Pattaya To Ban-laem,chantaburi Mini-bus Visa-run

[cali4995]

i just went yesterday, 15-8-49 and it could not have been easier. 2,000 baht for everything and it really does include the cambodian visa fee. the driver and his assistant already had the immigration tm forms and cambodian visa applications. i got my exit stamp on the thai side and literally handed my passport back to the guide and they dealt with cambodian immigration. i went and had my free buffet lunch inside the casino, returned 30 minutes later and went back to the thai side to get my entry stamp, it was painless. there is a small stream and bridge which separate the countries and thai-cambodian immigration checkpoints. i was so apprehensive about this but it turned out to be not difficult at all. i was trying to gather some information on the friendship bridge border crossing at nong-khai as i was planning on travelling north next month, any specific info on a visa-run on this side of the country would be greatly appreciated. happy holidaying for everyone!

[sniffdog]

Maneerat (Soi 13/2). THB 1800 (no buffet, just lunch, no assistance with forms).

[visarunner]

I was pleased with cali4995 post as no reference to any VisaRun Company was made , just a nice trip report about a painless VisaRun to Ban Laem.

Sniffdog shattered my dream with just another advertisement about a VisaRun Service.

[farangpattaya]

I was pleased with cali4995 post as no reference to any VisaRun Company was made , just a nice trip report about a painless VisaRun to Ban Laem.

Sniffdog shattered my dream with just another advertisement about a VisaRun Service.

I think there is no problem in mentioning a certain visa-run company if the experience is good. Why should we only mention the bad guys?

Yesterday, for a visa-run to Ban Laem with 5-Star Visarun (in The Sportsman Pub & Restaurant).

6 am. sharp: breakfast was served; choices out of different sets + an extra refill of tea and coffee

6.45 a.m. bus left for Ban Laem. The bus has comfortable seats and only 6 people were joining the trip. On board dvd/vcd and drinks.

10.30 a.m. arrival in Ban Laem after a few pee- and fag stops; exit Thailand; "enter" Cambodia by crossing the "beggar-bridge"; some shopping at "king power"; returning to the place where we have left our passports and back to Thai Immigration

11.00 a.m. back to the van and enjoy our lunch (include)

11.30 a.m. back to Pattaya, with the necessary pee-, fag- and fuel stops.

15.30 a.m. back in Pattaya and enjoying a free drink in the Sportsman bar.

Total cost: THB 2,500 incl. breakfast, lunch, transport, assistance, Cambodian visa and free drink upon arrival.

It was very quiet at this border. According to the driver, this visa company was doing about 300 visa-runners a day in the same time last year, but now there were only 50!!!

[lopburi3]

It was very quiet at this border. According to the driver, this visa company was doing about 300 visa-runners a day in the same time last year, but now there were only 50!!!

And there were six of you on today's trip? The math does not add up. Perhaps those figures are per week rather than per day?

[farangpattaya]

Did I say that the bus could hold 50 people.

Maybe there were 8 or more busses going.

[lopburi3]

Somehow I don't believe a bus with 50 seats would be very comfortable and I highly doubt any visa service had eight of them doing daily runs.

[tropo]

I was pleased with cali4995 post as no reference to any VisaRun Company was made , just a nice trip report about a painless VisaRun to Ban Laem.

Sniffdog shattered my dream with just another advertisement about a VisaRun Service.

I think there is no problem in mentioning a certain visa-run company if the experience is good. Why should we only mention the bad guys?

Yesterday, for a visa-run to Ban Laem with 5-Star Visarun (in The Sportsman Pub & Restaurant).

6 am. sharp: breakfast was served; choices out of different sets + an extra refill of tea and coffee

6.45 a.m. bus left for Ban Laem. The bus has comfortable seats and only 6 people were joining the trip. On board dvd/vcd and drinks.

10.30 a.m. arrival in Ban Laem after a few pee- and fag stops; exit Thailand; "enter" Cambodia by crossing the "beggar-bridge"; some shopping at "king power"; returning to the place where we have left our passports and back to Thai Immigration

11.00 a.m. back to the van and enjoy our lunch (include)

11.30 a.m. back to Pattaya, with the necessary pee-, fag- and fuel stops.

15.30 a.m. back in Pattaya and enjoying a free drink in the Sportsman bar.

Total cost: THB 2,500 incl. breakfast, lunch, transport, assistance, Cambodian visa and free drink upon arrival.

It was very quiet at this border. According to the driver, this visa company was doing about 300 visa-runners a day in the same time last year, but now there were only 50!!!

I went for a border run from Pattaya on July 27 and they used a different border post which I've never been to before. Normally we go to Ban Laem/Daung with the famous "beggar bridge", but this location has a few large casinos/hotels (highrises) on the Cambodian side and is marked as "Prum" on the Cambodian border stamp and the Thai Immigration post is called "Pong Nam Ron". (When you go to Ban Laem the entry/exit stamps are also marked "Pong Nam Ron")

There is no bridge and no beggars at all. Perhaps they are getting organised here because there are no shops where you can buy water, or toilets either, and one small duty free store. When you get through the Thai Immigration you have to take a van to the Cambodian Immigration area.

[gk10002000]

I did the Ban laem run in November 2008. 9 trips to the LOS and this was my first visa run. had only done a routine 7 day extension before. Went with Key Visa, soi bukao. Trip was simple and straightforward. Minivan picked me up at my hotel in the morning, had three people in the van already, stopped and picked up 2 more people and off we went. Border process was seamless. The loung ady that accompanied the driver spoke adequate english, certainly better than my Thai. Had lunch in the casion a few yards from the immigration building there. In and out within one hour and back on the road. Looked like the border guy was checking for excess liquor or things, but unless one had bags and luggage (none of us did), it was a cursory look in the window and he nodded to the driver, and off we went.

Shame that the visa land runs are now only 15 days. Ruins a good thing that I only got to use once. My trips are usually completely unplanned and happen whenever the contract I am on ends. No time to coordinate a 60 day tourist visa before I leave, I just fly to LOS the next day.

Going back soon, after SongKran and BKK quiets down a bit.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

I did Ban Laem in December '07 before I obtained my first extension on my Non-B. Sportsman was all booked up the day I wanted to make the run, so I went through Koh Chang travel on Soi Post Office. 2200 baht, lunch included. Nice van, back by 2pm. Only downside was farting around Pattaya making all the pickups from 6-7am, as I was the first one to board. Had to offboard and walk across the bridge. They handled all the paperwork, and just told us to go to the border shops. Bought a carton of cigs and 2 bottles of Glenfiddich.