Ban Laem "Border Bounce"

[Tod-Daniels]

 

I had the chance to go with a large "visa run/border bounce" company to the Ban Laem border with Cambodia yesterday.

It's just under a 4 hour car ride (much longer if it's a mini-van), the border is dead quiet other than produce, freight and local traffic (cambodianz and thaiz). In fact we were the only three foreigners I saw during the 90 minutes we were there.

I did not need to cross the border, but the Dutch guy that needed to already had his thai pass approved before we went. No issues stamping out, getting into Cambodia, getting the visa on arrival, getting stamped in, getting stamped out and then coming back to the thai side.

On the thai side you take an ATK test (150 baht) and wait for the results before you can stamp back in AND they check your thai pass and proof of insurance.
 
He got stamped back in on a 30 day visa exempt without any issue. It should be noted this person was NOT here on endless covid extensions. They had previously worked here on a Non-B and then gotten ONE covid extension. They had no issues and were not questioned at the border when stamping in.

IF you have many many covid extensions your mileage may vary.

One interesting thing, when we were driving away, the owner of the visa run company got a call from the thai immigrations who said, NO MORE out/in the same day, and that they were enforcing the old rule of you must spend a night in cambodia.

Now whether that is going to be a policy at ALL the border crossings with Cambodia/Thailand or just this one OR if it was just a fluke, no one knows and I think it's gonna take more people hitting the border for a bounce out and back to really know how they're going to do it.           

This is an FYI post ONLY
I didn't post it to get into a pissing match on what the policy is to get in and out of Cambodia by land.
I posted it to let people know that a border bounce is indeed possible at this time with the land borders of Cambodia

 

[Ivo_Shandor]

Am I wrong, or the land run trick now can be done only twice per calendar year?

[M.O.]

53 minutes ago, Ivo_Shandor said:

Am I wrong, or the land run trick now can be done only twice per calendar year?

Visa Exempt entry by land is limited to twice a year. I suppose if you exit and get, say, a Tourist Visa,  then this may not be applicable.

[Guest1]

2 hours ago, M.O. said:

Visa Exempt entry by land is limited to twice a year. I suppose if you exit and get, say, a Tourist Visa,  then this may not be applicable.

In case you have a visa it is not a exempt entry. So does not count for the rule of  2 only/year

With a visa you did not even needed a night overstay.