enter Thailand at Mae Sot

[pensionist]

A friend of mine will be touring in Myanmar soon.
He is from a G7 country.
Is it possible to get a 30days visa excempt at Mae Sot?
I heard rumours that Mae Sot only allow entries on a visa, but does not give visa excempts.

 

[Lone Rider]

A friend of mine will be touring in Myanmar soon.
He is from a G7 country.
Is it possible to get a 30days visa excempt at Mae Sot?
I heard rumours that Mae Sot only allow entries on a visa, but does not give visa excempts.

This is from the Thai Embassy in the UK: http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/55

Since 20 December 2013,Nationals of (G7) the following countries who enter via a land crossing or enter via an airport will be entitled to a 30 day visa exemption , UK, U.S.A, Canada, Italy, Germany, Japan, France
The exemption to this is Malaysian nationals crossing overland from Malaysia who are granted a period of stay not exceeding 30 days each time.

and this is from the Ministry of Foreign Affair of Thailand (http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908 which, when you click on Summary of countries and territories entitled for Visa Exemption and Visa on Arrival brings you here:

Summary-of-Countries-and-Territories-entitled-for.html

So, as there no exceptions mentioned like "not valid in Mae Sot" I assume that your friend should have no problems getting a Visa Exempt on arrival in Mae Sot from Myanmar. If you click on the button at the bottom left of the page VOA แก้ไข 18-12-58 VOA แก้ไข 18-12-58 you get a PDF document in English and Thai - maybe something to print out for your friend to show the immigration people in Mae Sot as not all immigration people seem to know the rules - a good friend (Swiss who can enter the country without visa) had to argue with the Immigration guys in Pudoo (border crossing from Laos to Thailand in Uttaradit province) and in the end he had to call the immigration at Suvarnabhum Airport to convince them that he did not need a Visa.

 

[pensionist]

Great, thank you for detailed info

 

[Captain_Slash]

From what I hear Mae Sot doesn't want people keep on crossing for 30 day visa exempt, but if its your first time its no problem

 

[Captain_Slash]

I went to the border at Mae Sot today and asked about doing a walk out walk in visa exempt for 30 days, he said I can do it once.
Tomorrow I will cross over but as I have one tourist visa left I will get 60 days, once that runs out I can do the in/out visa exempt 30 days just the once.
Border opening times are 05.30-20.00 hours.

 

[brake034]

as I have one tourist visa left I will get 60 days, once that runs out I can do the in/out 30 days

This is not clear info, are you talking about extending a tourist visa or about a visa exempt trip??

 

[Captain_Slash]

I have edited it Marcel, hopefully it is clearer for everybody now

 

[brake034]

No, not really.

 

[Captain_Slash]

Okay I bought a triple entry tourist visa in England and I am currently on the second entry which is about to expire, I have no desire to waste 1900 Baht extending it as I still have 1 entry left which will give me a further 60 days.
Once that 60 days is up I can then cross over again to get a further 30 days on a visa exempt but they will only allow this once and then a new visa from outside the country will be needed.

 

[brake034]

Much clearer, thanks.

 

[CraigBKK]

Crystal Colin.

Triple entry tourist visas, whatever next!

Okay I bought a triple entry tourist visa in England and I am currently on the second entry which is about to expire, I have no desire to waste 1900 Baht extending it as I still have 1 entry left which will give me a further 60 days.
Once that 60 days is up I can then cross over again to get a further 30 days on a visa exempt but they will only allow this once and then a new visa from outside the country will be needed.

 

[Captain_Slash]

Sadly a thing of the past now Craig, don't know what I will be coming in on next year.
These new METVs look a real pain and expensive to get so might be a single entry tourist visa then go to Ventiane or Penang and get another one

 

[KTMphil]

Sadly a thing of the past now Craig, don't know what I will be coming in on next year.
These new METVs look a real pain and expensive to get so might be a single entry tourist visa then go to Ventiane or Penang and get another one

With proof of income you could get a retirement visa Colin without having to put 800,000 Bht in a Thai bank account?

 

[Captain_Slash]

That's a problem with some of those visas Phil, I have absolutely no intention of having that sort of money in a Thai bank account.

I must read up on this retirement visa

 

[KTMphil]

That's a problem with some of those visas Phil, I have absolutely no intention of having that sort of money in a Thai bank account.

I must read up on this retirement visa

As we know there's Australian's doing some very creative things in this field.