Visa run nightmare
Anyone else have a crazy visa story?
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Wimbleton wrote:Yes a friend of mine took a boat over Tyron Cambodia to Vietnam . All were tourist visa runs but one wanted an ordinary visa . Well anyway it was very chaotic and the boat ride back was problematic as the boat started to sink! 12 of them and they were bailing water out of boat with cigarettes being smoked close to 6 fuel cans . Quite a long day and the boat just made it back!
Yikes! What a story for your friend!
HaileyinHongKong wrote:What's the most common visa run location for people in Thailand?
It depends where in Thailand you are. For us, we live in Phuket and going to Penang, Malaysia is the most popular and easiest option for getting the initial Non B visas. There are several bus companies that leave at night then arrive in Malaysia the next morning, you do your paperwork and stay over one night in Penang(which is a very nice city) then your usually home around 10 at night that day. The initial Non-B gave us 60-days with a 30 day extension until our work permits come in. After that we get our visas extended for a year right at the immigration office here in Phuket with the work permit.
People who are on tourist visas here typically go to Burma to activate the second part of their visa. There are company's that do runs there that are same day trips. Burma doesn't give out new visas. We've heard from a few people that Laos is the easiest place to get a new visa these days, but its a lot further away for people in Phuket. Hope this helps! hotbuthappy.com
Now I don't know the technical details but it goes something like this. Malaysian mini van drivers had noticed the Thai buses and drivers running around in their country every day and felt that they were being done out of business. Agreement was made that the Thai buses would stop just beyond the border and Malaysian buses and drivers would drive the passengers around whilst in Malaysia.
Obviously the co. you went with chose not to adhere to this agreement.
I can't say that's exactly it, but there could well be a link.
cusanus: I'm sure there's an awful lot more to this story. If you are married to a Thai and have been living in Thailand perhaps it would have been helpful to your every day life to learn Thai?

in this May, we bought a house in a very beautiful
village in the south part of England.
Rosebergen wrote:We sold our property and moved out from Thailand
in this May, we bought a house in a very beautiful
village in the south part of England.
I think most here are looking to move the other way. How do you find the cost of living in England compared to Thailand?
hotbuthappy wrote:[. We've heard from a few people that Laos is the easiest place to get a new visa these days, but its a lot further away for people in Phuket.
I don't think an air ticket from Phuket to Udon Thani is unaffordable. From there, the Lao border and Vientiane is just a little step further.
Gaudente wrote:hotbuthappy wrote:[. We've heard from a few people that Laos is the easiest place to get a new visa these days, but its a lot further away for people in Phuket.
I don't think an air ticket from Phuket to Udon Thani is unaffordable. From there, the Lao border and Vientiane is just a little step further.
A good way to get into Laos from Phuket is to fly to Bangkok then a train from Bangkok to Nong Khai which where the bridge crosses the Mekong into Laos.
You can fly to Udon Thani but you have to travel the 53 klm by taxi or get a bus.
Check with Air Asia as I understand they fly from Don Muang to Udon Thani and then have a bus which goes to Nong Khai. I have heard that this bus also goes into Vientiane but I could be wrong.
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