visa runs

[papillon 695]

Flying from BKK is as cheap as a visa run from Pattaya. Some flights are cheaper.

I guess I have to wonder why so many take a van from Pattaya for a 15 day visa, when they could get better flying, and for less.

 

 

Or why anyone would go on a Lao run, when flying to Phnom Penh would be so much cheaper. Is there something that I am missing?

 

My visa runs from Pattaya to the Cambo land border crossings cost me 2200 Baht.. I got the 15 day stamp which in reality is only an extra 14 days because you are stamped out and back in on the same day. If I flew from Bangkok to Phnom Pehn and didn't bother going to the Embassy, just hung around at the airport and got the return flight back, I'd have got a 30 day stamp in my passport. So I get twice as much if I fly. However, going in the van and back takes @ 7 hours. How long would it take to go from Pattaya to PP airport and back again? A lot longer I'm sure. How much is the flight and cost of visa to enter Cambodia? I think from memory it's USD20 for Cambo visa at the airport. I think there's also an exit fee? So the flight itself would need to be extremely cheap to make it worthwhile.

 

The Visas in PP took minimum 48 hours to process (when I last went there over a year ago) necessitating hotel for a couple of nights and all associated spending costs whereas in Laos it's an overnight affair.

 

 

Lovedog, you are/were in LOS for a long time. Where did you go on your visa runs?

[papillon 695]

Good pics, Paps, thanks. Jeez, it's turned into a metropolis since I was last there. Of course there was a little more shooting back then, heh.

 

 

 

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Glad you made it out alive. Hope you didn't have to shoot too many people.

 

The pics are shite to be honest. When I booked the visa run at the Travel Agency, I asked where will I be going, how long will it take, etc. Basically, the answer was 'You go Cambodia, come back same day.' I didn't pursue it beyond that, LOL. I had to be on parade for the mini bus pickup at 06.00. I only got home from drinking at 05.00 so it was a quick shower and then a few cups of coffee at the local 7/11 while I waited for the mini bus to arrive. After picking everybody else up, we eventually got to the border crossing @ noon. Impossible to sleep in the mini bus with all the bumps in the road and Carlos Fandango behind the steering wheel. I had done a few visa runs before and this place was a first for me so I just took a few snaps of anything that looked official so I could work it out later where I had actually been to, LOL. Hence the shitty pics.

 

I've got some more photos from other border crossings. I might as well add them to this thread later, they might be of interest to somebody.

[bigdelta 46]

I have used the Sportsman 3x and their van and service is excellent,as is the breakfast and lunch provided.

 

I did one, went with the Sportsman 2500 but if you book 11 days in advance its 2200 .. (I seem to remember) great buses takes 8 but only 4 in ours, you get a breakfast , videos all the way there a packed lunch and a drink when you return, very good indeed only ever did one.

 

I cant see anyone being as good as that, left at 7.00 back by 3.30pm...