Hua Hin to Myanmar Visa Run

Visa runs are a way of life for most expats here in Hua Hin. A newly opened border run near Kanchanaburi makes life a little easier.

If you already have a visa and just need to make a border run to activate it or if you only require a 15 day visa exemption (for those that are eligible) then a relatively fast border run to the border of Myanmar (Burma) may be all that you need.

Visa run services come and go in Hua Hin, normally due to a lack of customers, and those that do go this route may only make the run every couple of weeks when they can drum up enough trade so plan your trip with plenty of time in advance.

Mid 2015 one such service was operating from one of the shops at the Condochain apartment building (the tall yellow condominium opposite the electricity office) on Petchkasem Road but it’s worth checking beforehand.

The trip takes approximately 2-3 hours, one way, to reach the border. There you’ll need to get out of your car as they are not allowed across the border (there is a parking area and a few restaurants) and proceed to the border crossing on foot.

Once you’ve passed through immigration and officially left Thailand you need to pay one of the few taxi drivers / agents there to take you on a short run to immigration on the Myanmar side of the border. It’s only a few kilometers away but the roads quickly turn from tarmac to soil and mud and you’ll soon find yourself in a jungle camp.

Don’t be surprised when your car suddenly starts driving on the opposite side of the road, it’s intentional as they drive on the right hand side in Burma.

There’s normally no need to leave the car as your agent will take your passport and do the necessary work for you. It isn’t possible to get visa’s here that is why you already need to have one in your passport (such as a multiple entry tourist visa).

Then its back to Thailand, through immigration and you good to go. Apparently the border crossing is very busy in the early morning so it may actually be quicker if you arrive just before noon. Leave Hua Hin around 09:30 am and you should be fine.