Operation Origin: Visa run to Myanmar (Burma) through Ranong.

29.12.2014

Total cost and a few tips at the bottom of the post.

Ranong pier with longtail boats.

Link to video

Ok, so after Phuket we were running out of visa. We had already expanded our arrival visa (30 days) in Koh Samui immigration. The extention there cost us 2000TBH each and got us 30 days more visa. But like all good things, even that visa was coming to an end, so we had to make some plans.

Closest border to bunnyhop is in Burma, so we would have to make our way there. Crossing the border for such a short time with the dog, didn't seem worth the hassle, so we desided to leave our dog at the resort. Downside to this was that a bus was out of the question for the longer travel time, so we got a minivan from Le Pes Villas. Downside to this option was the price, it would cost us 2500TBH to Ranong (the Thai side of the border) and same amount back. We got lucky and the resort owner's daughter's two friends were coming to the resort from Ranong, so we got to share the expenses on the way back.

A long way to the border.

$10 notes, sounds easy enough to find... Not...

We had to leave early, we would have to travel four hours there and four hours back plus how ever long it would take us to get to the Burmese side by boat etc. We had already read something about Burma visa run online, so we knew we would have to find $10 notes each for the Burmese immigration office. For some reason they only accept $10 bills, in mint condition.

When we got to Ranong we started to look for a bank where we could find the notes. Seems easy enough but it was not. We went through six or seven banks and none of them had dollars to exchange. They always told us to ask the next bank and even called around to ask if any bank had them. No luck and we were running late from the schedule. So if possible, find the $10 notes BEFORE you go to Ranong.

We had to go pick up the girls who would share the van back to Khanom, so we just had to hope we find a money exchange from the pier. When the girls got in, we drove to the pier. Lots of people and lots of boat drivers, trying to get a customer. I think a fair price for a round trip is something like 300TBH, we got our round trip for 600TBH (four persons). The price went down because we had two Thais to ask the price.

Longtail boats, waiting for customers.

Next up was getting an out-stamp from Thai-side of the border. First we had to fill our departure-cards (they give you a arrival/departure-card before entering the Kingdom of Thailand). There were only few people before us and the que moved fairly quickly, we got the stamps and stepped aside to wait while the Thais got their paperwork done. Soon they arrived and we started mounting the boat.

They took from 8-10 people onboard before we left the pier. The boat has two person crew, one of them drives the boat and the other one deals with the paperwork/passport. First we had to fill a form (nationality, name, etc) and then we all gave our passports to the man. Don't worry, usually we never give away our passports but here it's normal, they ask them three times on the way to Burma. On every checkpoint on the way, the passport guy jumps off the boat and goes to show all the passports to the officials.

The passport check in Thai side, where we got our exit stamps.

There were three checkpoints on the way, the man with the passports jumped out of the boat every time. The checkpoints didn't take too much time, maybe 5 minutes each and the total drive with the boat was about 30 minutes one way.
Keep your eyes open, we saw dolphins on the way, soon after the first checkpoint on the right.

Checkpoin 1/3

Checkpoint 2/3

Checkpoint 3/3, The Burmese side

We finally got to the pier on the Burmese side, lots of longtail boats parked and lots of taxis trying to get a customer. Some eight guys came akwardly close to my skin when they were looking at my tattoos, especially the ones in my neck. If we would've wanted to make our stop as quick as possible, we could've just walked 50 meters to the immigration office just by the pier. We still needed the $10 dollar notes and we were getting a bit hungry, so we desided to take a tuk tuk. The money exchange was also right next to the pier. We had to pay 1000TBH for two $10 notes, from a bank we would've gotten them for less than 700TBH, so remember this when you go.

The tuk tuk with a "tourist advicer" told us that we would only have to pay 100TBH when they take us around and if we want we could tip the "advicer". First we went to drop our passports and the dollar notes to the immigration, so they would be ready when we leave. After this they drove us 400m from the pier for a small temple and some memorial statue and gave a short speech about it. We asked them to take us somewhere to eat and they drove the same road back, near where we left. Suprise suprise.

Already forgot the story behing this, something about fighting off English(?) invaders.

There were no prices in the menu so we asked about it, don't want to get scammed in a restaurant. Our "advicer" told us that in Burma, if you don't have enough money to eat at certain restaurant, you just don't eat there. Sounded like bullshit to us, so we kindly asked to know the prices so we would know if we had the money to eat there. Well of course we had the money, just not willing to pay too much just to be polite (or stupid).

I ate some mediocore fried yellow noodle and Milla had noodle soup. She told me it tasted just the way it looked, water, salt and lettuce. For the total of 200TBH we got two dish of food and a draft beer, could've gone worse. The time was ticking and we wanted to start heading home, so we asked them to drive us to the immigration.

BEER!

We walked inside and got our passports with the in and out stamps. The "advicer" went to look for our boat driver and we waited at the beginning of the pier. We heard some people talking about how their boat left without them and left them at the pier with their luggage. We could only hope this was not going to happen to us. Thankfully our boat driver came and we hopped on the boat. We gave some tip for the "advicer" and head back to Ranong.

On the way we made the same three stops at the checkpoints and arrived to the Thai side. Back to the passport checkpoint to get new in-stamps. We quickly filled our arrival cards and gave them to the officer along with our passports. 15 days more visa, check! When you arrive to Thailand by plane, they give you 30 days of visa (Finnish passports), by boat or by land they only give you 15 days.

It was time to head back to Khanom, 15 more stress free days.

Here's the total cost of our trip (per person):

Minivan 1875 TBH

Longtail boat 150 TBH

$10 note 500 TBH

Food 100TBH

Tip 40 TBH

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Total of: 2665 TBH

Easy ways to cut the expenses is to go by a bus and finding the dollar notes from a bank or a cheaper money exchange before Ranong. The boat ride is only 30minutes per way and in the immigration it shouldn't take you more than 15 - 30 minutes. So in best case you'll be from Ranong to Burma and back to Ranong in less than two hours and as cheap as 600 TBH.

Get $10 notes from a bank (mint condition) beforehand.
Get a good deal from the longtail boats (~300TBH).
Fill your departure card and stamp out of Thailand.
Three checpoints on the boat ride, sit still.
When in Burma, walk 50 meters to the left from the stairs where the boats park (if it parks to the pier, walk to the end of it and enter the building on the right).
Give the $10 dollar note and stamp in/out.
Get back to the boat and wait for the checkpoints.
When in Thailand again, fill the arrival card and stamp in.
Enjoy your 15 more days in paradise!