Penang non-imm. b visa run: june, 2003

[frogpatrol]

For those of you who may be considering a VISA run to Penang, here is a brief rundown of my recent experience from June, 2003.  

First, some background is in order.  I have made a fair amount of VISA runs over the past decade, with some of these to Penang.  This one, however, was a bit different in that the company was footing the whole bill this go round.  So, the idea was not to do this VISA run cheaply, but to do it efficiently and in moderate comfort.  At last, at last, a perdiem!  

As such, much of the information below may not be relevant to the cost-conscious VISA runners, but I still hope it is informative in some ways.  At a minimum, it may provide you with a few alternative ideas to the usual BKK to Gtown by train/ferry journey.

I embarked on a Sunday night flight to Penang from Bangkok.  The flight was easy and short, and took about 1 hour and 45 minutes.  Airport tax in Bangkok, as usual, was 500 baht.  As of this writing, flights only run 3 or 4 times weekly between Penang and BKK, and once one these days.  The flight left at 19:30 and arrived at 22;15, which appeared to be “last call” for the Penang airport.  The flight was about 60% full.  

At the airport, one moneychanger stayed open for the arrival of this flight, which was a relief as the airport is quite a distance from town and the beaches.  There were also several taxis available.  The taxis work by a coupon system, with the cost being 45 Ringits (about $12) to Ferrenghi beach, and cheaper to Georgetown.  The drive to Ferrenghi takes nearly an hour.

Having stayed several times in the city (Georgetown), I thought it might be a nice change to stay out at Ferrenghi.  Although taxi fees can add up and it is a tad inconvenient, it was a nice change of pace.  

In its heyday, Ferrenghi beach, or Batu Ferrenghi, was a sort of Goa for international travelers, but now is more of a holiday spot for Malays and Indonesians and a smattering of Europeans.  The plus is that the beach and strip are relatively small, and if you stay near the center of the strip, there are plenty of restaurants, and a decent night market, to entertain you.  I found the food, as with all Malay food, to be quite good.  

On the other hand, the beach is fairly unimpressive, the water murky and largely unswimmable, and jellyfish are abound.  Moneychanger rates at Ferrenghi are also terrible, for example, I was quoted 2.78 per US Dollar there, and 3.78 downtown in Georgetown.  So, do your money transactions in GTown.  The night market is similar to Pat Pong in terms of merchandise.  Fake audio CDs were running 8 ringits each, and DVDs were in abundance as well.  For these, you will have to walk to the back of the market where there are very few folks around, so single women, in particular, may want to think twice before doing so.  That said, the intention was simply to sell CDs while avoiding the police.  Sunglasses were also a good bargain.  The giant ship shaped restaurant next to the Holiday Inn seemed a popular spot for food and nighttime beers, though it had that “Bangkok seafood restaurant” touristy feel to it.  

As for hotels, I found them to be far overpriced for what you get.  I would suggest staying near the strip, as some hotels are a few kilometers away, and much of the road is winding and not really suited for walking..

Taxis from Ferrenghi to the Thai Consulate run 20 to 25 Ringit from the Holiday Inn, while a taxi to Georgetown center is around 20 ringits.  I used a driver named Jack who was competent enough, but was one of those folks who just loved to praise himself and hear himself talk.  If he would have just stop saying “special price,” “I have many, many repeat customers,” and “I am an honest driver,” I may have used him more than I did.  Anyhow, if you can deal with that issue, he is very reliable and parks outside the Holiday Inn at Ferrenghi.  

The Thai Consulate is open from 9 until 11 a.m. for drop-off (make sure to check Thai and Malay holidays), and is in a quiet, residential area on the outskirts of town.  I arrived at 9:20 and waited only about 5 minutes.  I gave the official a whole ton of papers (correct ones) from my company, including my marriage certificate in the hope that I would get a 1-year non-immigrant B VISA.  Given that my company is handling everything in BKK, I really only needed a 3-month VISA, but I thought, why not try?  The official gave the documents a short look, retuned my marriage and bank account info, and matter-of-factly said “ single entry 3-months.”  I asked him if the marriage certificate would help in making this a 1-year VISA and he said no.  “How about 6 months, I queried?”  He then asked me an interesting question, which leads me to believe there is some possibility of negotiation.  He said, “do you work for a large or small company.”  I answered “large,” which is true, but which was obviously the wrong answer.  “Three months,” he said.  Case closed.  So, although I do not doubt the veracity of previous posts which state that 1-year is possible with, or even without, a marriage certificate, be advised that in my case these documents were meaningless.  

Rumor has it that NS Books (next to the Swiss Hotel on Chulia St) may be the way to go for the 1-year.  I am not sure if this is true, but if you do not want to take the trip out to the Consulate yourself, they (or others) may be your answer.  I have no personal experience with this agency, however.  Several outfits will make the run to the Consulate for you, so if 1-year is what you need, it may be worth at least inquiring to them about that issue.  On the other hand, Kota Baru is supposedly a good spot for 6-month VISAS.  

So, I paid my 55 Ringits for the single-entry Non Imm B, and was off.  Pick-up was the next day, after 2:00, if my memory serves me correctly.  

If you decide to walk into the city center from the Consulate, give yourself about an hour.  I have done it before, and it is a pleasant, though longish, walk.  If not, have your taxi stay on and wait for you, as that may be easier than dealing with the taxis outside the consulate.        

After my trip to the Consulate, I had time to wander, so I headed to Komtar (Penang’s tallest building) and the nicer mall across the street from it.  Not a high quality mall by Bangkok standards, and I am not much of a shopper anyhow, but there was enough eye candy for an hour or two of strolling.  On the top floors, you can find computer CDs for $2.

I also took a nice stroll through Little India, as well as the old district of Muria Street.  Some nice, old architecture/buildings on Muria Street, and a diverse ethic feel to Little India.  Los of colorful saris, too.  Certainly worth the walk.

As for adult play, I did not partake, but for those who are curious, some options are:      

Agora Hotel, MaCalister Rd., 12th Fl, high-end

New Savoy, Hutton lane, lower-end

Cathay, Leith St, low-end

Waldorf, Leith St, low-end

Cititel

Mingood

And some clubs/pubs for a drink or two:

Rockworld

Slippery

Lush

Uptown

Soho

Bungalow

   

At the Consulate the next day for VISA pick up, I only had to wait a few minutes.  There was a queue of maybe ten people at the afternoon opening, but it moved quickly.  From what I could see/hear, pretty much everyone received a single-entry, 3-Month stamp.  On my passport, it also read: “The applicant is advised to apply for work permit which should be presented to the authorities next time.”  To further emphasize this, when I picked my passport up, the official said “next time, you have work permit.”  He made his point.  By the way, I was using a fresh passport with very few stamps.

Since I had the time and the budget to do so, I took a car from Penang to Hat Yai (300 Ringits), though the train or express taxis would have been fine and far, far cheaper.  Again, though, I have done those many times before, so I thought , what the heck…  FYI, the train to Hat Yai is around six hours, mini-vans (express taxis) about 4 ½.  The mini-vans are very cheap.  As for this writing, no flights were running between Phuket and Penang.

I crossed the border at Bukit Kayu Hitam (Malay side), pulled up to a window, similar to tollbooth, and stamped out of Malaysia.  Then, about 100 yards later, we arrived to the Thai border at Sadao, where I did the same.  This time, though, I was asked to leave the car to go to a different kiosk (#5), which I guess is where non-Malays go.  Easy enough – I was stamped into Thailand and on my way to Hat Yai for the night.  

As for Hat Yai, there is plenty to do at night; lots of bars, clubs, massage parlors, and a pretty lively night market.  Most of the spots cater to Malays, but they will gladly take your money.  Folks overall seemed quite friendly, and the city was small and easy to manage.  The daytime is pretty much dead, though, and the city has little of historical interest.   Despite its name, there is no beach in Hat Yai; the nearest is Samila Beach, about 30 km outside of town.  Overall, Samila is a pretty average beach, with little spectacular to report.  You may want to stop by and have a picture taken with the mermaid, or the cat and mouse sculpture, just so you can tell your Thai friends you did so.  The person who I was with was intent on me grabbing the mermaid’s breasts – not sure what that was about except this person’s idea of humor.  After a night there, it was a short 3,040 baht flight back to BKK.

Now, the work permit process begins.  Hope this has helped some.

As 0f 6/15/2003:

USD 1 = MYR 3.78

THAI BAHT 10 = MYP .91

frogpatrol

[Wei]

good post. just want to add a bit on the conversation rate. the malaysian goverment has a control imposed on the RM against USD, so its always RM3.80 to USD1. If you would to chage your currency with the money changer, you should get around RM3.78 or so. don't change anything less than 3.6

[hukster]

I might be wrong, but i bekieve if you would have applied for an o visa with mariage certificate you could have gotten it good for 3 months, but can be extended for one year at thai immigration. You can also get a work permit with this type of visa.

[frogpatrol]

I might be wrong, but i bekieve if you would have applied for an o visa with mariage certificate you could have gotten it good for 3 months, but can be extended for one year at thai immigration. You can also get a work permit with this type of visa.

Hukster,

You bring up a good point.  I had inquired about the "O" VISA as well, but was told "B" was the best route.  It is entirely possible that this info may have been wrong; I am not sure.

Maybe some other folks can shed light on that.

froggo

[DaveYo]

Hi, recently I made an inquiry to Dr. Pong about the Penang run concerning visas.   I understand that the Thai Government recently has been putting on a lot of heat to the embassys of late and Penang happens to be one of them being watched.   Thai government is saying these visas are going out like water without it being really checked out and many are getting specific visas such as work permits or extensions without valid basis, and such is circumventing the true intents of said visas.   How long the heat will be going on, but at the current time I do expect this to be for about maximum maybe a year.  I do believe once things cool off, perhaps we can get back in the swing of things.   :blues:

[frogpatrol]

Hi, recently I made an inquiry to Dr. Pong about the Penang run concerning visas.   I understand that the Thai Government recently has been putting on a lot of heat to the embassys of late and Penang happens to be one of them being watched.   :blues:

Dave, I concur about the heat being turned up on certain embassies and consulates.  LA, for example, used to be an easy place for VISAs, and now it is anything but.  They are very rigid these days.  

Penang is still more relaxed than some (e.g., Hanoi, Saigon) with respect to making sure all supporting documents are in order, but these sure are not the good old days where no stress was involved in such runs.

frogpatrol