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Just learned how much a proper visa can actually save you

I was looking into staying in Thailand for a while and found a detailed blog post from a nomad in Chiang Mai. They broke down the real cost of doing visa runs versus getting a proper long-term visa. The stat that got me was that over a year, the constant border runs can cost nearly $2,000 more when you factor in flights, hotels, and lost work days. I always thought the short tourist stamps were the cheap way, but the math doesn't lie. Has anyone else done a full cost comparison for their base country and been surprised?
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3 Comments
troy494
troy4941mo ago
Totally blew my budget doing that last year.
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oliver_wilson49
Add up all those "cheap" 30 day stamps and watch the damage pile up. Honestly, @the_holly has a point though because my last visa run to Laos ended up costing me a whole week of Airbnb payments plus some random "processing fee" that felt made up on the spot. Tbh, I still think the border hops are a fun little adventure until you realize you've basically funded a small vacation for the guy at immigration instead of yourself.
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the_holly
the_holly1mo ago
the math doesn't lie" but it sure can miss a lot of hidden visa costs.
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