Newbie needing help/advice about first visa run

[bungee1987]

Hey guys,

Ok so I have a triple entry tourist visa. 60 day each entry . Im from England.

I arrived April 22nd, I also had a 30 day extension at Chaeng Wattana. So my first 90 days is almost up (60+30 extension)

I will need to do my first 'visa run' this Friday or Saturday.

Basically I really have no idea what I need to do or where to go.

I live in Bangkok, Suthisarn/ratchada

Can anyone give me a really basic step by step guide of perhaps what I first need to do, where to go and what I will need to take with me?

I will REALLY appreciate any help with this, thankyou in advance for help regards this issue.

Kind Regards

moi

[Mario2008]

You need to leave the country, enter another country and leave that country again and re-enter Thailand to activate your second entry of your tourist visa.

You already have the visa for Thailand, so only have to buy a visa for Cambodia at the border. What you need to bring are your passport, arrival card, money and a printout of your ticket to be sure.

Most people will take a minibus service to Cambodia for that. Several companies advertise in the English news papers.

Don't forget to check the validity date of your visa and keep in mind that all 3 entries must be made before the visa itself expires.

[bungee1987]

thanks so much for the response, its been very helpful thus far.

Ok so I do have passport, some documents (printouts) from my flight company with the various details/dates etc.

Have money too of course, but do I need a certain currency or do I only need Thai baht?

Arrival card I don't have I think they took it when I arrived here. I do have a departure card stapled into my passport.

Oh ok Cambodia that's fine at least I have a destination to aim for now, ok so I will set about finding one of these companies to take me.

How long can I expect to stay in Cambodia before being allowed to return?

kind regards again

[paz]

How long can I expect to stay in Cambodia before being allowed to return?

0 seconds. Normally one waits in a 'no man land' place, like a small shop where they collect and bring all passports to Cambodia, to be issued a visa and stamped. Once all passports are done, you re-entry Thailand, get on the van end "enjoy" the trip back.

[gk10002000]

I recommend calling BBTS Travel services in Bangkok and speaking with Tanya. She is sharp and on the ball and seems to monitor things such as this pretty well. She was the first to tell me about the 15t 30 day changes back in early November and I then made a land Border visa run crossing to Poi Pet and back and got 30 days (USA citizen). Here company does all sorts of runs to Cambodia including some overnight stays at the casinos. In general, you will just wait in the "no man's land". She typically uses one of the larger Cambodian border crossings and we had about an hour to go have lunch inside one of the casinos. Her office is near the Asok BTS station. bangkokbuddy.com is the website.

[bungee1987]

amazingly helpful thanks guys!!

[Bullie]

That's not going to work, given the new information that people with TV are being turned back.

[bungee1987]

hmm well that being said I will go with what these 2 guys said, they seem to be well educated in this area. Wish me luck!

[Suradit69]

That's not going to work, given the new information that people with TV are being turned back.

That should only be a problem at a border crossing from Malaysia, not Cambodia, and those being turned back have newly issued tourist visas & apparently have multiple previous visa exempt entries and/or previous multiple tourist visas in their passports.

Arrival card I don't have I think they took it when I arrived here. I do have a departure card stapled into my passport.

The same thing. The departure card is the other part of the arrival card. (TM 6)

[bungee1987]

Oh ok cool, so my triple entry at Cambodia shouldn't be a problem?

[blorg]

Angkor Wat is not far from Poipet (about 2.5hrs by bus on a good road) and is well worth a visit if you can spare the time, most impressive thing in all of SE Asia IMO.

[AYJAYDEE]

That's not going to work, given the new information that people with TV are being turned back.

where were folks actuating the second entry of a triple entry tourist visa turned back?

[JDGRUEN]

I have not seen any reports of people being turned away in Cambodian or Laotian Checkpoints. But what is happening at the Malaysian checkpoints should cause anyone making a Border Run to be cautious. The reasons for people being barred reentry are not always clear. It does center around having too many extensions and or back to back tourists visas. But if it were me going to the Cambodian border today ... I would take a small backpack with overnight essentials, any other necessary documents, extra cash, food snacks, a good smartphone or tablet for communicating. Plus credit cards or debit cards for buying airline tickets if things turn sour. And - I would have a close friend ready to receive my contacts by phone - plus be ready to look after your 'stuff'. Also - take one of those phone battery boosters and a phone charger.

Seems the Thai Immigration officers are in protective mode - covering their butts with over enforcement rather than face the wrath of the new military government for even being remotely seen as not enforcing the law. So they have been going overboard. Be mindful - the orders given to the Border Immigration Police at Malaysia have been given to ALL border checkpoints - not just for the Malaysian checkpoints. The old rules are now going to be enforced and some crazy illogical things have happened at the Malaysian checkpoints ... just go read the threads ... it is amazing.

[Kasset Tak]

I'm currently on a non-B visa but will change to a single entry tourist visa in the end of the month because of problem at work. I will start studying for a BA in Education in September and can then get my ED visa but I still want to stay here in August but don't know what the immigration will say when changing from a non-B to a tourist visa!?!?

This visa crackdown have become a jungle applying different rules at different embassies and different checkpoints!

[ubonjoe]

I'm currently on a non-B visa but will change to a single entry tourist visa in the end of the month because of problem at work. I will start studying for a BA in Education in September and can then get my ED visa but I still want to stay here in August but don't know what the immigration will say when changing from a non-B to a tourist visa!?!?

This visa crackdown have become a jungle applying different rules at different embassies and different checkpoints!

Once you go out and get a tourist visa visa immigration on entry will say nothing about you having a new class of visa. You have nothing to worry about.

[Kasset Tak]

Thanks Ubonjoe!

I'm just worrying because of all that is happening with visa problem for people at the moment!

[KhnomKhnom]

thanks so much for the response, its been very helpful thus far.

Ok so I do have passport, some documents (printouts) from my flight company with the various details/dates etc.

Have money too of course, but do I need a certain currency or do I only need Thai baht?

Arrival card I don't have I think they took it when I arrived here. I do have a departure card stapled into my passport.

Oh ok Cambodia that's fine at least I have a destination to aim for now, ok so I will set about finding one of these companies to take me.

How long can I expect to stay in Cambodia before being allowed to return?

kind regards again

The typist means DEPARTURE card. Hold on to that like your life depends on it. Getting another from one lost is an all day job. I did it and was very sorry.

[John1thru10]

I have not seen any reports of people being turned away in Cambodian or Laotian Checkpoints. But what is happening at the Malaysian checkpoints should cause anyone making a Border Run to be cautious. The reasons for people being barred reentry are not always clear. It does center around having too many extensions and or back to back tourists visas. But if it were me going to the Cambodian border today ... I would take a small backpack with overnight essentials, any other necessary documents, extra cash, food snacks, a good smartphone or tablet for communicating. Plus credit cards or debit cards for buying airline tickets if things turn sour. And - I would have a close friend ready to receive my contacts by phone - plus be ready to look after your 'stuff'. Also - take one of those phone battery boosters and a phone charger.

Seems the Thai Immigration officers are in protective mode - covering their butts with over enforcement rather than face the wrath of the new military government for even being remotely seen as not enforcing the law. So they have been going overboard. Be mindful - the orders given to the Border Immigration Police at Malaysia have been given to ALL border checkpoints - not just for the Malaysian checkpoints. The old rules are now going to be enforced and some crazy illogical things have happened at the Malaysian checkpoints ... just go read the threads ... it is amazing.

This is correct. I would ADD however, that the term 'back to back' tourist visas is misleading. We tend to think that means literally one beginning immediately after another. A lot of people here recently are asking 'How long do I have to be outside Thailand before getting another?' Often now - and I have had this confirmed by visa run companies and my own experience before - it is simply if tourist visas are in your passport already, even if they are from years ago. This is not an officially stated idea, but it's true on the ground in a lot of cases. It sometimes doesn't matter if you then left for a year, before having another one. People will argue this here, and quote official websites, but the reality on the ground has shown this to be true. The unwritten rule of thumb being employed now, is more like 'if you don't have a real work permit, or a non-imm O or retirement visa, and have been in Thailand 'many times', then you are working illlegally and therefor a criminal, end of discussion.' It's how they want to see frequent tourists at this time ('you are a criminal')...so, always be prepared for that over the time ahead.

[AYJAYDEE]

I have not seen any reports of people being turned away in Cambodian or Laotian Checkpoints. But what is happening at the Malaysian checkpoints should cause anyone making a Border Run to be cautious. The reasons for people being barred reentry are not always clear. It does center around having too many extensions and or back to back tourists visas. But if it were me going to the Cambodian border today ... I would take a small backpack with overnight essentials, any other necessary documents, extra cash, food snacks, a good smartphone or tablet for communicating. Plus credit cards or debit cards for buying airline tickets if things turn sour. And - I would have a close friend ready to receive my contacts by phone - plus be ready to look after your 'stuff'. Also - take one of those phone battery boosters and a phone charger.

Seems the Thai Immigration officers are in protective mode - covering their butts with over enforcement rather than face the wrath of the new military government for even being remotely seen as not enforcing the law. So they have been going overboard. Be mindful - the orders given to the Border Immigration Police at Malaysia have been given to ALL border checkpoints - not just for the Malaysian checkpoints. The old rules are now going to be enforced and some crazy illogical things have happened at the Malaysian checkpoints ... just go read the threads ... it is amazing.

This is correct. I would ADD however, that the term 'back to back' tourist visas is misleading. We tend to think that means literally one beginning immediately after another. A lot of people here recently are asking 'How long do I have to be outside Thailand before getting another?' Often now - and I have had this confirmed by visa run companies and my own experience before - it is simply if tourist visas are in your passport already, even if they are from years ago. This is not an officially stated idea, but it's true on the ground in a lot of cases. It sometimes doesn't matter if you then left for a year, before having another one. People will argue this here, and quote official websites, but the reality on the ground has shown this to be true. The unwritten rule of thumb being employed now, is more like 'if you don't have a real work permit, or a non-imm O or retirement visa, and have been in Thailand 'many times', then you are working illlegally and therefor a criminal, end of discussion.' It's how they want to see frequent tourists at this time ('you are a criminal')...so, always be prepared for that over the time ahead.

i have never experienced that nor has any one else I know.

[duanebigsby]

OP, I think with the enforcement of the laws, eventually the tourist visa won't be an option for you,

You will most likely find if you are living here long term you'll have to get a long term visa.

[Getyourfactsright]

I recommend calling BBTS Travel services in Bangkok and speaking with Tanya. She is sharp and on the ball and seems to monitor things such as this pretty well. She was the first to tell me about the 15t 30 day changes back in early November and I then made a land Border visa run crossing to Poi Pet and back and got 30 days (USA citizen). Here company does all sorts of runs to Cambodia including some overnight stays at the casinos. In general, you will just wait in the "no man's land". She typically uses one of the larger Cambodian border crossings and we had about an hour to go have lunch inside one of the casinos. Her office is near the Asok BTS station. bangkokbuddy.com is the website.

agree with this post , used this company for my runs last year and they are very good. Left at 5am and back by 3pm. Job done no fuss. Good mini vans and you are cramped up. Easy

[bungee1987]

OP, I think with the enforcement of the laws, eventually the tourist visa won't be an option for you,

You will most likely find if you are living here long term you'll have to get a long term visa.

Yes I do plan to stay here long term also.

Ok cool, I do have my daughter staying here in Korat also with the mothers family (although the mother actually lives in England)

I hope to get a non immigrant visa on the basis of visiting/staying with my daughter.

I have a copy of the mothers ID card, copy of the address book, birth certificate of my daughter (she was born in UK half thai half english). i hope this is all enough to get me the non imm visa so I have read.