URGENT advice needed - denied visa exemption at Mae Sai

[wayfarer2015]

dear tv'ers,

i'm in urgent need of advice and please do forgive the length message, my situation presently is complicated and feel like i need to explain all the details:

i hold a british passport and currently in chiang mai....in may 2014, i flew from the uk to bangkok en route to hanoi (having previously received a formal job offer in hanoi)....received the customary 30 day visa exemption upon entry into bangkok....but, for reasons i won't bore you with, managed to source alternative employment in bangkok not long after arriving there...left bangkok a couple of weeks later for singapore where i obtained a non-immigrant b visa....returned to bangkok to take up the position (and accompanying work permit)....for a number of reasons, the job in bangkok didn't work out so i quit in september 2014...after all the employment paperwork has been cancelled, i received a 21 day extension on my non-immigrant b visa and, unsure what to do next, headed to chiang mai (having lived here a number of times on and off in the last 16 years or so)

thought i'd take a crack at going freelance shortly after arriving in chaing mai so before the 21 day extension had expired, i left for vientiane to obtain a double-entry tourist visa then returned to chiang mai to start a new project....did the customary 60 day stay then 30 day visa extension then border run to mae sai and all without any problems....just before the double-entry tourist visa expired, i returned to vientiane for a second double-entry tourist visa...again, no problems at all obtaining one and afterwards returned to chiang mai to continue my freelance project....as before, stayed 60 days then 30 day visa extension then border run to mae sai followed by another 60 days then a 30 day extension

which brings me to the present....the very last day of my last visa extension fell on the 3rd october (ie, yesterday)...as my project is almost complete (just another 2 or 3 weeks until it's marketed) and i still have 3 or so weeks left on my condo contract, i just needed to obtain a further 30 days stay....so, with onward flight ticket for the 29th october in hand and being as up-to-date on thai immigration matters as any of us can be (i keep my finger on the thai immigration pulse every single day and am very familiar with immigration laws/rules), i headed yesterday (from chiang mai) to mae sai/tachileik with the hope of receiving a 30 day visa exemption...as i approached the thai passport control booth at mae sai (the point at which you exit thailand), i noticed a sign saying 'no more visa runs'...now, as i understand the strict definition of a 'visa run', i wasn't doing that, i was exiting thailand and re-entering for the purpose of obtaining a new visa exemption and not a new visa (not least since there's no thai consulate in tachileik)...suffice to say, the immigration officers weren't having any of it; just a quick look at my passport and they couldn't have been any less interested in my pleas supported by an onward flight ticket, condo contract, proof of sufficient funds, etc...wanting to get a second opinion, i walked over to the point at which you re-enter thailand (the point at which you arrive after having been in and out of tachileik) to ask officers there but they were wholly disinterested telling me to speak to someone 'on the other side' (ie, the passport control booth described earlier)

essentially, they told me they weren't granting visa exemptions at all now (regardless of one's personal circumstances though still honouring activation of second/third unused entries on a regular visa) and that i should go to chiang mai immigration office first thing monday (ie, tomorrow) morning to sort everything out...however, they told me i had to go to the immigration office near chiang mai airport (which is incorrect) and also that chiang mai immigration would give me a 30 day extension without any problems (again, to the very best of my knowledge, completely wrong since i understand they don't allow an extension when the existing extension is no longer valid and my last extension expired yesterday)...thus, my period of overstay (the first ever in my life, in any country, anywhere in the world) began today but worse it leaves me open to much more than just a 500thb daily fine; being apprehended in the meantime (not that that's likely to happen, i admit) or even just reporting to immigration to 'face the music' can potentially lead to me being detained and subsequently deported...and this is the massive concern (perhaps with a little bit of paranoia thrown in) i have with going to chiang mai immigration at promenada mall tomorrow, that they'll detain me (even for an overstay of what will be 2 days)....if i came clean with them, i really don't know what else they could actually do as, once reported, i doubt they'd just let me leave the office freely and i'm almost certain they won't permit me any sort of extension....so, please, if anyone has any experience of being on a few days overstay and duly reporting the matter to a thai immigration office, i'm extremely interested to know what the outcome was

being denied a 30 day visa exemption yesterday at mae sai has dissuaded me from trying at other land borders (chiang khong, mae sot, eg) not least in the interests of time and money...so now, i don't have any alternative (unless someone can guarantee i won't be detained by chiang mai immigration tomorrow by reporting the situation to them!) but do another visa run (to obtain a single-entry tourist visa)....but even that isn't straightforward...normally, it'd be a no brainer and i'd just head to either vientiane or savannakhet in laos but, this time, i can't do that since i have only 1 full page left in my passport (and of course, i need at least 2: one for the lao visa sticker and one for a new thai visa sticker)....i could use my existing passport to leave thailand for vientiane and try and obtain an emergency travel document at the british embassy in vientiane (in order to return to thailand) but i genuinely have no idea if they'd grant me one under the circumstances and it's prohibitively expensive for a document that's valid for only 1 year, has but a few pages and can only be used for your designated travel itinerary

because my passport only has 1 full page remining, i can't also consider myanmar or cambodia since i'd need 2 full pages in my passport for doing a visa run to either of those countries....so that only really leaves me with a visa run to vietnam (either hanoi or ho chi minh city), singapore or malaysia (specifically: penang)....as a british citizen, i can get 90 day visa-free stay in malaysia, 30 day visa-free in singapore and 15 day visa-free in vietnam...obviously, i'd need to do the visa run as soon as humanly possible so as to minimise the overstay fine and just pay that (however much it amounts to) at the airport upon leaving thailand since i know there's no risk of being detailed under those circumstances...having applied for a number of thai visas over the years at singpore, i know how darn strict they are (and also how expensive singapore is even for only a few days and i have extremely limited funds)....getting a thai visa in either vietnam or malaysia, i have absolutely no experience of and i'm not sure if everything i've read (last night and this morning) about applying for a thai single-entry tourist visa in hanoi, ho chi minh city or penang is completely up-to-date...eg, in practice, do the consulates in these cities now ask for proof of funds from applicants? do they need to see an onward ticket out of thailand when you're applying for a visa? if anyone has any recent experience applying for a thai tourist visa at hanoi, ho chi minh city or penang, again, i'm desperate to hear it...or indeed any other possible ways (legal, sensible and realistic ones only) out of my current predicament, i really need to know as soon as possible...on the 5 hour bus trip back to chiang mai yesterday, i brainstormed what i feel is every conceivable option available to resolve this situation (in infinitely more detail than i've described here) with regard to obtaining a new thai visa in the quickest of times, expending the least money and with the minimum of fuss - weighing up all the pros, cons, risks (and to what extent), costs, time, etc but there seemed to be no option which was more favourable overall than any other option...and hence this post

please be constructive in your replies and gentle (as i'm now pretty panic-stricken by what to do); also, please don't think me some naive, gullible or inexperienced tourist who's just stepped off the plane, i'm far from it - this situation is utterly unprecedented for me despite having travelled all over the world and lived/worked (always legitimately) overseas for more or less the last 25 years of my life....any help, guidance, advice, suggestions, recommendations, etc would be greatly welcomed, really to give me more of a steer on exactly which path to tread next in order to obtain a new thai visa...again, i can only apologise for the lengthy post and hope the details/explanation in it are clear....thank you very much in advance

Edited October 4, 2015 by wayfarer2015

[transam]

As a well traveled guy, why do you only have one page left in your PP. Surely you know that may be a problem out here..?

[thai006]

i am in the same case as you , i have only 1 page left and i need to go mae sai in november

[cornishcarlos]

Bored after paragraph 2...

Sounds like you have been working on tourist visas ?

Fly out and get another visa if you want to stay. I think the 30 day exemptions have not been an option at land borders for at least a week/10 days...

[thai006]

As a well traveled guy, why do you only have one page left in your PP. Surely you know that may be a problem out here..?

if lao immigration put the visa in the good way and stamp in the other page not a new page for 2 stamp : me i will have 2 or 3 free page but got only 1

[wayfarer2015]

to transam: of course, i completely accept that...that said, you can't add extra pages to an existing british passport (like americans can with theirs), arranging a replacement passport from overseas is nothing short of a nightmare (in my own personal experience, that is), it wasn't my plan to have to apply for another new thai visa as soon as this and, most pertinently of all for me, i just have not had the spare funds to do it since realising the necessaity of it a good several months ago...again, i completely accept what you say though it doesn't change a thing with the position i am in right now (i wish it did)

Edited October 4, 2015 by wayfarer2015

[jacksam]

Transam has summed it up. Half way through I thought get to bkk , cheap flight to Hcmc (UK visa exempt to Vietnam) fly back with either visa from Saigon consulate or back visa exempt. Pay fine at airport easy. But you don't have passport pages. Possible to get emergency travel doc from UK embassy?.

[wayfarer2015]

As a well traveled guy, why do you only have one page left in your PP. Surely you know that may be a problem out here..?

if lao immigration put the visa in the good way and stamp in the other page not a new page for 2 stamp : me i will have 2 or 3 free page but got only 1

this is the frustrating thing, i actually do have a fair amount of space left in my passport (still lots of room for entry/exit stamps) but only 1 full empty page remaining....i have one page which a small chinese stamp at the very top but i've measured my previous lao visa stickers and that page wouldn't fit a new lao visa sticker unless it was put over the chinese stamp or a small part of the visa sticker is folded over onto the page behind (both of which i very much doubt immigration would do and even my asking them to do it, i think would be construed as suspicious)....what i don't know is if lao immigration could use a lao visa stamp instead of a visa sticker (which i know they've been known to do in the past) as the stamps take up slightly less space than a sticker....

[wayfarer2015]

Transam has summed it up. Half way through I thought get to bkk , cheap flight to Hcmc (UK visa exempt to Vietnam) fly back with either visa from Saigon consulate or back visa exempt. Pay fine at airport easy. But you don't have passport pages. Possible to get emergency travel doc from UK embassy?.

hi jacksam, yeah, the option you mention i've got on my list of possibles and actually vietnam would be the most straightforward to get to and from for me (and, yes, now they grant 15 day visa exemption for uk nationals so no need for a spare empty page in my passport for a big vietnamese visa sticker!)...to answer your question about ETD from uk embassy, i truly don't know; i've properly looked into it but was surprised to learn that embassies don't issue ETDs wholesale, it depends on one's circumstances and, almost on principle alone, i really would want it to be the last possible resort as the cost for one is almost the same as a full 32-page passport! thank you kindly, though, i do appreciate your comment

[thai006]

at maesai did they say something to you ? lot of visa exemption ?

because a guy do it last week and got 30 day , i have only non O visa this year and i need to go there too in november

[elviajero]

• Your current stay expired over the weekend so you could go to immigration on Monday and apply for an extension without penalty or fear of deportation. It will be denied because you have had an extension already but they will give you 7 days to leave the country (1,900 baht). That will buy you some time.
• Otherwise you need to leave asap and pay the 500 baht per day fine at the airport.
• If you fly out/in you should be granted a 30 day stay at an airport without any problem.
• Once back in the country you can get a new passport in Bangkok, if needed.
• Once you've got the passport you can go to a neighbouring country and get a new visa, if needed.

If you want help I suggest you edit your OP to the relevant points as most people will not read the current one.

[wayfarer2015]

at maesai did they say something to you ? lot of visa exemption ?

because a guy do it last week and got 30 day , i have only non O visa this year and i need to go there too in november

only that they weren't allowing what they call 'visa runs' any more (but obviously include those, like me, who wanted one after having had a genuine thai visa and being 1.5 years since my last visa exemption)...in truth, they weren't in the least interested in hearing my case and i know full well immigration rules change like the wind here (often without warning or notice) but it's more annoying because i was told categorically by two immigration officials at mae sai when i was last there in july that being granted a 30 day visa exemption would not be a problem provided i could prove i had sufficient funds to stay in thailand and had proof of an onward flight (both of which i took to them yesterday)....i know about recent events along the thailand/cambodian border but found absolutely nothing to say it would be a problem to get a visa exemption at mae sai (how wrong i was)....and i do understand the logic behind the crack-down though, presently, it seems to be universal and not taken on a case-by-case basis...and, yes, i know this is thailand!

...and, yeah, i read the guy did it only very recently at mae sai which was another reason i thought it wouldn't be a problem.......they now have a sign up stating 'no more visa runs' so i have to presume this ruling will affect everyone for the timebeing though what the official stance will be in november (for you), is anyone's guess....short of wasting time and money, the safest option is to forget trying to obtain a visa exemption at a border crossing and fly in/out (either to obtain a new thai visa or in the hope you'll be given a new visa exemption by flying back into thailand)

[wayfarer2015]

• Your current stay expired over the weekend so you could go to immigration on Monday and apply for an extension without penalty or fear of deportation. It will be denied because you have had an extension already but they will give you 7 days to leave the country (1,900 baht). That will buy you some time.
• Otherwise you need to leave asap and pay the 500 baht per day fine at the airport.
• If you fly out/in you should be granted a 30 day stay at an airport without any problem.
• Once back in the country you can get a new passport in Bangkok, if needed.
• Once you've got the passport you can go to a neighbouring country and get a new visa, if needed.

If you want help I suggest you edit your OP to the relevant points as most people will not read the current one.

elviajero, thank you so much for taking the time, i will reply properly now....

[ubonjoe]

When they put visa runs on the sign visa exempt entries is what they meant. That is what many people call them a visa.

You can do an out/in if you have a valid visa.

[doctor pat]

whats the problem, you only need an extra 30 day you say? just go to Malaysia - no need to get a visa there. just stamp out, stamp back in, get 30 days. exactly the same as your plan at Mai Sai although unfortunately a hell of a lot further to go, but airasia is not expensive, or theres 4 nights on a train there and back

even if you overstay for the full 30 days it will cost you 15,000 baht - 300 quid, can you afford that?

bu the way, i replaced my uk passport from Cambodia (also full) and it only took 10 days for the new one to come back

Edited October 4, 2015 by doctor pat

[wayfarer2015]

When they put visa runs on the sign visa exempt entries is what they meant. That is what many people call them a visa.

You can do an out/in if you have a valid visa.

thanks, ubonjoe - yes, i realise that now even though what i understood to be the formal definition of a visa run didn't include a situation like my own whereby i was requesting an exemption (not a visa)...and, as i mentioned, they're still honouring unused entries (out/in) on an existing visa, just no more granting of visa exemptions irrespective of one's circumstances

[BritTim]

First, unless you decide to risk overstay until your departure at the end of the month, take the advice to, Monday, get 7 days to leave the country.

I think flying out and back the same day for a visa exempt entry is your best bet. At short notice, this will not be as cheap as booking several weeks in advance, but you can probably get a cheap flight somewhere. Apart from HCM and KL, Singapore might be possible (for out and back the same day). Also, if there was a great deal to Cambodia, you can get an e-visa to save space in your passport.

Good luck!

[wayfarer2015]

whats the problem, you only need an extra 30 day you say? just go to Malaysia - no need to get a visa there. just stamp out, stamp back in, get 30 days. exactly the same as your plan at Mai Sai although unfortunately a hell of a lot further to go, but airasia is not expensive, or theres 4 nights on a train there and back

even if you overstay for the full 30 days it will cost you 15,000 baht - 300 quid, can you afford that?

bu the way, i replaced my uk passport from Cambodia (also full) and it only took 10 days for the new one to come back

hi doctor pat, yeah, 90 day visa-free stay for us in malaysia and i do only need another 30 days here....though, if i'm honest, i'm now worried i'd receive exactly the same treatment (ie, being denied a visa exemption) simply by flying out of thailand then returning immediately (and foregoing obtaining a new thai visa in between)...i know an airline may let you board the flight but that doesn't necessarily guarantee you entry back into the country....certainly that would be the perfect option for me right now - low cost return flight to malaysia, visa-free entry into malaysia followed by a new 30 day visa exemption upon return to thailand (preserving precious space in my passport)...would love to take the train but would mean a higher overstay fee upon departing thailand and, agreed, airasia flights from chiang mai to kuala lumpur are exceedingly cheap even for those leaving in the next few days....i'm not comfortable at all about being on overstay in the first place but do accept in some cases it can be more cost-effective to continue overstaying rather than obtain a new entry permit...thanks very much for saying about your passport replacement as well, very reassuring, almost can't believe it was that quick (though, i guess, maybe it depends on the time of year to some extent); for me, it was more the cost of it rather than the time needed and, as i said, the position i'm in right now, i most certainly didn't expect to be in 6 months ago...

[wayfarer2015]

First, unless you decide to risk overstay until your departure at the end of the month, take the advice to, Monday, get 7 days to leave the country.

I think flying out and back the same day for a visa exempt entry is your best bet. At short notice, this will not be as cheap as booking several weeks in advance, but you can probably get a cheap flight somewhere. Apart from HCM and KL, Singapore might be possible (for out and back the same day). Also, if there was a great deal to Cambodia, you can get an e-visa to save space in your passport.

Good luck!

thank you very kindly, tim, definitely sound advice....and, no, i would never risk overstaying that long, just consider paying 1900 baht for an additional 7 days extortionate! still need to work out if leaving asap and paying a few days fine at the airport would, overall, cost me less than paying for an official 7 day grace period....i'm beginning to think simply flying in and out is gonna be my best option but i'll be the first to admit, it worries me massively they'll deny me another 30 days as it's so obviously me doing a 'visa run' and also that i'll have an overstay mark in my passport...cheapest flight at the moment (by a long way) is to malaysia and do appreciate having to paying a bit more it being last minute (though i truly didn't anticipate me being in this predicament in the first place)....thanks very much again, though, for your thoughts

[wayfarer2015]

• Your current stay expired over the weekend so you could go to immigration on Monday and apply for an extension without penalty or fear of deportation. It will be denied because you have had an extension already but they will give you 7 days to leave the country (1,900 baht). That will buy you some time.
• Otherwise you need to leave asap and pay the 500 baht per day fine at the airport.
• If you fly out/in you should be granted a 30 day stay at an airport without any problem.
• Once back in the country you can get a new passport in Bangkok, if needed.
• Once you've got the passport you can go to a neighbouring country and get a new visa, if needed.

If you want help I suggest you edit your OP to the relevant points as most people will not read the current one.

erm, i'm not sure if it's me being a complete novice but the edit button for my original post has disappeared....

[elviajero]

i'm beginning to think simply flying in and out is gonna be my best option but i'll be the first to admit, it worries me massively they'll deny me another 30 days as it's so obviously me doing a 'visa run' and also that i'll have an overstay mark in my passport...

• I doubt you'll get denied at the airport because they have to follow official procedure and formaly deny you entry.
• You might face questions at the airport but as long as you have at least 10,000 baht in cash and an onward ticket you should be fine.
• If worst case and they did deny entry you would be able to fly anywhere you choose so just have a back up plan.

Edited October 4, 2015 by elviajero

[elviajero]

• Your current stay expired over the weekend so you could go to immigration on Monday and apply for an extension without penalty or fear of deportation. It will be denied because you have had an extension already but they will give you 7 days to leave the country (1,900 baht). That will buy you some time.
• Otherwise you need to leave asap and pay the 500 baht per day fine at the airport.
• If you fly out/in you should be granted a 30 day stay at an airport without any problem.
• Once back in the country you can get a new passport in Bangkok, if needed.
• Once you've got the passport you can go to a neighbouring country and get a new visa, if needed.

If you want help I suggest you edit your OP to the relevant points as most people will not read the current one.

erm, i'm not sure if it's me being a complete novice but the edit button for my original post has disappeared....

Don't worry about it now. You've got all the relevant information you need. You just have to decide your best option.

[Lite Beer]

• Your current stay expired over the weekend so you could go to immigration on Monday and apply for an extension without penalty or fear of deportation. It will be denied because you have had an extension already but they will give you 7 days to leave the country (1,900 baht). That will buy you some time.
• Otherwise you need to leave asap and pay the 500 baht per day fine at the airport.
• If you fly out/in you should be granted a 30 day stay at an airport without any problem.
• Once back in the country you can get a new passport in Bangkok, if needed.
• Once you've got the passport you can go to a neighbouring country and get a new visa, if needed.

If you want help I suggest you edit your OP to the relevant points as most people will not read the current one.

erm, i'm not sure if it's me being a complete novice but the edit button for my original post has disappeared....

There is a time limit.

[wayfarer2015]

i'm beginning to think simply flying in and out is gonna be my best option but i'll be the first to admit, it worries me massively they'll deny me another 30 days as it's so obviously me doing a 'visa run' and also that i'll have an overstay mark in my passport...

• I doubt you'll get denied at the airport because they have to follow official procedure and formaly deny you entry.
• You might face questions at the airport but as long as you have at least 10,000 baht in cash and an onward ticket you should be fine.
• If worst case and they did deny entry you would be able to fly anywhere you chose so just have a back up plan.

i really appreciate your reassurances, elviajero, thank you so much...

[wayfarer2015]

• Your current stay expired over the weekend so you could go to immigration on Monday and apply for an extension without penalty or fear of deportation. It will be denied because you have had an extension already but they will give you 7 days to leave the country (1,900 baht). That will buy you some time.
• Otherwise you need to leave asap and pay the 500 baht per day fine at the airport.
• If you fly out/in you should be granted a 30 day stay at an airport without any problem.
• Once back in the country you can get a new passport in Bangkok, if needed.
• Once you've got the passport you can go to a neighbouring country and get a new visa, if needed.

If you want help I suggest you edit your OP to the relevant points as most people will not read the current one.

erm, i'm not sure if it's me being a complete novice but the edit button for my original post has disappeared....

There is a time limit.

the perils of being a rookie TV poster! i didn't realise but know for next time, thanks very much for letting me know

[kanook]

The sign at the Mae Sai border crossing, 'No Visa Runs' means no visa exempt entries and this has been the general policy, with respect to foreigners who appear to be living in Thailand, for over a year now (Aug 2014). I had mentioned this on Thai visa last year since I was living in Chiang Rai and was friendly with a few of the IO's at the border crossing. Elviajero's advice seems very sensible.

Edited October 4, 2015 by kanook

[thai006]

The sign at the Mae Sai border crossing, 'No Visa Runs' means no visa exempt entries and this has been the general policy, with respect to foreigners who appear to be living in Thailand, for over a year now (Aug 2014). I had mentioned this on Thai visa last year since I was living in Chiang Rai and was friendly with a few of the IO's at the border crossing. Elviajero's advice seems very sensible.

i make 30 day in november 2014 without anything ask

i think it s case by case really ; i will try mae sai in november one year later after my last exempt visa

[wayfarer2015]

The sign at the Mae Sai border crossing, 'No Visa Runs' means no visa exempt entries and this has been the general policy, with respect to foreigners who appear to be living in Thailand, for over a year now (Aug 2014). I had mentioned this on Thai visa last year since I was living in Chiang Rai and was friendly with a few of the IO's at the border crossing. Elviajero's advice seems very sensible.

obviously, now i fully understand what immigration mean when and why they use that term though, technically, i wasn't doing a visa run (as in either the correct use of the term to mean leaving one country for another, applying in second country for visa for first country then re-entering first country on said new visa, or the more common use of the term to describe doing successive runs to the nearest border to obtain back-to-back visa exemptions)...i had an existing tourist visa, it was about to expire so, given my own circumstances, wanted to obtain a visa exemption; a visa and a visa exemption are two entirely different types of entry permit (despite the frequent reference i still see to such things as a '30 day visa' for thailand (when there's no such thing)) and i wasn't even requesting a new entry permit the same type as the one before and i had all of the official documents required in support of obtaining a new visa exemption....i follow developments on thai immigration rules (through various reputable sources) every single day living here so, yeah, i know immigration took the liberty of clamping down on (or rather, properly enforcing) certain activities in august last year but the main focus (in this respect) concerned prohibiting back-to-back visa exemptions...and in the last few days, someone reported successfully receiving a 30 day visa exemption at mae sai so i thought, all things considered, it was a pretty safe bet! how wrong i was!! anyway, completely agree about elviajero's suggestion (thanks for reinforcing) - flying out/in seems to have been the most popular of all the options i thought of and, fundamentally, why i posted in the first place

[wayfarer2015]

The sign at the Mae Sai border crossing, 'No Visa Runs' means no visa exempt entries and this has been the general policy, with respect to foreigners who appear to be living in Thailand, for over a year now (Aug 2014). I had mentioned this on Thai visa last year since I was living in Chiang Rai and was friendly with a few of the IO's at the border crossing. Elviajero's advice seems very sensible.

i make 30 day in november 2014 without anything ask

i think it s case by case really ; i will try mae sai in november one year later after my last exempt visa

from what i understand, mae sai have issued plenty of 30 day visa exemptions since august 2014 (though how many of which were granted back-to-back to the same passport holder, i really don't know)....the sign 'no more visa runs' at mae sai is new and in point of fact they've actually gone to the trouble of putting up a sign, i have to presume this policy of not issuing any more 30 day visa exemptions (regardless of the situation or circumstances) applies to everyone (at least for now) but thai006, you may well be right, i wouldn't be at all surprised to read of a foreigner going to mae sai in the next few days and -sign or not- being issued a visa exemption (though i would be majorly miffed as having been declined myself!!)...i guess, just keep track on thaivisa of any reports coming out of mae sai over the next few weeks then make a judgement call before you make any definite travel plans

[Compo]

Get a visa.

Try not to get lost.