Can You Still Do Visa Runs in Thailand?

If you are a digital nomad or have been traveling in Thailand for some time, it is likely that you have done some visa runs. These are a common way for some foreigners to extend their stay in Thailand before their tourist visa expires.

However, it is important to remember that doing visa runs carries risks of government penalties, getting banned from entering the country and even being deported.

The answer is yes

Visa runs in Thailand have been a popular way for tourists to stay in the country for a few extra days. While it’s still possible to do these visa runs, the process has changed in recent years.

A visa run is a way for people to get a new visa to visit Thailand from another country. It’s an easier and cheaper option than getting a new SETV or METV in Thailand, and it’s often faster as well.

The main reason that a visa run is not as popular anymore is because of the Thai government’s crackdown on this activity. Rather than taking a bus to a land border, you can now simply apply online for an eVoA from anywhere in the world (within 1-30 days before your arrival).

Once you’ve received your eVoA, it takes 1-3 days to be processed and you’ll need to check for special eVoA lanes at immigration when you arrive. These lanes should have far less queues than normal, and should be able to process you in under 1 minute per person.

However, you should always check that your eVoA is valid for the entire duration of your trip. This is because if you aren’t, you can still get blacklisted by the authorities for 1-10 years.

If you’re a tourist, you can extend your visa for an additional 30 days by applying to your local immigration office. This is usually free if you’re from a country that has a visa exemption or waiver.

You can also apply for a re-entry permit, which allows you to come back into Thailand again and again. The re-entry permit costs THB 1,900 and can be obtained by either filling out a form at your local immigration office or through an agency.

In the past, it was a popular and cheap way for travellers to extend their visas in Thailand. However, since 2014, the Thai government has made a big push against this, and visa runs are now illegal in Thailand.

Some of the cheapest visa runs in Thailand are to a country close by, like Laos or Malaysia. These countries are easy to get to from Bangkok, and offer a great way to see a new side of the country.

The cost of these visa runs is normally less than the cost of a flight and a hostel, which means they’re a great way to save money on your travels in Thailand.

Alternatively, you can also do a classic border run to Cambodia or Vietnam. These visa runs are usually cheaper than a flight and a hotel, and there’s plenty to see in these destinations.

You can also try to do a visa run to Myanmar, although these are currently suspended. These visa runs typically take a day, and cost about THB 1500 depending on where you’re staying in Thailand.

There are many other options for getting around the country, including tuk tuks, motorcycle taxis and speedboats. Be careful in areas where the traffic is congested, and be sure to haggle with the driver before you get into the car.

The answer is no

Visa runs used to be a popular way to stay in Thailand longer after your visa or 30 day extension expires. Originally, you could do a visa run to one of the land border countries (Laos, Burma, Cambodia or Malaysia) and get a new entry stamp for 30 days, but since 2014, Thailand has started to crack down on visa runs.

You can still do visa runs in Thailand, but it’s important to know the rules before you start doing them. The current rules state that you can make a border crossing overland into Thailand for a maximum of 90 days in a 6 month period. This is subject to enforcement by immigration officials, and if you exceed the limit, you’ll have to pay 500 THB per day to overstay your visa in Thailand.

The current visa run process is a lot easier than it was in the past. You can now do a visa run in a minivan, and many travel agencies and hostels in Thailand offer this service. They can help you get a plane or train ticket, organize your trip to the nearest border and leave Thailand as quickly as possible.

Once in the neighboring country, you have to follow a simple process to get an SETV, and then come back to Thailand to collect your new visa. There are a few different ways to do this, so you will need to research the specifics of your destination’s visa rules before you begin.

There are also a few different rules on how long you can stay in the neighbouring country once you’ve entered. Some borders will give you a new SETV based on how long it took you to cross the border, others will give you a new SETV if you have stayed in the border country for longer than 30 days, and others will only give you 15 days once you enter by air.

You can get an extension to your visa after you’ve crossed the border and have stayed in the border country for 30 days, but it’s not as easy as it was in the past. There are now a few different ways to do this, but you need to do your research before doing it, because there are some rules that you can break and end up being denied a visa or sent home.

I’ve seen a few stories over the years of people who have gotten refused for a SETV, or who were told that they will never be allowed to stay in Thailand on a tourist visa again. They were given warnings by Thai immigration that they were “not going to be allowed back into Thailand” using a tourist visa, and some even got banned from entering Thailand altogether after having six or more SETVs in their passports.

It’s also worth mentioning that some of the more aggressive Thai immigration officials will ask you questions about why you are in Thailand, or how you plan on living there. This is usually because they want to be sure you’re not working illegally or taking jobs away from Thai people.