December 7 2003

Quarterly or monthly Thai visa runs?

Following the hike in Thai visa fees, the free visa-on-arrival now looks like a bargain. You don't have to bother visiting a Thai embassy either - just walk straight through. In future, more long-stay westerners in Thailand may opt for monthly visa runs.

Based on my own trips, I worked out the annual cost of quarterly and monthly visa runs to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore respectively (See Visa run to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Daytrip to Changi Airport, Singapore). Surprisingly, these two methods now cost roughly the same. If you loaded up with duty-frees, monthly visa runs could actually save you money.

Annual cost	90 day visa (KL)	30 day visa (Singapore)
Flights (incl. tax)	$1,012	$1,607
Connections	$144	$120
Hotels	$252	-
Visa fees (incl. extensions)	$283	-
Total	$1,691	$1,727

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Costs are just part of the story. Avoiding unnecessary hassle is equally important. The table below reveals that monthly visa runs have a much lower hassle factor.

Annual hassle factor	90 day visa (KL)	30 day visa (Singapore)
Days lost	12	12
Nights away from home	8	0
Office visits required	12	0
Passport pages used up	8	4

Assuming that you don't want to miss a night's sleep, each quarterly visa run takes 3 days: Fly out in the evening; visit the Thai embassy the next morning; pick up the visa the following day and then fly back to Bangkok. This means 2 nights away from home and 2 annoying Thai Embassy visits. Getting the visa extended from 60 to 90 days requires yet more form-filling at the Immigration Office.

To get the free 30-day visa-on-arrival, you simply fly out at lunchtime and return in the early evening. That's all.

Applying for 10-day extensions at the Immigration Office could reduce the annual number of trips from 12 to 9 but the high fee (1,900 baht) means that it won't save you any money. In my view, three extra trips to Singapore are less hassle than 9 visits to the Thai Immigration Office.

It seems that opting for monthly Singapore visa runs isn't as daft as it sounds. It would certainly suit me - except I want to write about a different destination next time.

Notes

The figures are in US dollars and are based on air travel from Bangkok. Going by bus is obviously cheaper but 2 days in the care of an amphetamine-fuelled maniac has its downside.
Obtaining double entry visas would reduce the cost of quarterly visa runs. However, requests for these are not always granted.
Any savings made by flying to Singapore on a quarterly visa run would be offset by the higher cost of connections and hotels.

[Posted to Visa Run by David]

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Readers' comments

ben david says:

Hi.
I am iranian.is it possible for me to obtain a 90
days visa from another countries,i mean not from iran?
thank you

February 16, 2004 8:31 PM

TG says:

Is every Bangkokian mad..??? Lets try one more way, pick up bus in Pattaya after being given a free 5 star breakfast, watch DVDs with 5 other people (maximum) own headphones free tea or coffee while driving to boarder. Get Visa do 30 minuets shopping have free meal, get back on Luxury Van, go back to Pattaya watching new DVDs & having free cut sandwich snacks, arrive back at about 2.30-3pm,

Cost 2,200
Baht including visa fee's

I know everyone choosing to live in Pattaya is looked on as being a little odd, but Mmmm....let me look at that airline special again.

PS can get as low as 1900 Baht

March 22, 2004 11:14 AM

Crash999 says:

Another option... Open your own company and give yourself a work permit... Not as expensive a route as one may think.

April 8, 2004 10:56 AM

LAUGHING365 says:

How about this......

Try getting a real job, with a work permit! No visa runs at all!

But then, god forbid, that would require you to actually have some other skills to offer besides pretending to be able to teaching english!

I wonder what you will all do when next month they crack down and deny new tourist visas to people who continuously do this?

Laughing365

June 16, 2004 10:55 AM

tonychang says:

I agree, perhaps we could adopt something similar in the Uk and while were at it bring back hanging.....etc,etc

June 16, 2004 9:21 PM

Rick says:

Does anybody know if a 30 day visa upon arrival at Don Muang is extendable for a week at immigration in Chiang Mai?

June 17, 2004 1:18 AM

Rick says:

10 day extension is available at chiang mai immigration

June 17, 2004 10:49 AM

get_bent says:

Cheers, laughing 365.
It amazes me that all these people complain about costs and nights away from home, etc. etc. when all you have to do is find a school who takes anyone (most of them in this country).
Tonychang: if you would like to explain the logic behind your comment and how it pertains AT ALL, I'm all ears.

June 22, 2004 3:00 PM

Mongoose says:

You paid $1607 USD for a flight to Singapore!? Good for you to have so much money to burn.

May I suggest you extend your visa in Los Angeles, CA? The flight is a bit longer, but the ticket costs only $800, and the 3-month visa is $25, single visit to the consulate (if you can wait a week or two, you can even get it by mail).

You can fly to 90% of the globe from Bangkok for $1607 r/t! I'm flying SFOBKK in the middle of xmas high season for $1000... it'd be $600 if I could choose a better time.

August 19, 2004 4:47 AM

David says:

Mongoose

You misunderstand. The article was referring to the annual cost of monthly visa runs to Singapore (not one flight but twelve).

August 19, 2004 12:08 PM

Combover says:

Did you ever consider The Peens for the visa run?

More expensive for the flight but cheap when you are there and a full range of action adventure girls and destinations.

August 19, 2004 2:05 PM

Steve says:

I'm a cheap bastard who's not afraid of "going local" and have been making 30 day runs using regular buses and the odd motorcycle taxi for the best part of 2 years.
Bangkok to Aranyaprathet is an easy day trip costing about 1500 baht including the Cambodian visa.
Phuket to Ranong is a little trickier but still chalks about the same all up.
Chiang Rai to Mai Sai is a lot cheaper, maybe 600 baht all up.
Much more fun than being stuffed into a minibus packed full of braindead farangs too.

April 30, 2006 5:03 PM

Van says:

Jump on a bus to Laos, arrive early in the morning, pay 2000 baht to the visa service guys outside the embassy, pick up you new visa on the SAME DAY and then take the bus home at 5pm. Takes 2 days total and costs about 4000 all up for a 3 month visa.

Better yet, get a real job, and stay here as long as you want.

May 18, 2006 1:52 AM

Nick says:

I always do my visa runs to Penang, Malaysia, for triple entry visas and each entry, going to immigration in Bangkok after each two month segment to get a 1 month extension on each.

I flew to Penang in the morning for 499 baht each way on Air Asia and returned the same day (though normally the best you can get is 699, 899 or sometimes 999 baht). With taxes it came to under 3,000 I believe. Add in airport tax, taxi to and from Don Muang split between two people, a little spending money and you're still under 4,000, getting 2 more months and only a 12 hour trip all in all. Reasonably cheap and very quick considering I live in Bangkok and not close to any borders.

At Penang when applying for your new visa you can also pay 500 baht extra to visa service companies to get your passport back the same day, if you go on a friday. Saves money for hotel and food and, of course, time.

Certainly an option worth thinking about.

July 7, 2006 9:01 PM

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