Padang Besar for Visa border run?

[spambot]

54 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I have removed the duplicate of your post due to a system error.

Thanks Joe

[recom273]

5 hours ago, spambot said:

Mnnn - Interesting.

 

A previous recommendation from many years ago was to get the train down to Sungai Petani, then there is a minivan to Betong and then you can take a minivan from Betong to Hat Yai Bus Terminal.

 

Obviously doing the Visa run this way is not the most efficient, but done simply for the experience and for the enjoyment of taking the road less travelled.

Betong is a long way, it’s a great area to explore for a weekend, if you have a bike - there’s an awesome road, a few places to stop on the way. Betong town is an interesting place, one of the most isolated places in Southen Thailand. You got the tunnels, and gardens. Food is good, there’s a  really Chinese influence. Then you can carry on to Perak in Malaysia which is beautiful. 
 

I guess HY to Padang is 1 hour, HY to  Wang Prachan is about 1.5 hours - to walk the border at Padang is 30 mins - 10 mins at Wang Prachan. not so not so different.

 

Anyway, not too sure of the situation at Padang Besar these days, all I know was that it begun to lose its appeal as a friendly and sleepy border entry.

[spambot]

1 hour ago, recom273 said:

Betong is a long way, it’s a great area to explore for a weekend, if you have a bike - there’s an awesome road, a few places to stop on the way. Betong town is an interesting place, one of the most isolated places in Southen Thailand. You got the tunnels, and gardens. Food is good, there’s a  really Chinese influence. Then you can carry on to Perak in Malaysia which is beautiful. 
 

I guess HY to Padang is 1 hour, HY to  Wang Prachan is about 1.5 hours - to walk the border at Padang is 30 mins - 10 mins at Wang Prachan. not so not so different.

 

Anyway, not too sure of the situation at Padang Besar these days, all I know was that it begun to lose its appeal as a friendly and sleepy border entry.

Thanks recom273

 

I don't have a bike, but I like the feel that you have created a reason to find a bike and go on a journey.

 

When I first stepped into Thailand many years ago I just wanted to find every corner of any undiscovered place and I made trips to many places, one day I thought to myself there was no places left

 

This sounds like a reason to go discovering.... Thank You!

Edited September 29, 2022 by spambot

[spambot]

2 minutes ago, spambot said:

 

Joe - The same thing has happened - I hit edit for first post and the result is not an edit, but rather a second post occurs - as if the post has been used as quote. Not sure what is occurring - Can you delete the second post?

[ubonjoe]

6 hours ago, spambot said:

Joe - The same thing has happened - I hit edit for first post and the result is not an edit, but rather a second post occurs - as if the post has been used as quote. Not sure what is occurring - Can you delete the second post?

I have removed your post.

You must be clicking quote instead of the this in the top right corner of your post. That gives you a drop down menu to choose 

[recom273]

10 hours ago, spambot said:

Thanks recom273

 

I don't have a bike, but I like the feel that you have created a reason to find a bike and go on a journey.

 

When I first stepped into Thailand many years ago I just wanted to find every corner of any undiscovered place and I made trips to many places, one day I thought to myself there was no places left

 

This sounds like a reason to go discovering.... Thank You!

You have never been?

 

Yes, man, its well worth a trip.

 

The road through Pattani and Yala is a bit of a trek, although not overly busy, you go through along the coast which is nice.

 

Get to the roundabout to head towards Yala city, go around the outskirts - then you pass through villages, I stopped at a couple for a smoke breaks on the times I have been through, and it seems like Thai isnt their first language, they usually have to find a kid, my Bahasa is ok, but I guess they speak Yawi or dont understand whatever I speak to them in.

 

Then if you check google maps, you can see from Than To, the area is just trees and hills - there is a waterfall there, head further and there is a sea of mist in a couple of places, one has viewing platform (but you need to go early in the morning), the road is really twisty, great fun, reservoir, if you take the right at the bridge the road gets even more twisty. When you hit Betong, the town is interesting - the biggest post box in Thailand, the community, the food - outside the town there are gardens, hot springs, the tunnels used by the communist insurgency - you can even check out the Jackie Chan Hotel - as all Malay border towns, there is a fair bit of night life, lots of hotels, karaoke, but its not so loud and in your face as Dannock. Well worth a weekend.

 

[spambot]

On 9/30/2022 at 4:54 AM, recom273 said:

You have never been?

 

Yes, man, its well worth a trip.

 

The road through Pattani and Yala is a bit of a trek, although not overly busy, you go through along the coast which is nice.

 

Get to the roundabout to head towards Yala city, go around the outskirts - then you pass through villages, I stopped at a couple for a smoke breaks on the times I have been through, and it seems like Thai isnt their first language, they usually have to find a kid, my Bahasa is ok, but I guess they speak Yawi or dont understand whatever I speak to them in.

 

Then if you check google maps, you can see from Than To, the area is just trees and hills - there is a waterfall there, head further and there is a sea of mist in a couple of places, one has viewing platform (but you need to go early in the morning), the road is really twisty, great fun, reservoir, if you take the right at the bridge the road gets even more twisty. When you hit Betong, the town is interesting - the biggest post box in Thailand, the community, the food - outside the town there are gardens, hot springs, the tunnels used by the communist insurgency - you can even check out the Jackie Chan Hotel - as all Malay border towns, there is a fair bit of night life, lots of hotels, karaoke, but its not so loud and in your face as Dannock. Well worth a weekend.

 

Brilliant description recom273 you made the journey come alive. 

[Leon1980]

The queues at Pedang Besar are unreal at the moment. My friend had to wait 3.5 hours  at immigration. Over 1 million Malaysians have travelled to the Southern provinces since the border opened. 

 

It was a already a horrible experience before. The immigration lady who deals with westerners is a nightmare. The rudest woman I have ever come across in my life. She interrogated us even on our way out. The reviews on Google say pretty much the same. Avoid that border at all costs

[RedArmy]

56 minutes ago, Leon1980 said:

Avoid that border at all costs

I would recommend the Wang Prachan border post for a quick border bounce - I used this post on Monday - Didn't see any other Foreigners & very very quite - Only 30kms from Pedang Besar.

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, Leon1980 said:

The queues at Pedang Besar are unreal at the moment. My friend had to wait 3.5 hours  at immigration. Over 1 million Malaysians have travelled to the Southern provinces since the border opened. 

 

It was a already a horrible experience before. The immigration lady who deals with westerners is a nightmare. The rudest woman I have ever come across in my life. She interrogated us even on our way out. The reviews on Google say pretty much the same. Avoid that border at all costs

I assume you were using the road crossing. Pre Covid, there appeared to be a much better experience for those able to clear immigration in the train station. Unfortunately, immigration control in the station is only open during a short window around arrival and departure of the shuttle train between the Thai and Malaysian sides of the border.

[Leon1980]

Just now, BritTim said:

I assume you were using the road crossing. Pre Covid, there appeared to be a much better experience for those able to clear immigration in the train station. Unfortunately, immigration control in the station is only open during a short window around arrival and departure of the shuttle train between the Thai and Malaysian sides of the border.

Yes the road crossing.

[Leon1980]

1 hour ago, RedArmy said:

I would recommend the Wang Prachan border post for a quick border bounce - I used this post on Monday - Didn't see any other Foreigners & very very quite - Only 30kms from Pedang Besar.

Thanks. 

Was it possible to turn around immediately? 

Did you have to pay a "re-entry permit"?.

The visa run companies in Phuket charge 5,000 to do a visa run to same Wang Prachan as they say the re-entry permit is 2,500.

Thanks

[RedArmy]

1 hour ago, Leon1980 said:

Thanks. 

Was it possible to turn around immediately? 

Did you have to pay a "re-entry permit"?.

The visa run companies in Phuket charge 5,000 to do a visa run to same Wang Prachan as they say the re-entry permit is 2,500.

Thanks

My previous Covid Extension actually expires today - It was "Suggested" to me that i would need to spend 1 night in Malaysia to which i "Suggested" that i would prefer to come straight back in - 2000 baht enabled me to achieve my objective.

 

Stamped out - Walked to the Malaysian immigration (1 minute walk) - Stamped in at 1 window - Stamped straight back out at the next window - Walked back & immigration officer was waiting for me - Stamped back into Thailand on a 45 day visa exempt entry.

[drfu]

Does anyone have a recent experience with the Sadao border crossing? Google Maps reviews often mention very long waiting times and quite unfriendly officers towards non-ASEAN passport holders....

But maybe it is now a better choice than Padang Besar?