Stay in Thailand you can't. Visa Runneth you must!

In April 2014 I had my first (of two ...so far) of what is known by expats in Thailand as the...

Dunnn dunnn duuuunnn...

The VISA RUN.

Okay so maybe that sounded a bit dramatic like someone is trying to run from their credit card bills or something. I assure you it has nothing to do with credit unless that's what your paying to get yourself out of the country in a pinch. But honestly the process was (and still kind of is) very confusing for me.

A visa is a permit by a country to allow someone who is a non resident to stay in that country for some period of time.

As a foreigner in Thailand, you can only stay in the country within so long, usually 90 days. But that is not gospel so don't take it as such.  It really depends on a whole slew of factors like what visa you are on when you entered Thailand, what permit you have and where you come from (home country) for how long you are allowed to stay before they want you out. Please be sure to check yourself with Thai immigration/ border services and be aware of the duration of stay in your passport (overstaying is not worth it- there is a fine and it does go on your record). This act of hopping across the border is "the visa run". 

You must leave Thailand, they don't care where you go but you can't stay here.

The nearest countries, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia are where most expats head to on a visa run.

So far I have been to both Cambodia (in April) and Laos (in July) of last year. Now I have a visa and work permit to stay (even with this you must check in at Chaeng Wattana (Immigration) every 90 days -keep track of it!). Currently due to the political situation Chaeng Wattana is closed and other areas have opened departments throughout the city. You will have to check to make sure which place is right for you. 

Anyway, we made the first visa run a tourist trip to Cambodia with a bus tour to Angkor Wat and other Cambodian cultural sites. It was a really great experience and not too much hassle as we were on the trip for 3 days and the bus tour took care of the paperwork and visa process at the border with me. Everything went quite smoothly. I think if it is your first time and you have the free time to do so, consider a tour bus trip option. You get a lot of help and get to make a memorable trip out of it.

My second run was less of a planned event. There was some mistake in my schools paperwork when applying and we ran out of time. I was forced to go out and come back in on a second non-B visa for teaching. For this I went to Vientienne Laos. I had to fly out for the proper stamp this time, which was much more costly than a bus ticket and I had to go alone which was quite scary to me. Laos seems to be the place to go for the processing of a teaching Non-B Visas though and a choice destination for most. At the Thai Embassy in Vientienne, I dropped my passport and documents off the morning one day, and the second day I picked them up and was on my way back to Bangkok that evening.

Recently I faced the possibility of a third Visa run to Laos again because I completed my first contract and my school was late renewing and running out of time on my visa. But in the end they were able to rush complete the work and I did not have to go. This was completely stressful and unnecessary but when your waiting on other peoples actions there isn't much you can do other then put the pressure on and hope for the best. In the end it worked out so all I can say is Mai Ben rai ( Thai saying: "never mind") and move on with life. 

If you are looking for information on the visa run yourself I would like to tell you every time will be different and everyone's situation will be different. You can read the horror stories out there on the internet or you can make it a fresh adventure for yourself. Sometimes work contracts make promises to watch out and process all this for you but when it comes down to it, it's your visa/work permit and your life so keep a close eye yourself. Watch your permission of stay, check your 90 days. It's up to you! Chok-dee na ka!