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siamese
stories
running to stand still
By Roger Norwood
Every now and again I feel it is my
duty to give not just my opinion on
matters in Thailand, but also some
useful information for both expats
and tourists visiting the country, and
this week’s column is one of those
occasions.
The ‘visa run’ can be an enjoyable
trip when only needed occasionally,
but it can become a chore, so
anything that reduces the time and
expense required to carry it out is
always welcome news.
For many years foreigners in the
Hua Hin area have really only had
one viable option for their run,
which is down to Ranong (on the
way to Phuket), and go across the
border to Myanmar, which is a good
14 hour plus round trip depending
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on the form of transport taken.
There have been rumours for years
that the Myanmar border at Dan
Singkhon near Prachuap Kiri Khan
would be opened for foreigners, and
while the prospect is edging closer,
it is still not possible to do a visa run
there yet.
Another alternative has appeared
now though, and this is the crossing
at Nam Ron, west of Kanchanaburi.
While I have not been there myself,
all the reports say that unless you
already have a visa for Myanmar,
this will cost a fee of 700 baht paid
at the Thai side, and you will not
physically cross the border yourself,
but an immigration officer will take
your passport across for you and do
the necessary.
By all accounts this is about a 250
kilometre drive from Hua Hin taking
around 4 hours in each direction, so
a decent saving of time and money,
despite the more expensive border
fee, which is normally 500 baht.
No doubt someone will start a visa
run service to this border from Hua
Hin in due course, if they haven’t
already, while others can combine
the run with a trip to Kanchanaburi,
as this has more and better
accommodation options than are at
the border itself, and be warned that
there is very little either side of the
border!
If you have been to this crossing
why not share your experience and
information on the AWOL Forum at
www.awolonline.net/forum, along
with any other tips that others would
find useful.
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