Last Saturday, I did a visa run to Wang Prachan to get another 60 days with my METV. The van started in Phuket and cost $1,900 THB. They picked me up in Ao Luk at 7:30 and had me back around 5:30. I call it a Thai version of Death Race when you consider we were at the border for an hour and stopped 3 times for smoke/bathroom breaks and lunch each lasting at least 30 minutes. The driver was horn happy, tooting at someone every couple of minutes until his horn stopped working. I was amazed when he stuck his head out the window, looked back at a car we passed and shouted what must have been insults for several seconds. He was much more polite to oncoming traffic that he forced onto the shoulder when we passed on blind curves. I think I'll do an overnight trip somewhere next time. Maybe by plane. Or boat. Or camel. Or on foot. No, this was not the first time I've done a visa run by van, and probably won't be the last (although a trip like this could easily be your last).
There is a huge Market at Wang Prachan on Saturdays and Sundays, so the eight of us were lucky to finish and leave after roughly an hour. I was the only one who spoke English, and one of the passengers had overstayed his visa by a few days, but everybody got through without any major difficulties. The Thai immigration offices are being renovated, so if you go there make note to use the temporary offices to the right of the permanent ones.
TLDR : Answer Summary
The author recounts a challenging visa run to Wang Prachan, highlighting the risks and chaotic nature of travel by van. The trip from Phuket cost 1,900 THB and involved multiple stops, a lengthy border crossing, and encounters with a reckless driver. Despite the dangers, the group managed to complete the process smoothly, with one passenger having overstayed their visa. A mention of the weekend market in Wang Prachan suggests a mix of urgency and potential leisure in future travels.
