Hi there, what's popping? A couple weeks ago I asked you folks about a border-run to Myanmar (Mae Sai - Tachileik) after student's visa expiration date. There were doubts about certain answer so now I have got a short guide to everybody how to get a stamp to extend a Thai visa for 30 days more.
1.First of all you have to come to the Chiang Mai bus terminal near Super High Way road and buy a ticket to Mae Sai. Think about a back-ticket this moment cause there could be a real problem with to buy it at Mae Sai. I recommend tickets to bus with starting time 8 am or 9.30 am, its a comfortable buses. Take any warm clothes cause of air cons, you know. It costs 319 baht one-way
2.At the day of leaving (it could be better you go there 1 day before your visa expired) just come to the bus station and have a trip for 4.5 hours with 1 stop at Chiang Rai (about 5-10 minutes)
3.In the Mae Sai you have to find any transport like SongTheo or Tuk-tuk, basically, it will cost you about 15 baht per person. This transport coming very close to the border, literally not more 100 steps to it
4.Crossing Thai border. If you are not a students, just show your passport, get a quit stamp and go through. But if you are student YOU MUST(!!!) to have got a paper from your school about you had finished your education year! It's the mandatory otherwise you can't cross the border and get nothing. Ideally, you have to close your student's visa before you are going to new non-student visa like tourist's or for the stamp. That way you got 45 days after the date you closed your student's visa to get a new or leave Thailand (in my eyes that's enough to get a new one). At my case, I didn't have such paper (letter from school) so I wrote to my school and for 15 minutes they sent it to me. Up to the border, there was a shop where you could print any electronic letter or make I copy of you need, it's cheap (about 15 baht for one paper)
5.At Myanmar side you have to pay 500 baht to officer to get a stamp in your passport. He took you passport for a while and gave your a paper that allows to stay at Tachiliek for one day (maybe more, I don't know) without Myanmar's visa. But as for me, Myanmar is bloody poor country, it's poorer even Lao, the town seems like a big market with cheap fake clothes, bad cuisine (too salty, too spicy, too fry and all), bad English (its worse than my :)), so nothing to do there, believe me. And there is a that sort of feeling you are just a walking wallet for the locals and they look at you like they all want to rob you. And a strange thing: cars have a left stearing wheel like in Thailand but the traffic is right-sided)
6. Right, after some time at Myanmar (it could be even 5 minutes, no problem) you are going back, easily crossing its border without any delay (your passport is being at Myanmar border office on the other side from the place you left it), fulfil Thai immigration form, give your passport to the border counter and hurray, got a 30-days stamp!
7.If you haven't bought you back tickets you could realize there are no any tickets to Chiang Mai from Mae Sai at moment (and for a 2-3 days more!), all buses are full! What you have to do this case? Go to the local bus to Chiang Rai and then try to find a ticket back there, cause Chiang Rai is a quite big town, not like Mae Sai village and there are many ways are sticking (for ex from Chiang Khong). You should know, that other ways to go to Chiang Mai are get a taxi for 3000-4000 baht (if you find some people with similar issue like yours you could share your fee) or go by plane (it's expensive either). Or try to catch any car on the road going to that way but its a moment of luck.
Conclusion: there is no problem to get a stamp (but remember that farangs have only two attempts per year for that) for 30 days depending of your passport (my russian passport let me these 30 days), don't forget about to close your education year if you were a student any province (we came from Pattaya to Ching Mai for example). Myanmar is a good place for that, another one is Lao (Chiang Khong border), but it's longer way.
Hope you would find my story is pleasant and forgive me my English :)
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user shares a detailed guide on how to extend a Thai visa for 30 days by making a border run to Myanmar, specifically via Mae Sai. Key steps include buying a bus ticket from Chiang Mai to Mae Sai, crossing into Myanmar with necessary documentation for students, and obtaining a stamp to extend the visa upon returning to Thailand. The user emphasizes the importance of securing return tickets in advance and details the experience in Myanmar.
