Is the Mae Sai border open for obtaining a 30-day Visa Exempt?

@Danny *****

I did the border crossing just as

@Karolina ********

describes, they also accept $10 US inststead of the 500 baht but the note must be clean and new looking and not crumpled

No problem! 😊

Danny not at all. You pay 500 baht at the boarder when entering Myanmar. It's not a bribe, you pay 500 baht for being able to enter the country for a limited period of time (I believe it's 12 days but don't quote me on it as I only stayed for less than 10 minutes) and not having to apply for a visa. You hand in your passport and 500 baht in Myanmar, get a ticket to prove that you left your passport at the boarder, enter Myanmar on foot and come back 5 minutes later, show them your ticket, pick up your passport and walk back to Thailand. You take new Departure Card, fill it out (you need your address to do that) and get 30 day exemption. And you're back in Thailand.

@Danny *****

no. You don't need anything apart from 500 baht and your passport.

No problem, if you have any other questions just let me know. Happy to help.

@Danny *********

I took a GreenBus from Chiang Mai bus station. Took a bus at 8am to Mae Sai, came back on a bus leaving at 3.30pm. I got back to CM at 8pm. It gave me plenty of time to do the boarder bump. Bus fare is around 600thb for a round trip and you can book it online. When you get to Mae Sai there’s plenty of Songtaews that take you to the boarder for a fixed price 15thb (that takes max 15minutes). No questions at the boarder, you just pay 500thb when entering Myanmar, pop in there for literally 10 minutes (or longer if you want to have lunch or shop) and get back to Thailand.

And yes i can confirm that maesai is open for vise exempt (if you are elegible for one that is) or at least it was last week for one of my friends 😉

@Val***

, oh sorry :/ I thought he was wanting to know if that border is really open for visa exempt entries :O Remember it was closed a good while until they opened it back up on Dec 31, 2016

@T**

I thought the question was about 30 exempt and not opening hours

@Val***

, the immigration offices (other than the ones up by the Mae Sai - Tachiliek border) won't have any idea if that border is open or not.

Any immigration office has an information desk where you can get confirmation. But Barry is right. Max 2 land crossings oer year allowed.

Here you find the Immigration rules: or you can read this announcement: