Been To Mae Sai Recently?

[agsnowdon]

Hey all,

Have any of you been to Mae Sai recently to do your visa runs?

If so have you had any good or bad experiences with the newly installed x-ray machine?

Cheers

Ash

[unforgettable_thai]

Hey all,

Have any of you been to Mae Sai recently to do your visa runs?

If so have you had any good or bad experiences with the newly installed x-ray machine?

Cheers

Ash

X-Ray machines? What x-ray? I was just there on the 15th of June and there were none that i saw... It was a normal trip across quick and easy as normal.

[Maejo Man]

X-Ray machines? What x-ray? I was just there on the 15th of June and there were none that i saw... It was a normal trip across quick and easy as normal.

Well there is a super sized one there now Take a look at the Chiangmai Mae Sai latest info thread.

[unforgettable_thai]

X-Ray machines? What x-ray? I was just there on the 15th of June and there were none that i saw... It was a normal trip across quick and easy as normal.

Well there is a super sized one there now Take a look at the Chiangmai Mae Sai latest info thread.

Are they letting you bring back DVDs now or not? Are they using these machines to look for drugs? Can they really stop people from buying DVDs with this machine?

[Thaising]

X-Ray machines? What x-ray? I was just there on the 15th of June and there were none that i saw... It was a normal trip across quick and easy as normal.

Well there is a super sized one there now Take a look at the Chiangmai Mae Sai latest info thread.

Are they letting you bring back DVDs now or not? Are they using these machines to look for drugs? Can they really stop people from buying DVDs with this machine?

If you don’t want to get caught for smuggling illegal dvd, it best not to bringing any illegal items in now.

[agsnowdon]

X-Ray machines? What x-ray? I was just there on the 15th of June and there were none that i saw... It was a normal trip across quick and easy as normal.

Well there is a super sized one there now Take a look at the Chiangmai Mae Sai latest info thread.

Are they letting you bring back DVDs now or not? Are they using these machines to look for drugs? Can they really stop people from buying DVDs with this machine?

Maybe someone can tell us if they have been stopped or not, but keeping it to forum rules!

[chownah]

I saw what looked like a mobile xray unit once on much trip up there...is that the one you're talking about?

[Maejo Man]

I saw what looked like a mobile xray unit once on much trip up there...is that the one you're talking about?

Chownah this one is the same as they use at the airports, with a conveyor belt in and out, and permanently fixed. Nothing mobile about this unit.

[meadish_sweetball]

once on much trip up there...

How much 'trip' had you been ingesting previous to this vision?

[cm das]

I was in Mae Sai last week & saw the big x-ray machine. A few Thais had their bags screened but I was waved right through by customs, no bag check of any kind.

[Maejo Man]

I was in Mae Sai last week & saw the big x-ray machine. A few Thais had their bags screened but I was waved right through by customs, no bag check of any kind.

I think this could well be the trait as the novelty wanes, and it will be business as usual. I had to laugh at comedy being performed around me though. Just before I came back through the Thai border I saw three young Thai boys swimming across the Nam Mae sai with bundles held above their heads, and then handing them to a man on the steps.

I asked the customs officer what was going on with the young boys...."Shsss was the reply, blackmarket" I nearly cracked up on the spot

[Guest distilling]

I have to do my first border run next week. A few questions I have, unrelated to the x-ray machine, are:

1) Is it feasible/sensible to rent a motorbike and go up that way?

2) I've read that you need to flash 10,000 baht on your return to Thailand, is there any way around this (if, ahem, one might not have that much in the bank...) ?

[agsnowdon]

I have to do my first border run next week. A few questions I have, unrelated to the x-ray machine, are:

1) Is it feasible/sensible to rent a motorbike and go up that way?

2) I've read that you need to flash 10,000 baht on your return to Thailand, is there any way around this (if, ahem, one might not have that much in the bank...) ?

1 yes its possible but you will have sore bottom, just go on one of those tours.

2 I have never been asked to flash my 20,000 for my Non Imm B visa BUT I always have it in my pocket.

Now back to topic anyone else been recently?

[agsnowdon]

Just before I came back through the Thai border I saw three young Thai boys swimming across the Nam Mae sai with bundles held above their heads, and then handing them to a man on the steps.

I asked the customs officer what was going on with the young boys...."Shsss was the reply, blackmarket" I nearly cracked up on the spot

What customs officers Thai side or Burma side? Just wondering.

Cheers

Ash

[Maejo Man]

Just before I came back through the Thai border I saw three young Thai boys swimming across the Nam Mae sai with bundles held above their heads, and then handing them to a man on the steps.

I asked the customs officer what was going on with the young boys...."Shsss was the reply, blackmarket" I nearly cracked up on the spot

What customs officers Thai side or Burma side? Just wondering.

Thai side

[agsnowdon]

Just before I came back through the Thai border I saw three young Thai boys swimming across the Nam Mae sai with bundles held above their heads, and then handing them to a man on the steps.

I asked the customs officer what was going on with the young boys...."Shsss was the reply, blackmarket" I nearly cracked up on the spot

What customs officers Thai side or Burma side? Just wondering.

Thai side

[p1p]

The "unofficial" border crossing in the river has been going on for many years.

One early morning, about 5am, I sat and watched a group of about a dozen men passing packages from hand to hand across the river and loading a six-wheel truck on the Thai side. Authorities in uniform seemed o be guarding the operation!

When I was noticed, I was asked to move along....

[cabbaged]

i'm living in mae sai at the moment, might be able to help.

it is no longer necessary to have to prove that you have x amount of cash during your visa run.

also i rode a bike down from mae sai to chiang rai and back once, but never again. unless you have a really good bike, or you love riding, it's just not that much fun. took around four hours each way with stops but felt like much longer, and i was walking like a cowboy all week.

you can rent bikes in mae sai from a couple of places.

[agsnowdon]

So the question is are farangs shopping brought in mae si being scaned by the x ray machine or are they just scanning Thai and Burmise?

[cm das]

i'm living in mae sai at the moment, might be able to help.

it is no longer necessary to have to prove that you have x amount of cash during your visa run.

I've never been asked to show money but as of last week the sign was still on the window at Thai immigration stating that you had to have it. And last month a friend of mine did have to show 10k Baht. Fortunately he had it. I say better safe than sorry. But does anyone know what happens if you're asked to show the money & don't have it? Just curious.

[Ed.Lee]

Hi all, was up there 2 weeks back and was asked to show them some money, I did have it, first time I have ever been asked to show it. I was dressed well as usual, well jeans and a T-shirt but clean and well kept nonetheless.

They didnt count the money I simply flashed a bundle with a 1000 bhat not on the outside. I did ask if he wanted me to count it out for him, to which he remained silent, stamped the stamp and let me through with a grunt.

I wasn't being cocky, I just figured thats what he would want, Like I say, never been asked before so I had no clue.

I'm headed back up in around 10 days so I will update from there.

My advice....better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Blessings

[agsnowdon]

Hi all, was up there 2 weeks back and was asked to show them some money, I did have it, first time I have ever been asked to show it. I was dressed well as usual, well jeans and a T-shirt but clean and well kept nonetheless.

They didnt count the money I simply flashed a bundle with a 1000 bhat not on the outside. I did ask if he wanted me to count it out for him, to which he remained silent, stamped the stamp and let me through with a grunt.

I wasn't being cocky, I just figured thats what he would want, Like I say, never been asked before so I had no clue.

I'm headed back up in around 10 days so I will update from there.

My advice....better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Blessings

Let us know how u get on with the new x ray machine too!

[cabbaged]

wow, i'm genuinly shocked that they still ask to see cash sometimes. i know loads of people who have been through, and never got asked. just goes to show.

"it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it"

that's been the motto of my life, and it's got me in to loads of scrapes!........

[eddiecr]

I went to Mae Sai for a new visa last Saturday, the 1st of July. I've been asked to show

money 3 out of the last 4 times I've been there. I look perfectly normal, short hair, glasses,

a little nerdish even, no particular reason to choose me. Recently they seem to be getting

harsher. On Saturday two people were refused visas while I was there.

One, a youngish chap, was refused because he didn't have 5 blank pages left in

his passport, and another, a man of about 60 or 70 years, was refused because he

couldn't show enough money. The older man, when he asked why they wanted to see money,

was told that he had too many visa stamps in his passport and that they were required to ask

in cases like this. I saw his passport briefly and it did look like he'd been here a long time.

When he couldn't show any money they gave him the opportunity to go to an ATM machine but he

said he didn't have an ATM card. He claimed that he didn't know he needed to show money but the

officer pointed out that there were notices all over the check-point and that anybody

who'd been there as many times as he had couldn't possibly have missed them.

At this point he made a big mistake, he started to argue with the official

instead of apologising profusely to the big man. Last I saw of him he was being taken away by the

immigration officer. I don't know what happened to the other chap. I now have about 20 visa

stamps in my passport and, while I don't believe there's anything like an "official" quota, immigration

started asking me to show money around the time I received the 14th or 15th stamp. I always

carry enough money with me when I go on a visa run, it's not an awful lot and the consequences of

not being able to show it when asked range from the inconvenient to the catastrophic.

[Maejo Man]

I went to Mae Sai for a new visa last Saturday, the 1st of July. I've been asked to show

money 3 out of the last 4 times I've been there. I look perfectly normal, short hair, glasses,

a little nerdish even, no particular reason to choose me. Recently they seem to be getting

harsher. On Saturday two people were refused visas while I was there.

One, a youngish chap, was refused because he didn't have 5 blank pages left in

his passport, and another, a man of about 60 or 70 years, was refused because he

couldn't show enough money. The older man, when he asked why they wanted to see money,

was told that he had too many visa stamps in his passport and that they were required to ask

in cases like this. I saw his passport briefly and it did look like he'd been here a long time.

When he couldn't show any money they gave him the opportunity to go to an ATM machine but he

said he didn't have an ATM card. He claimed that he didn't know he needed to show money but the

officer pointed out that there were notices all over the check-point and that anybody

who'd been there as many times as he had couldn't possibly have missed them.

At this point he made a big mistake, he started to argue with the official

instead of apologising profusely to the big man. Last I saw of him he was being taken away by the

immigration officer. I don't know what happened to the other chap. I now have about 20 visa

stamps in my passport and, while I don't believe there's anything like an "official" quota, immigration

started asking me to show money around the time I received the 14th or 15th stamp. I always

carry enough money with me when I go on a visa run, it's not an awful lot and the consequences of

not being able to show it when asked range from the inconvenient to the catastrophic.

Goodness me, you've just witnessed more in one day that most people do in twenty years of border crossings.

I would assume that you are doing this trip every thirty days seeing that "immigration

started asking me to show money around the time I received the 14th or 15th stamp" Last year the Thai immigration were refusing to exit 30 day visa runners with more than six exit stamps on their passports. There is a thread on here somewhere.

This one I find rather difficult to follow, as I've seen immigration squeezing stamps into nearly full passports.

"a youngish chap, was refused because he didn't have 5 blank pages left in

his passport"

The signs stating that you have to "show means" of 10,000 baht for 30 day entries and 20,000 baht for 90 day entries were removed as of last week, and replaced with signs stating that the "overstay" charges had been increased to 500 baht.

I find all this rather incongruent

[lannarebirth]

I went to Mae Sai for a new visa last Saturday, the 1st of July. I've been asked to show

money 3 out of the last 4 times I've been there. I look perfectly normal, short hair, glasses,

a little nerdish even, no particular reason to choose me. Recently they seem to be getting

harsher. On Saturday two people were refused visas while I was there.

One, a youngish chap, was refused because he didn't have 5 blank pages left in

his passport, and another, a man of about 60 or 70 years, was refused because he

couldn't show enough money. The older man, when he asked why they wanted to see money,

was told that he had too many visa stamps in his passport and that they were required to ask

in cases like this. I saw his passport briefly and it did look like he'd been here a long time.

When he couldn't show any money they gave him the opportunity to go to an ATM machine but he

said he didn't have an ATM card. He claimed that he didn't know he needed to show money but the

officer pointed out that there were notices all over the check-point and that anybody

who'd been there as many times as he had couldn't possibly have missed them.

At this point he made a big mistake, he started to argue with the official

instead of apologising profusely to the big man. Last I saw of him he was being taken away by the

immigration officer. I don't know what happened to the other chap. I now have about 20 visa

stamps in my passport and, while I don't believe there's anything like an "official" quota, immigration

started asking me to show money around the time I received the 14th or 15th stamp. I always

carry enough money with me when I go on a visa run, it's not an awful lot and the consequences of

not being able to show it when asked range from the inconvenient to the catastrophic.

Goodness me, you've just witnessed more in one day that most people do in twenty years of border crossings.

I would assume that you are doing this trip every thirty days seeing that "immigration

started asking me to show money around the time I received the 14th or 15th stamp" Last year the Thai immigration were refusing to exit 30 day visa runners with more than six exit stamps on their passports. There is a thread on here somewhere.

This one I find rather difficult to follow, as I've seen immigration squeezing stamps into nearly full passports.

"a youngish chap, was refused because he didn't have 5 blank pages left in

his passport"

The signs stating that you have to "show means" of 10,000 baht for 30 day entries and 20,000 baht for 90 day entries were removed as of last week, and replaced with signs stating that the "overstay" charges had been increased to 500 baht.

I find all this rather incongruent

iiI went on the visa run to ae sai today. The X-Ray machine seemed not to be activated. It seemed Thais were getting a little more scrutiny upon returning to Thailand than usual. As for me, no hassles. Have never once been asked to show funds, and never even knew about the 5 page deal. I've only got 1 1/2 pages left and no one said anything.

Basically situation normal. Road up there starting to get a little better too.

[Maejo Man]

The X-Ray machine seemed not to be activated. It seemed Thais were getting a little more scrutiny upon returning to Thailand than usual. Have never once been asked to show funds, and never even knew about the 5 page deal. I've only got 1 1/2 pages left and no one said anything.

Well the novelty of their new found toy would seem to have prematurely worn off. I thought it might have lasted a little longer though, to justify the great expense of installing it.

[eddiecr]

I went to Mae Sai for a new visa last Saturday, the 1st of July. I've been asked to show

money 3 out of the last 4 times I've been there. I look perfectly normal, short hair, glasses,

a little nerdish even, no particular reason to choose me. Recently they seem to be getting

harsher. On Saturday two people were refused visas while I was there.

One, a youngish chap, was refused because he didn't have 5 blank pages left in

his passport, and another, a man of about 60 or 70 years, was refused because he

couldn't show enough money. The older man, when he asked why they wanted to see money,

was told that he had too many visa stamps in his passport and that they were required to ask

in cases like this. I saw his passport briefly and it did look like he'd been here a long time.

When he couldn't show any money they gave him the opportunity to go to an ATM machine but he

said he didn't have an ATM card. He claimed that he didn't know he needed to show money but the

officer pointed out that there were notices all over the check-point and that anybody

who'd been there as many times as he had couldn't possibly have missed them.

At this point he made a big mistake, he started to argue with the official

instead of apologising profusely to the big man. Last I saw of him he was being taken away by the

immigration officer. I don't know what happened to the other chap. I now have about 20 visa

stamps in my passport and, while I don't believe there's anything like an "official" quota, immigration

started asking me to show money around the time I received the 14th or 15th stamp. I always

carry enough money with me when I go on a visa run, it's not an awful lot and the consequences of

not being able to show it when asked range from the inconvenient to the catastrophic.

Goodness me, you've just witnessed more in one day that most people do in twenty years of border crossings.

I would assume that you are doing this trip every thirty days seeing that "immigration

started asking me to show money around the time I received the 14th or 15th stamp" Last year the Thai immigration were refusing to exit 30 day visa runners with more than six exit stamps on their passports. There is a thread on here somewhere.

This one I find rather difficult to follow, as I've seen immigration squeezing stamps into nearly full passports.

"a youngish chap, was refused because he didn't have 5 blank pages left in

his passport"

The signs stating that you have to "show means" of 10,000 baht for 30 day entries and 20,000 baht for 90 day entries were removed as of last week, and replaced with signs stating that the "overstay" charges had been increased to 500 baht.

I find all this rather incongruent

Congruence is not a major aspect of immigration policy anywhere in the world! A couple of years

ago I took my then girlfriend on a weekend trip to Dublin from London. Unfortunately, 30,000 feet

above the Irish sea, we realized she'd forgotten her passport. Even more unfortunately

she's Chinese and it was pretty unlikely we'd be able to sneak her through the EU citizens

checkpoint without her being asked for some form of ID. Sure enough, soon as we

get off the plane they asked her for her passport. No passport no entry! Back to the UK for her.

Then they asked her if she'd ever been to Ireland before, whe said she hadn't. The atmosphere

changed immediately. "Your first time here and here we are shouting at you!, what must you think of us?"

Eventually they said if she promised to go back by Monday they'd let her in on condition that she

promised them she'd get a visa next time. Incongruent ain't the word.

BTW the show means sign was still there as of Saturday, above the windows where you kneel

to the immigration guy, it actually says 10,000 Bath - a warning to backpackers everywhere

[Maejo Man]

Congruence is not a major aspect of immigration policy anywhere in the world! A couple of years

ago I took my then girlfriend on a weekend trip to Dublin from London. Unfortunately, 30,000 feet

above the Irish sea, we realized she'd forgotten her passport. Even more unfortunately

she's Chinese and it was pretty unlikely we'd be able to sneak her through the EU citizens

checkpoint without her being asked for some form of ID. Sure enough, soon as we

get off the plane they asked her for her passport. No passport no entry! Back to the UK for her.

Then they asked her if she'd ever been to Ireland before, whe said she hadn't. The atmosphere

changed immediately. "Your first time here and here we are shouting at you!, what must you think of us?"

Eventually they said if she promised to go back by Monday they'd let her in on condition that she

promised them she'd get a visa next time. Incongruent ain't the word.

BTW the show means sign was still there as of Saturday, above the windows where you kneel

to the immigration guy, it actually says 10,000 Bath - a warning to backpackers everywhere

I was not referring to anywhere in the world I was referring to Thailand, and the rest of your post is irrelavent and

If you choose to kneel, that's your prerogative, I normally stand

[chuchok]

If you choose to kneel, that's your prerogative, I normally stand

I kneel when I'm pissed and i'm asking the missus for a bit...