Our “visa run” from Ranong to Victoria Point, Myanmar
Getting a Thai tourist visa is not cheap, and Thailand is one of the most visited countries in the world, which means that the visa business represents a significant income for the country.
Due to the fact that citizens of countries that have signed bilateral agreements with Thailand are granted a 30 days free visa on arrival, many foreigners have lived for years in the Kingdom, thanks to the so called “visa runs”.
What is a “visa run”?
May I live in Thailand without a proper visa, doing a “visa run” every month?
Undeniably, many farangs (foreigners) have live in Thailand for years thanks to this practice. But since 2014, the Immigration Bureau has been instructing officials to restrict the entry to foreigners doing more than a visa run in a short period. Therefore, repeating this procedure isn’t advisable, because they might deny you the entrance to the Kingdom, if they detect you performed previous “visa runs” in the past months.
Last month of September we were in Ko Samui when our Thai tourist visa was about to expire. Since we noticed that the cost of the visa extension was equal or even superior to a short trip to Myanmar, we decided to experience a “visa run” in Ranong/Victoria Point, in order to “invest” that amount of money in discovering a new place.
Despite we found the journey o a scooter a bit long, we found it very pleasant, because it gave us the chance to discover that when the tourist path ends, real Thailand begins. And it’s absolutely amazing! Not only we were able to see villages that are still completely immersed in nature, but also we found friendly locals everywhere. It’s very curious how both the landscape and people dramatically change, in such a confined area like the south of Thailand.
Suddenly, we felt like we were still on our first trip to Thailand, about twenty years ago, when it was completely normal to see locals walking with an elephant in the streets, and when people would stare at you while you are eating a Tom Yam soup. Don’t be surprised if you leave the tourist path and this happens to you too. Thai people love to stare at you when you eat a soup to check if you can handle the spicy, and they systematically start laughing, when you suddenly sweat like hell, while craving for cold water.
Unfortunately, those days seem to be gone everywhere the farangs have left their footprints. But as soon as you leave the tourist routes, real Thailand begins and this is the most fascinating side of the Land of Smiles.
Undoubtedly, the significant part of this trip on the road was the contact with the stunning surrounding nature and the picturesque local villages along the way. Expect no signs in English and no international menus in this area. In addition, if you hear a song through the speakers on the streets at 8 am and at 6 pm, and you see people standing still, it’s not a flash mob! Actually, that the national anthem, that is still played twice a day and people stand still, as a sign of respect.
These are the moments in which you really think you should travel all around the world on a motorbike! Another positive factor was that, due to the fact that petrol is very cheap in Thailand, the whole journey turned out to be inexpensive.
Once in Ranong, we asked for the pier from which the boats leave to Myanmar/Victoria Point. Note that there is also another pier in town, from which boats leave to Koh Phayam and Koh Chang, the laid-back islands close to the Burmese border on the Andaman coast. The two piers are located at a short walking distance from each other.
The picture here below shows the pier where boats leave to Victoria Point/Myanmar. It’s located next to a car parking and a gas station with a 7 Eleven, in front of Bangkok Bank.
What do you need to enter Myanmar?
If you have dollars on you, make sure that your $10 banknote is new and in perfect conditions, because in Myanmar they don’t accept any crumpled or old one. Like in other countries that have suffered devaluations in the local currency, U.S. dollars are considered as gold, and because during a long period they were cut off by sanctions from the international banking system, Burmese do not accept old notes.
Make sure you also have enough cash on you in U.S. dollars or Thai baht, because we did not see any ATM in Victoria point.
Once you have a copy of your passport and your $10 banknote, you can proceed to the pier and ask any of the boatmen to take you to Myanmar. We paid 100 baht each (less than $3). Remember to get your stamp out of Thailand at the Thai Immigration office located inside the pier, on the right side, before boarding the boat. It’s also a good idea to request an empty entry card to fill out before you come back, in order to avoid the line.
How long is the boat trip to Myanmar?
Once on board the crew gave us a life vest, and asked to wear it during the trip. Before getting to Myanmar there was a first stop, but passengers were required to stay on board, while a crew member collected all the passports, got off the boat and showed them to the officers of the check point. After a quick look at the boat, the officer counted the heads of the passengers and checked if we were wearing the life vests.
Immigration procedures on arrival in Myanmar
The police will hold your passport and will give you the copy with a stamp on it. This is also when they ask you for the $10 banknote, in concept of entrance fee. Don’t expect any receipt for this payment.
When entering Myanmar through the above mentioned checkpoint, you are not allowed to travel around. Many tourists get their stamps and return straight back to Thailand on the same boat, but you may also opt to spend one or two days in the area, although both the period of stay and the area you may visit are restricted by the military government.
Where can I stay in Victoria Point/Kawthaung?
What to do in Victoria Point
Half an hour driving from Victoria Point, you may visit Maliwan village, a tourist area with a small waterfall and with a hot spring. Many tourists and fortune players choose the Andaman Club Resort Hotel, located on Thahtay Kyun Island, about half an hour trip by boat from Kawthaung or Ranong. This club is famous for casino gambling, and it’s currently the only international gambling place on the Andaman side of Myanmar.
Without a doubt, our favourite spot in Victoria Point/Kawthaung was the nice temple on the hill, with its spectacular view of the bay.
Even more, we enjoyed a walk back in time along the streets of Victoria Point, observing its local life scenes. Unfortunately, we could immediately tell that the country is one of the poorest in Asia, and we were surprised to notice that many houses had no access to electricity. In addition, although there is a daily flow of curious tourists (mostly foreigners on their “visa run”), the town currently lacks of a reasonable choice of restaurants for a meal. After a first attempt to eat local dishes in food stalls, we ended up consuming our dinner at the restaurant of our hotel, as most of the fellow foreigners in the area.
Unfortunately, we also noticed that children are still widely employed for the most different, and sometimes very physically intense jobs, held in hours that are normally dedicated to school activities in other parts of the world.
How to return to Thailand and enter with a new Visa on Arrival
Note that this port of entry only offer Visas on Arrival and no fees should be applied, as a sign, right above the Immigration office windows, clearly states.
If you are in the south of Thailand and would like to extend your visa for 15 or 30 more days, without paying for the extension, while enjoying a different journey back in time, the above mentioned procedure is a very easy way to do it. In our case, it resulted even cheaper than extending our visa at the immigration office in Ko Samui.
However, for longer stays, we recommend getting a proper 60 days tourist visa in a Thai embassy or consulate.
Have you ever done a “visa run” in Thailand? How was your experience?
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