Visa Exempt Entries Now 30 Days At Border Crossings No More 15 Days

[JackThompson]

6 minutes ago, GuestForLife said:

How many times the 30 days exemption will be granted through international airports ?

 

At airports, you will get the same unknown number as before - the rules vary by airport, IO, IO-Supervisor, and the policy changes over time.  We simply do not know what the rules are. 

The only change in this new rule, is that in addition to the "arbitrary unknown" limitations, there is now a "hard limit" of 2 crossings at land-borders.  This is not to say anyone has a "guaranteed 2 crossings" at land-borders - only that "no more than 2" crossings will be permitted in a calendar-year - even if you only stay in Thailand for 1 hour each time you cross.

[morocco]

Ok so I have a single entry 60 day tourist visa. I can cross boarder at Mae Sai or Mae Sot and get a 30 day visa on return to Thailand on same day?

[Freespirit]

If you have used up your 60 days on your tourist visa you can get a 30 day extension at your local immigration office for 1,900 baht, or if you want to go  Mai Sai, you can get a 30 day visa exempt stamp. You can go out and come back in the same day. It will cost you $10 US dollars  or 500 baht  to enter Mynamar on the other side.  Dollars will be cheaper as it's about 350 baht for $10 at the money changer on the left hand side before you get to the police station. Make sure you go out of Thailand on or before the last day of your tourist visa. Mai Sai immigration are very hostile when it comes to overstay. Even though if you are already at the border they can only make you pay overstay at 500 baht a day, and put an overstay stamp in your passports as long as it's less than 90 days. They held me and my daughter for 2 hours and were aggressive and intimidating. Not pleasant. So watch your dates and you should be alright.

Edited January 28, 2017 by Freespirit
mispelling

[morocco]

If you have used up your 60 days on your tourist visa you can get a 30 day extension at your local immigration office for 1,900 baht, or if you want to go  Mai Sai, you can get a 30 day visa exempt stamp. You can go out and come back in the same day. It will cost you $10 US dollars  or 500 baht  to enter Mynamar on the other side.  Dollars will be cheaper as it's about 350 baht for $10 at the money changer on the left hand side before you get to the police station. Make sure you go out of Thailand on or before the last day of your tourist visa. Mai Sai immigration are very hostile when it comes to overstay. Even though if you are already at the border they can only make you pay overstay at 500 baht a day, and put an overstay stamp in your passports as long as it's less than 90 days. They held me and my daughter for 2 hours and were aggressive and intimidating. Not pleasant. So watch your dates and you should be alright.

Thank you very much for the info.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[edwarda909]

Regarding visa exempt visa run at Mae Sot:  I am reading different accounts, and would really appreciate an authoritative report, preferably form someone who has had recent experience.  I had my original 30 day visa renewed for another 30, and now I need to do a visa run. I was hoping to do a one day run to Mae Sot/Myanmar and back to Chiang Mai. I have not done any of these runs in the last 2 years. I do not have a METV. I have read I can get a 30 day visa exempt and I have read I can not at Mae Sot.   What is the real story.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, edwarda909 said:

Regarding visa exempt visa run at Mae Sot:  I am reading different accounts, and would really appreciate an authoritative report, preferably form someone who has had recent experience.  I had my original 30 day visa renewed for another 30, and now I need to do a visa run. I was hoping to do a one day run to Mae Sot/Myanmar and back to Chiang Mai. I have not done any of these runs in the last 2 years. I do not have a METV. I have read I can get a 30 day visa exempt and I have read I can not at Mae Sot.   What is the real story.

I have not seen any reports that Mae Sot is allowing a crossing for a new visa exempt entry. You must have a valid visa for re-entry to do the crossing.

Mae Sai is allowing them now.

[edwarda909]

Just now, ubonjoe said:

I have not seen any reports that Mae Sot is allowing a crossing for a new visa exempt entry. You must have a valid visa for re-entry to do the crossing.

Mae Sai is allowing them now.

Thank you for your response. Sorry if I am a little dense, but let me ask to clarify- I won't be permitted back into Thailand unless I obtain a visa at an embassy in Myanmar? 

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, edwarda909 said:

Thank you for your response. Sorry if I am a little dense, but let me ask to clarify- I won't be permitted back into Thailand unless I obtain a visa at an embassy in Myanmar? 

You would not be allowed to depart Thailand without a valid Thai visa for re-entry or a visa for Myanmar.

[edwarda909]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You would not be allowed to depart Thailand without a valid Thai visa for re-entry or a visa for Myanmar.

So since I am down tothe wire, it sunds like my only choice is to fly in out?

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, edwarda909 said:

So since I am down tothe wire, it sunds like my only choice is to fly in out?

If you are Chiang Mai the crossing at Mae Sai or Chiang Khong allow a crossing for a visa exempt entry.

[edwarda909]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

If you are Chiang Mai the crossing at Mae Sai or Chiang Khong allow a crossing for a visa exempt entry.

Sorry to keep bothering you, I just want to be 100% clear, - so if I go to Mae Sai I do not need a Myanmar visa or a valid visa for re-entry, as you wrote before when I was referring to going to Mai Sot, and Thailand will let me exit?  Again, I appreciate your patience.

[ChakaKhan]

Maybe im reading this wrong too.

 

Has been 2 yrs since ive had to do a visa run

 

Im dreading the laos visa run approaching

but wondering if i can pull off a mae sai double whammy

 

I arrived in BKK and got the 30 day STAMP--free

 

I could extend this at immig for 1900 bt--30 days

 

Then go to mae sai and do a turnaround--being my 1st land entry-30 days

 

Extend that at immig/30,, after THAT expires and do my 2nd mae sai run/30

 

Thus pulling off a 5 month stay with NO actual visa --possible??

 

Not sure if i could pull it off if anyone can confirm this??

 

Laos seems the obvious choice but dread the long haul and buying laos visas

[ubonjoe]

13 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If you are Chiang Mai the crossing at Mae Sai or Chiang Khong allow a crossing for a visa exempt entry.

 

12 hours ago, edwarda909 said:

Sorry to keep bothering you, I just want to be 100% clear, - so if I go to Mae Sai I do not need a Myanmar visa or a valid visa for re-entry, as you wrote before when I was referring to going to Mai Sot, and Thailand will let me exit?  Again, I appreciate your patience.

 I think was clear in what I wrote. You can do the crossing at Mae Sai without a visa for re-entry or a Myanmar visa.

[ubonjoe]

8 hours ago, ChakaKhan said:

Maybe im reading this wrong too.

Has been 2 yrs since ive had to do a visa run

Im dreading the laos visa run approaching

but wondering if i can pull off a mae sai double whammy

I arrived in BKK and got the 30 day STAMP--free

I could extend this at immig for 1900 bt--30 days

Then go to mae sai and do a turnaround--being my 1st land entry-30 days

Extend that at immig/30,, after THAT expires and do my 2nd mae sai run/30

Thus pulling off a 5 month stay with NO actual visa --possible??

Not sure if i could pull it off if anyone can confirm this??

Laos seems the obvious choice but dread the long haul and buying laos visas

At this time you could do it.

[flupke]

Mae Sai border run confirmation .

 

just got 30 day stamp coming back from Tachilec  Myanmar  , no questions asked , no problems 

[ChakaKhan]

10 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

At this time you could do it.

I know everyone is coming to you for the answers on this..

 

I always come with a ONE way ticket--no return ticket booked yet

 

Would MAE SAI sweat me if i did the 2 land crossings and same day turnarounds?

 

But i may just extend the 30 day BKK VOA and do the Laos Run later as the

free SETV has been extended..feeling a little nervous without proper visa..

[Mark123456]

6 hours ago, flupke said:

Mae Sai border run confirmation .

 

just got 30 day stamp coming back from Tachilec  Myanmar  , no questions asked , no problems 

Do you mind me asking how many visas/stamps you have in your passport already for Thailand? I'm planning to try to get 30 days at Mae Sai tomorrow and although I haven't made a visa-exempt entry in the last 2 or 3 years, my passport is basically full (just 2 pages left blank) of entries and exits to Thailand, several tourist visas from Vientiane, one from Glasgow, a multi-non imm 'o' from Hull etcetera so I'm a bit worried I might run into trouble.

 

I was originally going to apply to convert my existing tourist visa (which I've extended twice) to a non-imm 'o' at Chiang Mai immigration (as I recently got married) but I was told I needed 21 days left on the extension and I only had 17 (despite info online stating that 15 days is good enough)....

Edited February 9, 2017 by Mark123456

[edwarda909]

On 2/8/2017 at 6:14 PM, ubonjoe said:

If you are Chiang Mai the crossing at Mae Sai or Chiang Khong allow a crossing for a visa exempt entry.

I did the run to Mae Sae successfully.  However, what follows is how not to do it.

My NUMBER ONE recommendation, make your bus reservation o the Green Bus line from Chiang Mai several days in advance.  Even if you are not sure if your travel date will change, i =I thnk it is worth it, even if you end up changing your plans. So, I show up at terminal 3 abut 90 minutes before bus to depart. Everything booked until later in the day but won't get me to the border in time most likely. So, I book a bus to Chiang Rai.  NUMBER TWO: Then make the mistake of getting off at first Chiang Rai bus stop, (driver told me this was my stop),rather than the second one which is in a dirt lot in town. So I have to wait 20 minutes to take a songtaw into town.  Then take a minivan into Mae Sae.  Get out the minivan, approached by motorbike driver and he takes me to the border.  NUMBER THREE: Make sure you get your arrival card for re-entry into Thailand when you go through  Thai immigration.  Other than that, the crossing went smooth and fast. Yes, law is now limiting to two 30 day overland visa entries/calendar year. 

[blorg]

On 02/01/2017 at 9:37 AM, ubonjoe said:

No problem at Chiang Kong.

Mae Sai and 2 other crossings to Myanmar do not allow border hops for a new visa exempt entry. Not sure why but it could be a request from the other side of the border and/or concern about a person not being allowed re-entry to the country.

I really doubt that this was coming from the Myanmar side as Myanmar immigration had a nice little money earner with the day/two week permits, technically $10 but they charged 500B. And at least at Tachileik there is a substantial border market, really key to the economy of the town, although it is mostly Thais going there who I presume are still allowed. Last I heard (years ago), it was Thai immigration not letting people leave Thailand if their only way back was to re-enter (i.e. they didn't have a Myanmar visa). I really suspect this is a Thai immigration policy, not Myanmar. And seems to be back to normal now with this Thai immigration change.

Edited February 15, 2017 by blorg

[blorg]

On 12/02/2017 at 2:02 PM, edwarda909 said:

I did the run to Mae Sae successfully.  However, what follows is how not to do it.

My NUMBER ONE recommendation, make your bus reservation o the Green Bus line from Chiang Mai several days in advance.  Even if you are not sure if your travel date will change, i =I thnk it is worth it, even if you end up changing your plans. So, I show up at terminal 3 abut 90 minutes before bus to depart. Everything booked until later in the day but won't get me to the border in time most likely. So, I book a bus to Chiang Rai.  NUMBER TWO: Then make the mistake of getting off at first Chiang Rai bus stop, (driver told me this was my stop),rather than the second one which is in a dirt lot in town. So I have to wait 20 minutes to take a songtaw into town.  Then take a minivan into Mae Sae.  Get out the minivan, approached by motorbike driver and he takes me to the border.  NUMBER THREE: Make sure you get your arrival card for re-entry into Thailand when you go through  Thai immigration.  Other than that, the crossing went smooth and fast. Yes, law is now limiting to two 30 day overland visa entries/calendar year. 

There's a direct Green Bus from Chiang Mai all the way to Mae Sae, up to eight a day actually:

http://www.greenbusthailand.com/website/en/services/bus/time-table#c4

 

I used get this years ago before they restricted anything, it was easy enough to do the whole thing in one day if you wanted although I often spent a night in Myanmar. I have pages and pages in an old passport with out-in at that border.

 

Thanks for the report that this is now back on the cards as an option, even if limited to two a year that is four months with an extension.

[jethro69]

On 08/02/2017 at 6:14 PM, ubonjoe said:

If you are Chiang Mai the crossing at Mae Sai or Chiang Khong allow a crossing for a visa exempt entry.

Most of the time forgotten. Golden Triangle (Chiang Saen) has an international crossing too. Crossed on Feb 14th. 3 people with visa exempt, non G7. I was confused first, as I wasn't aware of the new rules. I crossed earlier Jan 1st but didn't notice, as I'm on a METV.