Penang Visa Trip By Train !

[oMega69]

Hellooo......... My ide now is to take the train from Bkk-Butterworth(Penang) Most apply for Malaysia visa before or how to make it ?

Maybe hard to find sleepbed no 6days before leaving. See some writing that says most book 60days before..sounds strange.

Soo if a whant to go to penang for tourist visa whit train it should be no problem correct ? .

Maybe now there is no seats avalibel... but cant a do like this ! T

Take a visarun to cambodia and as a proof on onward ticket in my new 30days a show up my payed train ticket to Malaysia !.... it most work or ??........... soo i go to Penang 1month later than planed but okey to go cambodia 1time first if it works with my train ticket . . soo what you guys says?!.........

manny thx

[lopburi3]

Have not made that trip for many years but you never needed to book 60 days early and it is not tourist season so don't believe you would have to do now. You can check at any train station. Most people do not need a visa to enter Malaysia. Train stops for about an hour at border to process and then on to Butterworth.

[danc]

Have done this trip earlier this year for a tourist visa, following the new laws. All you need is time!!! As Lop says never heard of need for 60 days for the ticket. Take a 2nd class sleeper - book now and it should be no problem - go for the lower berth as it is more comfortable. You leave BKK around lunchtime and arrive on the border early next morning, simple stamp out and then for most countries a stamp into Malaysia for 60 days on a free visa/visa waiver. Onto to Butterworth, final train destination, from where it is clearly signed to the ferry (walkable) and into Penang (20 minutes or so on the boat). Off the ferry, either take a taxi or walk to Chulia Street in Georgetown and immediately put you passport in at say NJ Books. I think they add 200baht on top of the visa cost of 1000bt (has this gone up just recently?) for the service - you will then collect it with visa after 2.00pm on not next day but the day after that - the train arrival means that the passport goes in too late on the first day to be ready the next, so you must wait this extra day....Train back can be booked at NJ as well , (again they charge about 100baht extra).....or you can book yourself by goin back to the ferry pier where you arrived in Penang where there is a small railways kiosk - no need to cross back over the water to the train station!!!

Many hotels available, lots of food, relax - maybe go up Penang Hill for a laff, and visit The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (this was in the film Indochine) - if you are taking the train, think of it like a short break!!!!!!!

[oMega69]

<br />Have done this trip earlier this year for a tourist visa, following the new laws. All you need is time!!! As Lop says never heard of need for 60 days for the ticket. Take a 2nd class sleeper - book now and it should be no problem - go for the lower berth as it is more comfortable. You leave BKK around lunchtime and arrive on the border early next morning, simple stamp out and then for most countries a stamp into Malaysia for 60 days on a free visa/visa waiver. Onto to Butterworth, final train destination, from where it is clearly signed to the ferry (walkable) and into Penang (20 minutes or so on the boat). Off the ferry, either take a taxi or walk to Chulia Street in Georgetown and immediately put you passport in at say NJ Books. I think they add 200baht on top of the visa cost of 1000bt (has this gone up just recently?) for the service - you will then collect it with visa after 2.00pm <b>on not next day but the day after that </b>- the train arrival means that the passport goes in too late on the first day to be ready the next, so you must wait this extra day....Train back can be booked at NJ as well , (again they charge about 100baht extra).....or you can book yourself by goin back to the ferry pier where you arrived in Penang where there is a small railways kiosk - no need to cross back over the water to the train station!!!<br /><br />Many hotels available, lots of food, relax - maybe go up Penang Hill for a laff, and visit The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (this was in the film Indochine) - if you are taking the train, think of it like a short break!!!!!!!<br />

Thank you ! very good reply . . . .. so if you help me to calculate the days and night neede for booking the hole thing. , my visa exp July 25 .. So a need to go på train on 24 then..... can you write the rest..... how many nights needed and when a should book train back....... thank you for your time ! ,, and should a change money here thailand and how much money needed...and so on ..... Edited July 19, 2007 by oMega69

[lopburi3]

You will need to submit paperwork to Consulate the morning after your arrival.

You will pick up paperwork the next afternoon.

You might be able to make that days train but should plan on the next day departure.

Lv Bangkok 24 July - Arv Butterworth 25 July - Submit 26 July - Receive 27 July - Dep Butterworth 28 July - Arv Bangkok 29 July

There should be a money exchange at the Immigration check point as you enter Malaysia. Always good to have a little small change as it will be required for ferry crossing. Payment for everything in Malaysia will be in Ringgit including the visa charges.

[deejah]

you dont have to buy your return ticket in pinang

i am sure you can book a round trip at hualampong (spelling?) railway station in bangkok

i made the trip 2 or 3 years ago

now i simply fly

[oMega69]

You will need to submit paperwork to Consulate the morning after your arrival.

You will pick up paperwork the next afternoon.

You might be able to make that days train but should plan on the next day departure.

Lv Bangkok 24 July - Arv Butterworth 25 July - Submit 26 July - Receive 27 July - Dep Butterworth 28 July - Arv Bangkok 29 July

There should be a money exchange at the Immigration check point as you enter Malaysia. Always good to have a little small change as it will be required for ferry crossing. Payment for everything in Malaysia will be in Ringgit including the visa charges.

okey ! thank you i will do as you say........... have booked the train from an agency here... but when a come back home a did se they put a booking fee of 1600b on 3tickets.... most be seriously wrong so a go back to morrow and let them explain them self.

[lopburi3]

You can buy tickets at any train station - if you use an agency believe they will still have to visit train station to obtain tickets for you and thus high fees. Although 1,600 baht (if that is what you wrote) seems rather excessive (to put it mildly).

[oMega69]

You can buy tickets at any train station - if you use an agency believe they will still have to visit train station to obtain tickets for you and thus high fees. Although 1,600 baht (if that is what you wrote) seems rather excessive (to put it mildly).

Yes that is outrageous ! . Standard fee after look around internet sites is 250b per ticket. ,

And the agency a use is the Nr 1 in Pattaya..... soo if not they pay back... i will hang out there name every were !

[jet]

Why donot you use airasia?

use airasia is better than train, as train cost long hours to get tired.

[midas]

You will need to submit paperwork to Consulate the morning after your arrival.

You will pick up paperwork the next afternoon.

You might be able to make that days train but should plan on the next day departure.

If you pick up the visa after the Embassy lunch break you will never get the

station in enough time to catch the train from Penang - its not possible I tried in the past.

You will have to stay another night = more costs = why Air Asia is now a more attractive

propostion.

[oMega69]

You will need to submit paperwork to Consulate the morning after your arrival.

You will pick up paperwork the next afternoon.

You might be able to make that days train but should plan on the next day departure.

If you pick up the visa after the Embassy lunch break you will never get the

station in enough time to catch the train from Penang - its not possible I tried in the past.

You will have to stay another night = more costs = why Air Asia is now a more attractive

propostion.

But Airasia is 6500b .. . train is 2400b. . yes its 20hours but on sleepingpills and laptop with some dvd movies..its still okey !.......

[lopburi3]

I don't know current situation but the train used to be several hours late departing most days so often it was possible to make connection if you were willing to chance it. But pickup from Consulate was earlier I believe. Normally I would take van or taxi back to Hat Yai and connect with train/plane/bus there a few days later - Hat Yai was a very inexpensive place to spend a few days and shop the markets. There is a bit more danger now but probably not that much more than riding a motorcycle taxi in Bangkok.

[bangkokgas]

Does anyone know of the bkk-buterworth train tickets can be purchased at any train station in bkk as tickets to other destinations within Thailand can ? Thanks, Gas.

[lopburi3]

Unless there has been a change they can - it is a Thai train all the way I believe with an engine change only at the border (although there have been periods of a train change at the border also).

[MKAsok]

Have done this trip earlier this year for a tourist visa, following the new laws. All you need is time!!! As Lop says never heard of need for 60 days for the ticket. Take a 2nd class sleeper - book now and it should be no problem - go for the lower berth as it is more comfortable. You leave BKK around lunchtime and arrive on the border early next morning, simple stamp out and then for most countries a stamp into Malaysia for 60 days on a free visa/visa waiver. Onto to Butterworth, final train destination, from where it is clearly signed to the ferry (walkable) and into Penang (20 minutes or so on the boat). Off the ferry, either take a taxi or walk to Chulia Street in Georgetown and immediately put you passport in at say NJ Books. I think they add 200baht on top of the visa cost of 1000bt (has this gone up just recently?) for the service - you will then collect it with visa after 2.00pm on not next day but the day after that - the train arrival means that the passport goes in too late on the first day to be ready the next, so you must wait this extra day....Train back can be booked at NJ as well , (again they charge about 100baht extra).....or you can book yourself by goin back to the ferry pier where you arrived in Penang where there is a small railways kiosk - no need to cross back over the water to the train station!!!

Many hotels available, lots of food, relax - maybe go up Penang Hill for a laff, and visit The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (this was in the film Indochine) - if you are taking the train, think of it like a short break!!!!!!!

Have yet to confirm this but NJ are claiming they can do same day/expedited visa for another 200 bht (on top of the 200 they charge already). I asked the guy Ali on the phone 4-5 times, "Are you absolutely sure about this?" He must have thought I was some kind of obssesive/compulsive nutcase... We'll see on Weds 25th. Hopefully won't need it (he reckons the Air Asia flight gets in with enough time to get passport into the consulate in the morning, but then he is meeting us at the airport...). Despite the assurances, I'm taking nothing for granted...