ban pho nam ron

[navara]

Today I've heard a strange story about a visa run at Ban pho nam ron. The visa handling was not the issue, but the 4km van trip to the Myanmar border and back. My friend was in company of his Thai wife and the costs for that fare was 100 baht one way, so they had to pay 400 baht for only 8 km. In BKK you would see half the city for that amount! But okay, mai pen rai.

He said a very old, shabby and dirty van showed up. The driver, which was Myanmar, was paid 40 baht and he could have fuel for that money. Which he did. He let them wait for almost 20 min at the gas station. He might be talking with his friends there. Then he went on and the next stop was the mango sales shop, he wanted a mango. The next stop was the lemonade shop, to order a drink. He parked the van and went to the Myanmar border office and after 15 min he came back. Then he stopped at the lemonade shop to get his drinks, probably also for somebody else, because he had 2. What next happened made my friend very angry, he stopped again at the gas station, now to fill up a kind of very large milk cans with BENZENE, with a shabby cover. And placed those two cans in the van, next to my friend and his wife!

I said I will post this story on Thai Visa, so other farang will read this and are warned. What would happened in case of an accident???????? Old shabby van, for sure no maintenance and 20 liter benzene?

[stoneyboy]

Tell your mate to buy a car.

Saves all that hassle.

[navara]

For only a few bath profit, the benzene might be cheaper there, he risk the lives of 3 people including his own. Brain dead I think? It might be illegal too.

[navara]

Tell your mate to buy a car.

Saves all that hassle.

Yes I told him, go with your own car, but it seems a lot of trouble and costs to bring your own over the border.

[steve187]

its 400 baht for one person, so he got a bonus 2 for the price of 1, the last time i was there it was a pick up truck.

was the wife worried he wouldn't come back

[Colabamumbai]

Welcome to Thailand.

[apetley]

Tell your mate to buy a car.

Saves all that hassle.

You can't drive your own vehicle across the border at Phu Nam Ron. As Thai Immigration to Burmese Immigration is maybe a 7-8 km round trip the minibus is really the only alternative.

[apetley]

I used the crappy minibus last week too, not a pleasant experience. A/c hardly working so a fan was plugged in somewhere and propped up on the back.

I have other concerns at what goes on at this crossing too. One trip last year involved a very young girl being added to the passengers just before the Burmese checkpoint, told to lie down in the back on the bus and then collected just before the Thai one.

I told a trusted Thai police friend of my concerns and he said a lot of trafficking happens through there.

[Denim]

The choices here for the trip between the two immigration points are limited . Taking your own vehicle across can be expensive and time consuming as you need all the correct paperwork which has to be thoroughly checked at both ends. The original setup of taking a motorcycle taxi was the best. Cheap and fast. It seems like every time I go to this border there is some new twist that requires a longer wait and another 100 baht.

[navara]

its 400 baht for one person, so he got a bonus 2 for the price of 1, the last time i was there it was a pick up truck.

was the wife worried he wouldn't come back

LOL I do not think so, she might be curious.

[navara]

I used the crappy minibus last week too, not a pleasant experience. A/c hardly working so a fan was plugged in somewhere and propped up on the back.

I have other concerns at what goes on at this crossing too. One trip last year involved a very young girl being added to the passengers just before the Burmese checkpoint, told to lie down in the back on the bus and then collected just before the Thai one.

I told a trusted Thai police friend of my concerns and he said a lot of trafficking happens through there.

Wouw! Child labor too? What would happen if the immigration had seen this? Might cost farangs in that van hours.

[navara]

The choices here for the trip between the two immigration points are limited . Taking your own vehicle across can be expensive and time consuming as you need all the correct paperwork which has to be thoroughly checked at both ends. The original setup of taking a motorcycle taxi was the best. Cheap and fast. It seems like every time I go to this border there is some new twist that requires a longer wait and another 100 baht.

Myself I use the Friendship bridge at Mae Sot, never any problem there. You can walk over by yourself, no hassle nothing, except one time the Thai immigration stamped a wrong date in my passport, so I had to walk twice!