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What are the best options for a border run from Thailand if my tourist visa is about to expire?

Thailand visasborder bouncetourist visaCambodiavisa extensionimmigration adviceChantaburi ProvinceBangkokvisa rules
Feb 27, 2025
10 days ago
Roee ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hello everyone, this is my first time in thailand and my tourist visa ends in 1 week (60+30) so I need to do border bounce.

Option 1 is to take a morning flight from bangkok to phnom penh and return same day evening.

Option 2 is to pay for agency, take a minivan and a guide from Bangkok to Chantaburi Province and return the same day.

I prefer take the flight but I'm not sure if the border officer will approve my entry back in thailand when I'm on my own. Do you think that would be a problem?

Any other suggestions? Thank you all
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is considering two options for a border bounce due to an upcoming expiration on their tourist visa: a same-day flight to Phnom Penh or a minivan trip to Chantaburi Province. They express concern about the likelihood of being granted re-entry at the border when traveling alone. Comments suggest that flying may pose risks of questioning by immigration officers, while the van option is recommended for being more trusted and less stressful, despite potential higher costs. There's also mention of needing proof of onward travel when re-entering Thailand.
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Peter ****************
How long does it take to go to cambodia from pattaya in a van fir a border bounce please
10 days ago
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Kool *******
Use an agent then no hassles, and it is done in just one day.
9 days ago
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Kool *******
@Peter ***************
 all day
9 days ago
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Peter ****************
@Kool ******
 thankyou for your help
9 days ago
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Peter ****************
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Brian *********
Van is cleaner option as land border are more relaxed albeit can be more expensive
10 days ago
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Farang *********
I did a two day visit to Vientiane and the IO baulked and wanted to see my outbound flight.
10 days ago
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Raed ****
sign up in DTV soft power and avoid all the hassle
10 days ago
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Roee ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
What is DTV soft power?
10 days ago
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Raed ****
@Roee *******
 for example sign up for 6 months Muay Thai course to apply for 5 years DTV visa
10 days ago
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Raed ****
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David *********
They know exactly what you’re up to by maxing out your stay then flying out and in in one day.
10 days ago
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Brian *********
@Da***
 what’s your point it’s called visa exempt for a reason and this is within the rules stop scaremongering
10 days ago
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Elías ********
@Brian ********
 it seems you haven't been following the news recently. Some fake tourists (or eternal tourists) have been turned down as soon as on their second entry.
7 days ago
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Brian *********
@Elías *******
 ping me the link or put it on here - I follow much news but haven’t seen this - FYI at BKK main airport 144million people arrive a year so let’s work out the % in fact I read from immigration that last year 7000 people were declined that is less than 0.
*****
%
7 days ago
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Brian *********
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David *********
@Brian ********
 it’s for people who are exempt from needing a visa, ie tourists not people trying to live in Thailand riding the exemption train, a scan of the passport shows all the travel history and ever since they changed it to 60 days they have become stricter in filtering out the system abusers, I didn’t say he wouldn’t get it this time.
10 days ago
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David *********
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Pyae *********
U return with what kind of visa .? all visa cannot have oneday
10 days ago
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Jan ******************
@Pyae ********
 Probably just a visa exemption as several people just call a tourist visa or visa on arrival.
10 days ago
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Elías ********
@Jan *****************
 yet tourist visa and visa on arrival do exist.
7 days ago
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Jan ******************
@Elías *******
 Yes, citizens of the 93 countries not included in the new visa exemption scheme has to apply for a tourist visa to get a 60 days stay and citizen of the 31 countries included in Visa On Arrival Scheme can apply for a 15 days visa when they come. But this is still often mixed up with visa exemption.
7 days ago
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Jan ******************
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Roee ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Pyae ********
 if I go out and in I supposed to get a new 60 days visa with an option to extend
10 days ago
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Pui *****
@Roee *******
 it sounds like you are confusing visa terms. You likely got a free 60 visa exempt entry where you just showed your passport and didn't buy a visa in advance. This is not a tourist visa, which is when you apply and pay for a 60 day tourist visa in advance of travel.
10 days ago
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Lynnette *******
@Roee *******
 you won't get a visa unless you apply for one. But maybe your passport allows exempt entry: 60 days no visa.
10 days ago
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Pyae *********
@Roee *******
 oh i see ur passport get 60 days for arrival
10 days ago
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Pyae *********
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Brandon ************
If you want to be 100% sure you won't have any issues, then take the van.

There are many reports of people getting pulled out of line and questioned after doing 60+30 and leaving and flying back. You'd probably only get a warning but might spend an hour sweating it out with the immigration officers.
10 days ago
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Brandon ************
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