The first time many people hear the term ‘visa run’ it makes no sense. Is it when I leave my credit card in a taxi and run after it? Was there a run on visa applications? But the longer you live in Thailand (and most any country, I would imagine), the better versed in the complicated – but necessary – trial of the visa run you become. Essentially, all a visa run means is that you have to check in with the immigration authorities at the border by leaving and then coming back into Thailand. This can mean anything from a two-month holiday around Asia to literally getting stamped out of Thailand and turning around to get stamped right back in again. Navigating the rules and regulations can be tricky, but you learn fast enough – you have to.

I’ve heard many people say that the rigamarole you have to go through to legally stay in Thailand is the worst in Asia. Although I don’t have much to compare that to, it doesn’t sound too far-fetched. The rules are complicated and occasionally differ from location to location. One border guard might be a breeze to deal with, while the next might come off like a fascist control freak.

There was a time when people had been here 5 or 10 years on a monthly visa stamp, making a visa run every month and essentially turning into professional tourists. But when John Mark Karr decided he wanted some attention, they decided to pay a bit more attention to who was coming and going, and ended that little game right there.

At any rate, I’m not getting into the minutiae of the whole thing here, because it varies depending on what type of visa you have, how long you’re staying here, how long you’ve been here, what your business is here, etc, etc. The most common rule deals with visas on arrival, which most visitors get at the airport. This lasts 30 days, and after that, a visa run is necessary. You sometimes need to do visa runs after 3 months or 6 months, but sometimes you don’t have to leave the country at all, but only if you have the right visa. See? It’s complicated. And don’t even ask about work permits.

Be sure to remember what date your visa expires, or you'll be paying 500 baht a day in fines - or jail, if the officer is in a bad mood

Be sure to remember what date your visa expires, or you’ll be paying 500 baht a day in fines – or jail, if the officer is in a bad mood

The best way to do a visa run is to grab one of many services that leave early in the morning, bomb out to the Cambodian border (“The Worst Place on Earth!”) for a turn-around visa stamping, and then blaze back to Bangkok by late afternoon. They’re not fun, but they are necessary, and will run you about 2,000 baht. Personally, I’ve always preferred Jack’s Golf, as they were one of the first to offer the service. I did do a visa run on my own once, on a public bus, and had to distract a gun-toting, bribe-loving Cambodian official with a picture of a naked girl before I got into Cambodia (long story). In the end, I think it cost me about 1,700 baht, which wasn’t really worth it. Keep in mind, it’s in the visa run company’s best interest to make sure you get back okay, so they work hard to make sure it’s pain-free. And there’s always the resource-rich ThaiVisa to help you out if you have questions.

And whatever you do, do not listen to the opinionated idiot at the bar who has a ‘friend’ in Immigration, who told him that all foreigners are going to be required to have 40,000 baht on hand to leave Thailand, and proof of a family to come back in… there are far too many guys like that here. When in doubt, contact the Immigration Department, or better yet – visit and talk to someone face to face.