Ran visa in Thailand doesn't work anymore

Thailand is a wonderful country. We have no desire to leave it at all. I would like to stay here a little longer, but there is one little problem—the visa. It tends to expire over time.

What is a visa-ran?

Enterprising tourists invented a way to live here almost permanently. They call it a visa-ran. This method used to work well.

The experienced tourist knows this routine. For the rest of us, it is a boring event involving a necessary visit to neighboring countries. While travelers often choose the Aranyaprathet border crossing to reach Cambodia, others might prefer flying from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Vientiane in Laos. You must cross the border into these countries, stay for a few minutes, and then return.

This trip takes one day. It allows you to spend the next month in Thailand. At the end of this time, you repeat the cycle.

Visa-ran canceled

That celebration of life ended recently. The visa-ran in Thailand was cancelled. Things have changed.

A military coup occurred in the Kingdom not too long ago. Now the government looks for people staying illegally. This is not a problem for most tourists because they rarely stay longer than 30 days. The real issue concerns illegal workers. These are mainly guides or "free artists" working without a permit or the correct visa.

Visa-rans were profitable businesses. Many agencies organized these trips for a fee of around 4,500 THB per person. Although these agents made money from the convenience, the new strict regulations have made their old methods much harder to execute. Now that everything is changing, the era of easy exits is over.

You can still try the Cambodian border. However, you might only succeed once because officials place a special mark in your passport. You must convince them that your visit is strictly for tourism. Be very careful.

Now that visa-ran in Thailand has been banned, some operators might use new connections to provide illegal services. If you want to stay longer, get a legal visa. A one-year visa costs roughly 2,500 THB at the local immigration office. Enjoy this kingdom in peace.