Flying Into Malaysia On Thai Visa Run Same Day

[Digitalbanana]

When flying to Malaysia from BKK and back same day on a Thai visa run and there is no need to enter Malaysia, is it required to stamp into Malaysia and out again a few hours later for return flight? Or can one simply wait in Malaysian airport transit areas (is there a transit area at the LCCT?) without need for immigration?

Curious as I could save a few pages of useless Malaysia stamps in my expensive passport?

[Mid]

minnimum 4 stamps @ trip ..........................

[lopburi3]

Although people have reportedly done that in the past with the new checking of boarding pass for most arrivals in Bangkok, and the much closer checking of passport entries, I would not chance them believing you originated in a country not requiring an entry/exit stamp.

[PhilHarries]

It's a while since I used LCCT, and when I did I didn't hang around, but I don't recall a transit area. Provided you are eligible for the 90 day social pass (visa exempt) the entry and exit stamps together use up about half a page. A lot less of your precious passport than say Cambodia.

What is it with you people? You go to live overseas and then whinge about visa stamps in your passport. If it's such a big deal you could have stayed at your home where you don't need a passport at all.

[Zpete]

Although people have reportedly done that in the past with the new checking of boarding pass for most arrivals in Bangkok, and the much closer checking of passport entries, I would not chance them believing you originated in a country not requiring an entry/exit stamp.

Dunno about having exit stamp.

All new passports from New Zealand would be virgins, clean and unblemished........LOL.

No stamping in NZers passports when entering or leaving NZ.

No problems entering BKK.

I have used LCC many times. No apparent transit area.

Hey after all, it is Low Cost, what ya expect?

If you have a long wait, get bus to KLIA, heaps of comfortable places to kip. Then bus back. Gofrit

Kiwi Pete

[Crossy]

Low Cost Carriers don't perform transfers, not even to flights from the same carrier, therefore no transfer desk.

This being the case you won't be able to check-in for your return flight so no boarding card

You MAY be able to do an internet check-in if there's network access in the LCC Terminal, not sure how this would work with security checks at KL.

[jas007]

I did it one time. Flew from Phuket to Kuala Lumpur and back, all in the same day. It's no problem at all. You arrive and enter through Malaysia immigration, which takes all of about one or two minutes. Then you go upstairs (if I remember correctly) and leave Malaysia to wait for your return flight. My biggest problem was that I had a four hour wait to go back.

J

[tropo]

When flying to Malaysia from BKK and back same day on a Thai visa run and there is no need to enter Malaysia, is it required to stamp into Malaysia and out again a few hours later for return flight? Or can one simply wait in Malaysian airport transit areas (is there a transit area at the LCCT?) without need for immigration?

Curious as I could save a few pages of useless Malaysia stamps in my expensive passport?

It's incredible that you are concerned about 2 small stamps that take up 1/3 of a passport page. You could stamp them 96 times in an average passport of 32 pages.

Taking into consideration 1 x 30 day visa extensions every 3 months which take up the space of 2 stamps, you'd be able to complete 32 visa runs before your (expensive) passport would be full. That's 8 years of visa runs. Many passports expire in 5 years.

If you are flying to Malaysia for a 30 day visa exempt stamp as you seem to want to do, you'd be okay for 48 visa runs in a 32 page passport.

What's the problem here?

It seems irregular that a person would complain about a passport being expensive when that person is quite happy to fly to Malaysia instead of taking a bus to the nearest border.

Edited June 8, 2007 by tropo

[Digitalbanana]

Thanks guys, some interesting replies

[astral]

Why not take the AirAsia flight to Penang?

You would have to clear immigration and be really fast to check in again, as the turn round time is only 40 minutes.

[Digitalbanana]

Why not take the AirAsia flight to Penang?

You would have to clear immigration and be really fast to check in again, as the turn round time is only 40 minutes.

Last few times I have been on AirAsia they have been curiously on time, a change from their past records but they won't allow connecting flights within a few hours of each other.

[tropo]

Why not take the AirAsia flight to Penang?

You would have to clear immigration and be really fast to check in again, as the turn round time is only 40 minutes.

Last few times I have been on AirAsia they have been curiously on time, a change from their past records but they won't allow connecting flights within a few hours of each other.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but on 10 flights so far with AirAsia every flight was exactly on time.

[Zpete]

Why not take the AirAsia flight to Penang?

You would have to clear immigration and be really fast to check in again, as the turn round time is only 40 minutes.

Last few times I have been on AirAsia they have been curiously on time, a change from their past records but they won't allow connecting flights within a few hours of each other.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but on 10 flights so far with AirAsia every flight was exactly on time.

My last 2 flites with Air Asia were all delayed.

1st one from Phuket was delayed 2 hours. I had gone to sleep at YHA in Chalong, woke up about time flight was due to leave. Taxi to the airport, "WOW", lucky me, the flite was just checking in. I was looking at kipping till 1st flite in morning, lucky me.

2nd. Flite from Suvarnabhumi, 1700 hrs, was going to be 3 hours late. Gal at checkin desk told me to come back in 30 mins. (I was early, gunna fresh up and feed at "Magic Food Point". I came back and was rushed on to a 2 hour earlier flite.

I use Air Asia all the time for local and international flites from BKK or Phuket.

I LOVES AIR ASIA, they work for me LOL

Cheers

Kiwi Pete

[tropo]

My last 2 flites with Air Asia were all delayed.

1st one from Phuket was delayed 2 hours. I had gone to sleep at YHA in Chalong, woke up about time flight was due to leave. Taxi to the airport, "WOW", lucky me, the flite was just checking in. I was looking at kipping till 1st flite in morning, lucky me.

2nd. Flite from Suvarnabhumi, 1700 hrs, was going to be 3 hours late. Gal at checkin desk told me to come back in 30 mins. (I was early, gunna fresh up and feed at "Magic Food Point". I came back and was rushed on to a 2 hour earlier flite.

I use Air Asia all the time for local and international flites from BKK or Phuket.

I LOVES AIR ASIA, they work for me LOL

Cheers

Kiwi Pete

I hope my luck continues and this doesn't happen to me when flying to Penang. A 3 hour delay on the early morning flight would mean an extra day would be necessary in Penang to process the visa. It's likely that anyone doing a visa run to Penang would have already booked the return flight for the next day and getting a flight changed with AirAsia with that little notice is not easy, and is always expensive.

Are there any members on here who have been delayed flying to Penang, or somewhere else and had to change their return flight as a result?

To be on the safe side it maybe prudent to allow 2 nights in Penang when doing visa runs to ensure no problems in case of flight delays.

Edited June 10, 2007 by tropo

[Digitalbanana]

and getting a flight changed with AirAsia with that little notice is not easy, and is always expensive.

The last time I checked getting an AirAsia flight changed within 48hours of the intended departure meant buying a brand new ticket and forfeiting the original. Not sure if there is any way around this still?

So playing prudent on visa runs if using budget airlines the safest way.

[tropo]

and getting a flight changed with AirAsia with that little notice is not easy, and is always expensive.

The last time I checked getting an AirAsia flight changed within 48hours of the intended departure meant buying a brand new ticket and forfeiting the original. Not sure if there is any way around this still?

So playing prudent on visa runs if using budget airlines the safest way.

If a flight has to be forfeited and a new ticket issued you'll also be paying top price in that time frame and far more than what you originally paid. It would probably make catching a bus, or train back the best option.