Hundreds Of Foreigners Stuck On The Closed Myanmar Border

[easy_jim]

From the Phuket Gazette

Ranong border checkpoints re-open

PHUKET CITY: The two marine border checkpoints between Ranong and Burma reopened yesterday afternoon after closing due to the coup. Officials report that it is business as usual for visa runners seeking to avoid the 500-baht-a-day fine imposed on those who overstay their time in Thailand.

Pol Lt Chaiwat Ouikhum, Chief of Ranong Immigration, confirmed to the Gazette this morning that the two Thai Immigration checkpoints, located at the main fishing pier and at the dock for ferries leaving for the Andaman Club resort, re-opened at about 3 pm yesterday.

Suthathip Srikaew, an operator at Andaman Club on the Burmese island of Thahtay Kyun, confirmed that the small border checkpoint on that island had re-opened, and that everything was returning to normal.

The reopening came less than a week after the checkpoints were closed following the military coup in Bangkok. About 100 Thais and a small number of foreigners were left stranded on the Burmese side awaiting re-entry into Thailand at Ranong.

A source in the Burmese port town of Kaw Thaung told the Gazette that a Division Commander representing the military junta that controls Burma had arrived in Kaw Thaung and met with local officials there before agreeing to re-open the frontier on the Burmese side.

The source asked the Gazette to remind visa runners that the fee for temporary entry into Burma at Kaw Thaung doubled last month, from US$5.00 to US$10.00.

What a surprise - hundreds of foreigners were not stuck at the Myanmar border.

Edited September 25, 2006 by easy_jim

[wmkl]

Thank you very much for the updates.

cheers

[kojak]

I need a devils advocate to read my idea.

My last visa stamp runs out on Oct 4th.

So my thinking is, I will do a visa-run to Measai on the Sept 29th

This will give me a 30 day advantage before they start the count from Oct 1st.

In other words.

Visa run Sept 29th - Measai

29days

Visa run Oct 27th - Measai

29days

Visa run Nov 24th - Measai

29days

Visa run Dec 22nd - Measai

29days

Visa flight Jan 19th - Malaysia KL

Get 60+30extention, tourist visa.

Then repeat over.

This sounds fine to me.

Have I missed anything out?

[astral]

I need a devils advocate to read my idea.

My last visa stamp runs out on Oct 4th.

So my thinking is, I will do a visa-run to Measai on the Sept 29th

This will give me a 30 day advantage before they start the count from Oct 1st.

In other words.

Visa run Sept 29th - Measai

29days

Visa run Oct 27th - Measai

29days

Visa run Nov 24th - Measai

29days

Visa run Dec 22nd - Measai

29days

Visa flight Jan 19th - Malaysia KL

Get 60+30extention, tourist visa.

Then repeat over.

This sounds fine to me.

Have I missed anything out?

Who knows.

Remember it is at the discretion of the immigration Officer as to whether you get the stamp on the 22nd December.

I would not like to bank on the fact that you will get away with 3 x 29 days.

It will be much better for you to get a double or triple Tourist visa now,

or Non Imm visa if you are working?

[tartempion]

>About 100 Thais and a small number of foreigners were left stranded on the Burmese side awaiting re-entry into Thailand at Ranong.

Well, y'all will agree that these are not "hundreds of foreigners"

<deleted> said.

[threelegcowboy]

Please spend some time to clarify (I will not cause inconvinence, but think if people decide to get to Nong Khai - based on your posting - and than find themself at closed border gate..).

PLEASE! Again to all of you out there - has anyone personally done the trip to nong Khai during the last 3 days? Please share your knowledge with us - thanks.

NK/V boarder is open today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

did a 30 day run