Did a visa run to Mae Sai on Sunday (6 July.)

Was to get the second entry on my double entry tourist visa (I naturally had my initial 60 days extended by 30.)

No problems at all with customs, indeed it has never been quicker..or quieter for that mater.

But here in is where it was different.

I did it half a dozen times last year on the "visa exempt" stamp run, and there was always queues and always a pile of white people.

This time no white people, no Visa run vans sitting near the border.

In fact the lack of white people in Mae Sai was staggering. Spent shy of 2 hours before my trip back wandering around, I was the only white person in the Mae Sai market..as in the ONLY white person. This time last year there would have been 2-3 dozen wandering around. Even the bus up and back (Green Bus) would have been half full of white folk doing a Visa run (of various sorts) last year, this year I was the token going up, one other coming back.

Suffice to say the crackdown on Visa exempt stamp runners is working, and I'd hate to think how Visa run companies are coping, if they're still in business.

My only gripe from the trip: border police can't count. I was stamped out on 6 July but the stamp back in reads 3 Sep (it should be 5 Sep.)

Should I head to the CM immigration office to argue for two extra days or don't bother?

Edited July 8, 201411 yr by lordblackader

Thank you for the report. Things really appear to unfold quite rapidly.

As in regards to;

"My only gripe from the trip: border police can't count. I was stamped out on 6 July but the stamp back in reads 3 Sep (it should be 5 Sep.)

Should I head to the CM immigration office to argue for two extra days or don't bother?"

July and August have 31 days. Hence September 3 minus and including July 6 is 60 days.

Yes it was deserted last week too. I was the only one at the counter both exiting and entering. Not a minivan in sight. Plenty of Thais shopping, but no foreigners!

thanks for the report!! i was wondering what was going on in mae sai. this is the first I've heard from there since may: )

A off topic post has been removed that contained political comments which are not allowed on this forum.

The 'crackdown' may be working, but I wonder how it will affect the local economy round the border areas. All that alcohol and those boxes of cigarettes duty free that will no longer be sold....all those 'all you can eat' buffets that will no longer be eaten....etc.

At the moment it may be slow because most of the border runners have gone to Vientiane for tourist visas. Once they start having to use their second entries things it will pick up again.

At the moment it may be slow because most of the border runners have gone to Vientiane for tourist visas. Once they start having to use their second entries things it will pick up again.

That might be true, sort of.

However, in the long run, there will be a huge decline in jobs, sales, and indeed, less income for the state because of missed fees.

In fact a whole industry and related industries might disappear.

It is already starting, a man running a visa-run company told me he had to lay off 20 drivers already.

More to go, including other staff.

He still does not know how much loss he will have on the eventual sale of the surplus vans.

It remains to be seen if things will pick up when the border runners are getting tourist visas.

If they will get them!!!!!!

In Paris the Embassy refuses to issue tourist visas when there is less than 90 days between them.

My guess, Vientiane will eventually do the same.

I hear from freinds in Holland that the consulate in Amsterdam is also getting very strict and making a lot of noise about too many tourist visas in the same year.....

My only gripe from the trip: border police can't count. I was stamped out on 6 July but the stamp back in reads 3 Sep (it should be 5 Sep.)

Sorry but it's you who can't count. A simple addition shows you have 60 days including the date stamp day. They count actual 60 days, they do not round up using 30-day months.

Same observations, for me. Only very few white faces, I've never seen it like this before.

Anybody that came back across the border at NongKhai yesterday can tell you where all the Farangs were!

Don't forget the Myanmar border officers that don't get their 500 THB /a farang...

I was surprised at how quiet Tachilek market was! The place was empty. In 6 years never seen it that quiet.

Same in Ranong. 1 Thai lady in the lobby of the A. C. Pier. After I was really given a hard time for not having an outbound ticket yet (doing 1st exit/2nd entry on a triple entry visa from USA) I wondered if that was why the building was so empty. I left from the other pier in Ranong later instead (only after being made to write and sign an affidavit as to my travel planes). On the whole boat trip over and back I passed one other ferang couple. Never been to Ranong before but my neighbor said it was just not normal to see only 2 other foreigners.

I feel bad for the visa companies, business in Myanmar and also for the free floating travelers ability to go with the flow. They wanted to know my every stop, duration in Thailand, along with proof of departure to the point I would be afraid to change my mind, veer of course or use my third visa entry. As a nerdy looking old woman no one usually even looks at me. Yesterday I felt very intimidated by immigration officials for the first time ever.

Could another reason be 1) it's low season? I was in Mae Sai in late April and went over to Tachilek not for a visa run though. I went on a VIP pass. So did another Chinese guy from Beijing behind me, presumably because he didn't get a re-entry permit (or didn't want to pay for one) and just wanted to visit the market or the temples over there quickly. I mainly went to the temples, and I saw a ton of westerners in Tachilek (more than I've ever seen over there ever) but NOT many in Mae Sai! I saw at least one Russian guy refused exit from Thailand (maybe because he was a border runner?) while one American couple where the girl was Asian I noticed had stayed in Thailand for 29 days but was looking at returning to Thailand after doing a border run. She and her boyfriend were questioned (it took ages to process them) but they were eventually allowed to exit for Myanmar.

The market in Tachilek seemed quite empty, even of Thais doing their shopping. That was in late April as mentioned.

I'm heading up to Mae Sai this Saturday (12th). I have a Multiple Entry Non-Imm "O", so hopefully won't have any problems re-entering, especially since I have two children waiting at home. Does anyone know the amount of money you have to show when entering Thailand, just in case I'm asked - is it 20,000 or 40,000? I've never been asked before, so have never really taken notice!

I'll also report back on how it went.

Sorry to get off topic a little here, but I left via Suvarnabhumi yesterday (BA10 Departure time 11:20, delayed an hour) and the airport was dead! I am talking manned immigration desks with officers twiddling their thumbs dead! Check-in desks with 2 or 3 people waiting...

Something has to give, eventually, with this visa crackdown..

I'm heading up to Mae Sai this Saturday (12th). I have a Multiple Entry Non-Imm "O", so hopefully won't have any problems re-entering, especially since I have two children waiting at home. Does anyone know the amount of money you have to show when entering Thailand, just in case I'm asked - is it 20,000 or 40,000? I've never been asked before, so have never really taken notice!

I'll also report back on how it went.

I was told it was 20,000 at Suvarnabhumi for a non-o yesterday, likewise for a tourist visa, but who can be sure of anything anymore? I am just glad to be back in the UK and away from all this for a few weeks..

I'm heading up to Mae Sai this Saturday (12th). I have a Multiple Entry Non-Imm "O", so hopefully won't have any problems re-entering, especially since I have two children waiting at home. Does anyone know the amount of money you have to show when entering Thailand, just in case I'm asked - is it 20,000 or 40,000? I've never been asked before, so have never really taken notice!

I'll also report back on how it went.

I was told it was 20,000 at Suvarnabhumi for a non-o yesterday, likewise for a tourist visa, but who can be sure of anything anymore? I am just glad to be back in the UK and away from all this for a few weeks..

Is going to mae sai to activate 3rd entry of triple TV (1sr 2 extended 30 days) a bad idea? ! No other stamps in pp, will take 20k cash and printouts for much more. Anyone done this past few days?!

Same in Ranong. 1 Thai lady in the lobby of the A. C. Pier. After I was really given a hard time for not having an outbound ticket yet (doing 1st exit/2nd entry on a triple entry visa from USA) I wondered if that was why the building was so empty. I left from the other pier in Ranong later instead (only after being made to write and sign an affidavit as to my travel planes). On the whole boat trip over and back I passed one other ferang couple. Never been to Ranong before but my neighbor said it was just not normal to see only 2 other foreigners.

I feel bad for the visa companies, business in Myanmar and also for the free floating travelers ability to go with the flow. They wanted to know my every stop, duration in Thailand, along with proof of departure to the point I would be afraid to change my mind, veer of course or use my third visa entry. As a nerdy looking old woman no one usually even looks at me. Yesterday I felt very intimidated by immigration officials for the first time ever.

Why be intimidated if you have the right answers for their questions.

Is going to mae sai to activate 3rd entry of triple TV (1sr 2 extended 30 days) a bad idea? ! No other stamps in pp, will take 20k cash and printouts for much more. Anyone done this past few days?!

I haven't been to Mae Sai to activate any visa and have more stamps than you do. I came back from Cambodia and wasn't really asked anything special. I fear however that depending on the officers some people might have trouble. In your case it sounds like you are well prepared.

assume if there is an issue they will just not allow me to leave Thailand via that border, rather than allow me to get stranded on the other side?!

so, will leave a week leeway to gather my stuff from CM, head to Bangkok and get a flight home...how is the UK summer going anyhow?!

assume if there is an issue they will just not allow me to leave Thailand via that border, rather than allow me to get stranded on the other side?!

so, will leave a week leeway to gather my stuff from CM, head to Bangkok and get a flight home...how is the UK summer going anyhow?!

Probably you should be OK. If you arrive with a Myanmar visa or go to Laos (the Golden Triangle border is the nearest) they'll let you leave no matter what. They won't let you get stranded so if you arrive with a Myanmar visa you would be allowed to travel to Mandalay/Yangon or wherever you want and leave from there but without a Myanmar visa travel is restricted between the Thai and Chinese borders and then you will be forced to re-enter Thailand at the same crossing (Mae Sai) because your passport will be held at the border. Hence the reason why sometimes Thai immigration refuses exit to travellers that may not be admissible on re-entry at the Myanmar borders.

I love this part from the OP

My only gripe from the trip: border police can't count. I was stamped out on 6 July but the stamp back in reads 3 Sep (it should be 5 Sep.)

Should I head to the CM immigration office to argue for two extra days or don't bother?

The day you arrive is day 1, so that would make Sept 3rd 60 Days, so who can't count ?

Edited July 10, 201411 yr by MJCM

Yes it was deserted last week too. I was the only one at the counter both exiting and entering. Not a minivan in sight. Plenty of Thais shopping, but no foreigners!

It's weird isn't it, vs this time last year.

The Visa run companies out of CM and CR must be be out of business or close there to.

At the moment it may be slow because most of the border runners have gone to Vientiane for tourist visas. Once they start having to use their second entries things it will pick up again.

Possibly, but no. The whole 15-30 day visa exempt stamp runners have been wiped out.

Vientiane runners...don't do the trip as often: 60/90 days on a double entry, which I guess kills the visa runner companies...full stop.

My only gripe from the trip: border police can't count. I was stamped out on 6 July but the stamp back in reads 3 Sep (it should be 5 Sep.)

Sorry but it's you who can't count. A simple addition shows you have 60 days including the date stamp day. They count actual 60 days, they do not round up using 30-day months.

Should be 4th, not 3rd, presuming July and August both have 31 days.

........................................and then you will be forced to re-enter Thailand at the same crossing (Mae Sai) because your passport will be held at the border. Hence the reason why sometimes Thai immigration refuses exit to travellers that may not be admissible on re-entry at the Myanmar borders.

Not correct. Your passport is now handed back to you on entering Myanmar. No more of the paper IDs are issued any more.

So they will let people out but possibly not back in, and so effectively stranded?! Should be interesting ...