Just Back From Penang

[tropo]

The bike ride through the Penang rainforest wins it for me - especially when bike hire was still only 25 ringgit (250-ish baht) last time I looked. Watch out for yellow buses that's all.

Is that for a motorcycle or a bicycle?

[RandyWhite]

The bike ride through the Penang rainforest wins it for me - especially when bike hire was still only 25 ringgit (250-ish baht) last time I looked. Watch out for yellow buses that's all.

Is that for a motorcycle or a bicycle?

Honda Wave (100cc auto clutch) RM30 hire gives three hours of non-stop corners and bends and beautiful scenery (if you can be bothered looking). Georgetown along the coast road to Batu Ferringee then over the mountain and through the rainforest to to Balik Pulau then up and over the mountain and then up and down the hill to Air Itam and then turn around and do it all over again on RM4.50 unleaded. Still one of the best ways I know to spend three hours.

RAW.

[tropo]

The bike ride through the Penang rainforest wins it for me - especially when bike hire was still only 25 ringgit (250-ish baht) last time I looked. Watch out for yellow buses that's all.

Is that for a motorcycle or a bicycle?

Honda Wave (100cc auto clutch) RM30 hire gives three hours of non-stop corners and bends and beautiful scenery (if you can be bothered looking). Georgetown along the coast road to Batu Ferringee then over the mountain and through the rainforest to to Balik Pulau then up and over the mountain and then up and down the hill to Air Itam and then turn around and do it all over again on RM4.50 unleaded. Still one of the best ways I know to spend three hours.

RAW.

I've done this ride myself several times. Very enjoyable indeed!

For anyone planning on riding a motorcycle around Penang, be warned....BRING A RAIN JACKET. There's always a good chance it will rain even if it's fine when you take off.

[samuibeachcomber]

brings back memories,i did this trip in 1972,ended up rented a house in telak bahang,it was the next village on from batu feringi,glad you enjoyed.

[David006]

So I'm back with my 60 days tourist visa. Was told that now there is no problem of getting tourist visas one by one all the time, so everybody is welcome

Heartily agree, Penang is very easy..I live in the south so I take a ferry to Langkawi and another to Penang..nice trip every three months...good food in red garden China town....did it recently and used agent in hotel ..easy peezy same day service too! ( well for a little bit of Rgt... saved the cab fare)

Okay so its a sixty day visa , have to extend it in home province now (used to do it in NS Thammarat) AND as I always get lost in Trang does anybody know where the immigration office is ..say relative to the airport

[cgit6]

Somebody post links for the Penang consulate (and Laos too)? Specifically, I need the hours they are open.

(I am stuck with an overland 15-day visa that expires tomorrow and think all the consulates are closed most of next week -Songkran, right?)

[lopburi3]

Nothing will be open before the 16th I suspect.

[sedeflonga]

I gotta make a Visa trip to Penang on 22.April.

Following questions I have:

1)How many days does it take for the embassy to give the visa from the day of submission?

2)Is the Visa still free? (according to Thai governments new policy)

3)Does anyone know a cheap but good hotel with Visa service? (around 500 baht per night?)

I went for years to Penang to the 'Golden City Hotel'. That guy there always fixed my visa and he received a few bucks for it. I want to change the hotel. I saw last time when I was flying AirAsia in a magazine/brochure that there are new hotels in Penang very cheap and good. I made some pictures with my mobile but I lost the pictures somehow and can't remember what name/area it was.

Appreciate any input about people who made the Penang Visa trip.

Thanks

[Hahhi]

Nothing will be open before the 16th I suspect.

Penang consulate was closed only on the 13th. It was very open yesterday the 14th of April when I visited there.

[lopburi3]

That is very strange as the Embassy Kuala Lumpur is listed as closed 13-15 on there web site. Consulates would normally have the same Thai holidays (Malaysia has holidays in specific areas sometimes).

13-15 April (Monday-Wednesday) Songkran Festival, T

[JR Texas]

That is very strange as the Embassy Kuala Lumpur is listed as closed 13-15 on there web site. Consulates would normally have the same Thai holidays (Malaysia has holidays in specific areas sometimes).

13-15 April (Monday-Wednesday) Songkran Festival, T

Did you have to purchase a round-trip airline ticket prior to getting your tourist visa? In other words, was that demanded by immigration? I am reading that they are selectively enforcing this "rule."

[sedeflonga]

congratulations! May there still be more Guinness when I arrive !!

[Hahhi]

Penang Consulate is closed at these dates (in addition to weekends) during 2552, that is 2009

January 1 - New Year

January 2 - New Year

January 26 - Chinese New Year

January 27 - Chinese New Year

February 9 - Makha Puja

March 9 - Malaysian holiday - Muhammad's Birthday

April 6 - Chakri Day

April 13 - Thai New Year - Songkran

May 5 - Wan Chanmongkhon

May 8 - Visakha Puja

July 7 - Asalha Puja

July 8 - Wan Ookphansaa

August 12 - Queen's Birthday (Mothers' day)

August 31 - Malaysian Holiday - dunno

September 21 - Malaysian Holiday - dunno

September 22 - Malaysian Holiday - dunno

October 19 - Malaysian Holiday - Dipawali

December 7 - King's Birthday (Fathers' Day)

December 25 - Christmas

December 31 - New Year

Source: A neat little Thai language booklet that I got from the Penang Consulate.