Visa Run: Surat Thani --Ranong Round trip 530 baht

[Jonny M]

June, 10 2017

 

*You'll need two (2) copies of your passport, 530 B. and an ironed, brand new 10 dollar bill. *

 

 

I had a tourist visa on the verge of expiration; I went to Ranong to cross to Myanmar to update it. 

 

At the bus station in Surat Thanis they offered me a round trip 1-day package for 940 B, but I'd read so much about the trip I wanted to try it on my own. I'm glad I did. 

 

I paid 250 for the bus (Surat-Ranong) but it should've been 190 or 200; luckily I only bought a one-way ticket. 

 

 

 

1. Arriving in Ranong, I took the blue song taew from the bus station (#6) for 15 B. I asked the driver for 'Saphan Pla,' of course, he'd anticipated this, nodding. 

 

2. Right in front of the gas station/7-11 where you get off there are CROWDS of dudes with raspy voices sitting around waiting to get you on a boat. They offered me 100 one way, 200 round-trip. Hold out for 50 B. one-way or 100 round trip.  

 

3. Get stamped out of Thailand at the immigration window   

 

4. The boat stopped twice on the way over, once to be checked another time to turn over one copy of my passport. I never had to get out of the boat. 

The ride, by the way, is very beautiful, lots of shrines on little islands along the way and all-black Burmese boats that look like pirate ships. 

(If you do this over the weekend, at one stop you have to hand up 20 baht--this is at least what they told me, maybe it wasn't true, but everyone around me seemed to assure me this was the standard practice--either way, it's 20 B.).

 

5. In Myanmar, the immigration building is to the left of the dock, about 50 feet--a white building with an orangish roof. It's really peaceful inside. Hand over your passport, passport copy and immaculate 10.00 bill. 

If you don't have the bill or if it's not nice enough, they'll take you to Ali who charges you 500 B for a perfect one. Yeah, it's a rip-off, but everyone is so nice and genuinely interested in you, it's hard to care. Ali is a really nice guy with good information about the area and speaks English very well.

 

6. They stamp you in and out or Myanmar here. I got both stamps at once. They told me I was allowed to stay thirty (30!) days, but only in a 24 mile radius. 

 

7. Go buy some betel nut, seeing the quids made and trying one is one of the more interesting things to do here. There's a little betel nut stand just to the left of the immigration building on the quay street. I walked around town an hour---I wished I had more time to stay over night. There's things to see in the area and everyone I met was really nice. 

 

8. I went back to the same dock I'd disembarked at and caught a boat back for 50 B. Three checkpoints back, again, no need to get out or pay anything. 

 

9. The boat docked in the same place where I'd departed; I returned to the window, filled out both sides of my arrival/departure card (which they gave me upon getting stamped out) and approached the window with the thing ready to go--this was in the middle of the day on a Saturday and there was no one around. 

 

10. I'd brought 20,000 B. to prove I wasn't insolvent, as they'd hassled me about this at the Malaysian border, but no one asked for anything. The stamp came down, boom, 2 months. 

 

11. I took the same song taew to the bus station. The last bus to Surat Thani leaves at 4 pm. 

 

Round trip from Surat is 530 B. + 10.00 USD and the DIY way wasn't hard, probably more interesting than that casino. 

 

Suerte.

[FritsSikkink]

250 for the bus (Surat-Ranong) = 250

song taew from the bus station (#6) for 15 B.    = 265

boat. They offered me 100 one way, 200 round-trip. Hold out for 50 B. one-way or 100 round trip.  = 365

at one stop you have to hand up 20 baht    = 385

same song taew to the bus station.  15 B = 400

The last bus to Surat Thani leaves at 4 pm.  190 / 200   = 590 / 600 

 

[owl sees all]

I've just returned from Laos; very stressful indeed and not cheap.

Wiped out about 6k baht. I'll look into the post. Thanks.

[phutoie2]

49 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

I've just returned from Laos; very stressful indeed and not cheap.

Wiped out about 6k baht. I'll look into the post. Thanks.

Make sure you double check your sums, or Frits will soon be on your case. 

 

 

 

[owl sees all]

3 hours ago, phutoie2 said:

Make sure you double check your sums, or Frits will soon be on your case. 

Yes you are right about checking sums.

 

Reading the original post again I don't think that the Burma trip is good for me.

 

I went to Laos with the wife and daughter for a 3 month marriage visa. There is another consulate (not Vietenne) that might be better for me. I've been told I need to stay 4 days. I'll check it out.

 

Laos trip costs went as follows:

Baht

200  journey to Nong Khai

100  overnight for pick-up

1200 Laos visa fee

200  trip to Thai Embassy

1100 hotel

500  meals

300  other transport

2000 Thai visa fee

200 journey to border

100 fees to leave Laos

200 trip back

 

about 6K in all

 

I have done the trip before and roughed it all the way (much cheaper). Stayed at youth hostel 2 and walked everywhere but with the wife and daughter I had to spend something on tuk tuks and not walk too much; meals too.

 

Don't want to do that trip again. Looking for alternatives.

 

[macgver]

Visa Run to Cambodia.

 

- Van from Future Park to Aranyaprathet (THB 210), 3 1/2 - 4 hours

- Cross the border 

- The Cambodia Immigration will asked you whether you are doing Visa Run (THB 100 - THB 200), take 30 mins to 90 mins

- Van from Aranyaprathet to Future Park (THB 210), 3 1/2 - 4 hours

 

Total cost is THB 510 - THB 610

[Bullie]

28 minutes ago, macgver said:

Visa Run to Cambodia.

 

- Van from Future Park to Aranyaprathet (THB 210), 3 1/2 - 4 hours

- Cross the border 

- The Cambodia Immigration will asked you whether you are doing Visa Run (THB 100 - THB 200), take 30 mins to 90 mins

- Van from Aranyaprathet to Future Park (THB 210), 3 1/2 - 4 hours

 

Total cost is THB 510 - THB 610

Are you not forgetting the cost of the Visa (1600 baht) ennd the ealthcheck (20 baht) ??

[macgver]

15 hours ago, Bullie said:

Are you not forgetting the cost of the Visa (1600 baht) ennd the ealthcheck (20 baht) ??

For me, I don't need to pay for the Visa fee (THB 1,600) and it is free for me. Secondly, don't bother to do health check at the border of Cambodia side, it is just want to make the money from you.