PHUKET VISA RUN

Many people actually talk about going on a Phuket visa run however they are actually only going on a Phuket border run.

The Phuket guide will explain you the information later on in more detail.

If your Thai tourist visa is soon to expire and you would like to spend more than a few more weeks in Phuket then you must go on a Phuket visa run to the closest Thai consulate or Thai embassy.

The closest Thai consulate from Phuket is the one in Penang, Malaysia. The closest Thai embassy from Phuket is the Royal Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Most people that choose on going to Penang for their Phuket visa run do this because the cost is somewhat lower. There are a number of Phuket visa run companies that organize mini bus trips to Penang at pretty low prices.

More information about the Phuket visa run companies can be found later on in this section of our Phuket guide.

Alternatively you can also take the bus from the central Phuket bus station to Hat Yai and get a minibus in Penang which will take you to Penang.

The drive to Hat Yai is actually a pretty nice one so if you have a car then you should consider driving up yourself to Hat Yai on your Phuket visa run.

Phuket Visa

If you however choose to go on a Phuket visa run to Kuala Lumpur then you are actually facing an easier situation with less travel time. Air Asia operates daily flights from Phuket to Kuala Lumpur.

By choosing this method of Phuket visa run you will save yourself a lot of time and it's considerably more comfortable.

A Phuket border run is required for those of you who have either a multiple entry Thai tourist visa or who have a multiple entry Non Immigrant Visa B.

These types of Thai visas require the holder to leave the country every three months which is a real pain however it is the cost of living in paradise!

The closest location from Phuket for a Phuket border run would be to Ranong. Once you get to Ranong you head over to the Thailand Immigration office which is located very near to the docks. You will have to get stamped out after which you go to the docks and take a longtail boat over to Burma / Myanmar.  

Please note that you will have to pay 10 USD for the Burmese visa and they will not accept any other currency. Also the 10 dollar bill has to be in good shape otherwise they will also refuse it.

Once you have been stamped in and out of Myanmar you will take the boat back to Ranong. Once you arrive at the docks of Ranong you head straight over to the Thai immigration office where you will sign the arrival card and where you will get stamped back into Thailand and you have completed your Phuket border run. 

Various Phuket visa run companies and Phuket travel agents organize daily Phuket border run trips to Ranong. The Phuket border run package normally includes return transfer to and from Ranong, a lunch and the boat trip to the Burmese island.

There are other ways how you can do this Phuket border run. There are public busses which leave from the Phuket bus station to Ranong and this would save you a few hundred THB however it is a bit tricky once you get to Ranong as you won't know where to go next.

For those of you going on a Phuket border run and enjoy a visit to the Casino then you can also do your Phuket visa run to another Burmese island which is home to Club Andaman.

This massive Burmese casino and resort complex attracts many gamblers from Thailand as gambling is illegal in this country. They have an immigration desk as the Club Andaman so you would be able to do your Phuket border run to Club Andaman.

There is a free boat service from Ranong to the Club Andaman casino island which is ideal for those of you doing a Phuket border run on a budget.

Please find below a selection of well known and popular Phuket visa run companies which also offer Phuket border run services.

Phuket Border Run

• Visa Siam - This Phuket visa run agency offers a daily Phuket border run to Ranong for 1500 THB. A Phuket visa run trip down to Penang including transport and hotel will cost 4500 THB.


• Wild Kingdom Tours - Another well known Phuket border run agency is Wild Kingdom Tours. The prices for a Phuket border run trip to Ranong or a Phuket visa trip to Penang are the same as with Visa Siam.


• Bangkok Legal Services - This Thai law firm offers Phuket border runs to Burma and Phuket visa runs to the Thai consulate in Penang.