Visa Runs

Organised Visa Run

There are organised visa runs twice a day every day of the year. You can choose to go on the early morning run, or the early afternoon run. If you don't wish to return to Chumphon (e.g. you plan to stay in Ranong or travel south from there), or if you wish to continue from Chumphon to Koh Tao or any of the other islands, we can arrange this for you as well.

Independent Visa Run

It is, of course, possible to do a visa run from Chumphon to Ranong and back to Chumphon independently. You can rent a car or motorbike (the latter's not much fun if it rains), or take the bus to do the Chumphon-Ranong bit. If you take the bus it may be better to plan to stay a night in Ranong

Once in Ranong you make your own way to the Thai Immigration Office and on to the Saphan Pla pier, where you can either charter a whole boat (around 300 baht to take you to Kaw Thoung, wait for you, and bring you back - there's usually several boatmen waiting at immigration), or pay around 50 baht for a one-way trip with the locals, and do the same to come back (but you may have to do a lot of waiting around).

When you get back to Thailand don't forget to go back to Thai Immigration! to get stamped back in. It is very easy to forget, and you can have a nasty shock 30 days latter when you discover you've been in the country illegally. Also be aware that the office officially closes at around 16:30 (4:30pm). Although it is often open past this time, do not rely on this fact!

Frequently Asked Questions

I've Heard A Different Story About Visas

That's because there have been lots of changes in the rules over the past few years, specifically regarding the Tourist Visa Exemption. The main changes are listed below:

• Until late 2006 a Tourist Visa Exemption was for a fixed 30 days, and there was no limit to the number of times you could get one.
• From late 2006 the number of times you could get a Tourist Visa Exemption was limited to 90 days out of any 180 day period.
• From 2008 the length of a tourist visa exemption has been reduced to 15 days if you arrive in Thailand at an overland border, but the 90 days out of 180 days restiction seems to have been dropped.

Can I get a visa on entry to Thailand?

Nationals of around 40 different countries (including most western countries) can get a free "Tourist Visa Exemption" (see the photo) on entry. If you arrive in Thailand at an airport this will be for 30 days. However, since late 2008, if you arrive by land you will only get 15 days.

Nationals of another 20 or so countries can get a 15-day "Visa On Arrival" for a 1,000 baht fee. However, this does not appear to be possible at the Ranong immigration office.

I heard you had to pay for visa extensions?

That's absolutely true. A visa extension allows you to remain in Thailand (i.e. you don't have to leave the country). You need to go to an immigration office and pay the appropriate fee to get an extension.

However, if you physically leave the country, then you're existing visa (unless it's a multiple entry visa) is cancelled. When you come back to Thailand, even if it's only a few minutes later, you start again from scratch.

Can I get a new tourist visa exemption stamp without leaving Thailand?

No! Definitely not! You must physically leave the country. You may hear talk about a friend of a friend who did this in the past, but it has never been legal, and people have got into serious trouble! t is possible to get a visa extension though without leaving Thailand.

Can you get one of these tourist visa exemption stamps in advance?

No. The tourist visa exemption is always valid from the day you physically enter the country.

Does the length of the tourist visa exemption include the day you get the visa?

The length of the tourist visa exemption is inclusive of the entry and departure date. The tourist visa exemption stamp in your passport will have an "Until" date. You must leave Thailand on or before this date.

Since May 2005 the fine for overstaying was 500 baht per day overstay. Up until March 2005 it had been 200 baht per day.

I've heard you need to pay a fee in Burma?

Correct. When you get to Burma you have to pay a US$10 fee (until 2005 it used to be $5) for a "Border Pass". This actually permits you to stay in Burma for one (or maybe two - check the stamp) nights. Check travellers forums for the latest information. In addition Burmese Immigration are rather fussy about the quality of the US$ bills - they don't like damaged, worn, or marked bills (bills you can happily use in Thailand are refused here).

Can I avoid paying the border pass fee for Burma

No. To be allowed back into Thailand you must, in addition to the departure stamp from your previous visit to Thailand, have stamps in your passport proving you've actually been to another country.

How many pages of my passport does a visa run use?

If you are getting a new 30-day tourist visa exemption you should get four small stamps in your passport, taking up less than half a page. If you've overstayed by even one day you'll get an additional stamp.

1. Departure from Thailand
2. (Overstay fine)
3. Arrival in Burma
4. Departure from Burma
5. Arrival in Thailand