Visa Run Choices & Ball Park Costs

[JimmyGreaves]

I'm pretty cheesed off with doing the Ranong visa run as the place is a dump and the route dangerous, Ranong is the only run I've ever done.

The cost to do it in a day driving your own car I would say 4000 baht give or take (I usually share gas so the price for me comes down) If you want to stay overnight add another 2000 baht for half decent hotel and food.

What other choices do I have?

I suppose non for a day run. How about 2 or 3 days and costs?

Next run due on or before 17th January.

[Takiap]

If you book in advance, you can usually fly from Bangkok to Panang for around 3000 baht, but you have the hassle of getting to and from the airport.

Train to Butterworth is very pleasant and very relaxing, but you're looking at about four or five days.


I'm afraid Ranong is still your best bet. I have driven down several times, in a car and on my faithful Honda Wave, but I find the best way for me is the overnight 2nd class bus. The reason I like the 2nd class bus is because it's identical to the other, apart from having no toilet, but the bonus is, it's usually quite empty, so I always get to lay down. When I get to Ranong I have a few cups of coffee, then I phone a local taxi who has some sort of a deal worked out with the Anderman club. He fetches me, takes me to the Anderman Club ferry port, waits for me to return, and then takes me back to the bus station. The whole deal costs 1000 baht, which includes the crossing and etc. I then get on the next bus home, and arrive in Hua-Hin at about 7 or 8 in the evening. BTW.....the 2nd class bus costs 265 baht, but coming back you get the 1st class bus which costs about 450 baht.

Also, there are quite decent places to stay in Ranong for around 700 baht, and yes, the rooms are great, complete with flat screen TV, mini bar, hot water, and big double bed. Sorry I don't have the name of the place though.


Why not just get a one year extension if the visa runs bother you?

[PeteC]

All the other border choices are a long trip from Hua Hin. You have Aranyaprathet/Poipet which I think would be about a 8-9 hour drive. Border crossing you'll be set upon by touts looking to make money getting you through Cambodian immigration. Lines are usually very long because of the casinos in Poipet. Resort style hotels to stay on the Cambodian side but it's a dusty, dirty cowboy town. Regular lodging back in Aranyaprathet but no fancy hotels that I know of.

Next is Trat at least a 9-10 hour trip from Hua Hin. I know little about the procedures there but at least you're close to Koh Chang so could take a short holiday there.

Last is Nong Khai/Vientiane via the Friendship bridge. This is probably the most friendly and straightforward border run spot. Much to see in Vientiane as well for a few days. You're looking at about a 12 hour drive from Hua Hin though. I feel more comfortable being in and dealing with the Lao people than I do with the Cambodians.

As Takaip said, Ranong is still probably your best bet if time and money are a concern. Pete

[sateeb]

From here to Nong Khai is about 820kms.

[lomuamart]

JG,
When you say you're doing a visa run, do you mean a border run to activate another entry on a visa/ get a 15 day visa exempt stamp, or a proper visa run to get the visa itself. I'd imagine the former as you can't get a visa from Burma/Victoria Point.
If that's the case then there's no need to go to Penang. You could simply cross the Malaysian border on the train at Pedang Besar/Sadao and come right back in again.
However, it's a long trek for a border run and the town on the Thai side offers little except the normal, dusty "Wild East" environment packed with Malaysians looking for a good time, especially at weekends.
Ranong's got to be your best bet. Why not consider having a day/night in Chumphon on the way down? I've done that before and always found enough to occupy myself with for a day and night.

[H2ODunc]

Get yourself a 1 year education visa and then all you need to do is go to the immigration every 3 months, give them 1,900 baht and get another 3 months. You can get them here on Samui for around 14,000 baht at the moment and that includes 200 hours of online Thai language tutoring.I have a few friends who have done this to save them the run to either sadao or Ranong.

[Korkenzieher]

On the Nong Khai run, you could consider the Nok Air flight to Udon Thani - 1 hour, and about 1600 baht each way.

The run north by bus is pretty easy and the taxi stand inside the airport will get you directly to the bus station for 80 baht, or the border for 200 baht.

Alternatively, an overnight stay in Soi Farang will cost you between 350 and 800 baht per night, with plenty of local bars to play in. It is pretty close to the bus station. I believe there are some regulations about getting the visa that make it likely you will have to spend at least one night in Udon or in Laos (opening times of the consulate). Someone else may have details on that.

In all, it might be slightly more than the Ranong run if you fly, slightly less if you go by bus, depending on how you price your time on the buses.


@H20Dunc - 14k! sure? 24k is the lowest I have seen in Bangkok.

[H2ODunc]

Hi, my friend actually paid 12,500 baht for his but they have now gone up to 14,000 baht and as said that includes 200 hours of online Thai lessons. If you want ther guys number and details here on Samui drop me a PM. You do need to go to Penang or KL or other country to first get yourself a 3 month ED visa but are provided with all the necessary paperwork and then you just go to immigration every 3 months. My friend is well happy now as he doesn't have to face the rat run in the mini bus to do a border bounce especially after the last crash which ended up with an expat in hospital and the farang run visa run company wasn't fully covered insurance wise.

[JimmyGreaves]

I only need to go out and in again to get another 3 months on my multi-entry "O" category Non-Immigrant visa.

Maybe the Chumpon stopover may make a change from the Ranong stopover. 2 nights in Chumpon as would not fancy doing Chumpon > Ranong > Chumpon > HH in a day.

Any nice places to stay anyone, I see there's a golf course on the Ranong road which may be worth a spin.

[lomuamart]

I've stayed at the Chumphon Palace Hotel a couple of times. It's in the centre of town and was around 5-600THB a night. Well run, clean hotel. Rooms with aircon, minibar, telly, western bathroom with hot water. Excellent value, I thought.
You might want somewhere more out of the centre. Afraid I can't advise about that.
A bar I've been to a few times, close to the hotel mentioned was "The Farang Bar". Tends to be frequented by the younger crowd on their way to and from the islands but does good food and was a relaxing place to hang out and swap stories.
Never played the golf course but I think buksida has. Believe it's a bit "up and down" with course layout but some holes are long.
H2O Dunc should be able to advise better if he see this.

[Noz]

Hi, my friend actually paid 12,500 baht for his but they have now gone up to 14,000 baht and as said that includes 200 hours of online Thai lessons. If you want ther guys number and details here on Samui drop me a PM. You do need to go to Penang or KL or other country to first get yourself a 3 month ED visa but are provided with all the necessary paperwork and then you just go to immigration every 3 months.

I think this might be the language school called OLA (price now 15,000 baht), which there are threads about on the forum that shall not be named. I believe they have a school on Samui so maybe not an issue getting visa extensions if you live there. But I'm not sure how you'd get on living in Hua Hin and trying to extend a visa for a school in another location which you are not physically attending. I'd be interested to know mind you.

[margaretcarnes]

I've stayed at the Chumphon Palace Hotel a couple of times. It's in the centre of town and was around 5-600THB a night. Well run, clean hotel. Rooms with aircon, minibar, telly, western bathroom with hot water. Excellent value, I thought.
You might want somewhere more out of the centre. Afraid I can't advise about that.
A bar I've been to a few times, close to the hotel mentioned was "The Farang Bar". Tends to be frequented by the younger crowd on their way to and from the islands but does good food and was a relaxing place to hang out and swap stories.
Never played the golf course but I think buksida has. Believe it's a bit "up and down" with course layout but some holes are long.
H2O Dunc should be able to advise better if he see this.

There are some pretty good and cheap guest houses in Ranong. Basic Muslim style places - but fine for just one night and some very nice locals.
But yes Ranong is still your best bet IMO, boring as it gets (I used to do it every 30 days.) I don't know if it's still there but in the Ranong bus station area there used to be a bar/guest house called the Kiwi Bar - worth checking out that area anyway.
Lomus' suggestion of staying over in Chumphon is also good. It's a decent place for a break. Maybe best avoided during rainy season as it is prone to flooding - but the town is worth a visit to suss out IMO.
The prices you are quoting for Ranong hotels seem to be for the hot spa area. Very inflated touristy prices. Go along that same road a while for the cheaper flops!

[H2ODunc]

When I lived in HH I used to ride down to Chumphon on the wave. Spend the night there in the Chumphon Palace hotel. A very good cheap and clean hotel right in the centre of town with a couple of good bars and excellent restaurants close by. Get up in the morning and take the lovely ride over the mountains to Ranong. Do my Visa run and either have a night in Burma, Victoria point or a night in Ranong. Next morning set off back to HH with a few stops on the way.
There is a supposedly very good golf course on the army base on the road to Ranong so they tell me.
I did try a few games in HH but got fed up of losing my balls. Could never get the damn thing to go straight :-)

[migrant]

When we went to Chumphon we stayed out by the beach, but I remember in town a great restaurant, Papa2000 I believe??

That was about 4 years ago but it had Thai and Western food at good prices and quality. They did a nice steak