Mae Sai not allowing Visa Runs as of today

[ubonjoe]

You will not have a problem since you have a valid visa. I have seen no posts of anybody being asked to show money at Mae Sai.

[wowjudo]

is the mae sai border still not allowing visa runs for Laos and Myanmar people ? Or just lower than 30 days ?

[zxzoomy]

The one time I went across at that border it was for a shopping trip, not a visa run. Are people in Thailand on visa exempt still allowed to go shopping in Myanmar, armed, as the link in the above post suggests, with proof of leaving Thailand within 30 days?

[Mario2008]

Shopping (with a day pass) is not a problem. It mena syour current permisison to stay remains the same and you don't get a new permisison to stay when you return to Thailand.

[flupke]

Shopping (with a day pass) is not a problem. It mena syour current permisison to stay remains the same and you don't get a new permisison to stay when you return to Thailand.

shopping only for Thai , no longer for foreigner with just the vip pas , experienced myself few weeks ago

[Mario2008]

Shopping (with a day pass) is not a problem. It mena syour current permisison to stay remains the same and you don't get a new permisison to stay when you return to Thailand.

shopping only for Thai , no longer for foreigner with just the vip pas , experienced myself few weeks ago

Thanks for posting. That is a big change I was not aware of.

[millwall_fan]

Can anyone verify this? I was planning on popping over the border on a VIP pass in Jan to get a couple of bottles of Single Malt and have a flutter in the casino. Without the Scotch I wouldn't bother.

[Tomtomtom69]

Shopping (with a day pass) is not a problem. It mena syour current permisison to stay remains the same and you don't get a new permisison to stay when you return to Thailand.

shopping only for Thai , no longer for foreigner with just the vip pas , experienced myself few weeks ago

What do you mean? The VIP pass, whereby you make 2 photocopies of your passport, don't stamp out of Thailand and just pay 100 Baht on the Thai side and hand over your passport, then US$10 on the Myanmar side is supposed to be the equivalent of the border pass for Thais. It allows you to stay only during the day, then you have to cross back no later than 6.30pm Thai time or 6pm Myanmar time, which is when the bridge closes for the day. Nothing happens to your period of stay on the Thai side and there is no record of you having left Thailand or entered Myanmar. The idea behind this VIP pass I guess was to allow you to do some shopping, perhaps visit the casino etc. but then return back to Thailand.

Are you suggesting that now you have to actually stamp in/out, meaning that even for a one day trip you either need a multiple entry visa, or a re-entry permit, or if permitted to do so on a visa-free entry, you must be stamped out, into/out of Myanmar then back to Thailand?

[millwall_fan]

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Shopping (with a day pass) is not a problem. It mena syour current permisison to stay remains the same and you don't get a new permisison to stay when you return to Thailand.

shopping only for Thai , no longer for foreigner with just the vip pas , experienced myself few weeks ago

What do you mean? The VIP pass, whereby you make 2 photocopies of your passport, don't stamp out of Thailand and just pay 100 Baht on the Thai side and hand over your passport, then US$10 on the Myanmar side is supposed to be the equivalent of the border pass for Thais. It allows you to stay only during the day, then you have to cross back no later than 6.30pm Thai time or 6pm Myanmar time, which is when the bridge closes for the day. Nothing happens to your period of stay on the Thai side and there is no record of you having left Thailand or entered Myanmar. The idea behind this VIP pass I guess was to allow you to do some shopping, perhaps visit the casino etc. but then return back to Thailand.

Are you suggesting that now you have to actually stamp in/out, meaning that even for a one day trip you either need a multiple entry visa, or a re-entry permit, or if permitted to do so on a visa-free entry, you must be stamped out, into/out of Myanmar then back to Thailand?

Yes, thank you for clarifying Tom. Thats what i'm talking about too. Flupke seems to be suggesting that this scheme has bitten the dust. anyone know definitely?

[DP25]

What is the current situation in Mae Sai?

I currently am on the first entry of a double entry tourist visa. I am waiting for paperwork to get a non B but am not sure it will be done in time, and was thinking of activating my second entry in Mae Sai in 2 weeks. Is that going to be a problem? I have lots of tourist visas, non B visas, entry stamps etc in my passport already. Are they being hard asses? Do I need to bring 20,000 baht with me to show?

Edited November 15, 2014 by DP25

[ubonjoe]

What is the current situation in Mae Sai?

I currently am on the first entry of a double entry tourist visa. I am waiting for paperwork to get a non B but am not sure it will be done in time, and was thinking of activating my second entry in Mae Sai in 2 weeks. Is that going to be a problem? I have lots of tourist visas, non B visas, entry stamps etc in my passport already. Are they being hard asses? Do I need to bring 20,000 baht with me to show?

There have not been any reports of any problems recently.

Have you done the 30 day extension of your 60 day entry yet. They recently would not allow some people to leave because they had not done the the extension yet.

[thaiboy11]

what about border run for have ,30 days more fninish non o extension want 30 days before go to laos for new visa ??

[ubonjoe]

what about border run for have ,30 days more fninish non o extension want 30 days before go to laos for new visa ??

No problem to get a visa exempt entry after having a visa entry or extension.

You will only get a 15 day entry at a border crossing unless you are from a G7 country. But you can now extend that entry for 30 days at immigration.

[thaiboy11]

thank ubon, i m from france ,

are you sure after a non o 3 month and 60 days extension , i can make 30 extension again, ? i never hear that , so if at mae sai they say no entry can i make this extension at mae sai himigration ?

thanks

[DP25]

What is the current situation in Mae Sai?

I currently am on the first entry of a double entry tourist visa. I am waiting for paperwork to get a non B but am not sure it will be done in time, and was thinking of activating my second entry in Mae Sai in 2 weeks. Is that going to be a problem? I have lots of tourist visas, non B visas, entry stamps etc in my passport already. Are they being hard asses? Do I need to bring 20,000 baht with me to show?

There have not been any reports of any problems recently.

Have you done the 30 day extension of your 60 day entry yet. They recently would not allow some people to leave because they had not done the the extension yet.

Yeah, I did the 30 day extension already in Nan. That's funny you say that, because when I went to do the extension, they told me I should have just gone to the border (Mae Sai or the one in Nan) and activated my 2nd entry instead of wasting my money on the extension since I might need more than the 30 days it gives me.

Anyway, good to know. If the paperwork for my non B is not finished in time I will go to Mae Sai.

Thanks!

[ubonjoe]

thank ubon, i m from france ,

are you sure after a non o 3 month and 60 days extension , i can make 30 extension again, ? i never hear that , so if at mae sai they say no entry can i make this extension at mae sai himigration ?

thanks

You can get a 30 day visa exempt entry and then do another 60 day extension if you wanted to.

The 30 day extension was for the 30 day entry also not your current entry.

[thaiboy11]

oh got it, i make 30 days by mae sai on 18 and next month i can have 30 days more from immigration ? i thought it was only by plane entry

[ubonjoe]

The 30 day extension gotten for any visa exempt entry obtained by land, sea or air.

[thaiboy11]

thank guys , i will make report about situation in mae sai

[Kammikaze]

Hallo!

Can somebody please give me an advice about the current visa situation in Thailand?

1.) I got the regular tourist visa (30 days on arrival).

I^m a German citizen and now I would like to prelong my stay for 1 or 2 more month.

Can I just go to Mae Sai and cross the border and I will get 30 more days? Or should I go to immigration and prelong there? (my visa runs out 9th of December).

2.) somebody knows what the best way is to change a the date of a flight ticket with Emirates airline? (office in Thailand or travel agency or online)?

Khopkhunkhrap for your help!

[ubonjoe]

Hallo!

Can somebody please give me an advice about the current visa situation in Thailand?

1.) I got the regular tourist visa (30 days on arrival).

I^m a German citizen and now I would like to prelong my stay for 1 or 2 more month.

Can I just go to Mae Sai and cross the border and I will get 30 more days? Or should I go to immigration and prelong there? (my visa runs out 9th of December).

2.) somebody knows what the best way is to change a the date of a flight ticket with Emirates airline? (office in Thailand or travel agency or online)?

Khopkhunkhrap for your help!

You did not get a tourist visa on entry you got a visa exempt entry.

1.You can get a 30 day extension at immigration for a fee of 1900 baht,

After that you could do a border run to Mae Sai for another 30 day exempt entry.

2. You need to check Emirates. if there is a change fee many airlines require you to go to their office to pay it.

[Kammikaze]

Hey Joe!

Thx for your quick help!

can I just go to Mae Sai in the next 2 weeks to prelong for 30 days without getting an extension from Thai immigration first?

Thx a lot.

[ubonjoe]

Hey Joe!

Thx for your quick help!

can I just go to Mae Sai in the next 2 weeks to prelong for 30 days without getting an extension from Thai immigration first?

Thx a lot.

You could go for another entry instead of the extension.

There has been a report of Mae Sai turning people away because they qualified for an extension of a tourist visa entry. Not sure if they would do the same for an exempt entry extension.