Visa run to Penang – a personal experience

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Visa run to Penang – a personal experience

By Tanutam Thawan

 

 

This story was one person’s experience of the visa process in Penang. It should not be regarded as ‘typical’ or even used as a guide. But we provide Jim’s journey as warning to do your homework before embarking on getting or renewing your visa.

 

Be aware that this seemingly simple trip to the former ‘Pearl of the Orient’ in Malaysia is not just a matter of paperwork to enable you to stay in Thailand – you unwittingly become embroiled in a major industry involving hundreds of on-the-ground staff who, you guessed it, are in for a ‘cut of the action’.

 

This isn’t merely a paperwork formality, it’s an industry. For whatever reason the process is made sufficiently opaque that you will eventually need one of these resources.

 

If you’re lucky enough to have a Thai employer do pay for your visa and organise paperwork, you’re halfway there.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/thai-life/visa-run-to-penang-a-personal-experience

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2018-09-20

 

[stevenl]

No information at all on what actually happened here.

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, stevenl said:

No information at all on what actually happened here.

Yup. Loads of grumpy rant without real information how to do things in better way either. I have done few visa runs to Penang and while I don't like to go there, I have never had any problems getting a visa in prompt and easy manner. I have used a local visa agent, which have offered excellent service for a small fee. 

 

 

This was my favourite part ?

 

Quote

Like a slave in a human trafficking ring, cases get sold down the line, each attracting another commission. Who pays for all this? The poor applicant who just wants to stay in Thailand.

[PremiumLane]

'Like a slave in a human trafficking ring, cases get sold down the line, each attracting another commission. Who pays for all this? The poor applicant who just wants to stay in Thailand.'

 

Cos that is exactly like being trafficked...... 

[krystian]

no wonder some visa runners from phuket go to Laos through visa agent in bangkok, less stress aside from the 10 hr trip to the border

[jippytum]

I have personally made dozens of visa trips to Penang .Some people make hard work of visa runs by not doing any homework or plan in advance . There are now many more convenient places than Penang .I have managed to overcome train delays ,floods and the many changes to the visa system non to make life easier but have always managed to obtain the visa i required by using a helpful agent that reduced the hassle. 

[PerkinsCuthbert]

What a load of tosh. 'Jim' needs to get his synapses rejigged, they are clearly not fit for purpose.

[madmitch]

40,000 baht? "Jim" must have an arrow pointing to his head with the word "Gullible" or something similar written on it.

 

And how can he say there's no decent information online when the web's full of good advice, particularly with regard to which agents to use.

 

I tend to believe that Jim's experience is the exception rather than the norm.

[BigBadGeordie]

“If you have a Thai lawyer or agent helping you, take a Thai friend with you who speaks your language to help avoid misunderstandings. Misunderstanding seems to be a word used as a frequent excuse. Believe me, ‘misunderstanding’ means YOU pay more.”

For help and advice, please call or Line....

 

 

Bovine testlcles

[Psimbo]

I never had any issues when dealing with Penang. Stayed at the hotel Mingood and the guy there did everything for me. Can't remember how much it cost on top but it wasn't a lot. 

[cleverman]

People who stay here using loopholes ,be prepared to pay the price.it won't be long before they are closed, as you all probably know already. 

[NamKangMan]

On 9/20/2018 at 3:13 PM, oilinki said:

Yup. Loads of grumpy rant without real information how to do things in better way either. I have done few visa runs to Penang and while I don't like to go there, I have never had any problems getting a visa in prompt and easy manner. I have used a local visa agent, which have offered excellent service for a small fee. 

 

 

This was my favourite part ?

 

 

I am a frequent visa runner, but you will not hear me "ranting" or "grumpy" about it.  I enjoy a short break away from Phuket, every few months. 

 

The OP is correct, and as we all know, there is a whole industry set up to cater for visa runners.  Where I can understand the OP's, and many other's frustration, is all people in this demographic are forced to travel for this little sticker, to simply provide employment for minimum wage Thai staff, with neighboring countries also benefiting from transport, meals, beverage, and accommodation. 

 

Why you would force thousands of consumers, on a daily basis, to leave your own economy, which is struggling, and have them go to a competing neighboring economy, is probably best for another thread. 

 

Thailand sees some transport income, usually cheap minivan / bus tickets out of this system, but sees the loss of revenue from food & beverage, and other minor purchases, from these people, whilst they are out of the Thai economy for a few days. I would suggest, even with the cost of the visa included, the system would run at a net loss for Thailand.  Not to mention the guys that bring back cigarettes and alcohol from their visa run.

 

The system does little by way of enforcing no more than two back to back visas here, as it should.  All that big talk just faded away.

 

This is not a rant, nor a complaint, but I can not see why every 60 days a "tourist" by virtue of simply being under 50 years of age, can not go to an immigration office and pay something like 5000 baht for another 60 days.  The money, in theory, should go straight to the Government, and is more than the cost of the visa and a 30 day extension.  This money can be used to benefit public services like schools, hospitals, roads etc. Also, the consumers, that is, the tourists / expats, remain in the Thai economy for those few days that they otherwise would have been consuming in a competing economy.

 

Another thing to think about is, if they force someone out on a visa run, they just might like what they see, and end up moving there.  So, in effect, forced visa runs actually "advertise" your competition's natural beauty, food, culture, climate, infrastructure etc etc. 

 

Why not offer a more expensive option for those people who do not want to travel to buy the same product? After all, this is the Thai way, to use such rules to extract as much money from farang as possible. 

 

Should someone come under notice, the 7 days to leave stamp can be placed in their passport, or they are detained at the immigration office. Nothing new about both of these options.

 

I usually combined my Penang visa runs with a few days on Langkawi, but with Vietjet now flying directly to Ho Chi Minh City, I have been using that visa run as Ho Chi Minh City is a fun place, with also a couple of beaches not so far away. 

 

I still sometimes pass trough Pattaya, but, in general, with getting a lift to the Phuket Airport from a friend, flights with a non-Thai owned budget airline, booked well in advance for cheap, and then the minor cost of the visa itself, Thailand sees very little revenue from my visa run, except for some airport tax and the visa cost. I know many others tell me of the same experience.  

 

Then, considering the fact that if I have to go, I may as well stay a little while and go and see or do something new in that country,  I have no doubt Thailand loses money from me by forcing me to visa run, and I know I am not the only one. 

 

So, inconvenience aside, controlling the foreign population here aside, a question is, particularly in the era of "eVisas" does it even make economy sense for Thailand to be stuck in it's same old BS ways when dealing with farang and their short term visas, especially when many would be happy to directly pay more to the Government for a sticker that can placed in a passport in a local immigration office?

[LivinginKata]

Good post NKM. I agree.

[madmitch]

21 hours ago, NamKangMan said:

 

I am a frequent visa runner, but you will not hear me "ranting" or "grumpy" about it.  I enjoy a short break away from Phuket, every few months. 

 

The OP is correct, and as we all know, there is a whole industry set up to cater for visa runners.  Where I can understand the OP's, and many other's frustration, is all people in this demographic are forced to travel for this little sticker, to simply provide employment for minimum wage Thai staff, with neighboring countries also benefiting from transport, meals, beverage, and accommodation. 

 

Why you would force thousands of consumers, on a daily basis, to leave your own economy, which is struggling, and have them go to a competing neighboring economy, is probably best for another thread. 

 

Thailand sees some transport income, usually cheap minivan / bus tickets out of this system, but sees the loss of revenue from food & beverage, and other minor purchases, from these people, whilst they are out of the Thai economy for a few days. I would suggest, even with the cost of the visa included, the system would run at a net loss for Thailand.  Not to mention the guys that bring back cigarettes and alcohol from their visa run.

 

The system does little by way of enforcing no more than two back to back visas here, as it should.  All that big talk just faded away.

 

This is not a rant, nor a complaint, but I can not see why every 60 days a "tourist" by virtue of simply being under 50 years of age, can not go to an immigration office and pay something like 5000 baht for another 60 days.  The money, in theory, should go straight to the Government, and is more than the cost of the visa and a 30 day extension.  This money can be used to benefit public services like schools, hospitals, roads etc. Also, the consumers, that is, the tourists / expats, remain in the Thai economy for those few days that they otherwise would have been consuming in a competing economy.

 

Another thing to think about is, if they force someone out on a visa run, they just might like what they see, and end up moving there.  So, in effect, forced visa runs actually "advertise" your competition's natural beauty, food, culture, climate, infrastructure etc etc. 

 

Why not offer a more expensive option for those people who do not want to travel to buy the same product? After all, this is the Thai way, to use such rules to extract as much money from farang as possible. 

 

Should someone come under notice, the 7 days to leave stamp can be placed in their passport, or they are detained at the immigration office. Nothing new about both of these options.

 

I usually combined my Penang visa runs with a few days on Langkawi, but with Vietjet now flying directly to Ho Chi Minh City, I have been using that visa run as Ho Chi Minh City is a fun place, with also a couple of beaches not so far away. 

 

I still sometimes pass trough Pattaya, but, in general, with getting a lift to the Phuket Airport from a friend, flights with a non-Thai owned budget airline, booked well in advance for cheap, and then the minor cost of the visa itself, Thailand sees very little revenue from my visa run, except for some airport tax and the visa cost. I know many others tell me of the same experience.  

 

Then, considering the fact that if I have to go, I may as well stay a little while and go and see or do something new in that country,  I have no doubt Thailand loses money from me by forcing me to visa run, and I know I am not the only one. 

 

So, inconvenience aside, controlling the foreign population here aside, a question is, particularly in the era of "eVisas" does it even make economy sense for Thailand to be stuck in it's same old BS ways when dealing with farang and their short term visas, especially when many would be happy to directly pay more to the Government for a sticker that can placed in a passport in a local immigration office?

Totally agree. When I did visa runs, albeit on a multi-entry visa and not tourist visas, like you NKM, I used it as an opportunity to take short breaks, breaks I may have taken in other parts of Thailand if I didn't have to leave. How many more people are of the same mindset? And don't forget the additional layer of bureaucracy whereby if you don't stay at a hotel or guesthouse, you are supposed to report your address at Immigration within 24 hours of arrival back in Thailand! (Something I haven't ever done BTW)

 

Other countries are embracing e-visas in a big way, though Thailand, being the hub of rubber stamps and unnecessary bureaucracy, isn't quite there yet. It would be great to have a passport that doesn't get filled up after 5 years!

[YogaVeg]

On 9/24/2018 at 10:55 AM, NamKangMan said:

So, inconvenience aside, controlling the foreign population here aside, a question is, particularly in the era of "eVisas" does it even make economy sense for Thailand to be stuck in it's same old BS ways when dealing with farang and their short term visas, especially when many would be happy to directly pay more to the Government for a sticker that can placed in a passport in a local immigration office?

Excellent question and well said.

[Argus Tuft]

There are two ways of traveling to Penang from Phuket – road or bus

 

Two things wrong with this (copied from the article)

 

1.  Bus and road are the same surely?

2.  You can fly - there are two airlines that do this route since AirAsia came on the scene for this leg middle of this year (giving Firefly some competition on the route