Border Run Alternatives

[Mangkhut]

Mae Sai or Mae Sot for a border-run?

 

I based approx the same distance from both, any place more conveniant than the other to do a border run?

I remember 10-12 years ago it could be huge crowds of thai people crossing over at Mae Sai creating long lines - is it the same today and is it the same at Mae Sot?

Edited November 9, 2017 by Mangkhut

[UK2Bangk0k]

Do you need an onward ticket to do a Visa run for visa exempt land crossings & getting a 60 day tourist visa?

[BritTim]

45 minutes ago, UK2Bangk0k said:

Do you need an onward ticket to do a Visa run for visa exempt land crossings & getting a 60 day tourist visa?

You are extremely unlikely to be asked for an onward ticket at most land crossings (Poipet is a possible exception).

 

Whether you need an onward ticket when applying for a tourist visa depends on the consulate's policy. Most consulates in the region want one, but Vientiane and (in my experience) Hong Kong do not.

[UK2Bangk0k]

Just now, BritTim said:

You are extremely unlikely to be asked for an onward ticket at most land crossings (Poipet is a possible exception).

 

Whether you need an onward ticket when applying for a tourist visa depends on the consulate's policy. Most consulates in the region want one, but Vientiane and (in my experience) Hong Kong do not.

Will a 'reservation' suffice? You can pay like $8 online from various sites and they reserve a ticket for you for like 48 hours, they send you a recite etc.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, UK2Bangk0k said:

Will a 'reservation' suffice? You can pay like $8 online from various sites and they reserve a ticket for you for like 48 hours, they send you a recite etc.

I have never done it, but there have been reports that it works. That said, ticket rental would probably not be met kindly by the consulate if they were aware you were doing it.

[ubonjoe]

4 hours ago, Mangkhut said:

Mae Sai or Mae Sot for a border-run?

You will need a valid visa for re-entry to here at Mae Sot to do a border hop. The do not allow doing them for a visa exempt entry.

You can get a visa exempt entry at Mae Sai.

[Mangkhut]

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You will need a valid visa for re-entry to here at Mae Sot to do a border hop. The do not allow doing them for a visa exempt entry.

You can get a visa exempt entry at Mae Sai.

Ok - well then Im off to Mae Sai next week then. 

 

Thanks for exact information as always Ubonjoe...

[micked58]

Hi all,

 

I have been in Thailand since November 2017, so far I have used two tourist visas, and now 4 visa exempt entrys(with 2 extended). I am going to Myanmar on the 15th of this month for 4 days, I am then coming back through on visa exempt(don muang). I am getting another visa exempt because I am only staying for 20 more days then going home. 

Do you think there will be an issue coming through this last time?. If so is they anything I can do on my end.

 

I will make sure I have 10k baht in cash and my flights out for proof. Is there anything else I should bring with me or have ready?

 

Last time I came in 2 months ago the IO asked "how long you stay this time"... If I was to get rejected this time, would there be any trouble? or just me getting a flight somewhere(i wont have a visa for Myanmar for I assume I can go to KL or Singapore?)

 

IF I booked for a ticket to kuala lumpur now on the same day I am supposed to go through immigration, If I got rejected would I be able to use my already purchased flight, or would they make me book a new one I wonder? (I arrive Bangkok at 10am, I could book a flight for that late afternoon)

Cheers

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, micked58 said:

Hi all,

 

I have been in Thailand since November 2017, so far I have used two tourist visas, and now 4 visa exempt entrys(with 2 extended). I am going to Myanmar on the 15th of this month for 4 days, I am then coming back through on visa exempt(don muang). I am getting another visa exempt because I am only staying for 20 more days then going home. 

Do you think there will be an issue coming through this last time?. If so is they anything I can do on my end.

 

I will make sure I have 10k baht in cash and my flights out for proof. Is there anything else I should bring with me or have ready?

 

Last time I came in 2 months ago the IO asked "how long you stay this time"... If I was to get rejected this time, would there be any trouble? or just me getting a flight somewhere(i wont have a visa for Myanmar for I assume I can go to KL or Singapore?)

 

IF I booked for a ticket to kuala lumpur now on the same day I am supposed to go through immigration, If I got rejected would I be able to use my already purchased flight, or would they make me book a new one I wonder? (I arrive Bangkok at 10am, I could book a flight for that late afternoon)

Cheers

Generally, those rejected are sent back to the same place they came from.  In a few cases (none recent, that I recall), the IO insisted sending the person to their passport-country.  One reason I never went to Myanmar for a Tourist Visa, was because - if I was rejected-entry (however unlikely with a visa + cash) - I could not be sent back there without a visa, and I might be sent 1/2 way around the world to my home-country.  There is no way to predict you could fly to KL with a ticket in-hand, since we do not have reports of this happening. 

 

There are no clear rules of when a person can/will be rejected coming in Visa-Exempt by air, or where a rejected person could be forced to fly.  Because the rules are arbitrary - made-up by the IO and supervisor at that moment - all we have to go by are reports of others, which are inconsistent.

 

Your best bet would be 20K Baht in cash (2x the required amount for visa-exempt), PLUS proof of your flight out of the country and "back home" 20 days later.  That would make it very unlikely you would be denied entry - though absent solid rules, there can be no guarantee.

[UK2Bangk0k]

Does anyone know how e.g a cheap Air Asia flight out of the country then back in then extending for 30 days would work if you don't have a return ticket since you're planning on going for 30 days then extending... would I have to prebook a ticket for 60 days to do it all again?  I don't think that would go down well with the IO if I am arriving on a 30 days visa excempt but my ticket is for 60 days time.... 

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, UK2Bangk0k said:

Does anyone know how e.g a cheap Air Asia flight out of the country then back in then extending for 30 days would work if you don't have a return ticket since you're planning on going for 30 days then extending... would I have to prebook a ticket for 60 days to do it all again?  I don't think that would go down well with the IO if I am arriving on a 30 days visa excempt but my ticket is for 60 days time.... 

If you intend applying for an extension of your permission to stay (at an immigration office inside Thailand) you do not need to worry about onward flight tickets for that. The two main reasons you may need onward flight tickets are

• The consulate may require one when you apply for a visa.
• The airline may insist on one if you are flying to Thailand without a visa, intending to enter visa exempt.

Very rarely, the immigration official at an airport may ask to see your onward flight reservation, but they almost never do (with Western tourists, at least).

[ALFREDO]

11 hours ago, UK2Bangk0k said:

Does anyone know how e.g a cheap Air Asia flight out of the country then back in then extending for 30 days would work if you don't have a return ticket since you're planning on going for 30 days then extending... would I have to prebook a ticket for 60 days to do it all again?  I don't think that would go down well with the IO if I am arriving on a 30 days visa excempt but my ticket is for 60 days time.... 

I went many times - in that way to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore from Bangkok and Phuket - was never asked from Air Asia or Tiger Air? For a onward Flight Ticket out of Thailand - last time I was flying was end of last year? 

I usually fly without checked in luggage and avoid any contact with groundstaff - as far as it is possible with Omline check in and self printed Bording pass threw Internet.

?

[bttao]

On 11/12/2017 at 7:49 PM, micked58 said:

Hi all,

 

I have been in Thailand since November 2017, so far I have used two tourist visas, and now 4 visa exempt entrys(with 2 extended). I am going to Myanmar on the 15th of this month for 4 days, I am then coming back through on visa exempt(don muang). I am getting another visa exempt because I am only staying for 20 more days then going home. 

Do you think there will be an issue coming through this last time?. If so is they anything I can do on my end.

 

I will make sure I have 10k baht in cash and my flights out for proof. Is there anything else I should bring with me or have ready?

 

Last time I came in 2 months ago the IO asked "how long you stay this time"... If I was to get rejected this time, would there be any trouble? or just me getting a flight somewhere(i wont have a visa for Myanmar for I assume I can go to KL or Singapore?)

 

IF I booked for a ticket to kuala lumpur now on the same day I am supposed to go through immigration, If I got rejected would I be able to use my already purchased flight, or would they make me book a new one I wonder? (I arrive Bangkok at 10am, I could book a flight for that late afternoon)

Cheers

10K is only $300... I read somewhere ( if I am not mistaken) the minimum to be $600/$700 cash?

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, bttao said:

10K is only $300... I read somewhere ( if I am not mistaken) the minimum to be $600/$700 cash?

For a visa exempt entry it is 10K baht. For an entry with a visa it is 20k baht.

[phuketrichard]

23 hours ago, UK2Bangk0k said:

Does anyone know how e.g a cheap Air Asia flight out of the country then back in then extending for 30 days would work if you don't have a return ticket since you're planning on going for 30 days then extending... would I have to prebook a ticket for 60 days to do it all again?  I don't think that would go down well with the IO if I am arriving on a 30 days visa excempt but my ticket is for 60 days time.... 

friend of mine just did that Phuket-kl-phuket

got 30 day visa exempt  and extended it 30 days, no forwarding ticket but the flight was not cheap as he booked the day before he flew

[Mangkhut]

A couple of more questions - just to be 100 % sure to not make any errors.

 

Do I need to show money if I do a border-run at Mae Sai and a airticket out of the country?

 

I entered Thailand on a visa-excemption and have extended it once.

 

Is it possible to do a visa-run without a Myanmar visa at Phu Nam Ron? Im going to Kanchanaburi next week anyway for some sightseing...

 

 

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, Mangkhut said:

Do I need to show money if I do a border-run at Mae Sai and a airticket out of the country?

Not as a general rule, but it's worth having the cash (10K) on you just in case.

 

1 hour ago, Mangkhut said:

Is it possible to do a visa-run without a Myanmar visa at Phu Nam Ron?

No.

Edited November 15, 2017 by elviajero

[micked58]

On 14/11/2017 at 8:44 AM, bttao said:

10K is only $300... I read somewhere ( if I am not mistaken) the minimum to be $600/$700 cash?

 

Welllllp, I only have 10.2k cash on me, I am in Myanmar now...

I have my flight ticket( printed out email intinery ) to show and the cash, I am only back in Thai for 20 days so I dont think I will get refused but who knows. There is no point in getting a tourist visa(to late now anyway).

Will see what happens on Sunday morning at BKK immigration. I think I will just walk in, maybe after some questioning, but I think it will be a walk through no questions asked,

 

but who knows...

[Mangkhut]

I did my visa-run yesterday. Getting to Mae Sai and back was the worst part. The traffic is horrendous up north, and long stretches of roadworks so only one lane useable.

I spent 2-3 minutes in Myanmar. Border officials was polite and helpful. They even gave a huge smile and a thumbs up when they saw I had written my thai adress in thai letters. Didnt have to show any money and didnt have to show airtickets out of the country either....

Edited November 18, 2017 by Mangkhut

[Briggsy]

On 15/11/2017 at 11:54 PM, Mangkhut said:

Is it possible to do a visa-run without a Myanmar visa at Phu Nam Ron?

Yes. But you require a Thai multiple entry visa.

Edited November 19, 2017 by Briggsy

[micked58]

On 13/11/2017 at 7:49 AM, micked58 said:

Hi all,

 

I have been in Thailand since November 2017, so far I have used two tourist visas, and now 4 visa exempt entrys(with 2 extended). I am going to Myanmar on the 15th of this month for 4 days, I am then coming back through on visa exempt(don muang). I am getting another visa exempt because I am only staying for 20 more days then going home. 

Do you think there will be an issue coming through this last time?. If so is they anything I can do on my end.

 

I will make sure I have 10k baht in cash and my flights out for proof. Is there anything else I should bring with me or have ready?

 

Last time I came in 2 months ago the IO asked "how long you stay this time"... If I was to get rejected this time, would there be any trouble? or just me getting a flight somewhere(i wont have a visa for Myanmar for I assume I can go to KL or Singapore?)

 

IF I booked for a ticket to kuala lumpur now on the same day I am supposed to go through immigration, If I got rejected would I be able to use my already purchased flight, or would they make me book a new one I wonder? (I arrive Bangkok at 10am, I could book a flight for that late afternoon)

Cheers

 

I went through Don Muang immigration yesterday, there was only women IO's and 1 or 2 men. I managed to get to a male IO, he greeted me with a smile, the only questioned he asked was "You are going to Phuket", I said yes sir. He then stamped my passport and said "enjoy the full moon"...

 

[thai006]

hey guys  i am on  30 day visa exemption  and i would like to know if i can go to mae sai for get new 30 day  or no ? because last time i go there in 2015 they say to me no visa no entry and i go to chiang khong  thank you :) 

[elviajero]

2 hours ago, thai006 said:

hey guys  i am on  30 day visa exemption  and i would like to know if i can go to mae sai for get new 30 day  or no ? because last time i go there in 2015 they say to me no visa no entry and i go to chiang khong  thank you :) 

Yes, as long as it's your first or second visa exempt entry by land this year.

[thai006]

19 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Yes, as long as it's your first or second visa exempt entry by land this year.

 did not no any entry by land on visa exempt this year just  in january 2017 but with a single non O 

Edited December 7, 2017 by thai006

[elviajero]

2 hours ago, thai006 said:

 did not no any entry by land on visa exempt this year just  in january 2017 but with a single non O 

Then you should have no problem getting a visa exempt entry at Mae Sai.

[Scott3000]

Hi I'm looking to do a visa run to Mae Sai next week.

 

Before finalizing plans, I wanted to make sure I'm likely to be allowed re-entry. This will be my FIRST land entry in 2017. 

 

I have 3 previous AIR entries this year:

 

Two visa runs by air in January and March.

Left Thailand for 5 months in May.

Returned by air in October visa exempt, plus extension.

 

From what I understand, I'll be OK doing a land entry at Mae Sai before the year ends. Please confirm.

 

Thanks!!

Edited December 15, 2017 by Scott3000

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, Scott3000 said:

From what I understand, I'll be OK doing a land entry at Mae Sai before the year ends. Please confirm.

No problem to get a visa exempt entry at Mae Sai. They only count crossings by land.

[Scott3000]

40 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

No problem to get a visa exempt entry at Mae Sai. They only count crossings by land.

Thanks Ubonjoe!

[thai006]

Thanks Ubonjoe!

No probleme i was there last sunday Just put the right adress in the tm6 because the girl officier ask me for that only


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Scott3000]

On 12/16/2017 at 1:42 AM, thai006 said:

 

No probleme i was there last sunday Just put the right adress in the tm6 because the girl officier ask me for that only


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

Thanks for this detail. Just bought my bus ticket & it's comforting to have up to date info. I will pack my address along with passport & head up there next week. Cheers!