of course i planned everything and today i received an email from new banana guest house that the penang thai consulate is closed thursday april 26

i think everything will be ok since fly in wed am and fly out fri pm but now more time pressure

so heads up to all

also i read a post here today, info from thai consulate in malaysia, and the retirement age stated 55 not 50, out of date? new info? or incorrect?

greetings and blessings to all

Has maybe something to do with the Water Festival in Langkawi.

I am less fortunate ... knowing this month the days of closure were 16 and 18, I booked for the 26 coming back on 27.

See if I can change the departure date or else I'm f*cked ... and then hope the plane leaves on time ....

Edited April 22, 200719 yr by sniffdog

before booking i did a google search for thai, malay, and musilum holidays and came up free and clear, go figure

guess i need to do a Langkawi holiday search as well

today i checked about changing flights with airasia and it did not look promising especially in regards to cost, and they are also notoriously bad about customer service

i dont/didnt have the nerve to try a one night trip

and will consider giving it even more time next time, like monday to thursday or friday just in case

good fortune to all

murphy's law sure works a lot round these here parts

double post

Edited April 23, 200719 yr by sniffdog

I guess we can only blame ourselves:

http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/malaysia/penang/10949/

'We provide Thai Visa application services and information. The Royal Thai Consulate in Penang is closed on weekend (Saturday and Sunday) and the following public holidays (26/04/07, 01/05/07, 30/07/07, 13/08/07, 31/08/07, 15/10/07, 23/10/07, 08/11/07, 05/12/07, 20/12/07, 25/12/07, 31/12/07.) If you are on a visa run, avoid these dates.'

Penang Thai Consulate will be really open on 7May, 10May?

that 2 days is important public holiday in thailand,

why can they open?

The dates as given are probably only the Malaysian holidays .... Check with the Consulate (they have an email) to be sure.

also i read a post here today, info from thai consulate in malaysia, and the retirement age stated 55 not 50, out of date? new information?

Years out of date.

yes ,but I still cannot believe, maybe staff got mistake to check the holiday,

as 7May is very important holiday in thailand.

so I think all thai government in the world must close at that day.

With the three of us, we did a visa run to Penang on Wednesday, back Friday. No problems.

The holiday on the 26th had to do with the installation of the new King.

Do you mean ,they stop working on 26April, insted of this,

they will work on 7May?

Do you mean ,they stop working on 26April, insted of this,

they will work on 7May?

no, it was the malaysian king.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/04/26/ap3653982.html

but for your question, i am pretty sure consulate will close on 7.5. it is the substitution holiday because coronation day of the thai king is on a saturday.

if you bring your passport to the consulate before 12 noon, you can pick up next day 2pm. but only in case there is no holiday. so from 8.5 till 9.5. would be an option for you. spoke with sniffdog, deejah and few other i see on the plane wednesday and today back - no-one had a problem to get a visa.

also getting your visa is one thing, how they look at the border in your passport is an other. for me it was very quick today at bangkok airport. having a few cambodian visa sticker and already used thai visa sticker was no problem. officer had only a very very short look at this but only in search for my new visa sticker. maybe she have been in a friday afternoon mood.

good luck and bring an umbrella with you. coming in a rain shower seems to be the biggest if not the only hassle.

But I really called 2 times, and he and she said same 7May open to work visa section also.

So I dont understand why.

But I really called 2 times, and he and she said same 7May open to work visa section also.

So I dont understand why.

Well... perhaps they decided they would open on that holiday. And perhaps they'll decide at the last minute to change their mind and take the holiday anyway. Wouldn't be the first time a Thai government official declared a last-minute holiday, it probably wouldn't be the last. If it were me, I wouldn't chance the consulate being open on a Thai public holiday and would plan my visit for an alternate date, but you are perfectly welcome to continue obsessing about this.

But I really called 2 times, and he and she said same 7May open to work visa section also.

So I dont understand why.

Well... perhaps they decided they would open on that holiday. And perhaps they'll decide at the last minute to change their mind and take the holiday anyway. Wouldn't be the first time a Thai government official declared a last-minute holiday, it probably wouldn't be the last. If it were me, I wouldn't chance the consulate being open on a Thai public holiday and would plan my visit for an alternate date, but you are perfectly welcome to continue obsessing about this.

An alternative course of action would be to send a request to the Consulate that they close on Friday, May 4th, in observance of the holiday on Saturday, instead of closing on Monday, May 7th. Penang has a reputation for being quite accommodating to the specific needs of its individual patrons.

had a great trip and was happy and surprised to meet some thai visa forum members in the flesh

i was lucky cause i planned a 3 day 2 night trip just in case so all went well

in fact at banana new guest house they had my passport back well before 2 pm friday!!!

so i was able to once again take the city bus back to the airport, bus number 3-4 from komtare (bus station) for a meager 2.2 ringet

i am also thinking more than 2 nights in the future should there be any problems getting a visa

i asked them at banana about people having problems and they said only in regards to paper work for the b visas

i could not find my old post about my last visa trip and tips to penang under the id thejahmeister, can anyone else find it?

i wanted to add a bit

you can walk to the bus station from chulia street

and the bus to the airport is 2.2 not 4 ringet, i was apparently overcharged the first time

i wanted to get rid of all my small change and all i had was 2.1, the money taker was kind enough to let me slide

however, they do take small change and 1 ringet notes at the money exchange at the airport which i was unsure of as people were telling me otherwise

oddly but not surprisingly the bus to the airport broke down!!!

(both times i took open air buses though i heard there may be 3-4 air con buses for the same price, please report here if you know of these)

they told me it was a starter problem so i helped them jump start the bus, however we were pushing uphill, after i informed them of this, we were able to jump start it in reverse going downhill (a cute story which makes the trip all the more interesting)

prior to that i almost shared a ride with a strange old man in an unmarked car (taxi???) he flagged down but he was way too pushy, and as an afterthought, who knows where i might have ended up, if in one piece

i have heard stories of atm fraud and purse snatching so all be aware

any questions about the 'PINANG' (local spelling) tourist vsia trips, feel free, i am sure i am leaving out some things

oh the cathaway (i think is the proper name) is a quaint hotel, next to the waldorf hote,l in a beautiful building with large rooms and bathtubs, you can haggle down to 60 ringet for one person (69 for 2)

however i feel much at home at banana new guest house which once again offered very good service and satisfaction

Deejah, you could have told our fellow members not to sit on the first row left hand side at Air Asia flights. In that case you're responsible for opening the doors if the cabin crew fails to do it in an emergency ..

i could not find my old post about my last visa trip and tips to penang under the id thejahmeister, can anyone else find it?

i wanted to add a bit

you can walk to the bus station from chulia street

and the bus to the airport is 2.2 not 4 ringet, i was apparently overcharged the first time

i wanted to get rid of all my small change and all i had was 2.1, the money taker was kind enough to let me slide

however, they do take small change and 1 ringet notes at the money exchange at the airport which i was unsure of as people were telling me otherwise

oddly but not surprisingly the bus to the airport broke down!!!

(both times i took open air buses though i heard there may be 3-4 air con buses for the same price, please report here if you know of these)

they told me it was a starter problem so i helped them jump start the bus, however we were pushing uphill, after i informed them of this, we were able to jump start it in reverse going downhill (a cute story which makes the trip all the more interesting)

prior to that i almost shared a ride with a strange old man in an unmarked car (taxi???) he flagged down but he was way too pushy, and as an afterthought, who knows where i might have ended up, if in one piece

i have heard stories of atm fraud and purse snatching so all be aware

any questions about the 'PINANG' (local spelling) tourist vsia trips, feel free, i am sure i am leaving out some things

oh the cathaway (i think is the proper name) is a quaint hotel, next to the waldorf hote,l in a beautiful building with large rooms and bathtubs, you can haggle down to 60 ringet for one person (69 for 2)

however i feel much at home at banana new guest house which once again offered very good service and satisfaction

the cathaway (i think is the proper name) is a quaint hotel

Where is the hotel?

near chulia street?

or at penang street near oriental hotel?

Does cathy hotel have bathtub? this hotel is at penang street near oriental hotel, looks like white old very big house.

I guess we can only blame ourselves:

http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/malaysia/penang/10949/

'We provide Thai Visa application services and information. The Royal Thai Consulate in Penang is closed on weekend (Saturday and Sunday) and the following public holidays (26/04/07, 01/05/07, 30/07/07, 13/08/07, 31/08/07, 15/10/07, 23/10/07, 08/11/07, 05/12/07, 20/12/07, 25/12/07, 31/12/07.) If you are on a visa run, avoid these dates.'

so 01/05/07 will consulate open surely?

If that is day/month/year I highly doubt that Thailand will dishonor May Day which is a national holiday in Malaysia. I do not believe they will be open. Your quote above confirms that it will not be open.

Yes, the format is dd-mm-yy. (Malaysian style).

Where is the hotel?

near chulia street?

or at penang street near oriental hotel?

Last time I stayed there it was on Leith Street.

Does cathy hotel have bathtub? this hotel is at penang street near oriental hotel, looks like white old very big house.

My room had no hot water and no bath tub, however the building itself is breath taking, a testanment to a bygone age.

MM

My room had no hot water and no bath tub>>>

but 69 for 2 person?

crazy price lol