Hua Hin to Ranong & Myanmar to renew 30 day Tourist Visa.

[NCC1701A]

Here is some of my experiences during my visa run to Ranong and Myanmar on April 15th, 2014. Over all it was a very good experience.

I am a American with a US passport. I dressed very business like, shaved and looked like I was going to a important meeting. So did everyone else.

I used the company "Ranong Visa Run" located across from the train station in Hua Hin.
The woman's name was "Abbe" at the company. She was very nice. I went to the office on April 10th and paid the 2500 baht fee which includes the $10 USD border fee and one sandwich. I was told all I needed was my passport, nothing else. I did bring a copy of my house lease with my address on it. I did not need it. The trip is 13 hours in total, 10 of it on the road.

Since I live 17 kilometers south of Hua Hin in the same direction as Ranong, they agreed to pick me up on the highway. Abbe said they will be there at 6:10 AM and that is when they showed up, almost to the minute.

The mini van as very nice. It seated 11 but there was only 7 people in total in the van, including the driver and his helper, giving everyone room to stretch out. I was able to lie down in the back of the van. Good air conditioning vents in the roof. I was never hot in the van.

I brought a backpack with a iPad with movies and GPS program. Also a iPhone and a AIS pocket WiFi hotspot so I can have somewhat high speed internet. I also had three bottles of water and some of those 7/11 snacks that are really bad for you but fill you up.

The GPS program made the trip seem shorter because you know right where you are as it counts down the miles.

Of course the driver is going 140 km/h ten feet from the car in front of us. You know, this sort of breaks up the boredom of the ten hour drive. It as interesting to watch the reaction of my fellow travelers as we pass other cars without returning to our lane as oncoming traffic approaches. The Mad Max game of Thai chicken. I spent sometime thinking if I would survive a 120 km/h head on collision seated in the back of the van, or if I would burn to death as the cars exploded.

Then I watched "The Wolf of Wall Street" on my iPad.

As we hit dips over and over again in the road, we would all be launched into the air for a brief moment as the suspension of the Toyota van would reach its zenith and then fall back to earth. In all fairness, this was just typical Thai driving. I had no problem with it.

Two hours into the trip at 8 AM we stop for about 20 minutes for a food, coffee and potty break at one of those big ass gas stations truck stop like things. I found some street food type chicken, espresso and believe it or not, a 7/11. It is hot at 8 AM.

Back on the road and five hours into the trip, at 11 AM, we are in line at Thai immigration in Ranong at the dock for the ferry. 11AM is when Abbe said we would get there.

I filled out the same form you receive then you fly into Thailand. The visa run company was very helpful with pens and helping with the questions on the form.

Stood in line for about 20 minutes with about 20 other people waiting to get permission to exit the country. They took our photos and looked at our passports.

Very easy process. Then the visa run company took my passport. "To make copies".

About 11:45 AM the ferry leaves. The captain says "New law with new year, must wear life jacket." OK.

The ferry is almost full and we cross the channel into in Myanmar. It takes about forty five minutes. I do not get my passport back and no one else in our group does either. I am sort of nervous giving my passport away, but it is done. The water is calm.

Get off the ferry, go into the immigration office, no air conditioning, very hot, smells like moth balls. Stand round for like 10 minutes, then we are told we can walk around the little town. The visa company people get my passport stamped for me. Very nice.

It was still the water festival in Myanmar and one of my fellow travelers got her real leather Gucci bag and iPhone soaked. I was not expecting that. She was pissed.

At 12:45 and we are told to get on the ferry again. Still no passport returned.

We cross the channel back to the Thailand side, and as we get to the other side, they start passing out everyone's passport. The ferry passes a "immigration island check point" with Thai immigration police standing around. We are told to hold up our passports so the police can see them. About 35 people on the return trip.

We get to the dock, have to climb up onto the top of the ferry to get off, up a very narrow ladder. Then stand in line with about 35 other people for 40 minutes to get processed into Thailand. Once I got to the window, the very cute girl was stamping, stamping stamping away. She shot me a look like "If you marry me you no have to stand in line." I love Thailand.

They did not ask when I was leaving Thailand, no ticket needed to show exit, and they gave me thirty days without asking what date I was leaving.

Three hours total at the two immigration offices including the ferry trip. It is now 2PM, we are right on schedule for departure.

Five hours drive up the coast, one 20 minute break, a big rain storm that we pass through. Visibility drops to nothing. We live, this time.

I was back home right when Abbe said I would be. Can't beat the price. I guess if you can find someone in Hua Hin that does border runs to the north, (I could not) you can shave off about four hours of driving. But I am a newbie to Thailand and I really needed to have my hand held this time and I only had two days left to get this done.

Edited April 19, 2014 by NCC1701A

[Som wat]

Why I, nor any of my family will ever step foot inside a Thai minivan.

[aidenai]

Next time you might want to consider a visa run to Kanchanaburi. Shorter distance, less time and safer road.

Edited April 19, 2014 by aidenai

[NCC1701A]

Next time you might want to consider a visa run to Kanchanaburi. Shorter distance, less time and safer road.

Yes but there was no company offering runs in that direction from Hua Hin. I am not sure why. And I did not have time to mess around on my own. I only had four days left.

[Maestro]

NCC1701A, it looks like you got a new visa-exempt entry with permission to stay for 30 days, not a tourist visa.

[timber]

Wow! Good write up. Can spend more than that at a carnival, and you got the same experience.

[slipperylobster]

Done it before, but not worth the trip again. Flying into Udon and a short Limo ride to Nong Khai can be done in less than two hours. Nong Khai and Vientiane are nice, relaxing places. Most people like to stay a night or two. Probably the best border run of them all.

[khwaibah]

Next time you might want to consider a visa run to Kanchanaburi. Shorter distance, less time and safer road.

Why ?? Hua Hin to Kanchanaburi border crossing is 260 km GPS 13.8943261614, 99.0824043133 (KBC) Hua Hin to Sing Khon border crossing is only 118 km. GPS from:11.7866717453, 99.6425709033 (HHBC).

[mahjongguy]

Shouldn't there be a distinction made between "border run" and "visa run"?

The former gets you 15/30 days or gets you a new entry on your Tourist or multiple Non-O, just by walking in & out. The latter takes overnight but gets you a new visa.

[ubonjoe]

Next time you might want to consider a visa run to Kanchanaburi. Shorter distance, less time and safer road.

Why ?? Hua Hin to Kanchanaburi border crossing is 260 km GPS 13.8943261614, 99.0824043133 (KBC) Hua Hin to Sing Khon border crossing is only 118 km. GPS from:11.7866717453, 99.6425709033 (HHBC).

<snipped pic>

it is not open for foreigners yet. Only Thais can use it.

[stickylies]

Next time you might want to consider a visa run to Kanchanaburi. Shorter distance, less time and safer road.

Why ?? Hua Hin to Kanchanaburi border crossing is 260 km GPS 13.8943261614, 99.0824043133 (KBC) Hua Hin to Sing Khon border crossing is only 118 km. GPS from:11.7866717453, 99.6425709033 (HHBC).

<snipped pic>

it is not open for foreigners yet. Only Thais can use it.

incorrect: even common thais cannot use it yet.

some thais can use it to get in and do business in mawdaung, the burmese village 3km inside (which gets its electricity from the thai), but they don't go much further. this has been the case for ages. the road up to Myeik is getting upgraded/repaired as we speak ("Mawdaung-Myeik Road Project" is a Thai initiative) and should be operational later this year.

ps. when the mawdaung pass was controlled by KNU thai could easily drive up to Tennasserim (and even Myeik), paying at the numerous tax/checkpoints. a lot of smuggling was done then, mainly cattle.

[lucifer666]

I have called there ( across from the train station), several times in the last few months. I thought it had closed. It certainly didn't look open and i had a few friends that needed the trip. Is it still the same Aussie guy that owns it and do you have his number? ( i have a business card but that number doesn't work now)

[aidenai]

Next time you might want to consider a visa run to Kanchanaburi. Shorter distance, less time and safer road.

Why ?? Hua Hin to Kanchanaburi border crossing is 260 km GPS 13.8943261614, 99.0824043133 (KBC) Hua Hin to Sing Khon border crossing is only 118 km. GPS from:11.7866717453, 99.6425709033 (HHBC).

<snipped pic>

it is not open for foreigners yet. Only Thais can use it.

Exactly. Not open for foreigners.

[Falcon]

Yes, that's true, the border is not open for anyone due to their not being any immigration officers working there for the Myanmar side. Not only is it not open to foreigners but Thai's too. We go there often for shopping, they have some great furniture there in the market all wooden and hand made and cheap too. Well worth a day trip out there if you are bored with the usual stuff.

[SeaVisionBurma]

Shouldn't there be a distinction made between "border run" and "visa run"?

The former gets you 15/30 days or gets you a new entry on your Tourist or multiple Non-O, just by walking in & out. The latter takes overnight but gets you a new visa.

In this particular case only the former applies - a border run.

There is no Thai Consulate in Kawthoung, so a visa run (in the context you suggested) would be not be possible