Visa Run Report: 5 Star Visa Run.

[libya 115]

Cost: 2400 Baht. Pre-Booked three days earlier with passport and current visa details with friendly and helpful administrator. Given full printed receipt and told to turn up at the bar at 6.00 am.

Arrived at the bar at 6.00 am. Full English breakfast served, then given a complimentary 500ml bottle of water for outward journey.

Left Pattaya at 6.52 am. Non-Smoking Bus.

Bus was an eight seater deluxe Toyoto with reclining seats with plump cushions for added lumbar support. Seatbelts available.

We arrived at the half way point, a gas station at 8.27 am. Urinals, ATM's and Provisions available.

Re-boarded the bus and left at 8.43 am.

A total of four movies were available during the trip. Headphones with volume controls supplied.

Arrived at Pong Nam Ron at 10.17 am.

All border arrangements were very smooth. Some time available to visit a duty free area selling spirits and cigs.

In/Out border visa procedure painless.

Hot tea and coffe was offered at a table, on the Thai border. Toilets available 3 baht per urination.

Re-Boarded Bus 11.26 am.

Luncheon Tray with another 500ml bottle of water and a 150ml can of juice.

Two ham and tomato sandwich, Scotch egg, Florida coleslaw, fruit cake. Plastic cutlery and ample tissues. Two boiled sweets.

Arrived at half way point upon return at 1.00 pm exact.

Urinals/ATM's/ Provisions and shop available. Completed tour company questionaire, in return for a beer voucher.

Left at 1.33 pm.

Arrived back into Pattaya at 2.51 pm.

Comments

Wait after visa completion, too long: 25 minutes, IMO: skip coffee and tea and communal chat.

Wait on second 'half way stop too long: 33 mins.

Driver drove rather fast.

Otherwise a very good visa run. Recommended.

[COBBER]

Over 1 hour at the border is far too long. Allways drive there myself and its 15 min. tops.

Apart from that sounds pretty good.

[h5n1]

i have been taking a smart new toyota to border for b1700.

leave 6/630am

30-40 min border

lunch stop thai food (love it)

everyone home by 4.00 +/-

i used to take the yellow bus to aran and do it all myself but the road is so clogged now it can take over five hours one way and the bus back is inconvient if you miss the 15:00. that is about b400 round trip and us20 for visa. total including liter of johnny is less than a trip w/ 5*.

[libya 115]

i have been taking a smart new toyota to border for b1700.

round trip and us20 for visa. total including liter of johnny is less than a trip w/ 5*.

Is the Johnny at the border real? If so I should have bought a litre or two?

[PATTAYAPUNTER]

Beware of the purchases you make at the duty free shops whilst at the border. I had a friend pick me up a bottle of Drakkar Noir perfume and upon inspection back in Pattaya, it was not even close to the correct scent. It now makes for good shoe deodorizer

[roytheboy]

Hi boss, can one do the same trip but come back on the bus a few days later ??? ... Roy

[h5n1]

yes it is real as is the viagra. but i would caution with the latter. research on internet has shown some simply excellent fakes.

as for perfume, i cant comment. i would not buy such thing on the border. besides, fake perfume is everywhere your friend should have known!

as for booze - cambo is VERY cheap for booze nation wide.

one liter one carton - dont be a glutton. they watch and report people coming accross w/ more. your lisc noted and youll be pulled over and fined heavily esp for smokes.

this was just anothergreat reason to make the visa run. it converted me from always getting proper visa to visa runner as two month visa is pretty worthless every othermonth OR every month and not have to send pp off @ home or run to penang.

[visarunner]

Parfume is fake , you should have seen it , as the bottles/sprayer are cheap copies.

Cigarettes are generelly OK , except the cheap Marlboro . They are fake too and taste worse than Krong Tip .

The rest is OK, never had a problem wirh wine or whiskey .

Edited October 6, 2006 by visarunner

[h5n1]

yeah - i forgot. marlboros for us3 are fakes sure. good point. best to buy l&m or the cheapies for b90 which my friend smokes

i would not trust the wine personally as i doubt it has/d much temp control.

liter of johhny red b450 and black for 650 -YEAH BABY! can give the spey.royal the boot for a week (almost).

[visarunner]

Hi boss, can one do the same trip but come back on the bus a few days later ??? ... Roy

You can ask the operators .

At least some of the companies from BKK have no problem , but make sure that they come and pick you up again.

[PATTAYAPUNTER]

Were you actually thinking of hanging out in the border town? I hear when you check into your hotel, they give you a gun for your own protection.

Edited October 6, 2006 by PATTAYAPUNTER