The Dreaded Visa Run!

[thaimee]

hi folks, every time i travel to the Cambodian Border to renew my visa there is some hicup. yesterday's episode included stopping for half hour by the side of the road in view of some rich thai's house. and yes this was before the usual 1-2 hour stay at the restaurant as well! this all happened 10km from the border. as i say every time is unusual. anyway to top it all when we got back on the bus the guy wanted fifty baht from us all which had never happened to us before. i guess some paid and some didn't. another new idea included us not walking to said third and fourth points of stamping and waiting for the vendors to come back. so that too was new and confusing. i must have known that was the reason for me not have voluntarily opting to do this as aren't the rules we should do it in person? anyway enough bitching? to the point i usually travel with 'Visa shop' and or 'mr boon'. visa shop is the best of the two but there are pros and cons of course. i've yet to try the sea, air and land tours group. any ideas on this group?

[Up2U]

It is a pain, isn't it?

I have stopped outside that house myself, but never paid money. New scam by the driver / courier?

I have recently been told of a new outfit on Sae Saam, called Luxury Tours, or Luxury Travel, or similar. Told it is about 500m down from Buffalo Bar, towards Pattaya Tai. Supposed to get you back to Patty by four o'clock, or thereabouts.

I will be doing a visa run this weekend, so may try them. Otherwise it's back to Champion Tours, as I have had bad dealings with Mr. Boon. (Partly my fault, partly theirs, but I've taken my custom elsewhere)

[manfromoz]

The luxury travel buses are new and the whole concept is well thought out. They run it a bit like an airline. "in flight" movies, drinks etc. The deal includes a breakfast before leaving anf they seem to have ironed out there initial teething problems. You can contact the Lobby Bar in Soi Bu Koew for more details.

Aparently one of the first trips a US expa decided to go shopping and they were held up for about 2 hours. The bus is limited to 6 people but they have about 10 buses I think.

I used air, sea, land before and had no problem. Just a long day but they took care of all the details and it went smoothly.

[MadFrankie]

what the crack with them 3 month extensions u can get from the office near immigration in pattya.. They legit or what?

[Up2U]

what the crack with them 3 month extensions u can get from the office near immigration in pattya.. They legit or what?

Depends what your basic visa is.

Tourist visa, depending on nationality, is one or two months, I think.

Non-immigrant visas, such as marriage, business, work, etc., require a visit to Immigration every three months.

Check the Visa section of this site for fuller and more accurate info.

[MadFrankie]

Aye.. its not a lot of help though, @ the immigration office in bangkok they will only give you 10 days. Pattaya they give u 15.

Im fairly sure u should'nt be able to get the 2-3 month extensions on a standard issue tourist visa, and was wondering wether u would get rimmed for it upon leaving the country?

[Guest IT Manager]

Frankie you can bet on that.

[MadFrankie]

nice one.. thought it would have been a bad idea

[thaimee]

Today WSJ interactive has a story that the govt is warning about terrorism over Songkran. what you think about visa runs as a possibility for bombings?

[kurgen]

A while back I had a 15 day extention,then a 3 month visa from 'that office'. At the end of it I had to go back to Europe to finalise the sale of my house.

The last couple of days ,leading up to my departure, I started to worry.Would I get stopped at the airport?

When I got to the airport I made sure I had 25,000 baht with me, just in case.This was only about 8 weeks ago when everybody was talking about dodgey visas,so I was understandibly pooping myself.

I had no problems and I'm now on another 3 month visa.

Just so you know,I started with a 1 month walk in stamp

[dr_Pat_Pong]

A while back I had a 15 day extention,then a 3 month visa from 'that office'. At the end of it I had to go back to Europe to finalise the sale of my house.

The last couple of days ,leading up to my departure, I started to worry.Would I get stopped at the airport?

When I got to the airport I made sure I had 25,000 baht with me, just in case.This was only about 8 weeks ago when everybody was talking about dodgey visas,so I was understandibly pooping myself.

I had no problems and I'm now on another 3 month visa.

Just so you know,I started with a 1 month walk in stamp

It is too risky to use any agents.

[taxexile]

what the crack with them 3 month extensions u can get from the office near immigration in pattya.. They legit or what?

yeah frankie... just do it. no prob.

in fact with a biro and a wet rag you could probably make your own stamp.

[MadFrankie]

out of the country more often than every 40 days the majority of the time anywayz, i'll leave it to u thanks

[Up2U]

Tuky - I will be doing a visa run this weekend.

I intend to comment on it, good or bad.

This will not be promotional blurb, but informative description of interest to some of the readers of this web-site. Please don't wipe it out without contacting me !

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Tuky - I will be doing a visa run this weekend.

I intend to comment on it, good or bad.

This will not be promotional blurb, but informative description of interest to some of the readers of this web-site. Please don't wipe it out without contacting me !

Whatever are you planning to say that might warrant deletion of your contribution Up2U ?

[Up2U]

Tuky  -  I will be doing a visa run this weekend.

I intend to comment on it, good or bad.

This will not be promotional blurb, but informative description of interest to some of the readers of this web-site. Please don't wipe it out without contacting me ! 

Whatever are you planning to say that might warrant deletion of your contribution Up2U ?

Don't know until I've been on the trip.

But I see from another thread that something was considered 'promotional' and deleted. I understand that blatant advertising is out - I don't have anything to advertise anyway

Just didn't want to spend time composing a post that then got zapped.

[stumonster]

Please let us know how your visa run goes UptoU.. if you cannot post the company name and price and contact details PM me , as I have to do a visa run by friday,

and I was thinking of popping down to pattaya for two days and doing it from there with one of the companies specialising in the job.

thanks

[astral]

what the crack with them 3 month extensions u can get from the office near immigration in pattya.. They legit or what?

yeah frankie... just do it. no prob.

in fact with a biro and a wet rag you could probably make your own stamp.

Take care

1 Every visa stamp has an id number round the edge so they know which officer

owns it.

2. All entries and exits are registered in the immigration computer.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

what the crack with them 3 month extensions u can get from the office near immigration in pattya.. They legit or what?

yeah frankie... just do it. no prob.

in fact with a biro and a wet rag you could probably make your own stamp.

Take care

1 Every visa stamp has an id number round the edge so they know which officer

owns it.

2. All entries and exits are registered in the immigration computer.

You got it right Astral. And that is how they catch people.

[Up2U]

Please let us know how your visa run goes UptoU.. if you cannot post the company name and price and contact details PM me , as I have to do a visa run by friday,

and I was thinking of popping down to pattaya for two days and doing it from there with one of the companies specialising in the job.

thanks

I had intended to report on a new (to me) visa-run service operating in Pattaya. Unfortunately I was too late to book on Saturday’s trip and they do not run on Sundays (the only days I am free to travel).

So, it was back to Soi Post Office and the terrible trio (Mr. Boon, Champion and Sea-Air-Land).

I have used all three, and each time I travel, the more frustrated and ‘ting-tong farang’ I become. With Mr. Boon, I have been let down over car-hire requests that never materialise, also charges added to ‘all-inclusive’ visa runs, such as meals and so on. Same regarding add-ons with Champion and S-A-L. I make it a rule to ask if meals are included, usually told ‘yes’. If told ‘no’, I am happy to pay through the day, or take sandwiches.

Anyway, a summary of the trip on Sunday, with S-A-L.

After trying to book a Saturday trip at 9.00 pm on Friday, and being told that it was fully booked, I went to Soi Post Office on Saturday morning, to book a Sunday trip. The only one available was the 40-seater from S-A-L, which I accepted, as being better than a fine for over-staying. But I hate these big buses, someone always wanders off and slows the whole process down. The mini-buses, six-to-eight passengers, are manageable by the guides, the passengers generally getting together and staying as a group. On the large buses this does not happen – three or four groups form, but some individuals escape from the rest.

Anyway, got to Soi post Office at 06.40 for a 7 o’clock start. Forgot that S-A-L is the company that does not provide a free breakfast. (Mr Boon and Champions make use of bar-restaurants on the opposite side of the Soi to provide sloppy fried eggs, toast and gritty, grotty coffee).

Not to worry – means I won’t have to make a toilet stop later to get rid of the stuff.

Off we go, on time. Main roads for the first couple of hundred kilometres, avoiding most of the ubiquitous road works in Eastern Thailand. For UK residents, it is worse than anything the M6 has to offer on a Sunday morning.

First stop is at a filling station, for both bus and passengers. Smoke stop also – free-of-charge. (The guys are good, no-one tries to light up in the bus).

On again, through rural Thailand, to the restaurant at Aryunprathet (Poi Pet)(the border town). Order up a quick ‘Phad Phug Roum Mitt / Moo’ (Stir-fried vegetables with pork) while everyone else is reading the menu. Some order Thai, some order Euro, others order sandwiches. Meal comes, eaten, stroll around waiting for everyone to finish. This meal has to be paid-for, but with 2 sodas it only came to 70 baht, no problem.

Off now to the border, where the troubles begin (as always). Get out of the bus and am assaulted by several twelve-year-old girls, all carrying umbrellas to protect me from the sun. Don’t need protection, it is a cloudy day. Nearby ‘nong-sao’ is holding a naked baby, holding out hand for money. Gets nothing. On to the Immigration Control building.

Fortunately there was only a standard-length queue in the building, a couple of hundred Thais at two counters, fifty ‘Aliens’ at the third counter. The building suffers from a lack of air-conditioning, so feel pity for the Immigration Officers. Most people are processed at a fairly fast rate, we are only in the building for 15-20 minutes. This is about average, considering the number of people. I have been standing inline for an hour on crowded days.

Outside to more pestering children. Last time I had been generous-enough to feel in my pocket for some small change, found a couple of baht and held them out to a kid. He had tried snatching at them and the coins fell through a drain-grid into the concrete trench underneath. Unluckily I had no small coins this time to amuse myself in similar manner. So look for the Cambo-courier.

The normal practice up until yesterday was that one handed your passport over to the guy in the baseball cap who would then run your (and your fellow-passengers) passport through Cambodian Immigration for the entry-visa and exit cancellation. Yesterday all this changed. Instead of doing as above, then sitting at a nice shaded table outside one of the border casinos drinking a coffee, or beer – if your tastes run that way – we had to go down to the Cambodian border post ourselves, passport in hand, and sit waiting for attention in the Cambo Imm. Hall. Then a courier, who had walked down alongside us, had the cheek to ask for a hundred baht each. ‘WHAT’ says I. ‘MONEY!!’ says I. The guy back-pedals, asks if our guide had given us each 100 baht. ‘NO!!’ says I, in a very farang voice. So the courier produces wads of red paper from his pocket and settles the account. We stayed sitting in this (non-air-conditioned) hall for another 15 minutes while the guy crosses the road and gets our exit stamps.

Then rush back to the Thai border, past all the land-mine cripples before the border, muscle in to the Immigration queue there, behind three Germans and a couple of Japanese. These are backpacker-types, who seem to have walked across Cambodia to Poi Pet. The last of the three Germans is desperately trying to chat-up the Japanese bird, whose companion is getting more than slightly pissed at the attention. Things are moving slowly, but are moving. The three Germans get processed, then the Japanese bird. After that, trouble. Had the Germans slipped something to the Immigration Officer? Don’t know, but it took twenty minutes for the Japanese guy to get a stamp, by which time the girl had wandered away.

One minute for my visa stamp – nice smile and a bit of Thai chat always seems to help – but I have been in the queue for nearly an hour. And am still one of the first three through the process. Battle back through the kids, the guy selling sun-glasses and the old women selling cigarettes. The restaurant where the bus parks has a toilet (at 5 baht per use) which is fairly clean and usable. Into the bus and wait while the others drift in.

Guide puts on a video-film. Something about humans fighting machines, but not Terminator series. As there is no understandable sound-track, quickly revert to sleeping mode.

After about half-an-hour (say 2½ hours from arrival) all seem to be in the bus. Doors close, driver eases out, ready for the trip back. But look back to the start of this piece – this is a forty-seat bus, full of idiot farangs!

The guide does a head-count and finds two missing. Bus stops, reverses to it’s parking spot and waits. After ten minutes one guy shows up. Another fifteen minutes and the last one arrives, looking like butter wouldn’t melt. (And no-one slapped him – do not understand). So we start back.

After about an hour we run into a rain-storm, with all visual and sound effects. Bus starts to get hot and sticky, but assume this is the storm. Stop later for another refreshment / smoke break. Rain has stopped (or not reached this far West) so OK to walk around for a few minutes. This is necessary, as my bum is numb.

Back into the bus, which is getting hotter and stickier. While travelling along one of the narrower lanes in Thailand the driver decides to have an unscheduled stop. Turns out that the air-conditioning had failed. But with less than an hour to go until we were back in Pattaya, this was no problem. Just have to sweat it out.

Through more byways until we emerge somewhere North of Chonburi. Maybe there is slightly more than the hour to go. Why do we travel back through so many side-roads, when travelling out had been by highway? This happens on all trips, doesn’t matter which of the three companies one uses.

Head back down the familiar route to home, arrive in Pattaya about 6.50, so just under 12 hours for the round-trip. Standard time, standard approach to the visa-run. Pity I had not had the chance to try the new people, but there is always next month – and every month until I get a marriage visa. Why can’t my wife get all her papers together ?

Anyway, there is little to choose between the three main contenders on the big-bus run. All are long, all have idiots getting delayed or lost, all are to be avoided.

These three, plus ‘The Visa Shop’, plus ‘Luxury Visas’ do mini-buses which are preferable. But which need booking further in advance. Most mini-bus services will also do pick-ups at your place of residence, fine for the lazy among us, but tedious for the first guy on the bus. Next time I will book a week before and that should be OK.

[thaimee]

next visa run i try to go with german tour group. i say this because people are agreeing far too easily to hand over tips which amounts to extortion. heres an example: after collecting our passports and boarding the tour bus we were then asked to donate another fifty bahts. we were also told to do it quickly. i didn't and hope no one else does either as this would only prompt the generalised view that foreigners are willing to give up they're pocket money. don't do this my friends regardless how small it may appear at first. next time may be one hundred and then two hundred baht and so on...

Thaimee.

[Up2U]

next visa run i try to go with german tour group. i say this because people are agreeing far too easily to hand over tips which amounts to extortion. heres an example: after collecting our passports and boarding the tour bus we were then asked to donate another fifty bahts. we were also told to do it quickly. i didn't and hope no one else does either as this would only prompt the generalised view that foreigners are willing to give up they're pocket money. don't do this my friends regardless how small it may appear at first. next time may be one hundred and then two hundred baht and so on...

Thaimee.

I have only once been asked outright for additional money in the bus - but there are other demands made - as I have posted above, the Cambo Immigration was one. Another was, having been told that meals were free, I was asked to pay for a meal. And so on.

I always refuse, do the ting-tong farang act, shouting, going red in the face, waving arms, pointing at the Thai who has asked for money, generally embarassing everyone but myself (it's all a giggle)

Why select a German visa run? They are more compliant than the Brits, get in a football-fanatic coach where no-one's hair is more than 1.5mm long.

[davethailand]

there are one or two visa run companies in pattaya which are very good and legal.

[Rai]

...and they are located in Soi......

Just tell us where they are, no names.

Did a Visa Run myself last month, for the first time actually and booked a day before the run with one the Fab 3 in Soi Post Office. Was picked up in front of my ]Apt at 7am and the whole trip went very smooth. Back in Pattaya by 6pm, just in time for dinner!

Lunch (Thai food) was included at the border (Aranyapradeth, or whatever) inclusive soft drinks or juice. Those who couldn't be without their Chang's had to pay for it.

BTW: Passports were collected by our tour leader at the first cig stop around 10am and returned after lunch inclusive Cambo Visa.

At the border all passports were again collected. After leaving Thailand we would just wait for around 15 min for the guy to return with passports and necessary stamps from Cambo officials and then we proceeded to enter Thailand.

Another 30 min later all 6 of us were back in the Minibus.

Alltogether a very smooth trip!

[thaiflyer1]

I would recommend Luxury Visa Runs on the third road......just used them ....mini bus to poi -pet 2400baht ...left at 7am back at 5pm ..........brekkie and sandwich on the way back included (and cambodian visa of course) ....also choice of smoking or non-smoking mini bus. Did large bus with Mr. Boon last October ok but never got back till 9pm.

[davethailand]

never tried it, as have year visa but as thaiflyer1 says luxury visa runs is supposed to be excellent,

did one over 2 years ago with the visa shop on soi bukhow, also good

[stumonster]

did my visa run last friday with luxury visa on soi bukhow.. excellent

left at 630 and back by 3pm 2400 baht all inclusive ( except for 20 bath sars pamphlet ).. only 6 people per mini bus.. the assistants sat in the front with the driver

that rich persons house you stop at short of the border I think is the cambodian consulate.. though with the road works on now the consulate seems to be run out of a black landcruiser wagon.. made me laugh

all in all would recomend this visa service.. though you have to book ahead of time.. so plan

[thaimee]

Taxi best bet - do your homework:

ok, i've done this before and this is your opportunity. the best way to complete a visa run is not with a visa company, but with your own hired taxi driver. yes sir, the cost to hire the taxi for an all round trip shouldn't be more than two thousand five hundred baht. to get this rate you've to travel in the wee morning hours. preferably 3-4 a.m. if you leave at this time, you should arrive at the border for seven thirty a.m. at this time most people in pattaya will be boarding they're bus.

arriving early at the border gives you ample time to complete and collect all visa stamps for your passport without the usual hinderances. having done that and hoped you've stopped at the restaurant for a quick snack you should be on your way home and back in pattaya for no later than one o'clock in the afternoon.

as for expenses, if you've done your homework and asked around, weighed up the pros and con's and also got a willing co-partner for the journey you've got a hired driver for the day. when i did the journey with a close mate a couple of months back we hired a new air conditioned taxi. although i must say i can't speak good for any thai driver. close your eyes and hope for a safe journey. so what you think?

once more: first class taxi, early arrival at the border, no extreme heat as you arrive early and upon completion you should arrive back home in pattay for lunch! two persons sharing the cost would be calculated at 1,000-1250 x 2. the price must include petrol. i'm not sure if we could get the cost down below two thousand, but i understand that this method might be a couple of hundred baht more expensive but you arrive back for lunch and get a shower then lunch in, quick cat nap and have the rest of the day for shannanigans!

Thaimee.

[stumonster]

plus the 1000 baht for the cambodian visa

plus the 20 baht for the sars pamphlet

plus the 100 baht for the cambodian immigration officers

[thaimee]

Calculation:

1,000-1,200 for shared expense (two persons half x 2),

1,000 for the visa (don't forget the photo),

20 baht sars pamphlet (i care not),

Maybe your right, travel by bus, what do i care,

Three persons is best and cheaper!

I understand people don't like changes...

Thaimee.