Job Discussion Forums

[tirelesstravelerasia]

I see a lot of questions and references to visa runs -- so here are my recommendations for the cheapest ways to get that extra 30 days. Forget the 2-3000 baht 'services' - these can be done for around a grand.

Burma / Myanmar

Take the overnight bus to Mae Sot from the Northern Bus Terminal at Mo Chit in Bangkok, 400 baht -- arrive Mae Sot about 5am. Have some coffee and toast and arrange a tuk tuk or bike to take you 3km to the border when it opens at 6. Stamp out, walk across the bridge, hand your passport and 500 baht to the police at the other side, no photos required-- really not a damn thing to see on the otherside, and very annoying touts, so just tell them you'll wait and have a seat. 15 minutes later, walk back across the bridge and stamp back in. Afternoon bus back to BKK or spend the night at No.4 guesthouse, right on the road to the border. Don't do this if you're even one day overstay, as the police stop all buses looking for illegal Burmese workers and will be happy to detain you for a few hours as well.

Cambodia

You can do the Cambodia run all in the same day, but this border seems more perilous to me - very dodgy. But safer if you're a couple of days overstay.

Take the 6 am train from Hualomphong to Aranyaprathet for the grand price of 47 baht (if memory serves me - I haven't done this one for a while). From the AP train station, a large songthaew charges 10 baht to take you to the border. At the border, ignore all the people who want to 'help' you fill out the paperwork or guide you in some way - just a scam. Stamp out, walk 50 m to the other side, get in line for a visa. Pay 1100 baht (make sure you have a couple of photos, or they'll ask for more) and stamp into Cambodia. Jump in the very next line to stamp back out - walk 50m backt to Thailand and receive another 30 days. Hurry back to the train station, as the Bangkok train returns about 90 to 120 minutes after it arrives -- no lollygagging around! Buy another 47 baht ticket, and you're back in Bangers around 8pm.

Anyone know of similar runs -- cheap and quick?

[Sgt Killjoy]

If you are a little low on money, you might consider a Malaysia run from bangkok. You can get up a ticket to Hat Yai on a bus and then transfer to one going to Padang Besar, walk across the border and repeat, it should be able to be accomplished for about 1200 baht in total. No real worries about overstaying.

[Welshguy]

All good info for sure but if you have any choice at all in the matter please dont give money to the Burmese junta as it only encourages them.

[tirelesstravelerasia]

Heard some good things about the Padang Besar run a couple years back (including availability of McD's breakfast on the other side - hotcakes and sausages!) but never tried it. Anyone know about safety issues for this one? Last time I was in Had Yai, there were more coppers than passengers at the train station for security reasons.

BTW - I still think Penang Island -- when you need to do more than just cross for 30 days, like go to a Thai embassy outside the country -- is one of the great not-so-well-known kick back places in the world.

And Welshguy has a point -- that 500 baht in Burma does indeed go to the unjust gov't there

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

For people in Bangkok who work as TEFL teachers,

speed & convenience are 2 BIG factors to consider.


i.e., I can't really afford an over-nighter!


I've been using Quick Thai Visa for the past 9 months or so.

For speed, reliability, punctuality and comfort, I give it a .


They leave BTS Ekkamai (Ban Rai Coffee Shop) at 10am

and have you back in Bangkok by 6:30pm sharp same day.


All of your visa forms are filled out before leaving Ekkamai,

allowing you to sit back & relax, read a book or take a nap.


re: the details


Quick Thai crosses the Cambodian border @ Ban Laem Village in Chantaburi.


This is a newly opened border, and it's a hell of a lot faster than Poipet, plus ...

there aren't any roaming kiddy pickpocket gangs waiting on the Cambodian side.


A hot lunch is served on-board, and you get a 10 minute potty-break

at a very clean JET station on the way out - and on the way back.


The 2,000 Baht fee is pretty reasonable (imho) considering the

hassle-free experience, and the fact that your Cambodia Visa fee,

roundtrip transportation and lunch are all included.


In fact it's so hassle-free I actually look forward to it.


Next month they're taking delivery of a brand new mid-size bus;

larger than a toyota high-top, but smaller than a full-size bus,

to keep it fast over the hills at the border, and to

accommodate guys with long legs.






Thailand teaching and travel resources available here :::: The Master Index Thailand ::::

[Christoforos]

Hi,
the amount of information I find here about of visa is amazing. Thank you all.

I would like to ask the fo9llowing: can I someone do these one day trips to nearby countires for the visa 7 days a week, or just during weekdays? LEt's say you are working or attending a course there, so you can only go on weekends, or let's say only during Sunday. Is that possible? Will you be able to exit and re-enter Thailand and get a visa just like in any other day?

Thank you very much in advance.

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

^ Hi Chris


Quick Thai Visa operates Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.


Many services (like Jack's Golf for example) operate 7 days a week.


Click on the Master Index Thailand link below

and then scroll down to APPENDIX B, FAQ 2.2


There are more services listed there!






Thailand teaching and travel resources available here :::: The Master Index Thailand ::::

[wix]

There is some excellent information in this thread.

If you are short on money and long on time you could always take a third class train seat to Padang Besar. Definitely for masochists only

I just did a visa run to Satun. It is an interesting option if you are already in the south of Thailand. I took the boat from Thammalang to Kuala Perlis in Malaysia. Actually I wouldn't recommend it, especially if you are in a hurry. The boats don't leave regularly and take almost an hour to cross to Malaysia. The boat also costs B120 each way.

A better alternative in Satun is to go to Wang Prajan. It takes about an hour by songthaew and just walk across the border to Malaysia and get stamped. I only learnt about this after I went to Kuala Perlis.

The main advantage with going to Malaysia compared with Cambodia or Burma is that you don't need to pay for the visa.

[Christoforos]

first thinfs first: THANK YOU ALL!!
One question: it has been written that in Malaysia you have the advantage of getting the visa without paying. But is really possible to leave Bangkok in the morning go as far as Malaysia and return to bangkok within the SAME day (I don;t want to spend the night in Malaysia)? And if this day trip is possible, is it indeed the cheaper one in overall despite of the cost of the long travel? Thanks again.

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

^ No.


The fastest service from Bangkok

is the one I described above.


I'd stake my life on it.






Thailand teaching and travel resources available here :::: The Master Index Thailand ::::

[Christoforos]

Kent the one you described above, you mean the Quick Thai which crosses the Cambodian border at Ban Laem Village in Chantaburi, right? Is this the cheaper (in overall epxenses), or the faster, or both? Thanks again...

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

^ In my opinion, both.


You might save 1 or 200 Baht by taking a bus and doing it yourself,

but there is no bus to Ban Laem, so you'd end up going to Poipet

where you might wait in line for 2 hours just for your stamps.


There are skilled pickpocket gangs working Poipet as well,

which you don't find at Ban Laem. In plain English,

no casinos = no tourists = no pickpockets


Quick Thai is the way to go if you're in Bangkok

and don't feel like wasting an entire day.


Leave Ekkamai at 10am, back in Bangkok at 6:30pm.

You can set your watch to it.

They're that good.






Thailand teaching and travel resources available here :::: The Master Index Thailand ::::

[Christoforos]

Thanks again. So it ends up being both cheaper and faster. Somthing else: the ECC says that everybody goes there with one month tourist visa and seems to suggest I do the same. The Thai Consular here strongly suggests that I get a three month non-immigrant B visa which is more expensive off course, either one entry or multiple entry, because with that visa I will be able to obtain a work permit much more easily in the future. The Consular here also says that it is increasingly more and more difficult to get a non-immigrant B visa in countries near Thailand where you can mostly get a one month tourist visa. So what would you suggest?

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Greetings Christos!


I feel competent giving advice regarding 30 day visa-runs

since I've been doing 30 day runs for the past year now,

but this thread is morphing into an area where I am

definitely not an expert. (i.e., non-Bs)


I'd rather let kenkannif answer this one,

since he deals with non-Bs all day long.


Anyway, here's my best shot -


It is more difficult to get a non-B

in the countries that border Thailand,

there's no doubt about that at all.


Problem is, you (generally) need

a letter of employment to get a non-B,

and that would hold true even in Cyprus.


If ECC can't sponsor the non-B for you,

your second best option is a 60 Day Tourist Visa,

which can be extended for another 30 days,

giving you a total of 90 days.


After you finish the CELTA course & land that dream job,

you can fly to Singapore, Malaysia or Hong Kong for a non-B,

or do like many (myself included) and do 30 day runners!


kenkannif might have some other ideas for you.

He is our resident non-imm B visa guru.








Thailand teaching and travel resources available here :::: The Master Index Thailand ::::

[tirelesstravelerasia]

I've never used one of the visa services, but I don't doubt Kent when he says they're very convenient -- one of the first lessons you learn in Thailand is that a couple of hundred baht goes a LONG way in making life more pleasant, as in taking a taxi instead of a bus, drinking beer in a restaurant with AC, etc.

But if you're really counting your pennies, the 1200 baht do-it-yourself run via train to Cambodia is about as cheap as it gets - and if it has to be done in one day. Border's open 7 days a week.

I'd also be interested in hearing about visa runs for the not-so-down-and out; with dirt cheap airfares to Singapore, KL, Penang, etc -- anyone got the inside scoop?

This might be especially useful when you MUST do the Thai embassy/consulate thing - getting a non-im B for example - and need to do it in a hurry.