ED Visa - Malaysia Travel Route Advice

[Thomas72]

Hello. I am in the process of getting my second year ED Visa. It's been about 13 months since my last ED visa. Previously I stayed for 1 year (360 days), then did a visa exempt land crossing (30 days) + extension (30 days, 14 days left). I then applied for my 2nd year ED visa.

 

My paperwork just came back from the Ministry of Education. My school has told me to avoid Vientiane and Savannakhet. They have many reports of denied ED visas. They say I must go to Penang. I inquired about Yangon and Phnom Penh. They said Phnom Penh is all but impossible. They were unsure about Yangon and advised Penang as they have had no problems there recently.

 

My passport is thick. Maybe 8-9 back to back Tourist Visa's before last year's ED visa. I have only 1 visa exempt entry, the one done by land last month. I'm unfamiliar with Penang and Malaysia. I've never been there before.

 

Getting there should be easy enough, I'll fly. I'm concerned about the return trip and some advice. My questions:

 

1. Are there any reports of problems at Don Muang for people with ED visas and a deep (4+ year) Thailand stay history?

 

2. If I return to Thailand by land (bus or train) are there any security concerns? In the past I have read of problems at Thailand's southern land borders.

 

3. If by land, which crossing to use?

 

4. It looks like it's about 150km from Penang to the Thai border. Are there any overland travel security concerns on the Malaysian side?

 

5. Is there anything else I am not thinking of...

 

If I chose a land reentry route, It'll be Penang - Hat Yai, then fly out of Hat Yai.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Thomas

 

 

[recom273]

No security concerns other than crazy minivan drivers.

 

Get a late flight from HY - DMK - you can only pick up your visa in the afternoon at 2.00 or 3.00 so don’t book your return too early, although it’s only 150K it takes time to enter by Sadao crossing and the van will take you straight to the airport.

 

Tickets from anywhere on Lebu Chula (Jim’s or banana GH) in Penang.

 

If you are on a domestic flight you won’t come through passport control. 

 

I havent heard much about Sadao recently, they had a spell where they were worried about non-b visas and tourists showing 20K THB on arrival - there’s always talk about putting 100B in your passport, but not in my experience. The van drivers are a constant “worry”, they try and get you to completed arrival card at a stop before the border and tell you they will not wait for you to complete one of your own at the border.

 

Penang is ok for a one-off, get an Indian curry, do some shopping, some sight seeing, go up the hill, there is a big chinese Buddha on the hill and a market area below, Chinese food is OK, walk around the heritage quarter, grab a beer and read a book.

 

[visarunner]

what school? The denied visa had , in most cases, to do with the way the school and MOE have done the documents in the past. MFA did not accept and changed the rule overnight. Some schools have also problem in the eyes of Embassy in Vientiane or Savannakhet. It depends. 

[WaveHunter]

Just curious to know...if a consulate issues a visa, whether it is SETV or ED, how likely is it that you can still be denied entry at the border or destination airport?  

 

I mean, if a Consulate’s IO has checked you out and approved your visa, why would a IO at the border or airport question that? Just doesn’t make sense to me unless you don’t have money with you, or there was an error in the visa.

 

I hear this often reported here on ThaiVisa but like many things posted here, I wonder how likely this really is.

 

It seems like it’s most often reported about the Bangkok airports, and less so at land crossings.  What about 2nd Tier airports like Chiang Mai (CNX) OR smaller airports like Pattaya (UTP)?  Is this really a better option?

 

I also am considering an ED Visa or a SETV for next month when my present Non-O expires.

[jacko45k]

I know of a case where a person with an ED Visa was turned back at the airport, the reason used was not having visible means of support. A subsequent land border crossing with the same Visa (and money) worked. 

 

Making sense isn't the agenda.

[Thomas72]

I am also wondering how safe it is to fly into UTP.

 

I can only find one flight into UTP that doesn't have a Russian or Chinese origin. It's Air Asia, Kuala Lumpur to UTP, and it only happens 4 times a week (no Tue, Thu, Sat flights). So maybe there are denials of entries at UTP, but we're just not hearing about them because the inbound flight numbers are so low. 

[Thomas72]

I have another thread about UTP airport here: