Visa Run from Chiang Mai

[Chesterpot]

Hello guys,

I have a double entry tourist visa and need to pop across a border to get my second entry stamp from it.

I am under the impression Mae Sai is the quickest/easiest place to get this. Was planning on driving there, popping over the border to get the stamp and then coming back the same day. If too tired I would stay somewhere on the way back but don't think that would be a problem.

Does anyone have experience of doing this and have any tips? Or other recommendations instead of doing this?

Thanks in advance for replies!

[ubonjoe]

Have you applied for an gotten a 30 day extension of your 60 day entry yet.?

You can do a crossing since you will have a valid visa for re-entry.

[Chesterpot]

Have you applied for an gotten a 30 day extension of your 60 day entry yet.?

You can do a crossing since you will have a valid visa for re-entry.

Thanks for responding ubonjoe.

Yes, already had my 30 day extension. Decided to go with Greenbus in the end and not worry about being too tired for the journey back.

Just for others' possible benefit - I arrived at the bus terminal about 04:45 and all tickets for the 5:15 bus were sold. There were just 3 left for the one departing at 06:00. So good idea not to rely on a last minute ticket for this route it would seem.

On the bus now and it's pretty comfortable, More importantly, the aircon is not set to fridge mode. All good so far.

[malc999uk]

Hi - did you have manage to complete your visa run without any hassles with immigration at Mae Sai?

I ask because I have to a second entry on my tourist visa next week and have just been told that even if someone has a valid tourist visa to re-enter Thailand the immigration office at Mae Sai will not let you back in - which sounds like an unsubstanciated scare story to me, but I thought I would just check with someone with recent experience of a visa run.

[ubonjoe]

I assume he has not posted again because he had not problems doing the crossing and back again.

It is no problem to do the crossing at Mae Sai if you have visa for re-entry. If you don't have a valid visa they will not let you do the crossing.

[luke000]

Hi - did you have manage to complete your visa run without any hassles with immigration at Mae Sai?

I ask because I have to a second entry on my tourist visa next week and have just been told that even if someone has a valid tourist visa to re-enter Thailand the immigration office at Mae Sai will not let you back in - which sounds like an unsubstanciated scare story to me, but I thought I would just check with someone with recent experience of a visa run.

I have done this recently and it was no problem .

Activating my second entry of my double entry tourist visa at Maesai

[WaiLai]

I did my double entry run at Mae Sai last week as I've done for the past 3 years.

First nightmare experience I have ever had trying to re-enter,

35 people in the queue, 2 kiosks open - 2 hours later i was passed through (after what appeared to be the standard for the day - 5-8 minutes of "fine-tooth combing and checking of every little detail").

While in the queue, an officer paraded up and down the line demanding more and more information details to be written on the arrival card. People were frantic to find their info. The officer was good natured though - he just smiled as the people wilted.

[luke000]

While in the queue, an officer paraded up and down the line demanding more and more information details to be written on the arrival card. People were frantic to find their info. The officer was good natured though - he just smiled as the people wilted.

Arrival cards only have room for all the required information , there is no other space to write anything extra

[kanook]

I did my double entry run at Mae Sai last week as I've done for the past 3 years.

First nightmare experience I have ever had trying to re-enter,

35 people in the queue, 2 kiosks open - 2 hours later i was passed through (after what appeared to be the standard for the day - 5-8 minutes of "fine-tooth combing and checking of every little detail").

While in the queue, an officer paraded up and down the line demanding more and more information details to be written on the arrival card. People were frantic to find their info. The officer was good natured though - he just smiled as the people wilted.

The bottom line is that if you have a valid visa there should not be a problem at Mae Sai. That said I am not sure how long you have been crossing at Mae Sai luke000, but I lived in Chiang Rai for 1 1/2 years and have been crossing there for five and from my perspective they are definitely taking more time inspecting the passports and arrival cards. In 2013, when I was living in Chiang Rai, I would cross over every 15 days before they allowed G7 passport holders 30 days, and several of us would comment how friendly Thai border immigration was compared to the Burmese; these days the exact opposite is true.

[luke000]

I did my double entry run at Mae Sai last week as I've done for the past 3 years.

First nightmare experience I have ever had trying to re-enter,

35 people in the queue, 2 kiosks open - 2 hours later i was passed through (after what appeared to be the standard for the day - 5-8 minutes of "fine-tooth combing and checking of every little detail").

While in the queue, an officer paraded up and down the line demanding more and more information details to be written on the arrival card. People were frantic to find their info. The officer was good natured though - he just smiled as the people wilted.

The bottom line is that if you have a valid visa there should not be a problem at Mae Sai. That said I am not sure how long you have been crossing at Mae Sai luke000, but I lived in Chiang Rai for 1 1/2 years and have been crossing there for five and from my perspective they are definitely taking more time inspecting the passports and arrival cards. In 2013, when I was living in Chiang Rai, I would cross over every 15 days before they allowed G7 passport holders 30 days, and several of us would comment how friendly Thai border immigration was compared to the Burmese; these days the exact opposite is true.

How can immigration ask for more information on arrival cards , when there is only enough space to write the required info ?

[kanook]

I did my double entry run at Mae Sai last week as I've done for the past 3 years.

First nightmare experience I have ever had trying to re-enter,

35 people in the queue, 2 kiosks open - 2 hours later i was passed through (after what appeared to be the standard for the day - 5-8 minutes of "fine-tooth combing and checking of every little detail").

While in the queue, an officer paraded up and down the line demanding more and more information details to be written on the arrival card. People were frantic to find their info. The officer was good natured though - he just smiled as the people wilted.

The bottom line is that if you have a valid visa there should not be a problem at Mae Sai. That said I am not sure how long you have been crossing at Mae Sai luke000, but I lived in Chiang Rai for 1 1/2 years and have been crossing there for five and from my perspective they are definitely taking more time inspecting the passports and arrival cards. In 2013, when I was living in Chiang Rai, I would cross over every 15 days before they allowed G7 passport holders 30 days, and several of us would comment how friendly Thai border immigration was compared to the Burmese; these days the exact opposite is true.

How can immigration ask for more information on arrival cards , when there is only enough space to write the required info ?

You would have to ask WaiLai for more detail on what happened that day. My observation is of someone who has crossed over the Mae Sai border over 40 times in the last 5 years and it has gone from being one of the 'friendliest' border crossings in Thailand to what it is today; best avoided if your documents are not in order.

[luke000]

I did my double entry run at Mae Sai last week as I've done for the past 3 years.

First nightmare experience I have ever had trying to re-enter,

35 people in the queue, 2 kiosks open - 2 hours later i was passed through (after what appeared to be the standard for the day - 5-8 minutes of "fine-tooth combing and checking of every little detail").

While in the queue, an officer paraded up and down the line demanding more and more information details to be written on the arrival card. People were frantic to find their info. The officer was good natured though - he just smiled as the people wilted.

The bottom line is that if you have a valid visa there should not be a problem at Mae Sai. That said I am not sure how long you have been crossing at Mae Sai luke000, but I lived in Chiang Rai for 1 1/2 years and have been crossing there for five and from my perspective they are definitely taking more time inspecting the passports and arrival cards. In 2013, when I was living in Chiang Rai, I would cross over every 15 days before they allowed G7 passport holders 30 days, and several of us would comment how friendly Thai border immigration was compared to the Burmese; these days the exact opposite is true.

How can immigration ask for more information on arrival cards , when there is only enough space to write the required info ?

You would have to ask WaiLai for more detail on what happened that day. My observation is of someone who has crossed over the Mae Sai border over 40 times in the last 5 years and it has gone from being one of the 'friendliest' border crossings in Thailand to what it is today; best avoided if your documents are not in order.

I ve did that crossing over 60 times , when I lsst went there to activate my second double enter Visa, the immigration officer outside the office asked for my PP with a knowing smile on his face and I gave it to him . When he opened the PP and saw my DETV , he frowned , looked annoyed and gave me my PP back in an aggravated manner , with a look of defeat on his face ,

[Chesterpot]

Hi - did you have manage to complete your visa run without any hassles with immigration at Mae Sai?

I ask because I have to a second entry on my tourist visa next week and have just been told that even if someone has a valid tourist visa to re-enter Thailand the immigration office at Mae Sai will not let you back in - which sounds like an unsubstanciated scare story to me, but I thought I would just check with someone with recent experience of a visa run.

Hi there,

Yes, it was nice and easy. As I went into Myanmar the immigration officer called me over to his office - asked for 500 Baht and stamped me in and out. Then I simply went back over the border into Thailand and all was fine.

[malc999uk]

Excellent, good to hear, it seems the info I was give was incorrect - it's probably better for me not to print the details here as it may start an unnecessary debate!!

[thai006]

mae sai is really easy if you have a valid visa

if no visa go to chiang khong

i miss the old time when you go there and in and out in 10 minute and got 30 day