Weird question perhaps?

I am currently on a single-entry, 3 month ED visa. I want to visit Kawthaung to buy some Myanmar language school books, (I have visited the shop on several occasions when I was doing visa runs).

This time, I don't need to do a visa run - I just want to visit Kawthaung for 30 minutes to pick up these books.

Possible? Impossible?

Re-entry permit?

I don't think they do border passes there like they do at some Myanmar crossings.

As said a re-entry permit would work.

I don't think they do border passes there like they do at some Myanmar crossings.

As said a re-entry permit would work.

What? Kawthoung has until now done 14 day stay permits on arrival for a fee of US$10 (irrespective of whether you stay 1 day or the full 14 days). The catch of course is limited travel from the border (apparently 24 miles or something). For further travel, as you know a Myanmar visa is required. If you are suggesting that these 14 day border passes have stopped, that would be new information to me, though it's possible, who knows.

Htee Khee opposite Phu Nam Ron apparently no longer does border passes, except for Thai nationals. At least one poster was told he couldn't cross over to Myawady from Mae Sot without a visa anymore. As of April this year Mae Sot to Tachilek is OK without a visa provided you are eligible to re-enter Thailand on the way back. There is also a VIP pass there for 100 Baht extra whereby you don't need your passport to cross for the day. You still need to pay US$10 on the Myanmar side and they stamp a photocopy of the front page of your passport.

@simon43, if you can speak Thai, are charming and polite and point out what you want to do you should be OK. However, with a re-entry permit (which you almost certainly need to get otherwise the IO officers will be suspicious besides you don't want to lose your ED visa) you should have no problems whatsoever without needing to explain yourself.

I've never been there but I understand the locals can do errands. Maybe you can ask them to buy the books for you.

Simon

There is no longer any visa runs from Phuket up to club Andaman. However you can still do the trip across to the casino if you have a multi entry visa, or a re-entry permit. You can get a 10 day visa on arrival (not 14 days as another poster has incorrectly stated). The casino has a boat that will run you across to the Victoria Point (for free). So you could head over to the casino in the morning, then on to VP do your purchases and then stay a night at the Casino and then back in the morning. They have some great accommodation deals on at the moment. Why dont you call them and check. They have great English speaking staff on the desk at their ferry pier.

Please let me know how you go, as there are lots of (non in out visa runners) that still need to know if Ranong can be used to activate second or third entries on current valid visas.

Simon

There is no longer any visa runs from Phuket up to club Andaman. However you can still do the trip across to the casino if you have a multi entry visa, or a re-entry permit. You can get a 10 day visa on arrival (not 14 days as another poster has incorrectly stated). The casino has a boat that will run you across to the Victoria Point (for free). So you could head over to the casino in the morning, then on to VP do your purchases and then stay a night at the Casino and then back in the morning. They have some great accommodation deals on at the moment. Why dont you call them and check. They have great English speaking staff on the desk at their ferry pier.

Please let me know how you go, as there are lots of (non in out visa runners) that still need to know if Ranong can be used to activate second or third entries on current valid visas.

Just the other day I saw a 14 day stamp from Kawthoung inside someone's passport which showed something like entered on 18 July permitted to remain until 31 July. Including both the date of entry and the last day, to me that's 14 days.

Anyway, I think the OP is referring to going to Kawthoung proper. When I went to Ranong the first time I didn't even know there was a separate immigration for the casino (and didn't know much about the casino at all). In fact, it's only in recent months that I've even heard about it. But seeing he wants to go into Myanmar proper (I don't think the Andaman casino sells any Burmese language books like the ones the OP is looking for and besides he has stated he needs to go into town) then he will need to go to the proper Ranong departure point where you can get a longtail boat to Kawthoung. With a re-entry permit all should be fine.

Last year on my first 90-day non-B before I got my work permit I had a multi re-entry permit and in fact left Thailand and re-entered on that visa something like 5 times within less than 6 weeks for business purposes before I got my visa extension for 1 year. The day after I got it I left again, but had to get a new multi re-entry permit to cover the new extension period which was until the end of the original 90-day entry period + 1 year so since I still had about 6 weeks left on my original 90-day entry I got a stamp allowing me to stay for virtually 14 months.

Simon

There is no longer any visa runs from Phuket up to club Andaman. However you can still do the trip across to the casino if you have a multi entry visa, or a re-entry permit. You can get a 10 day visa on arrival (not 14 days as another poster has incorrectly stated). The casino has a boat that will run you across to the Victoria Point (for free). So you could head over to the casino in the morning, then on to VP do your purchases and then stay a night at the Casino and then back in the morning. They have some great accommodation deals on at the moment. Why dont you call them and check. They have great English speaking staff on the desk at their ferry pier.

Please let me know how you go, as there are lots of (non in out visa runners) that still need to know if Ranong can be used to activate second or third entries on current valid visas.

Just the other day I saw a 14 day stamp from Kawthoung inside someone's passport which showed something like entered on 18 July permitted to remain until 31 July. Including both the date of entry and the last day, to me that's 14 days.

Anyway, I think the OP is referring to going to Kawthoung proper. When I went to Ranong the first time I didn't even know there was a separate immigration for the casino (and didn't know much about the casino at all). In fact, it's only in recent months that I've even heard about it. But seeing he wants to go into Myanmar proper (I don't think the Andaman casino sells any Burmese language books like the ones the OP is looking for and besides he has stated he needs to go into town) then he will need to go to the proper Ranong departure point where you can get a longtail boat to Kawthoung. With a re-entry permit all should be fine.

Last year on my first 90-day non-B before I got my work permit I had a multi re-entry permit and in fact left Thailand and re-entered on that visa something like 5 times within less than 6 weeks for business purposes before I got my visa extension for 1 year. The day after I got it I left again, but had to get a new multi re-entry permit to cover the new extension period which was until the end of the original 90-day entry period + 1 year so since I still had about 6 weeks left on my original 90-day entry I got a stamp allowing me to stay for virtually 14 months.

Simon...ignore the above post and just ring the staff at the Andaman Club pier. They also have a "BAT PHONE" and they can call the main immigration if some clarification is required.

Thanks for the above posts. I used to go to the Andaman Club for visa-runs many years ago. Nice place. But I go directly to Kawthaung for about the past 5 years to work at the local school, do some amateur radio etc. I have been there perhaps 30 times and it is a nice little town with some beautiful temples.

I have bought books from the shop before, so I just need to pop over for a morning to do this shopping. My concern was not about Kawthaung immigration, but really about Ranong immigration who might not allow me to go over to Kawthaung, bearing in mind the recent reports about their denying exit (because they will then deny re-entry for some foreigners.).

I'll drive up to Ranong soon and see if I can pop over to Kawthaung again.

I don't think they do border passes there like they do at some Myanmar crossings.

As said a re-entry permit would work.

What? Kawthoung has until now done 14 day stay permits on arrival for a fee of US$10 (irrespective of whether you stay 1 day or the full 14 days). The catch of course is limited travel from the border (apparently 24 miles or something). For further travel, as you know a Myanmar visa is required. If you are suggesting that these 14 day border passes have stopped, that would be new information to me, though it's possible, who knows.

Htee Khee opposite Phu Nam Ron apparently no longer does border passes, except for Thai nationals. At least one poster was told he couldn't cross over to Myawady from Mae Sot without a visa anymore. As of April this year Mae Sot to Tachilek is OK without a visa provided you are eligible to re-enter Thailand on the way back. There is also a VIP pass there for 100 Baht extra whereby you don't need your passport to cross for the day. You still need to pay US$10 on the Myanmar side and they stamp a photocopy of the front page of your passport.

What I meant was a day pass or as some people call a VIP pass. I was not talking about the normal entry pass or whatever your want to call it.

it is a nice little town

WOW.. I admire your positivity...

WOW.. I admire your positivity...

Well, relative to a sh*thole. It has some nice temples and beaches, certainly more laid back and much cleaner than Yangon

Get the re-entry stamp before you go. Otherwise, your visa is void when you return.

Otherwise, should be simple. I'll have to get your tips on Kawthaung. Sounds you've gotten to know the place.

Thanks for the above posts. I used to go to the Andaman Club for visa-runs many years ago. Nice place. But I go directly to Kawthaung for about the past 5 years to work at the local school, do some amateur radio etc. I have been there perhaps 30 times and it is a nice little town with some beautiful temples.

I have bought books from the shop before, so I just need to pop over for a morning to do this shopping. My concern was not about Kawthaung immigration, but really about Ranong immigration who might not allow me to go over to Kawthaung, bearing in mind the recent reports about their denying exit (because they will then deny re-entry for some foreigners.).

I'll drive up to Ranong soon and see if I can pop over to Kawthaung again.

All you need is a re-entry permit from Phuket immigration.