Michael W

The Thai Consulate in Penang. The address is

No. 1 Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, 10350 Penang, Malaysia

I think the entrance for visa applications is around the corner on a side street, though.

Window hours for application submission and pickup, respectively.

People waiting in line for pickup. When I was there both in the morning and the next afternoon, it was never more crowded than this.

Current fees for various visas. All fees must be paid Malaysian ringgit. This is opposed to the Thai Consulate in Jakarta which requires US$.

The visa application form. For a tourist visa put 1 Entry, 2 Entry, or 3 Entry in the 'Duration of proposed stay' field and leave the two 'guarantor' fields blank.

The end result.

sounds like a cakewalk

Actually, it pretty much was. I was expecting a much longer travel time from the airport to the consulate, but we just zipped along in about 20 minutes or so. And at the consulate there were no big crowds either, only about three or four ahead of me in line both times. Applying for a tourist visa in Penang is about as trivial as you can imagine: nothing more than handing over your passport, the one page form, two photos, and the fee. For any other kind of visa, though, it'll of course be a bit more involved and I can see where employing an agent might be worthwhile to help 'smooth things over.' But for what I was doing, it would have meant arriving Wednesday instead of Thursday and staying an extra night (or spend the weekend in Penang and get my visa on Monday). If I wanted to try to do it in just a one-nighter, I was pretty much left to myself. And as it turned out there really were no hitches along the way and I ended up with plenty of time.

all except for the part about staying in the Swiss Hotel. If I ever talk about staying there, someone finish me off 1st. I'd rather die then stay in that dump.

Ha, ha. This was probably the worst place I've stayed in 11 years of trudging around Southeast Asia. And I've always favored the two or three star budget hotels. This place was maybe one star or less. But again, if you're only doing a single-nighter in Penang solely for a visa and only care about a place to leave your stuff and crash for 12 hours or so, like I did, then I guess it can be put up with. It really was quite satisfying to be able to accomplish all this and be back in my own apartment just 36 hours after I left it.

Weird, never had a problem with taxies in Penang, they always used the meter without asking.

I don't recall even seeing a meter on the two taxis I used.

1447 arrive at airport. Unlike Bangkok, Penang International has no departure tax.

You paid the departure tax when you bought your ticket.

Yes, that's what I was trying to say. Penang Int'l has no departure tax that you pay just as you're leaving, BKK-style. Over 40 % of my AirAsia ticket price is just for 'taxes' and one would hope that would be enough for them to get a piece.

After going back and forth on the idea, I finally did decide to fly down to Penang for a visa run (rather than take a bus or train). Spending more than 20 hours on the road (or rails) each way and having a visa run stretch out to essentially an entire week, was more than I wanted to endure.

I just got back tonight flying on AirAsia. Outbound it was flight FD3543 BKK-PEN, dep 0725, arr 1005, 25MAY. And return it was flight FD3544 PEN-BKK, dep 1705, arr 1745, 26MAY.

I used http://www.bank-holidays.com to check there were no Thai or Malaysian public holidays on the days of my trip. On such days the Thai Consulate is closed.

I live in the lower Sukhumvit area of Bangkok and originally intended to take the 100 baht airport bus to the airport as I usually do, however the first one would not arrive until about 6:30am and that was cutting it a little too close for me.

So:

0606 taxi: 140 baht + 60 baht for tolls

17 minute ride to the airport

500 baht departure fee

On board AirAsia flight FD3543, the 737-300 has a rather raggedy interior. Meals must be paid extra for in flight. This is the first international flight I've ever seen this on.

0734 wheels up

0955 wheels down in Penang -- Malaysia time is one hour ahead of Thailand.

500 RM withdrawal from a Maybank ATM down the hallway on the left as you exit immigration.

38 RM taxi ticket from counter on the right of immigration exit. This is a set price for the trip from the airport to the Thai Consulate. In hindsight, I probably could have used the old trick of going upstairs to the departure level, getting a taxi as it was dropping someone off, and probably saved 10 RM. But my concern was so focused on getting to the Consulate before its 12 noon closing, that I wasn't thinking about that.

1030 grab taxi

1050 arrive Thai Consulate

Filled out one page form and submitted with two photos. Fee for a triple entry tourist visa was 300 RM. I was not asked to show an airline ticket out of Thailand. I was asked for this at the Thai Consulate in Jakarta last December and, not having one, failed to get a visa. The Penang form is quite simple and in addition to the photos and fee, all that is required for a tourist visa. Other than the usual identification questions, for "Duration of proposed stay" put the number entries you want, e.g. "3 Entry". The two questions about "guarantors" may be left blank. All this is both according to the posted example form and to a supposed consulate employee or visa agent who was hanging around outside during both my morning application visit and my next afternoon pickup.

After submitting all this I'm given an "Acknowledgement Slip" to exchange for my passport the next day.

12 RM for a 10 minute taxi ride to Chulia Street.

19 RM for a one night stay at the Swiss Hotel. A Lonely Planet guide I flipped through in an airport bookstore on the way back described this hotel as "well run and a good value." People on ThaiVisa.com have called it a dump. I can now say from personal experience it is in fact a decrepit backpacker hovel. My room had a single foam pad mattress, ceiling fan, and cistern style cold shower, all in the dingiest, pealed-paint, walls-not-quite-to-the-ceiling surroundings that a single fluorescent bulb could illuminate. Oh, and the toilets (two squat, one Western) were shared among the half dozen or more rooms on my ground level floor. But I had a sense to expect something like this coming in and was able to tolerate it for a single night.

The Chulia part of Georgetown, Penang at first glance seemed very reminiscent of the Chinese quarter of Macau: many small rundown Chinese shops housed in fading, pastel colored, colonial style buildings. The main obvious difference was the great number of young Western tourists plodding up and down the street -- Macau is largely devoid of such. At one point there was even the stereotypical backpacker couple, the girl with her nose pressed into a Lonely Planet Malaysia guide as she seemed to literally navigate their footsteps. A meal can be had at the many small hole-in-the-wall restaurants for 5-10 RM and the numerous Internet cafes charge about 2 RM/hour.

Next Day

Check out a little after 12pm, have lunch and reply to e-mail until 2pm.

1400 catch a taxi and negotiate a 40 RM fare for the trip to the consulate and then on to the airport.

1410 arrive at consulate and wait in line behind three people.

1420 back in taxi with newly minted 3-entry tourist visa. This visa is a standard sized sticker that takes up an entire passport page. Among other things, it states the number of entries allowed. And in addition to the normal separate immigration entry stamp that has your departure-by date, the visa itself is stamped with the date of each entry and a handwritten mark, possibly the immigration officer's initials.

1447 arrive at airport. Unlike Bangkok, Penang International has no departure tax.

1720 wheels up

1745 wheels down back in Bangkok.

What would be the total cost for a triple entry tourist visa? I had heard a figure of 1000 baht/entry but thought that was in the context of an O (or non-O) visa. Is it the same for all visas and should I be looking at just a 3000 baht (Malaysian ringgit equiv.) figure or is there a separate 'base' fee in addition to the fee for each entry?

And while I'm at it, can payment be made in baht or do they require ringgit (or maybe even US$ like in Indo)?

before air asia changed their flight times (return at night), i was able to do it in 1 night (january 12th-13th 2005). but this year its not possible anymore

I don't quite understand. If you pick up your passport at the consulate at 2pm or so (maybe as late as 2:30 if there's a line) and then take a 40 minute taxi to the airport, wouldn't that give you enough time to make the 5:05pm departure time for the AirAsia flight?

Haven't quite ruled out flying down rather than bus or train. So if I were to take an AirAsia flight BKK-PEN (7:25am dep, 10:05am arr) I'd need to get my visa application to the Thai consulate by 12 noon if I wish to pick it up and return to Bangkok the next afternoon. I want to apply for a triple entry tourist visa.

1. If I'm rushing from the airport to the consulate on the morning of my arrival, would it still make sense to go through one of the Chulia Street visa agents, or would there not be enough time? I read a post where someone said he had no problem getting himself to the consulate in time from the airport ("40 minutes to Georgetown"), but how much, if any, of a detour would it be to go to Chulia first to one of the agents? How far is the consulate from Chulia?

2. Could one of the agents like Manaff (Man) be booked to meet at the airport to expedite things?

I've been doing JackGolf Cambo 30-day visa runs from Bangkok the last few months just because the price (2000B) is right and it's so ###### easy -- a five minute walk from my apartment to the Suk Soi 12 7am pickup spot. Every time I compare doing this to a 'proper' run to Penang, when I include airfare, hotel, and everything else I don't see that I'd save any money.

So just to continue to consider the option, how cheaply can a Penang visa run from Bangkok be made? I imagine an overnight bus (or train) would save a great deal over flying. And I suppose if you really wanted to rough it you could even spend the night in the bus terminal and save on the hotel cost. Anyway, does anyone have any figures on the costs, and in particular is there any kind of Penang step-by-step available?

i have found the best operaters are at nana plaza,or soi cowboy.

Can be quite expensive though

Also beware of aftermarket modifications. I imagine you'll want all original parts.

Hey Guys, Im going to Bangkok soon. Do you know where can I Buy Football Jerseys In Bangkok? Gd authentic ones as well? Thanks

If you're just looking for generic sports team apparel (rather than a specific team) try here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...47entry622947

Around 11 or midnight on Soi 3 for nearly the whole length from Petchaburi to Sukhumvit there were police cars parked and various cops standing around. At first I thought they were just clearing the way for a royal family motorcade but they seemed to be camped out much more widely, in greater numbers, and for a longer period (at least an hour) than is usually the case. Anyone know what was going on?

Sukhumvit Crown Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 8

Definitely budget and in your price range

Great location near Nana Skytrain but in a quiet little alley

Great staff and cheap, tasty room service, have stayed there for years

In some parts of the USA they have a safe baby abandonment law to try to prevent this sort of thing: http://www.babysafela.org

I didn't read the part requiring residency as actual physical presence but only as sort of a default location. So as far as a U.S. address, I just used the one they already have which is simply a private P.O. box (rather than a U.S.P.S. one). And the business that gives me that box allows (even encourages) you to format the box address as if it were an apartment residence.

I hope you are doing this in a state without an income tax. Some of the states, like Calif., are very aggressive at claiming tax liabilities.

I'm not sure I follow. If you mean paying state income tax on the interest income, yes I do that.

It looked good so I started to sign up until I got to the part about you must be a US resident with a US address.

I didn't read the part requiring residency as actual physical presence but only as sort of a default location. So as far as a U.S. address, I just used the one they already have which is simply a private P.O. box (rather than a U.S.P.S. one). And the business that gives me that box allows (even encourages) you to format the box address as if it were an apartment residence. All my U.S. mail goes there and I simply call in every few months to have a clerk go through it all, the vast majority of which is immediately tossed as junk mail. The few pieces that remain are either opened and read to me on the phone and then disposed of, or if obviously personal or something I need to look at myself, forwarded on to me. Operating in this manner allows me to remain a kind of virtual U.S. resident.

I know there are a few others here who also have money in a U.S. Citibank account so I thought I'd pass this on since I just read about in an NY Times article (though it's apparently been available since March). Citibank now offers something called an e-Savings account with a 4.5% interest rate and no minimum balance. Since my Citibank money market account was only earning 1.7%, this interested me right away and I immediately went online to my accounts, opened up an e-Savings one, and moved all my money to it, all rather impulsively. So much so that right afterward I called Citibank on their international collect number to verify I didn't get myself into trouble and/or there are no drawbacks to what I just did. After a number of assurances in response to a bunch of my questions, it looks like this is a pure gainer, so you might want to check it out.

Don't want to argue with the mods' decision, only curious as something must have happened that I managed to miss out on entirely. It was a thread where someone was asking where he could get Adidas and Nike shoes in wholesale quantities. I added one of the three or four replies to it, all of them straight forward, the whole thread seemingly entirely innocent, and now the next day all of it's gone. Just curious, but what did I miss?

This is true on any of the land borders.

Unless you have an exit stamp from the adjacent country you will not be

permitted to enter Thailand.

Is that also true for Cambodia?

students are supposed to pay for other miscellaneous expenses, which is around 3,000 - 5,000 baht per semestry, depends on each school.

OK, thanks, I guess then that's probably what I was asking for. So you're saying this miscellaneous expense fee is not given anywhere on the school Website?

A 14 year old is about to start grade 8 at this school http://www.skwk.ac.th/ in Khon Kaen and I'm trying to determine the tuition costs for the school year. Unfortunately, the site seems to be entirely in Thai which I can't read. Can anyone help out and see if tuition is covered and how much it is? Thanks.

[Also posted this in the General Topics forum before realizing here might be the better place for it.]

A 14 year old is about to start grade 8 at this school http://www.skwk.ac.th/ in Khon Kaen and I'm trying to determine the tuition costs for the school year. Unfortunately, the site seems to be entirely in Thai which I can't read. Can anyone help out and see if tuition is covered and how much it is? Thanks.

Fellows,

I got to confess...I am technologically illiterate when it comes to cellphone schemes and skype and vonage and all this. Have a cellphone but never use it.

What is the simple way for this technologically challenged person to get a cheap rate using a PAYPHONE? Do I buy a prepaid card of some sort? How can I get these 7 baht a minute overseas rates?

Sorry, still not giving you the exact answer you want, but from my own apartment landline number (02-...) I always use 008 to call the U.S. from Thailand since my old Win98SE computer doesn't meet the system requirements for Internet calling. For example, to call a number in San Francisco (415 U.S. area code) from Thailand, I dial 008-1-415-555-1234. My experience with international calls from Thai payphones is from back when I lived in the U.S. and had an AT&T international calling plan for like US$3.50 a month which allowed calls back to the U.S. To use this from a Thai payphone I'd dial 001-80-110 then listen to a bunch of prompts, enter my AT&T calling card which was my U.S. home phone number plus PIN, and then finally the number in the U.S. I wanted to dial. Now imagine doing all that from a payphone on a typical night outside a Pattaya 7-11.

Incidentally, do you know what hard disk it was? A Hitachi Deskstar (IBM/Hitachi apparently collaborate when it comes to hard disks).

I think Hitachi took over IBM's PC hard disk division some time (6 months, a year?) after I got my pair of matching 75 gig drives. Here's the entire output from smartctl -i /dev/hda:

smartctl version 5.36 [i686-mingw32-98se] Copyright © 2002-6 Bruce Allen

Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===

Model Family: IBM Deskstar 40GV & 75GXP series (all other firmware)

Device Model: IBM-DTLA-307075

Serial Number: YSDYSF54205

Firmware Version: TXADA5AA

User Capacity: 75,329,372,160 bytes

Device is: In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]

ATA Version is: 5

ATA Standard is: ATA/ATAPI-5 T13 1321D revision 1

Local Time is: Sun Apr 30 09:23:14 2006 PST

==> WARNING: IBM Deskstar 40GV and 75GXP drives may need upgraded SMART firmware.

Please see http://www.geocities.com/dtla_update/ and

http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/d...ocid=MIGR-42215 or

http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-42215

SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.

SMART support is: Disabled

SMART Disabled. Use option -s with argument 'on' to enable it.

IBM is notorious for a large batch of defective drives... the Deskstar series. People have gone so far as to call them the "deathstar" series, since they have a very high rate of failure.

Yep, that's what it turns out I have (the things you learn...).

I found a Windows version of smartmontools here and when I ran smartctl -i /dev/hda it reported:

Model Family: IBM Deskstar 40GV & 75GXP series (all other firmware)

Device Model: IBM-DTLA-307075

It also said:

==> WARNING: IBM Deskstar 40GV and 75GXP drives may need upgraded SMART firmware

and provided some URLs for updates. IBM has even been sued because of the quality of this drive. A bunch more links here for those interested.

Anyway, from one of the IBM links smartctl gave I downloaded an identification utility which said I needed new firmware. I ended up Googling my firmware version (TXADA50C) and found this discussion thread and from a link there went to the Dell drivers update page and found this.

Now the only problem here is in order to run it, the update has to be installed on a floppy disk from which you boot as part of the update process. Well, I haven't used a floppy in years and didn't think I had any lying around, having dumped them all during The Big Move. I was about to resign myself to going to Foodland and buying a box of 10 when I remembered that in my collection of pre-digital photos I always chose the option of a set of JPG scans included on a floppy. So I pulled out a set of photos from a New Years 2002 trip to Pattaya, found the floppy, backed it up, installed the update on it, and ran it by booting from the floppy. It seemed to run fine, smartctl said I now had firmware version TXADA5AA and the IBM identification utility also said I was up to date.

Supposedly all this should fix the scratching noise by moving the drive heads around from time to time while idling. But I imagine at best all I've done is buy a little time and I'll still be replacing these drives. I should actually consider myself lucky in comparison to this guy's experience.