Northern land borders closed to foreigners?

[damo010]

Good afternoon all,

Just wanted to see if any one can throw some light on this please.

This morning I've been talking to two fellow teachers and they told me that the land boarders in the north (Mai Sai and Chiang Kong) are now closed to foreigners and that they were not allowed to exit the country. The advise was that we now need to exit from a air port only!!!

TBH this seem somewhat far fetched to me, or it could be a short term situation after the Bangkok bombings but they said that its been in the planning stages for some time and this was the excuse to bring it in to effect now and that its a permeant thing.

If this turn out to be true then this sucks ass big time and it's one more nail in the coffin for me living here!

Hopefully it's all BS!

Cheers Damo.

[Crossy]

Whilst the is really about "other countries" I think we will get a better response in Thai Visas.

[ubonjoe]

If they were truly closed we would of already had reports of it and we have had none.

Perhaps some people were trying to get a visa exempt entry but were turned away. Mae Sai has been reported as doing that. People with a valid visa have not had a problem.

[thai006]

Ubon Joe in november i need to go mae sai for 30 days and 60 day extension and after new non O , do you think i can do that or they will refused me, last time i go in mae sai it was last november 2014

[ubonjoe]

Ubon Joe in november i need to go mae sai for 30 days and 60 day extension and after new non O , do you think i can do that or they will refused me, last time i go in mae sai it was last november 2014

I cannot predict what Mae Sai will do. There are mixed reports for there. It seems to vary by what day you go.

I suggest you go a least a day early and use Chiang Khong as a back up.

[connda]

Sounds like they don't want tourists leaking into Myanmar.

[Suradit69]

the land "boarders"

The "advise" was that

This morning I've been talking to two fellow teachers

Teachers at what school and of what subject, one wonders.

Edited August 22, 2015 by Suradit69

[LukKrueng]

" If this turn out to be true then this sucks ass big time and it's one more nail in the coffin for me living here! "

Fare Well

[duanebigsby]

"If this turn out to be true then this sucks ass big time and it's one more nail in the coffin for me living here! "

If you have the proper visa and a work permit, there is no need to leave Thailand through these exit points.

I've met many English teachers from Mae Sai and none of them seem to have work permits.

What is wrong with the schools there?

[Kitsune]

"If this turn out to be true then this sucks ass big time and it's one more nail in the coffin for me living here! "

If you have the proper visa and a work permit, there is no need to leave Thailand through these exit points.

I've met many English teachers from Mae Sai and none of them seem to have work permits.

What is wrong with the schools there?

Erm ... Wake up?

It's country wide, most schools don't bother with work permits.

It's expensive and takes ages to get with a school employee dedicated full time on it for 3 months to hassle immigration.

If they get caught only the teacher gets in trouble anyway.

[ericthai]

"If this turn out to be true then this sucks ass big time and it's one more nail in the coffin for me living here! "

If you have the proper visa and a work permit, there is no need to leave Thailand through these exit points.

I've met many English teachers from Mae Sai and none of them seem to have work permits.

What is wrong with the schools there?

Erm ... Wake up?

It's country wide, most schools don't bother with work permits.

It's expensive and takes ages to get with a school employee dedicated full time on it for 3 months to hassle immigration.

If they get caught only the teacher gets in trouble anyway.

First it is not expensive, that is the lie they tell you. My company handles our work permits ourselves and the cost is about 3000B for the work permit, hassling immigration is most likely a lie too as we have never had an issue. Everything is done within 1-2 weeks. I dont know why the schools play that game, I think most are operating illegally and don't qualify for the work permits.

[chrisinth]

"If this turn out to be true then this sucks ass big time and it's one more nail in the coffin for me living here! "

If you have the proper visa and a work permit, there is no need to leave Thailand through these exit points.

I've met many English teachers from Mae Sai and none of them seem to have work permits.

What is wrong with the schools there?

Erm ... Wake up?

It's country wide, most schools don't bother with work permits.

It's expensive and takes ages to get with a school employee dedicated full time on it for 3 months to hassle immigration.

If they get caught only the teacher gets in trouble anyway.

First it is not expensive, that is the lie they tell you. My company handles our work permits ourselves and the cost is about 3000B for the work permit, hassling immigration is most likely a lie too as we have never had an issue. Everything is done within 1-2 weeks. I dont know why the schools play that game, I think most are operating illegally and don't qualify for the work permits.

I concur with that. Although not working anywhere near the education system here in Thailand, I have always found it hard to accept that because someone is working as a teacher, there are so many problems with the issue of work permits.

It is just as well that teachers don't have to show the full range of paperwork required for a proper (not meant to be offensive here) work permit in Thailand.

[Kitsune]

"If this turn out to be true then this sucks ass big time and it's one more nail in the coffin for me living here! "

If you have the proper visa and a work permit, there is no need to leave Thailand through these exit points.

I've met many English teachers from Mae Sai and none of them seem to have work permits.

What is wrong with the schools there?

Erm ... Wake up?

It's country wide, most schools don't bother with work permits.

It's expensive and takes ages to get with a school employee dedicated full time on it for 3 months to hassle immigration.

If they get caught only the teacher gets in trouble anyway.

First it is not expensive, that is the lie they tell you. My company handles our work permits ourselves and the cost is about 3000B for the work permit, hassling immigration is most likely a lie too as we have never had an issue. Everything is done within 1-2 weeks. I dont know why the schools play that game, I think most are operating illegally and don't qualify for the work permits.

<removed>

First: My work permit was 33K, I don't think you can get one for 3K.

Secondly I say 3 MONTHS because this is what it took to get mine.

Thirdly: This has nothing to do with Illegal schools, I know for fact that the two best international schools in BKK where fees are 500K per semester also (along with fully legal staff) have some illegal working teachers,such as people on Non O visa, and on ED visa. When they hire people for one year or less, like subs they don't make visa anymore.

Edited August 22, 2015 by ubonjoe
removed inflammatory comments

[ubonjoe]

First: My work permit was 33K, I don't think you can get one for 3K.

The fee for a one year work permit is 3000 baht. The other 30K baht must of been for a lawyer or agent to do it for you,

[mikebike]

First: My work permit was 33K, I don't think you can get one for 3K.

The fee for a one year work permit is 3000 baht. The other 30K baht must of been for a lawyer or agent to do it for you,

Or maybe to form a company so Kit could get a WP....???

[ubonjoe]

It is time to get back on topic. Topic is not about teachers and schools and etc.

Topic is about some crossings not allowing foreigners being to leave at them which is not a proven fact. I am certain there is no closure as I wrote earlier.

I suspect was just some people trying to cross for a visa exempt entry after having some already. Or perhaps people trying to leave with a valid extension that shroud of been canceled before leaving.

[Si Thea01]

" If this turn out to be true then this sucks ass big time and it's one more nail in the coffin for me living here! "

Fare Well

If it's really that bad, give me an address and I'l send a box of nails so the lid will be air tight once you go. Bon Voyage.

[Bamboomonkey]

Hello,

I was at Mae Sai on August 5.

Sticker at the immigration counter: "NO VISA RUNS"

30 days extension on a tourist visa denied...

Same at Chiang Khong.

My mate was at Mae Sai on August 11 to stamp 30 days, denied as well.

A young friendly officer sent him to the immigration office in town, there he could get the 30 days extension for 1900THB.

I left to LAOS at Chong Mek / Ubon Ratchathani some days later.

The answer on my question there, if I could get back to Thailand at this border crossing just with a 30 days stamp was YES NO PROBLEM.

Maybe my post can be a little help....

[DanceAllNight]

Maybe Mai Sae denies the visa runners, but those with valid tourist visas should be good to go? Right?

[DanceAllNight]

Hello,

I was at Mae Sai on August 5.

Sticker at the immigration counter: "NO VISA RUNS"

30 days extension on a tourist visa denied...

Same at Chiang Khong.

My mate was at Mae Sai on August 11 to stamp 30 days, denied as well.

A young friendly officer sent him to the immigration office in town, there he could get the 30 days extension for 1900THB.

I left to LAOS at Chong Mek / Ubon Ratchathani some days later.

The answer on my question there, if I could get back to Thailand at this border crossing just with a 30 days stamp was YES NO PROBLEM.

Maybe my post can be a little help....

I think you mean your 30 days visa exempt stamp.

[ubonjoe]

If you have a valid visa to use for entry it is not a problem to do a crossing at Mae Sai.

[Too]

"If this turn out to be true then this sucks ass big time and it's one more nail in the coffin for me living here! "

If you have the proper visa and a work permit, there is no need to leave Thailand through these exit points.

I've met many English teachers from Mae Sai and none of them seem to have work permits.

What is wrong with the schools there?

Erm ... Wake up?

It's country wide, most schools don't bother with work permits.

It's expensive and takes ages to get with a school employee dedicated full time on it for 3 months to hassle immigration.

If they get caught only the teacher gets in trouble anyway.

The schools will of course get fined for letting them teach illegally. I know there are

at least a few Britons teaching illegally at schools in my town. They know better than

to wake a sleeping lion.

[Too]

Hello,

I was at Mae Sai on August 5.

Sticker at the immigration counter: "NO VISA RUNS"

30 days extension on a tourist visa denied...

Same at Chiang Khong.

My mate was at Mae Sai on August 11 to stamp 30 days, denied as well.

A young friendly officer sent him to the immigration office in town, there he could get the 30 days extension for 1900THB.

I left to LAOS at Chong Mek / Ubon Ratchathani some days later.

The answer on my question there, if I could get back to Thailand at this border crossing just with a 30 days stamp was YES NO PROBLEM.

Maybe my post can be a little help....

What exactly is going on at Chiang Khong? Didn't they let you leave for Laos?

You can travel into Laos from Huay Xai on your own no problem unlike Mae Sot

or Mae Sai, I'd say.

Did they refuse to extend your tourist visa for 30 days at the immigration office?

Did you get away with overstaying? It's way too far from Mae Sai all the way

down to Chong Mek.

[duanebigsby]

"If this turn out to be true then this sucks ass big time and it's one more nail in the coffin for me living here! "

If you have the proper visa and a work permit, there is no need to leave Thailand through these exit points.

I've met many English teachers from Mae Sai and none of them seem to have work permits.

What is wrong with the schools there?

Erm ... Wake up?

It's country wide, most schools don't bother with work permits.

It's expensive and takes ages to get with a school employee dedicated full time on it for 3 months to hassle immigration.

If they get caught only the teacher gets in trouble anyway.

Most schools do offer work permits. It takes 10 days to 2 weeks, not three months. It isn't that expensive.

The school gets the biggest fine.

Erm...You wake up Kitsune, and how rude your comment.

[happy26]

if the Mae Sai boarder are really closed for exemption what would be the best things and easy way, to do to get exemption visa ?

[nowretired]

if the Mae Sai boarder are really closed for exemption what would be the best things and easy way, to do to get exemption visa ?

There are no "exemption visas" only visa exempt entries for those who qualify.

As the Mae Sai border IO's appear to be reluctant to deal with those wishing to exit the country and immediately return for a visa exempt entry the "easy and best" thing would be to attempt entry at any one of the many other land borders/airports

[ubonjoe]

if the Mae Sai boarder are really closed for exemption what would be the best things and easy way, to do to get exemption visa ?

It is a visa exempt entry.

I have seen no confirmed reports of Chiang Khong not allowing people to leave the country to get a visa exempt entry.

If you have a visa exempt entry already you can get a 30 day extension of it.

If planning on staying longer than a visa exempt entry would allow it would be best to make a trip to Vientiane for a tourist visa.

[Kitsune]

"If this turn out to be true then this sucks ass big time and it's one more nail in the coffin for me living here! "

If you have the proper visa and a work permit, there is no need to leave Thailand through these exit points.

I've met many English teachers from Mae Sai and none of them seem to have work permits.

What is wrong with the schools there?

Erm ... Wake up?

It's country wide, most schools don't bother with work permits.

It's expensive and takes ages to get with a school employee dedicated full time on it for 3 months to hassle immigration.

If they get caught only the teacher gets in trouble anyway.

Most schools do offer work permits. It takes 10 days to 2 weeks, not three months. It isn't that expensive.

The school gets the biggest fine.

Erm...You wake up Kitsune, and how rude your comment.

Such ignorance of the conditions of which your fellow expats are faced with, is way ruder in my book.

[Kitsune]

First: My work permit was 33K, I don't think you can get one for 3K.

The fee for a one year work permit is 3000 baht. The other 30K baht must of been for a lawyer or agent to do it for you,

Or maybe to form a company so Kit could get a WP....???

To obtain a work permit in this country one has to work.

[mikebike]

First: My work permit was 33K, I don't think you can get one for 3K.

The fee for a one year work permit is 3000 baht. The other 30K baht must of been for a lawyer or agent to do it for you,

Or maybe to form a company so Kit could get a WP....???

To obtain a work permit in this country one has to work.

How does this relate to the quoted posts? Not necessarily true either... A good managing director should have very little real work to do...