The 'Visa Run' from Pattaya

The oddities of Thai Immigration Law require, every now and then, that if you are not a Thai national you have to leave and re-enter Thailand, either once a month, once every 3 months, once every year or whatever.

The type of visa you will get to come to Thailand depends upon how long you want to stay and what you want to do here. Most short term visitors from EEC countries, US and many others do not need a visa. They have, due to international treaties between the countries, a ‘permission to stay in the country’ for up to 30 days.

If you want to stay longer than this you have various options, depending on how long you’re going to be here such as a 3 months tourist visa, obtainable from your local Thai Embassy at home or elsewhere.

If you are looking to retire here you will need a retirement visa. For this you will have to show that you have 1 million baht deposited here (£15,000 or US$25,000), as well as an income from outside Thailand ‘sufficient to keep you’. This lasts for one year is renewable and available for anyone over 50.

If you want to work here (which is pretty difficult unless you have sponsorship from a Thai firm or an enormous bank balance) you may, if you’re lucky get a multi-re-entry visa, but you will still need to go out of the country and come back in every three months.

Confused? So is everyone else. Suffice it to say that if you don’t get it right you can be deported, never to come back to these shores.

The visa run is a convenient(ish) way of legally staying in the Kingdom without physically having to pack up all your belongings and go away for a few days.

Many people who stay-on in Pattaya have to “do the visa run” which is now a state of the art business in Pattaya. Cambodia is only 3 hours away with a good driver, so you can do your whole Immigration Law bit and be back in time for tea. Many firms compete for this business. You will see “Visa runs” advertised in every 4th shop, mainly just for the agency fee.

You will be picked up at your hotel or apartment by a modern mini-bus, taken to Cambodia with people who speak the same language as you do and it begins to be a ‘day out’ rather than a serious pain. You give your passport to the person running your group and everything is taken care of for you.

Arriving after the 100yd walk over the “boarder” you have a spot of free lunch while the various officials stamp your documents. 30 minutes later, just as you are finishing lunch your passports are given back with all the right stuff on. Back over the boarder to re-enter Thailand at the counter, back onto the bus and back in Pattaya by 4/5pm.

This will cost you between 2000 baht and 2600 baht each time. Agents for these trips are everywhere in Pattaya.

Submitted by : Rod Edwards
08-Mar-06

Visa Run and Other Visa Services in Pattaya

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