Visa from Pattaya to Cambodia with a travel agency. Nobody canceled visarans! Visa from Phuket to Ranong, Myanmar (Burma) on your own Example of filling out an immigration card

So the first month of my life in Thailand flew by (like a bullet!). This means it’s time to sum up some results and... go on a visa run from Pattaya to Cambodia. To be honest, we didn't really want this. We thought about flying, for example, to Malaysia. But there was so much to do that we simply had no choice. So, what is visaran and why is it?

So, what is visaran? A little theory. A citizen of the Kingdom of Russia has two legal ways to stay on the territory of the Kingdom of Thailand. The first way is to obtain a Thai visa (for example, tourist, study, work) and use it to live in Thailand for the allotted period of time. And then extend it (or not extend it, as your heart desires). By the way, a list of language schools in Pattaya, where they will help you obtain a student visa and teach you how to speak a foreign language, .

Border between Thailand and Cambodia. We didn’t really cross it, though, we just stomped around next to it.

The second way is to simply fly to Thailand and receive an entry stamp at the border. According to agreements between countries, it gives the lucky holder of a Russian passport the right to stay in Thailand for up to 30 days inclusive. And during this period the Russian must leave Thailand. It doesn’t matter for how long – be it forever, or just cross the border and immediately return back. The main thing is that no more than 30 days pass between receiving the entry and exit stamp in your passport. To leave the country for a while, you can fly somewhere. Or you can make a visaran (for example, from Thailand to Cambodia or).

So, before moving to Pattaya, we decided not to bother with visas - there was too much to do in Russia before leaving for Thailand. In addition, it is easier to apply for a visa while you are already here. And it’s more pleasant: to do this you need to leave the country and visit the Thai embassy abroad. Which we will soon do when we receive a study visa to Thailand (you can read about our exciting trip to Vientiane - the most boring capital in the world). But since we did not have time to settle all the formalities during the month of living in Thailand, we had to leave the country. And move in again.

Therefore, I had to do a visa run - go from Pattaya to Cambodia. In general, this is a whole business here: foreigners are taken to the border in minibuses, they cross it and enter back into Thailand, receiving a new entry stamp. That's what we did. It turns out that on September 19 at the airport we received entry stamps, on October 17 - exit stamps (we moved from Thailand to Cambodia), and on October 17 - new entry stamps (we went back from Cambodia to Thailand), which give us the right to live in Thailand still up to 30 days.

The Ban Packard border crossing staff is happy to welcome visa holders of all colors for a small fee.

In general, strictly speaking, this is not called a visa-run, but border run. The phrase visa run is translated from English as “to rush for a visa”, “to run for a visa”. But you don’t get a visa – just an entry stamp. And the phrase border run comes from the English. boarder (border) and run (run). “Runned” to the border, received the coveted stamp - home. And a visa-run, strictly speaking, is when you have completed all the documents for a visa here and gone to the Thai embassy abroad to receive it. But no one bothers with all these concepts, so a visa run is called a border run, that is, a trip to the border to get a stamp. I think the point is that the words “visa-run” are simply easier to pronounce)))

Well, we’ll tell you later about how our visa run from Pattaya and Cambodia went! Upd: here is the promised story about... With photo gallery. There are even photos of food!

And after that, we finally applied for a student visa to Thailand. And life became easier. ...

P.S.: Oh yes, I almost forgot to answer the question posed in the title! Why do you need a visaran? And then, so that there is no overstay (English: over - through, excessively and stay - to be) Overstay- this is if you have not left Thailand within the 30 days allotted by law. A tax of 500 baht is paid per day of overstay. That is, if you live in Thailand for 31 days without a visa, you pay a fine of 500 baht. If 32 days – 1000 baht. If six months - 76,000 baht. What happens if you don't pay? There are various rumors and horror stories about this - from “ordinary” deportation to one’s homeland to trial, confiscation of property and prison. Do you need it?

The end of the first stage of my tourist visa has come. In order for the second part of the six-month Thai visa to come into force, you must leave the country and enter back. We are going on a visa run from Pattaya to Cambodia. Slava flew to Russia last week with the same visa, and thus he got a personal visa, and he no longer needs to travel anywhere.

The information in this article is current at the time of publication. As of 2016, you can get no more than 1-2 visas, provided that you do not have old Thai stamps and visas in your passport. Before your trip, I advise you to check with your travel agency.

Ran Visa: Thai Tourist Visa Extension

As you know, we received a Thai visa in Laos. Slava described the procedure for obtaining it in the article: . 3 months have already passed since that day. In Krabi, at the immigration office, we extended our visa in May, and now it’s time to leave the country. Cambodia was again chosen for the border run. I didn't want to go alone. What if something goes wrong at the border, because recently the Internet was full of information about the abolition of land visas...

It was decided to go together for a visa to Cambodia. At first we thought about simply buying bus tickets and going ourselves, like last time, but after thinking about it, we decided that it would be safest to be accompanied.

Visa from Pattaya to Cambodia through a travel agency

We found a Russian office in Pattaya, where we bought a ready-made visa. Having explained that Slava would only be my accompanying person, we paid 1,900 baht for a visa for me (this price also includes a visa to Cambodia for $20 and lunch on the way back) and 700 for Slava (only for travel and lunch). Today at exactly 06:00 in the morning a minibus arrived at our condo and we hit the road.

Attention! Currently a Cambodian visa costs $30. Because of this, visa prices from Pattaya to Cambodia may be higher in 2016.

Don't forget to bring a sweatshirt. This is a note for the warm-skinned

The minibus turned out to carry 10 people, several Asians, the rest Russians, all 10 seats were occupied. And we also thought that now in the off-season the buses would be empty. Leather interior, air conditioning, everything is as it should be. Even on the way, when leaving Pattaya on the highway, we realized that we were not going to the creepy border town of Poipet, but in the other direction. Apparently in Ban Pakkad.

Ban Pakkad border

At the stop they collected our passports, and 3 hours later, when we arrived at the border, they gave us our passports. Even filling out the Thai piece of paper stuck to your passport. We walked together to the border checkpoint.

Ban Pakkad. Border with Cambodia

There were no queues, and then they filled out everything for us again and stuck in the Cambodian visa. No additional fees were required. Having received a Cambodian visa, we immediately closed it and went to enter Thailand. They gave me a 60-day stamp without any questions asked, thereby extending my tourist visa.

After 20 minutes we returned back to our minibus. We have never received such a fast and well-functioning visaran before. The last independent time I spent so much nerves and hours that now the differences were obvious. Everyone rushed back to Pattaya happy.

Where can I order a transfer from the airport?

We use the service - KiwiTaxi
We ordered a taxi online and paid by card. We were met at the airport with a sign with our name on it. We were taken to the hotel in a comfortable car. You've already talked about your experience In this article.

Lunch is included in the visa rana price

On the way back they brought us to feed us. I didn’t eat because the smell alone made me sick, but Slava was very hungry and ate. There wasn't much choice there.

Everything is super, everything is wonderful, I liked everything. Fast, accurate and not that expensive. Service for all 10 points.

Nobody canceled visa wounds

While I was driving back, I was indignant inside myself and was very angry at some particularly “brilliant” bloggers. Many of them were recently full of headlines about the abolition of visarans. Where do you get all this? Some wrote that from the official websites of the Thai Embassy, ​​some simply heard it somewhere and already wrote it, passing it off as the truth. Do you even understand that many people, reading you, believe this and leave Tai ahead of time, realizing that visarans are now impossible.

Possible, my friends! Today this is true. I don’t know how things will be if you go to the border yourself, but through any tourist office, both in Pattaya and at any other resort, this is feasible.

Stamps received when traveling for a visa from Pattaya to Cambodia

No one asks any problems or unnecessary questions, and, in my opinion, the border guards themselves have never heard about it. Before my eyes, all the people on our bus were given new 30-day stamps = their visas were extended. Moreover, we had a tourist visa, but they didn’t have any at all. Just 30 day stamps. When asked how they did it for you, they shrugged and said that, as always, simply and without questions. Having talked later with one of our acquaintances, we were convinced of this again. Apparently these people don't read or trust some of the popular blogs about Thailand.

We have long noticed that in pursuit of popularity, some bloggers go to great lengths to lure more people to their site with “shocking” headlines. Moreover, they do not bear any responsibility for this, writing posts about military coups in Thailand, the abolition of visarans, floods and earthquakes. The motives for such actions are clear - strike while the iron is hot. Due to the influx of traffic, the percentage of clicks on contextual advertising (and the blogger’s earnings) increases. And, as a rule, few people think about whether the published information corresponds to reality. Maybe the new law of our State Duma, equating bloggers with the media, is not so bad?

I would like to wish such people that they would at least sign that this is their opinion, and not that this is the last authority that should be trusted.

I hope this news lifted someone’s spirits or gave someone a chance not to leave the land of smiles tomorrow, but to enjoy the sea and good weather for another month.

For Russian citizens in Thailand, there is a visa-free regime - at the airport upon arrival, they put a stamp in your passport valid for 30 days. If you would like to stay longer in the Land of Smiles, there are two options:

– border run – a trip to the nearest border for a new 30-day stamp. From Phuket, tourists most often go to the border with Myanmar (Burma) to the city of Ranong.

– visa – a trip to the embassy of a country neighboring Thailand to obtain a three-month visa. The nearest representative office of Thailand to Phuket is located on the island of Penang in Malaysia.

In general, in Thailand the concept of “border run” is used very rarely; as a rule, border run is also called visa run.

Border run Phuket-Ranong

The easiest way to extend your stay in Thailand if you are in Phuket is to contact one of the specialized agencies. The trip to Ranong and back takes one day. In the morning, you and other fellow travelers are collected by a bus from your hotels, brought to your place, helped with paperwork, transported by boat to the Burmese coast and back, and then brought back to your hotel. The cost of such a trip also includes 10 dollars, which you will need to pay to the border guards in Myanmar. On the way, they usually feed you something else. The cost of such a tour is from 1400 baht per person.

The disadvantage of this option is that you won’t be able to see local attractions or do budget shopping; you don’t have time. Myanmar is a poor country and everything is very cheap there. Alcoholic drinks, cigarettes and lunch in cafes in the border town of Kawthong are about half the price of in Thailand. True, if you plan to bring a large amount of alcohol and cigarettes across the border, and the Thai border guards notice this, some financial problems may arise. On the hill in Kawthong you can see an interesting Buddhist temple. In general, it’s quite possible to walk there for three hours. So, what to do if you decide to travel to Myanmar on your own.

First, you will need to buy 10 dollars with one new bill at an exchange office in Phuket - they sell them locally for almost twice as much. Phuket-Chumphon buses passing through Ranong leave from Bus Terminal #2, located in the northern part of Phuket Town. The first one leaves at 5.30 am, then at 8.10. If you plan to return back on the same day, then you need to go there. Tickets should be purchased in advance. He travels for five and a half hours.

In Ranong, you will need to transfer to a blue songthaew (a pickup truck converted to carry passengers), which you will see across the road immediately after disembarking from the bus, which will take you to the pier. In the area with a gas station, boatmen will definitely try to offer their services to you. They help with paperwork, show you where to show your passport for an exit stamp, and transport you to Burma and back. The cost of their services starts from 500 baht; you will most likely be alone on the boat and will not have to wait for anyone. But you can bargain for 200-300 baht, however, then you will have to wait for the boat to fill.

On a pier in Myanmar, you have to fight off beggar boys and sellers of alcohol, cigarettes and Viagra. You just need to go left along the pier to the Burmese immigration control, pay $10 and get entry and exit stamps. If you decide to stay here for a while, your passport will be taken away and you will be issued a temporary residence permit.

On the Thai coast you will need to go to immigration again to get a new 30-day stamp. By law, you are required to have at least 10,000 baht in cash for accommodation, or documents confirming their availability.

Additionally, in May 2014, new requirements were introduced for people to extend their stay in Phuket in a similar manner. Firstly, border runs can be issued no more than three times in a row; on the fourth time they won’t give it to you. And secondly, you will be asked to provide documents confirming that you have a hotel reservation or rental housing, a sufficient amount of money for the entire period of stay in Phuket, and the decision still remains with the Immigration Service. Be prepared that you may be refused without explanation. In other regions of Thailand, for example, at the popular crossing in Mae Sai, registration of border runs is completely impossible.

The last Chumphon-Phuket bus arrives in Ranong at 16.30, but from 18.30 to 19.30 you can still take a passing bus from Bangkok.

Visa ran Phuket-Penang

If you are not satisfied with traveling to the border every month, then you can get a three-month visa, for example, on the Malaysian island of Penang. The visa process takes two days - on the first day you submit the necessary documents to the embassy, ​​on the second you receive a visa. You can get to Penang on your own by ferry or by plane (one-way fares range from 2,000 and 3,000 baht, respectively).

You can contact the agency. The cost of a minibus trip is 4,500 baht with hotel accommodation and some meals. The journey is not close - 12 hours.

The visa itself costs about 1,100 baht. The peculiarity of this visa is that after two months you will need to extend it for another month at the local immigration office at a cost of 1,900 baht.

Thailand is a great place to come on holiday. However, you can spend the whole winter here if you have the desire and opportunity, or even more. But in any case, you will be faced with questions: do you need a visa to Thailand at all, and if so, then for how many months it is given, how to get a visa, and in general, what other options are there.

First I will explain briefly, and then in detail.

Russians do not need a visa to Thailand!

Upon arrival at the border, all Russians are given a STAMP in their passport with the possibility of staying in the country 30 days. No more, no less. It's free. This stamp can then be extended for 7 days (only 7!) at the local immigration office for 1,900 baht, which is available at every Thai resort.

Thus, if 37 days is enough for your trip, then you don’t have to read any further. Just grab your plane tickets and fly to Thailand. Don't forget the main thing, this is very important! Read my post at the link, you will understand. And looking ahead, I’ll say that if the duration of the trip is 31-33 days, then you don’t have to renew the stamp for 1900 baht, but pay the overpayment at the airport upon departure, but we’ll talk about it separately below, whether it’s worth it or not.

And if you are traveling for a longer period, then be sure to read the options about visas below.

Options for stays longer than 1 month

• 30 day stamp. Placed in your passport upon entry into the country; the passport must be valid for at least 30 days from the date of arrival in Thailand! And not 6 months, as for obtaining a visa. Previously, there was a practice of going every month to the border with a neighboring country, crossing it, returning, and putting a new stamp. Such a trip is popularly called Visa-run or Border-run. However, since August 2014, border running has been partially banned. Now you can enter by land a maximum of a second time, and by plane 3 times. But if there are gaps between stamps (that is, you will be in another country for several days), then the border guards will be more loyal to you. The stamp is in place for 7 days, so we get a total of 37 days.
• Tourist single entry visa to Thailand for 3 months. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the end of the trip. Issued for 60 days with the right to extend at local immigration for another 30 days for 1,900 baht. The visa itself is obtained at the Thai embassy in Moscow or in a country neighboring Thailand. . At the very end of the visa, it can be extended for another 7 days.
• Multiple visa for six months. It came to replace double-entry visas, which were cancelled. A multiple visa allows you to enter Thailand an unlimited number of times within six months. The maximum period of stay after each entry is 60 days; you can also extend your stay by 30 days at immigration for 1,900 baht. A visa is issued only in the country of residence, that is, for Russians only in Moscow and St. Petersburg. .
• Student visa to Thailand for 1 year. You can get it on the basis of studying at a language school, for example, English or Thai. It is made in a neighboring country, preferably in Laos. It is issued for the duration of your studies, but the maximum visa period is 1 year, after which you need to apply for a new one. Every 3 months, the visa must be extended for 1,900 baht at immigration; you cannot travel anywhere during your studies (or rather, you can, but with nuances). It is compulsory to study and in general, with the latest tightening, Sharshakin schools are not rated. The cost of an annual study visa is about 35,000 baht (25,000 baht for the study itself, plus extensions, plus the initial trip to obtain the visa).
• Business visa. I can’t tell you anything about a business visa to Thailand yet, since the previous points are enough for us. This is done either on the basis of a real business or a fictitious one through the relevant helping companies.
• Retirement visa to Thailand for 1 year. Costs 5000 baht. You must be over 50 years old and have a Thai bank account in the amount of 800 thousand baht, and the funds must be there for at least 60 days before applying for a visa.
• Thai Elite Visa. A very good visa for those who have the money for it and who want to live in Thailand for a very long time. You can get a visa for 5-20 years for 0.5-2 million baht and forget about stamps, trips for a visa, studying and other inconveniences for years. I myself thought about such a visa when I was planning to come to Thailand for 5 years. .

There is a Re-Entry permit service for 1000 baht. Gives you the opportunity to leave/enter without losing your visa (does not apply to Visa On Arrival), so to speak, puts the visa on hold. It is issued before leaving Thailand at any emigration office.

Entry and exit into Thailand

We talked about all the options for staying in Thailand, now about the entry itself. If you do not have a Thai visa, then upon entering Thailand your passport will be stamped for 30 days. It is advisable to have 20,000 baht per person (in dollars, for example) and a return ticket. They check very rarely (isolated cases), but they have the right. With a clean passport, I think you don’t have to worry at all; the chance of being checked is even lower.

If you received a visa in advance, you will enter with a visa. The same thing, cash and return tickets can be checked.

Return ticket

Not everyone knows what else in Russia you may be asked when boarding a plane return air ticket from Thailand or a ticket to a third country and not be allowed on the flight if there is no ticket. The same thing can happen in Bangkok at passport control. But they may not ask. We were asked to do so at Domodedovo once, in Hong Kong, but the border guards in Thailand did not. In Thailand they rarely ask; this mostly happens when checking in for a flight in the country of departure.

What can you do with a return ticket? By the way, it may be required not only in Russia, but in any country from which you fly to Thailand. There are different options and they are described in the article. If you are going to buy air tickets, I recommend it and we use them ourselves.

Example of filling out an immigration card

While still on the plane, you will be given an immigration card that needs to be filled out on all sides. It will then be stored in your passport until departure. Please note that some fields can be filled out “from scratch”, for example, your profession or the hotel where you are going to stay. Here .

30 day stamp extension by 7 days

I would like to note that for Russians their stamp is extended only for 7 days, and not for 30, as reported in some media. There was some confusion, everyone was happy about the new rules about 30 days, but this was false information, so only 7 days, no more. It costs 1,900 baht and is done at the local immigration office.

Overstay upon departure

For each day of delay in obtaining a visa or stamp (overstay), you will have to pay a fine of 500 baht upon departure. If you stay longer than 21 days, you may even be imprisoned and blacklisted.

Overstaying for a couple of days should not cause any consequences other than a fine. But the conditions are becoming more and more stringent and it is better not to have overstays at all, otherwise in the future they may refuse to issue a single-entry visa in Moscow (there seems to be no such thing in Laos yet). Well, or they will catch you during a raid right in the airport building (there are already precedents).

Overstay for children under 14 years old is a slightly different story, but read about that below, in the section about children.

Visaran in Thailand

What is Visa Run and Border Run?

According to official information, you can only get 2 stamps per year if you enter by land. With air travel (stamp at the airport), there seem to be no such restrictions. Accordingly, border crossing by land is also possible only 2 times. Let me remind you that previously it was impossible to get one and after one stamp you always had to get a visa. But in fact, they may balk at the first time, or they may miss the third time, the human factor and the ability to give bribes on occasion.

For greater guarantees, you need to apply for tourist visas (even if one by one) and not fool yourself.

Visaran(visa run), or another name borderrun(border run) is a trip back to the border in order to get a new free stamp for 30 days. The name border run (from the word border) is logically more suitable for such trips, because they go to the border, and not to get a visa. But in a conversation or in the price list of a travel agency that deals with such trips, it is visaran that is most often mentioned. The fact is that other foreigners (in particular Ukrainians) do not receive a stamp at the border, but a visa upon arrival for 15 days. Visarans are also called trips to obtain a visa at the consulate of a neighboring country.

Now it’s unclear how many times you can swipe (enter according to the stamp). I believe that, provided that you do not just cross the border back and forth, but spend some time in another country (a week, a month), then they can put a second stamp, especially if your passport is not covered with stamps. We are talking about entry by land, since when flying there are usually no problems with getting a stamp (well, if there are not a dozen of them). Also, in principle, they put a stamp after the visa without any problems (when you first entered on a visa, and then decided to get another stamp). Naturally, there are no guarantees that everything will work out; this will be decided by the officer at the border. It makes sense to constantly monitor the situation on social networks, who successfully traveled and through what checkpoint.

Where to go to visaran and how to do it

Actually, there are all 2 options for how to do a border run. Naturally, the cost of a border run, either independently or with the help of a travel agency, will differ depending on the place from which you are traveling and the degree of comfort you need.

• On one's own. For example, from Phuket to Burma - buy a bus ticket to Ranong. Then take a tuk-tuk to the pier, and then take a boat to Burma. Back too. You cross the border with Burma in one direction, cross back, get a stamp for 30 days (most likely you will need to give another 1000 baht as a “gift”), and go back.
• With the help of travel agencies. Everything is the same, only everywhere by minibus. They will show and tell you everything. The cost of the service depends on the city. For example, I traveled from Bangkok to Laos not for a stamp, but for a visa, with an overnight stay, and paid 3,000 baht for everything. From Phuket to Burma it will cost about 1500-2000 baht.

You can go to any country to get a stamp, because the point is to cross the border. But it’s easier and cheaper to go to visa-free countries neighboring Thailand and which are closer to your place of residence. Visa-free for Russians - Laos (30-day stamp), Myanmar/Burma (10$ at the border), Malaysia (30-day stamp), Cambodia (20$ visa at the border), Vietnam (15-day stamp).

• From Bangkok go to (Aranyaprahet or neighboring crossings)
• From Chiang Mai they go to Visaran in Chiang Khong (border with Laos) or to (border with Myanmar).
• From Pattaya they go to visaran to Cambodia or neighboring crossings, and to Vietnam.
• From Hua Hin they go to visaran to Ranong (border with Myanmar), or there are other crossings closer, but I don’t know if they are open.
• From Phuket they go to visaran to Ranong (border with Myanmar), to (border with Malaysia), to Hat Yai (border with Malaysia, crossing Sadao - Padang Besar).
• From Krabi they go to (border with Malaysia), to Hat Yai (border with Malaysia, crossing Sadao - Padang Besar).
• From Samui and Phangan they go to visaran to Ranong (border with Myanmar), to Hat Yai (border with Malaysia, Sadao - Padang Besar crossing), less often to (border with Malaysia)

Tourist visa

Duration of stay and one-time validity

When entering Thailand on a single entry visa, you are given the opportunity to stay for 60 days. Next, this visa will be needed for another 30 days for 1,900 baht. So we get 90 days stay in total. You can also extend it for 7 days again for 1900 baht (as a stamp), but this is rarely used.

In addition to the period of stay, there is also an entry corridor (or validity period). And sometimes there is confusion between these terms. As soon as you receive a visa at the consulate, the entry corridor immediately opens from the VALID FROM date, that is, you can go straight from the consulate to the airport. For single entry visas entry corridor 3 months(for multiple visas 6 months). That is, you have exactly 3 months from the date of receiving your visa to enter Thailand, you can even do it on the last day. But after entry, the “period of stay” begins, which I wrote about above. Therefore, you shouldn’t apply for a visa too early (and they won’t give you one). You will have VALID UNTIL written right on your visa - this is the deadline for you to enter the country.

Registration at the place of stay

At the beginning of 2017, the Thais had nothing to do and they came up with the idea that everyone needed to go to immigration upon arrival and register. This was mainly done for those who live in private houses and apartments, rather than hotels, since hotel owners themselves must register their guests. You need to come to immigration with a rental agreement or a utility bill or even a business card from the owners and register. If this is not done, then when the one-time visit is extended for another 30 days, a fine of 5,000 baht will be imposed.

But don't be alarmed. In fact, all this was checked only in Pattaya at the beginning of 2017, and then abandoned. At the moment, as I understand it, this is not necessary. Just in case, there was this advice: go from Pattaya to Sriracha or some Hua Hin to extend your visa there. But the advice to live in a hotel for a week, well, so that the owner will register, most likely will not work. Firstly, it is not known whether there are any deadlines for this registration, because you live for 3 months, and the hotel does registration probably only for a week. Secondly, hotel owners have this responsibility.

90 day rule

In the summer of 2014, information was repeatedly circulated that it would be possible to stay in the country for no more than 90 days within six months. But this rule is not in effect yet, if it ever will be in effect. People live quietly on several consecutive one-time stays, that is, in total they stay in Thailand for much more than 90 days within six months. So nothing has changed yet. I am sure that as soon as the 90-day rule comes into effect, mass hysteria about this will begin on all social networks, which means it will be difficult to miss the moment.

However, if you intend to live in Thailand for a long time, then it is better to take care of a student visa and other types of visas. All the same, this question will arise sooner or later, since it is difficult to live forever on tourist visas.

Multiple visa for six months

From November 13, 2015, the double-entry visa to Thailand was canceled (the single-entry visa remained). Instead, it is now without the right of extension, but with an unlimited number of departures/entries for six months for 60 days. Details at the link.

It works like this. You enter for 60 days, then leave the country (visaran to the border and back) and enter again for 60 days, then again, that is, 60+60+60, which is a total of 180 days. You can enter more times, but in total only 180 days, and only 60 at a time. You cannot extend a multiple visa. Also, no one bothers you to go somewhere for a while between times (like to see a new country), and not just to the border and back.

Applying for a Thai visa in Russia and other countries

Single or multi-entry tourist visas can be obtained at the Thai consulate in Moscow and St. Petersburg. And the consulate in Vladivostok, unfortunately, no longer issues visas. It may be worth getting a single-entry visa in Russia; at a minimum, it is cheaper and takes less time than leaving Thailand for a neighboring country. BUT! It all depends on the current requirements of the Russian consulate, they change them, and the degree of complexity of processing certain documents depends on this. Read the current information below and decide for yourself whether you need it or not.

Following the links you will find a list of documents, an example of filling out the form, tips, as well as a discussion in the comments with the latest news from the consulate in Moscow. Someone constantly posts there about various nuances after receiving a visa.

In addition to Russia, a visa to Thailand can be obtained in any country where there is a Thai embassy. One of the most common options is to travel from Thailand to Laos, as they have the most friendly consulate of all. There will be no need for a bank statement showing the status of funds (and it is almost impossible to do this abroad), certificates from work, air tickets, etc. But a multiple visa can only be obtained in the country of residence, that is, for Russians in Russia.

Thailand visa for children

If a minor travels to Thailand not with his parents or legal guardian, then permission from the parents is required, otherwise he will not be able to leave Russia. If one of the parents is traveling with the child, then nothing is needed from the other parent.

To be as calm as possible, it is better to get a visa for your child.

On the one hand, for children under 14 years of age, overstaying is not subject to a fine. The child's passport was stamped, but no fine was taken. Even the immigration officers themselves did not renew the visas for the children. It’s convenient that you don’t have to drag your child to the visa office and get a small saving on visas. I myself have already flown several times with a child and then went out with a large gap for him, there were no problems.

On the other hand, in 2017-2018 there was information that problems began to arise when flying out of Thailand, if there was an overstay, and also when issuing a tourist visa in Moscow, they say, then the whole family was turned away. But these cases are episodic, everyone made some noise and calmed down. A lot of people still don’t issue visas for their children.

Therefore, when asked whether you need a visa to Thailand for children, answer for yourself. I won't advise.

Do Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhs need a visa?

The procedure for obtaining tourist visas for citizens of all countries is the same and I have described it here. But free 30-day stamps upon arrival are given only to Russian citizens. Therefore, CIS citizens need to apply for a tourist visa in their home country (if there is an embassy), or in Moscow, or in a country neighboring Thailand.

Only citizens of Ukraine and Kazakhstan have an additional opportunity to obtain a 15-day visa on arrival for 2000 baht (Visa on arrival, VOA) at the international airport. You can only enter it once. The visa on arrival can then be extended for 1,900 baht at the immigration office for 7 days.

Citizens of Belarus are a different story; they do not have the opportunity to formalize anything upon arrival and there is no embassy in the country. Therefore, they need to go either to Moscow and Kyiv to get a visa there, or use the services of travel agencies for an additional fee. And of course, in neighboring countries with Thailand they can apply for a visa, like everyone else.

So, the moment has come - the first 30 days of our stay in Thailand have come to an end and it’s time to renew our visa. To do this you need to travel outside the country.

For our first visa run, we chose Myanmar, the closest place to Phuket. To get to Myanmar you need to take a bus to the city of Ranong, where boats go to Myanmar.

Buses to other cities, incl. to Ranong, leave from, which is located in the north of Phuket Town.

We decided to buy a bus ticket in advance so as not to spend the journey standing. And the journey is not long - 5-6 hours. You can buy a ticket there. Go inside the station and you will see the ticket office on the right.

At the top, in Thai and English, it is written where and what tickets are sold, as well as the bus schedule. We bought a ticket to Ranong for 260 baht, for the earliest bus, which leaves at 5.30 am. By the way, they don’t sell return tickets here, so you’ll have to buy them directly in Ranong.

On Saturday morning we got up when it was still very dark - we decided to go early, just in case. Some people are just going to bed at this time, but we are already up. We reached the terminal on empty night roads in 30 minutes. The bike was left in the parking lot at the bus station. We walked through the station and came out to the landing area - buses leave from here in different directions, which can be read on the signs. Our bus was already at the right place.

There were still about 40 minutes left before the bus departure, there seemed to be not many people on our flight, and we decided to look around a little: rows of benches for passengers waiting for buses, payphones, machines for foot massage, and at the end of the hall there is a toilet - entrance fee 3 bata. There is an ATM a little away from the main building; there is a fee of 150 rubles for one cash withdrawal operation. Taxi drivers were resting nearby; by the way, prices for motorcycle taxis at the station are cheaper than in other places. While we were getting comfortable, people started arriving with bags and boxes. 10 minutes before departure they started letting us inside. They put us in the seats indicated on the tickets. It was cool on the bus - we took the precaution of taking a blanket with us so as not to freeze. Wi-Fi also worked, for which Sasha immediately learned the password. (While we were driving, there was no wi-fi)

At exactly 5:30 the engine began to roar and we set off. We slept through the first half of the journey, so we opened our eyes already on the mainland, and the sun was already shining through the window with might and main. Bus stations are provided only in large cities, and in other cases the bus stopped at the request of passengers getting off and wanting to board. Once we stopped for 15 minutes - during this time everyone can go out and have a snack in the nearest cafe, walk to Tesco or just warm up. On the way, we were stopped again and the passports of all passengers were checked. Nothing else remarkable happened on the road even after 6 hours, that is, at 11:30 we got off the bus near the Ranong Bus Terminal.

There was a blue tuk-tuk standing right there. We asked the driver if we could take it to the pier - he said yes, to the Ko Phayam pier - 20 baht per trip for one person.

We loaded up and went, the journey took about 20 minutes. By the smell we gradually realized that we were approaching the port area. The driver stopped at the sign - pier.

Pointer to the pier. As it later turned out to be the wrong one

We got out, walked a little deeper and found ourselves on a pier with strange signs. They began to ask whether it was possible to get from here to Myanmar, but everyone shook their heads. Finally, one man said that we had come to the wrong place and that we needed to go back to the main highway, turn left and we would reach the right pier. We returned there and began pestering passers-by with gestures, explaining that we needed to get a stamp in our passport. Finally, we understood which direction we needed to move - it turned out that we almost got to the right place. 150 meters further from the sign to the pier where we were dropped off there is a PTT gas station, and immediately behind it there is a pier and a migration center.

IMPORTANT! When in a tuk-tuk you say where to go, say not Pier, but port, visa run, passport, immigration or Myanmar.

Already at the gas station, helpers began to pester us, calling us and offering their services for transportation to Myanmar. Here we noticed several buses organized by Visa ran.

In general, we went forward - there was a division - to the left - domestic transportation, to the right - international.

Here on the right there is a table with samples of filling out a migration card.

Directly in front of you is a pier with numerous boats.

Even if you get lost, caring “helpers” will take you where you need to go, almost hand in hand.

First of all, you need to put an exit stamp: you go to the window, hand over your passport, if everything is in order, then the card filled out upon entry is torn off, a stamp is put in the passport and a blank immigration card is issued (arrival and departure card).

We overstayed our visa by 1 day, so we were invited inside to sign receipts for payment of a fine - 500 baht per person for each day of overstay. Then we return to the table with samples and begin to ask the boat owners how much they charge. After talking with several people, Sasha found a surprisingly cheap option - 100 baht per person round trip. While the owner of the boat was recruiting the remaining passengers, they turned out to be people from an organized visa group, a couple of Canadians, Americans and other people of unknown nationality - perhaps Burmese, we made it in time.

Then we were taken to the pier and onto the boat. There are three types of boats here - a speed boat, a large boat - which looks like a wooden boat, and regular boats (long tail boat). Our boat turned out to be of the second type and it was not even scary to get into it.

It takes about 30 minutes to cross the gulf separating Thailand and Myanmar.

After exiting the pier in Myanmar, you need to go to the end of the pier and turn right - there is a small white-beige building with light green curtains - the customs office.

And again, don’t be afraid to get lost, there are so many “helpers” here - one of them personally escorted Sasha and me to customs and back, along the way trying to guess what nationality we were.

So, we go to customs and give it to the customs officer at the counter: the original and a photocopy of the passport and 10 dollars. (On all forums they write that $10 is just one piece of paper, we decided not to experiment). The customs officer stamps your arrival and departure.

We didn’t plan to walk around Myanmar - we only went out onto the street immediately behind the pier to buy coffee and that’s it. It was necessary to go back, because it was going to rain. 30 minutes - and we are back in Thailand. On the way, we moored, as we understood, at a sea border post and the border guards collected “tribute” from everyone. Well, almost everyone - we were sitting at the stern of the boat, and it wasn’t our turn. And everyone who was sitting at the beginning put 20 baht in a vessel resembling a pot.

Together with our passport and completed immigration card, we go to the same place where we put the departure stamp, only in the next window. You are photographed and stamped with the dates of arrival and the last day of validity of the visa.

Now we had to return back from Ranong to Phuket. We went through the gas station to the road - there were 2 red tuk-tuks standing there - and found out that they did not go to the bus station. Only blue people go there. After waiting for the blue tuk-tuk, we slowly drove to the bus terminal.

Blue knock knock

After walking around a bit we found where they sell tickets and bus schedules.

It turned out that the nearest one leaves at 14:30, that is, in 10 minutes. The ticket costs the same as in Ranong - 260 baht for 1 person, the only difference is that seat numbers are not indicated here, and everything else is the same - air conditioning, toilet and wi-fi. At 14:30 the bus arrived. We entered it and took the empty chairs.

In fact, the bus left at exactly 3 o'clock. On the way, we were stopped again to check our passports and had a 15-minute stop in the same city to warm up and eat. We arrived at the Phuket bus terminal at 20:15, which means the return journey took 5 hours and 15 minutes. Our bike stood in the same place where we left it. We put on our helmets, and I also put on a blanket, and went home. We reached the condo at nine in the evening - tired, but happy!

Happy debut to us!!

Some results:

We spent on the trip:

Phuket - Ranong: 6 hours 260*2= 520 baht

Travel to the pier by tuk-tuk: 20 minutes 20*2=40 baht

Paperwork, travel to Myanmar and back: 2 hours 100*2= 200 baht $10*2 = $20

Travel from the pier by tuk-tuk: 20 minutes 20*2=40 baht

Ranong - Phuket: 5 hours 15 minutes 260*2= 520 baht

Total time spent (including travel from home to the station and back): about 17 hours

Total money spent on a visa for 1 person: 975 baht. Plus we paid a fine of 500 baht for 1 day of overstay.

For comparison, an organized visa runs from 1,400 baht and above.

Check your stamps right away!

Pay attention to the date when your visa expires - not in a month, but in 30 days

By the way, next time we went to Malaysia - read about how we did it.