What Should I Know About Border Bouncing at Mae Sai with Visa Exempt Entries?

ATTENTION MEMBERS UP NORTH (CHIANG MAI WAY)

IF you are going to bounce out and back in at the Mae Sai - Tachiliek border with Myanmar and you don't have two 30 day visa exempt entries by land yet this year, AND you're one of the nationalities that CAN bounce out and back there, make SURE you stand your ground if you're told you can't bounce.

I just had someone this week who had one 30 day visa exempt entry by land AND they had also entered at the Nong Khai land border entering on a single entry tourist visa.

The immigration officers at passport control at Mae Sai counted that tourist visa entry as one of the two entries allowed by land in a year BUT that was incorrect.

Thankfully the person called me, sent me photos of their entry stamps and let me talk to the officer at passport control where I pointed out that the one entry they were counting was really a 60 day tourist visa entry by land and didn't count against the two 30 day visa exempt entries by land in a year limit.

At the end the person WAS allowed to bounce out and back to get their second 30 day visa exempt entry and the officer did apologize for not catching it was a tourist visa entry.

SO my advice, know what stamps are in your passport, and if you are in the right hold your ground.

Sorry this was only an FYI post because I just read of another instance of someone being denied bouncing out and back at that border. It's usually an easy, soft touch place to bounce if you're a nationality that is allowed to bounce there.

Also remember it is TWO 30 day visa exempt entries in a calendar year (Jan 1 - Dec 31) so come Jan 1st 2020 the "clock resets" and people will get another two 30 day visa exempt entries by land.