Mae Sot current visa run process as at 17th March 2015

[OOLEEBER]

It seems like the last 5 times I've done the visa tun to Mae Sot it has changed and you never know which window to go to at each stage and end up stuck behind 30 Burmese at the wrong counter so here's how it worked for me yesterday.

Entering the bridge on the left to exit Thailand the window is no longer one of the brown ones at the front. After them are 3 new white booths. You need to go to the last one and window number 9. Get your photo taken and your exit stamp and walk over.

At the Burma end it's still on the right hand side. It was the 2nd last sliding door. Go in and sit down. Way less formal this time. No computer check, no photo taken. No forms. The officer just stubbed out his smoke, stamped the passport and asked for 500 baht. Have a nice day.

Walk back over to enter Thailand on the left. Walk past all the windows (and all the Burmese - not easy with the tight barriers to the road now and go to window number 5. Again this is a newly constructed white booth. If there is a queue there never mind. Go straight to the front and politely ask for the arrival form to fill in. There's a writing desk behind you. I saw a farrang fill in his form and then push straight to the front again to get processed. I'm not sure if that's acceptable or rude but when I filled mine in I went to the back of the line as there were only 3 people there.

As always double check they gave you the correct entry stamp.

There was no health checks for Ebola this time.

I hope this helps some folks. Otherwise you could end up waiting for two hours behind Burmese AND in the wrong queue all the time. It can get bloody hot standing around there.

Cheers

Ollie

[Jfd3220]

I just went there this morning. Waited in line for half an hour after filling out my arrival form to get back into Thailand. Mostly Burmese in line. The agent also stamped the wrong date on my passport. She only stamped it for 30 days instead of 60 but she corrected it as soon as I pointed it out.

Actually on departure the agent also stamped tomorrow's date instead of today, but I guess that doesn't matter.

[Finlaco]

Clarification

I did the visa run March 15th

Myanmar Immigration will ask for 500 bath but I paid $10. There was no receipt issued. I hadn't used this boarder crossing for over a year and wasn't pressed to pay in bath as regular crossers are.

On crossing back into Thailand, as you approach immigration keep walking on the road and slip in halfway down the metal barriers wheres there is gate. A non uniformed guy ushered me to the front of the line and the process went as the OP said. I wasn't comfortable cutting the line but this is Asia and economic strength is rewarded. Otherwise it would have been plus one hour queuing.

[NoshowJones]

I just went there this morning. Waited in line for half an hour after filling out my arrival form to get back into Thailand. Mostly Burmese in line. The agent also stamped the wrong date on my passport. She only stamped it for 30 days instead of 60 but she corrected it as soon as I pointed it out.

Actually on departure the agent also stamped tomorrow's date instead of today, but I guess that doesn't matter.

I do have to say that the lady female officers are very pleasant and helpful. I was there on the 14th.

[flyingdoc]

Seems this route is still working then!

[deepcell]

Very nice to know Mae Sot border is open for foreigns, I went to Mae Sai last time (very fast in-out only me and Burmeses - last saturday 07:00 AM) and the proccess look like pretty much the same. 500THB without receipt.

[Tomtomtom69]

Very nice to know Mae Sot border is open for foreigns, I went to Mae Sai last time (very fast in-out only me and Burmeses - last saturday 07:00 AM) and the proccess look like pretty much the same. 500THB without receipt.

Mae Sot has been open to foreigners for many, many years. It has been closed to all on numerous occasions over the years though, the last time for about a year from 2010 to late 2011. Since the new government took office, it has been open and apart from some minor spats, such as the March 24th trade spat with Thailand, things tend to proceed normally and the government is very, very reluctant to close the border for any purpose, given that Mae Sot/Myawady is the most important overland trade route with Thailand and also the most important overland entry point (it's not Mae Sai/Tachilek like some people think).

Since Aug 28, 2013, Myanmar visa holders and Myanmar and Thai citizens holding appropriate visas can now use Mae Sot/Myawady for entry/exit too.

[Tomtomtom69]

Even though I have been to Mae Sot/Myawady, many, many times, mostly using Myanmar visas since the border opened to visa holders in 2013 but occasionally getting the day pass for US$10/500 Baht, the constant changes on the Mae Sot side make things confusing.

Here are some examples:

Jan 23, 2015. I exited Mae Sot for Myawady and Hpa-an using a Myanmar visa. Got stamped out at the usual place, which is the old windows where you sometimes have to contend with large numbers of Myanmar guest workers but you can cut the queue anyway as a Thai or non-Burmese foreigner. But sometimes there's almost nobody.

On my return to Thailand via Mae Sot on Feb 6, 2015 I was confused by all the new windows, although I have seen the construction going on since November of last year. Think I was processed at window 5, after asking around at a couple of places. Was handed a partially filled out immigration card by the immigration official, who I thought was giving it to the one Asian (non-Thai, non-Burmese) guy in the line, but it was actually for me and the immigration official just told me to "write over" whatever was already written. So I did and got stamped in.

Mar 21, 2015. After enquiring about how to bring a Thai car across to Myawady for the day, which is something you do at the first window you see, where mostly Burmese go to hand back their temporary import papers and pay their fees, I was directed towards the new booth, don't know which number, but it was for Thai and foreign citizens using passports. There was a short line and a Thai in front of me entering Myanmar on a visa was also confused as he needed to fill out a departure card before leaving, so he had to leave the line and get it from somewhere else as directed by the immigration officer who wouldn't process him without it; I think from the arrivals area.

Myanmar immigration was the same as usual - all arrivals, day trippers and visa holders head inside the office, except Thais on border passes who pay their entry fee of 50 Baht and get a stamp on their border pass outside at a window just before the door where we go inside. At the same place is where Thai vehicles surrender their temporary import documents for travel inside Myawady for the day and pay their 50 Baht fee. They get these docs back when returning the same day - vehicles can't go further than the transport center or stay overnight. Unlike in the past, even day trippers get their passports back after paying either US$10 or 500 Baht (if you don't have dollars with you) with a same day stamped in/out stamp. So if you stay a few hours, you can just go straight back to the Thai side without doing anything on the Myanmar side as you'll already have your passport with you. Visa holders fill out an arrival form, have their passports scanned and have their photos taken with a webcam.

When departing via Myawady, Myanmar visa holders must stamp out on the other side of the road, inside the office there where they fill out a departure form, have their passports scanned and again have their pictures taken with a webcam. This is a new procedure as previously this was done in the same office as entry.

Coming back to the Thai side, I stood in the so-called "ASEAN" line where 1-2 people were getting processed, because apparently the other office where non-ASEAN nationals get stamped in appeared to be closed. It was pretty late, about 7.30pm or so by this time, which was only an hour or less before closing time of 8.30pm (Thai time).

After asking every booth, I finally got to the correct booth I think it was number 5, but was told to wait while an officer would go inside the booth and process me.

Still confusing for me, even after all the entries and exits made via this border, but it could be due to the numerous changes that have occurred due to the construction. For future reference, always look for the Thai/foreign passports booth, and if that one doesn't have anyone, politely go to the ASEAN booth (or vice versa, as at least one of them should be operational).

[ace1]

Best border run I've done :-)

On the Thai side I was ushered to booth 9. There was no queue... It took him a few minutes to stamp me out as he had never seen my visa type before!

I walked over the bridge and got taken to the right side offices. Inside I paid 500 baht and got entry/exit stamps. No pictures or forms to fill in.

Over the bridge, straight to the last booth and was given TR6 to fill in. There was a queue but they waved me to the front... I think because they were Myanmar nationals an that booth isn't really for them.

Again it took 5 mins to process my visa as boss had to be called to check it out. But it was very friendly and polite.

All in it took me 30 mins.

Parking can be found past the left hand side of the immigration building. Or you can try and get a space by the market on the right.