Visa Run from the One Stop Shop

Our 30 day visa was running out, but we weren't done with Thailand, so we booked another tour- the infamous "Visa Run". Sold as a package, they pick you up at your hotel in a minivan at 6 am, and return you to your hotel 12 hours later, with a new 15 day visa in hand.

The drive to the border is about 5 hours (lunch included at a Thai "bus stop" cafeteria). When you get to customs in Thailand, the minivan driver assists with getting your departure stamp, takes your passport, and ushers you onto an old, rickety long boat for the trip across the water

to Myanmar. You don't worry about him having your passport, and you follow his instructions, because, after all, he's wearing a yellow tee shirt that says "Immigration". And you know you're on the right boat, because the person driving the boat is wearing a tee shirt that says "Visa Express".

After an interesting 20 minute boat ride, you're ushered to the customs building in Myanmar, where they shuffle through the pile of passports, holding them up one by one. When you recognize yours, you go to the table, they take your picture, stamp your passport, and give it back to you. You have now

been admitted to Myanmar.

You're loaded back onto the boat,

back to customs in Thailand, where you

are given your new 15 day visa.

Welcome Back to Thailand