I think.

The 700 Baht is for as ubonjoe mentioned many times before.

Thank you ubonjoe

So basically, if you have a full van then (10 people) 13,000 Baht per trip, looks good to me for a round trip of say 500 to 600 kms or a bit more

Or if you have a bunch of you that needs to do a visa run, hire your very own Mini-Van and visit Kan for a day or two.

Win

[KhunBENQ]

Please could you PM me with that link.

Done.

[neilf]

Does anybody know about taking a car out of thailand at that new border and back in again please

Sent from my GT-S5310B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Tomtomtom69]

Does anybody know about taking a car out of thailand at that new border and back in again please

Sent from my GT-S5310B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I have read that you can easily drive yourself to Myanmar immigration for the stamp and then back again, in fact they encourage that since there's no reliable transport between the Thai and Myanmar checkpoints, which happen to be located quite far apart.

However, in order to go further inside the country with your car, you'd need special permission from the Myanmar government's MTT agency. Currently, my understanding is that only Italian-Thai vehicles can cross the border in either direction and they too are subject to restrictions, meaning can only travel to the sites associated with their work, not just anywhere in the country. There has been talk of opening up Myanmar freely to foreign registered vehicles, but it's currently unclear when exactly this will occur. Some sources suggest later this year, otherwise perhaps next year with the opening of AEC, but generally speaking it's anyone's guess.

Right now the most straightforward method of driving into Myanmar with your own car is going on an organized driving tour, taking in the major sites and cities along the way. Almost without exception, these tours start and end at Mae Sot, crossing the border into Myanmar at the Mae Sot/Myawady crossing and coming back the same way. I have the contacts of 2 agencies that can arrange these tours. It's becoming quite straightforward these days and with about 1 month's advance planning, it's quite easy to go.

[AS1]

Great Information thank you I too have to go next week from Suphanburi just would like to know are they open 7 days?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Boycie]

Great Information thank you I too have to go next week from Suphanburi just would like to know are they open 7 days?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Yes the border is open 7 days a week.

Myanmar visa fee/service is now 900baht.

A more recent report here

[angsta]

Great Information thank you I too have to go next week from Suphanburi just would like to know are they open 7 days?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Yes the border is open 7 days a week.

Myanmar visa fee/service is now 900baht.

A more recent report here

Hardly a reliable report re the 900 baht.

[BigRick]

Please be aware that there are no busses back to Kanchanaburi after noon. We figured the 12:30 bus should take us back, but appearantly it doesn't.

We did the border crossing as a visa run yesterday, also by public transport with the blue bus from Kanchanaburi at 10:30 (70 Baht). After getting stamped back into Thailand, we asked around for the bus back to Kanchanaburi. The Dutchman who runs the cafe said 5pm, but everyone else said no busses today. The dutchman offered to call us a taxi for 500 Baht, which we declined.

We finally hitchhiked back to Kanchanaburi, which was easy as pie. I usually don't hitchhike, but the Thai people passing by won't let you stand there for more than 10 minutes.

If you want to go from Bangkok Victory Monument or Southern Bus Station, you better start early to catch the 10:30 bus in Kancha and plan to spend the whole day, 12h+ in transit.

There is a mini van for 140baht that runs until 7pm they will pick you up at most places. Its a decent service me and my wife have both used it scores of times.

[BigRick]

Here is the telephone number of the "agent" who facilitates the border paperwork. His office is right next to the exit point into Burma. I will be calling him tomorrow myself to find out if it is 900 baht because I planned on just doing border runs since I live in Kburi. Chai 085-2917209. This is going to suck is these guys are getting greedy. 200 baht is reasonable but 400 is pushing it.

[angsta]

Please be aware that there are no busses back to Kanchanaburi after noon. We figured the 12:30 bus should take us back, but appearantly it doesn't.

We did the border crossing as a visa run yesterday, also by public transport with the blue bus from Kanchanaburi at 10:30 (70 Baht). After getting stamped back into Thailand, we asked around for the bus back to Kanchanaburi. The Dutchman who runs the cafe said 5pm, but everyone else said no busses today. The dutchman offered to call us a taxi for 500 Baht, which we declined.

We finally hitchhiked back to Kanchanaburi, which was easy as pie. I usually don't hitchhike, but the Thai people passing by won't let you stand there for more than 10 minutes.

If you want to go from Bangkok Victory Monument or Southern Bus Station, you better start early to catch the 10:30 bus in Kancha and plan to spend the whole day, 12h+ in transit.

There is a mini van for 140baht that runs until 7pm they will pick you up at most places. Its a decent service me and my wife have both used it scores of times.

Where are most places? From where to where?

[Boycie]

Hardly a reliable report re the 900 baht.

A member stated that he was charged 900 baht and i've got no reasons to disbelieve.

Would of been good to see if other members have also been charged the same fee recently, but now the topic has been closed. Think a change of the topic title would have done the trick thou.

But lets stay on topic, otherwise with my luck this thread with be clo...........

[AS1]

Thanks for the information guys much appreciated, one more question my Visa runs out 11 March how far in advance can i go to renew?

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