ChrisUK
January 17th, 2008, 22:51
I've been coming to Thailand for 16 years, for stays varying in length from two weeks to three months. These periods of time have only required either a visa exemption (up to 30 days stay), or a tourist visa (up to 60 days stay), or a Non-immigrant O visa (for up to 90 days stay), applications for the latter two being made in the UK giving the fact that "I'm over 50 on an extended holiday" as the reason.
This trip, having experimented in previous years with ever increasing lengths of time in Thailand, I decided to take the plunge and stay for a continuous six months period. I again applied for a non-immigrant O visa (multiple entry) from a Thai consulate in the UK. This would enable me to make 90 day stays, which could be consecutive if I did the well known "visa run" whenever my entry stamp indicated I had to leave. That date occurred just before New Year, so I submitted myself to the rigours of the farce of a visa run to comply with the regulations of leaving the country, albeit for less than an hour before returning.
I just wanted to get the job done with the minimum fuss and discomfort possible, so opted to use a travel agent in South Pattaya which advertised the visa run to Cambodia in a 6 person "VIP" minibus for 2,500Bt. On requesting this visa run, I was told it was not available, but would be in a 9-person minibus at 2,000Bt. On the day of travel, I was picked up at my condo at 6.30am which, after an hour of picking up fellow travellers, ended up with 11 others. The journey to Banpaen at the border with Cambodia took about 4 hours over varying roads, including many bumpy ones. A couple of 'comfort' stops made the journey just about bearable.
On arrival, we were hearded towards the frontier post and guided through the channel to get an exit stamp from the Thai side. On the Cambodian side, we gave our passports to others at a desk under the instructions of our guide. We were then guided through a walkway of stalls selling spirits and cigarettes before passing through a makeshift 'casino' to a buffet restaurant where chicken and rice and a few other items were available as part of the package. After about one hour, we were then guided in our own time back through the same route as we came to the border. Still on the Cambodian side, the guides filled out the forms for us before returning them to us to take back across the border for the re-entry stamp on the Thai side. The Cambodian 30 days visa had been inserted while we had lunch.
People who had just a 30 day stamp had to pay 200Bt to the guides (Cambodian law was the reply given to irate queries from some). 60 day stamps had to pay 100Bt. 90 day stamps, such as mine payed nothing! (Don't know why.)
After waiting another hour for all of our group to return from Cambodia, we eventually took another 4 hours to return to Pattaya with comfort stops on the way. I alighted at my condo at about 5.30pm.
Whilst it was convenient to have the guides fill out all the paperwork, it was done at a small table with dozens of passports being handled out in the open there. It was only on closer examination back in my room that I noticed two errors on the card stapled to my passport, - an incorrect spelling of my name and a digit missing from my passport number! I think I could have completed this card myself without such errors. Given the semi-chaotic scene at the Cambodian border with the guides filling out all the forms as quickly as possible, such errors were inevitable. It's a pity I did not realise this at the time and have the errors corrected. I trust they will not affect my records with the Thai immigration authority.
The whole process seems to be a crazy farce of mammoth proportions, requiring everybody(except those on retirement visas) to leave the country every 90 days. It's an expensive and total waste of everybody's time as far as I can see. The only benefits go to the industry created to satisfy the need for 'Visa runs' and the Cambodian authorities who issue a pointless visa which is used for about one hour.
Having discussed this with others, I now wonder if it would be worth applying for a retirement visa myself, negating the need to do a border run every 90 days, even though I will only be staying in Thailand for no more than 6 months each year. I would appreciate comments from others who may be doing similar while staying for much less than the full year.
This trip, having experimented in previous years with ever increasing lengths of time in Thailand, I decided to take the plunge and stay for a continuous six months period. I again applied for a non-immigrant O visa (multiple entry) from a Thai consulate in the UK. This would enable me to make 90 day stays, which could be consecutive if I did the well known "visa run" whenever my entry stamp indicated I had to leave. That date occurred just before New Year, so I submitted myself to the rigours of the farce of a visa run to comply with the regulations of leaving the country, albeit for less than an hour before returning.
I just wanted to get the job done with the minimum fuss and discomfort possible, so opted to use a travel agent in South Pattaya which advertised the visa run to Cambodia in a 6 person "VIP" minibus for 2,500Bt. On requesting this visa run, I was told it was not available, but would be in a 9-person minibus at 2,000Bt. On the day of travel, I was picked up at my condo at 6.30am which, after an hour of picking up fellow travellers, ended up with 11 others. The journey to Banpaen at the border with Cambodia took about 4 hours over varying roads, including many bumpy ones. A couple of 'comfort' stops made the journey just about bearable.
On arrival, we were hearded towards the frontier post and guided through the channel to get an exit stamp from the Thai side. On the Cambodian side, we gave our passports to others at a desk under the instructions of our guide. We were then guided through a walkway of stalls selling spirits and cigarettes before passing through a makeshift 'casino' to a buffet restaurant where chicken and rice and a few other items were available as part of the package. After about one hour, we were then guided in our own time back through the same route as we came to the border. Still on the Cambodian side, the guides filled out the forms for us before returning them to us to take back across the border for the re-entry stamp on the Thai side. The Cambodian 30 days visa had been inserted while we had lunch.
People who had just a 30 day stamp had to pay 200Bt to the guides (Cambodian law was the reply given to irate queries from some). 60 day stamps had to pay 100Bt. 90 day stamps, such as mine payed nothing! (Don't know why.)
After waiting another hour for all of our group to return from Cambodia, we eventually took another 4 hours to return to Pattaya with comfort stops on the way. I alighted at my condo at about 5.30pm.
Whilst it was convenient to have the guides fill out all the paperwork, it was done at a small table with dozens of passports being handled out in the open there. It was only on closer examination back in my room that I noticed two errors on the card stapled to my passport, - an incorrect spelling of my name and a digit missing from my passport number! I think I could have completed this card myself without such errors. Given the semi-chaotic scene at the Cambodian border with the guides filling out all the forms as quickly as possible, such errors were inevitable. It's a pity I did not realise this at the time and have the errors corrected. I trust they will not affect my records with the Thai immigration authority.
The whole process seems to be a crazy farce of mammoth proportions, requiring everybody(except those on retirement visas) to leave the country every 90 days. It's an expensive and total waste of everybody's time as far as I can see. The only benefits go to the industry created to satisfy the need for 'Visa runs' and the Cambodian authorities who issue a pointless visa which is used for about one hour.
Having discussed this with others, I now wonder if it would be worth applying for a retirement visa myself, negating the need to do a border run every 90 days, even though I will only be staying in Thailand for no more than 6 months each year. I would appreciate comments from others who may be doing similar while staying for much less than the full year.