Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

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dozer
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Re: Kanchanaburi border open for visa runs

Post by dozer »

leither69 wrote:
dozer wrote:I was speaking to a couple of guys at the driving range on Saturday and they mentioned that they were going on a visa run to Ranong. I told them that there is one available in Kanchanaburi now and they said they had been told as from last week it was only a crossing for Burmese.
It would have been good if this had been mentioned before, would have saved me a right few quid?
Sorry about that, thought it was just hearsay, you get a lot of that here.
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Re: Kanchanaburi border open for visa runs

Post by dozer »

buksida wrote:This must be a very recent border closure if true, I'll ask some of the Kanchan boys to confirm it.

Just and a quick look on the unmentionable and it seems to be the case
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Re: Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

Post by Frank Hovis »

I did point this out on the very first page of this thread
My understanding is that the Myanmar side does not as yet have the authority to issue the 'Visa On Arrival' that is given at the other more legitimate crossings, which is why they do not ask for USD, which I think is still the only means to pay for a VOA in Myanmar.

You are supposed to have a Myanmar visa (full page) in your passport, and in that case you don't have to pay anything to cross...
Buksida's photographs of the immigration booth (page 2) shows the rules very clearly in both Thai and English.
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Re: Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

Post by leither69 »

Frank Hovis wrote:I did point this out on the very first page of this thread
My understanding is that the Myanmar side does not as yet have the authority to issue the 'Visa On Arrival' that is given at the other more legitimate crossings, which is why they do not ask for USD, which I think is still the only means to pay for a VOA in Myanmar.

You are supposed to have a Myanmar visa (full page) in your passport, and in that case you don't have to pay anything to cross...
Buksida's photographs of the immigration booth (page 2) shows the rules very clearly in both Thai and English.
No one was looking for a visa on arrival? to many people on here jump the gun, what s the point of your statement?
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Re: Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

Post by lomuamart »

Think you're getting confused, FH.
Havn't there been reports before that people have gone to this border to get a 30 day visa exempt stamp or to activate another entry on their tourist or Non O visas?
No-one's suggesting that a visa could be issued there. Likewise, a visa (of whatever nature) can't be issued through Ranong or Poi Pet or any border point.
These border points are used for 30 day visa exempt stamps (not visas) or to activate another entry on an existing visa. The latter is what leither69 was tryng to do.
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Re: Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

Post by leither69 »

Thank you, I know people mean well here but the threads get torn to pieces because people can only see as far as the last message posted, then it becomes almost impossibe to search for a topic at a later date because of the unusable cargo each question posed holds. Anyway, still a very useful tool and best intentions but somewhat frustrating

Thanks
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Re: Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

Post by Frank Hovis »

No, you are both misunderstanding the VOA. It's a VOA to enter Myanmar.

Without a visa to enter Myanmar you cannot leave Thailand at PhuNamRon because the only place you can go is Htee Khee in Mynamar and as they do not issue VOA in Htee Khee you cannot cross there without an existing Myanmar visa in your passport.

This has nothing to do with getting your Thai visa stamped or extended or whatever, the reason you cannot cross there without a Myanmar visa from a Myanmar consulate/embassy is because they do not issue Myanmar VOA at Htee Khee and is says so very clearly in the image that Buksida posted on page 2 of this thread and this is just a reiteration of what I said on page one.
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Re: Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

Post by lomuamart »

But people had been doing this run consistently until very recently.
It's the same deal in Ranong and Mae Sai (I've been to both in years past but not the Kanchan one we're talking about). No VOAs available at the other two but they did have the facility to let you into the Burmese town the other side for a payment, get your entry and exit stamps and those allowed you to return to Thailand and do whatever business you needed to.
Admittedly, was mistaken in thinking you were talking about a VOA to Thailand but it dosn't alter the fact that many people, on this thread alone, have been through the process that you end up in Burma for maybe 10 minutes, get your stamps and return to Thailand.
(A VOA for Burma would, I assume, only be wanted if you desired to travel on in the country).
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Re: Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

Post by dozer »

A quick search and it seems that the border crossing has been closed since the 1st of the month.
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Re: Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

Post by Frank Hovis »

Indeed they have, but the rules have always been clearly posted at Phunamron, they just haven't been enforced (until now).

Ranong (Kaw Thaung) does issue a sort of VOA (into Myanmar), it's not quite the VOA for business travellers: it costs 10USD, it's all computerised, you must appear in front of the immigration officers (in Myanmar) and have your photograph taken and the 'VOA' gives you 12 days permission to stay. There are limits to how far inland you can go (I believe it's 30Kms); if you want to go further than that you must get a proper Tourist visa from a Myanmar embassy before you travel. All Myanmar visas must be paid for in USD.

From what I've heard of Htee Khee, you pay in Thai baht, the stamp does not show how long you are permitted to stay and you do not (to the point of are not allowed to) attend the immigration office at Htee Ktee in person. If that doesn't strike you as a 'dodgy' crossing then I'm not sure what does.

The border is not closed, it it still open to Thai/Myanmar nationals on day passes and to other nationals with the correct visa (for Myanmar) already in their passport.
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Re: Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

Post by dozer »

Frank Hovis wrote:
The border is not closed, it it still open to Thai/Myanmar nationals on day passes and to other nationals with the correct visa (for Myanmar) already in their passport.
You are correct it is open for Thai/Myanmar and to other nationals with the correct visa (for Myanmar) already in their passport.There seems to be a quite few guys who have had a fruitless trip to this crossing.
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Re: Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

Post by rocker »

Hi , I just did a visa run to kanchanaburi , I have a non o multi entry , I got a mini bus from market village 220 bht, I called this number the day before I left, 0924199265, the guy is a tour guide he picked me up from the bus station at about 9-30 in his car we did the run and was back a the bus station at 12-05 just in time to get the 12 o'clock bus back to Hua hin
The guy charges 2,500 if you are alone
1,700 if there are 2 of you that covers everything , I only know about the non O multi visa
But you can call the guy and ask if you have a different visa , he speaks good English , he will drive as fast or as slow as you require ,
I used to go with the shop across the road from the train station but they are finished now, they did the ranong run 2,500bht .. ! the way I did it it was just short of 3,000 bht but was back in hua hin just befor 4 o'clock
So the border is still open ,hope this helps ...
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Re: Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

Post by Big Boy »

I've been seeing his adverts on Facebook for some time, and although he claims a lot of success, the photos on his site show Cambodian border stamps. It's nice to hear of somebody actually using the service.

Can I assume that if he can do it (legitimately), the border is open for anybody, with or without the guy's services?
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Re: Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

Post by caller »

But isn't it a case of having the right visa, or any visa, in the 1st place?
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Re: Kanchanaburi border (Phu Nam Ron) for visa runs

Post by rocker »

Yes big boy ,it's all above board if you have a legal visa in your passport all rules apply here the same as anywhere else , the guy who took me said he's never had a problem if you do it right it works . Roll on next February ( not) ha ha
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