Airasia To Kuala Lumpur, Apply Visa Same Day?

[atwr]

Airasia's morning flight from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur LCCT gets in at 10:15. The Thai consular website states it opens at 9 but accepts visa applications from 11.30-12.30. Does anyone know if it's possible to arrive to the consular same day as that flight, then travel using bus/train and still have time to apply?

I found a two year old post that states taking a bus to the train station is 75 min. Add waiting time, purchase time, airport check through, foot travel, train time, etc, it doesn't seem likely one could get this done in two hours. In Penang I can get off the plane and then go and apply within an hour, but morning flights are sold out for when I need to travel, and I'd rather get this done in 2 days rather than 3 if possible.

The tickets to Penang and KL from Bangkok are the same price, anyone have a guess to a total in the difference of the other expenses, (bed, food, travel.) I will only stay in the best FBM.

[PhilHarries]

Very tight to the point of near impossible using public transport.

You arrive 10:15, it will take 15 - 30 minutes to disembark, walk across to the terminal and clear immigration.

You've then got to get from LCCT to the main terminal, a distance of 20km (I vaguely recall). If you come out of the LCCT and board a transfer bus that leaves immediately the journey time is unlikely to be much less than 30 minutes.

You get off walk to the KL Espress station and get on a train that leaves immediately (no need to buy a ticket you can pay the other end). Journey time is 28 minutes, say 30 plus time to pay at KL Sentral (unless you had time to buy at KLIA but either way some additional time is due).

Then you have to get from Sentral to the Thai embassy. You'd be very lucky to get a taxi to do that in less than 30 - 45 minutes on a good day. Forget the LRT apart from time that will only get you to Ampang Park about 20 - 30 minutes walk from the embassy.

So your very optomistic arrival time at the embassy would be 12:15 to 12:45 (allowing 15 minutes stray time) and I stress this is VERY optomistic to the point of being a dream.

You could try grabbing a taxi at LCCT, journey time to KL is in the order of 45 minutes to one hour (on a good day) and the cost (couple of years back) in the order of 70 MYR (700 THB). But again this is optomistic and KL traffic can be as bad as Bangkok but at that time of the day you should miss the rush hour. This would be your best bet but you gamble 700 THB on the traffic.

Personally I'd book a hotel and avoid the stress, despite what some board members say KL is a great city with plenty to do although a bit on the expensive side compared to Thailand.

[asanee]

CAN be done much eaiser as above suggests:

AirAsia indeed uses own terminal-assuming you dont have checked luggage to wait for on such a short trip-this terminal is a breeze in going through-incl. Malay immigration,. It also has OWN direct bus to KL-sentral-running about half-hourly-and taking about same time as from Main terminal- I think it also goes to Puduraya big stasyon bas-maybe closer by the Thai Embassy

[fred2007]

It depends how much time you got and what your budged is for the trip. If you have plenty of time, take the train from BKK to Butterworth catch a bus to KL which departs every hour you will be there hours before the embassy opens. I took the train from Ratchaburi, 2 hours less then BKK, had a really good time one the train, slept very well and it cost me only 1500 baht to KL. Taxi to the embassy about 10 to 15 ringets. But if you prefere to go the fast way I guess Air Asia is the one I can recommend. But you will miss one day before you can lodge your application. Ok I am not an expert on this I can only relay my experience. And ones again thanks to lop and all other people out there who helped me to get my second O visa ( and a few tricks of my wife which I took along )

[atwr]

Thanks, I appreciate the replies. I will travel this morning to exotic poi pet with my family for a wonderful one day vacation and attempt to get a 30 day entry without onward travel proof. I have a feeling it's going to be a real sh#**y day. My eyes are starting to cross but I believe I read that doing a 'run' to Kuala Lumpur in one day is possible with airasia, so I want to look into this some more to see if the flight allows enough time to get to the embassy in the morning and I will book for later this month.

The Cambodia Embassy in Bangkok charged 1100 baht for a rushed visa, but it was ready in 2 minutes. I don't think I would have had the nerve, but if I had handed the guy 20 or 25 US would he have had to take it or is that just at the border where people try to do that? I got to hear some backpackers ask him for a visa for Laos. I should have just asked him for a visa for Thailand, save me the trip.

[atwr]

Aside from the heat, the poi pet run was nowhere near as hellish as it was 5 years ago, don't know if it was the time of the week or if I'm just more comfortable traveling here now. I imagine the world of blogging has cut down on the kickbacks a bit, having read through 3 blogs beforehand the scams were easily avoided. Got a visa in advance. One cop(?) took our passports before we entered Cam and tried for 400 baht, and at immigration the officer started filling out the departure cards, his drawer scattered with 100 baht notes, we asked for blanks and did ourselves. Only had 2 people spit at me, only saw about 2 or 3 kids asking for money and only 2 with umbrellas, and none of them followed or badgered us. Is this the work of the casinos?

I think they would get better money cleaning up the area and taking cuts from nick nack shops and restaurants rather than hassling tourists. Someone might actually want to hang around for a few minutes. I've heard there are many beautiful things in Cambodia, but if someone said if you crawl through this sewer you will see a beautiful garden on the other side, I probably wouldn't do it.

[atwr]

I like beating a dead horse. I will stretch out Kuala Lumpur for 3 days as advised. Airasia already sold out of morning flights to Penang this month anyway, they sure go quick, if there is a demand then why not have more flights. There is a 1340 and 1610 flight back from Kuala Lumpur. Assuming I get to the embassy early do you think it's possible to pick up a passport and get to the airport by 1 o'clock?

[Shah Jahan]

its not more than 60 RM by pre-paid taxi to whever you want to go just buy the ticket at the counter. why cut it close with numerous bus and train transfers and then have to haggle with taxis at the train station?

[orchis]

I have called the embassy in KL just now.

Accepting visa applications 9-11.30 am

Get visa (or not) next day 11.30 am

[bibblies]

...Then you have to get from Sentral to the Thai embassy. You'd be very lucky to get a taxi to do that in less than 30 - 45 minutes on a good day. Forget the LRT apart from time that will only get you to Ampang Park about 20 - 30 minutes walk from the embassy.

Are you Thai? I think you'd have to be Thai to be able to drag out the short walk from Ampang Park to the Thai embassy to 20 minutes, let alone 30. I couldn't possibly do it in more than 10 myself.

Apart from that, you're right, it's just not possible to get to the embassy in time especially with the increased queues in immigration I've seen on my last two visits. I used to breeze through, there were so few people. Last time it was much longer and this time it took well over an hour. They've got some sort of new fingerprinting system which could be something to do with it.

[theoldgit]

^^^^

This thread is nearly three years old!