Use Bus In Penang Visa Trip

[uioi]

I like to save money, Can anybody inform me,

What is the bus number and where is bus station , from airport to george town,

from town to counsalate? and reverse trip?

vest regards thank you!

[ProfessorFart]

I don't think there is a direct bus. You have to walk up to the road to take the bus into Georgetown.

A taxi is only 28 RM (about 280B) from the Airport according to another poster here.

[haha]

I've done the bangkok to penang visa run many times.

you can do it by train or by bus.

the trip takes about 18 hours by bus, about 21 hours by train.

by bus....

go to the southern bus terminal and buy ticket to hatyai. buses run every 30 minutes. I board a bus leaving sometime around 6pm at night so that I can arrive in hatyai before 7am the next day. ..be sure to check the schedules for your bus. this leg of the trip takes about 13 hours.

I usually take the VIP 24 seat bus because it allows you to recline and sleep. very comfortable. has seat vibrator. cost is about 850 baht one way. they have cheaper buses. the VIP 32 seat bus - about 650 baht. and the regular 38 seat bus which is about 450 baht. take your pick.

the VIP 24 seat has the seats arranged 3 to a row. one seat on one side, 2 on the other. try to get the 1 seat side. or a seat in the front. the back 2 seats side are uncomfortable. when the guys in front of you recline, their seats crush into your legs.

adjacent to the hatyai bus terminal, there are several minibus agencies that can take you directly from hatyai to penang. some of the more expensive minibus agencies have buses leaving at 7am. but I usually wait for the one called "jimitra travel" to open up to take their bus. they have an early bus leaving at 9am. jimitra charges only 200 baht for their bus. the other guys charge 350 baht. this leg of the trip takes about 5 hours. the bus guy will ask you where you want to get dropped off when you get to penang. I usually tell him chulia street where there are many inexpensive places to stay at.

you will spend some time at the border to go through immigration. be sure to have a pen readily available to fill out the form. better yet, get the form before you arrive at the border so that you will have it filled out before you get there.

you will get to penang sometime around 2pm. once there, you can look around for lodging. they have many places going for from 10 ringgit to 40 ringgit. I recommend oriental house, travelers, a and e budget. travelers has dorm rooms for about 9 ringgit. a and e from 12 to 38 ringgit. oriental house is next to travelers. it is about the same price.

the exchange rate is about 91 ringgit to 1000 baht.

..across the street from a and e are 2 currency exchange places. they provide visa services for 20 ringgit. ..express one day service for 60 ringgit. the guy there will do all the foot work for you. so you can spend all day being tourist.

the visa routine usually takes 4 days because you spend one day getting there, one day to process the visa, and one day to get the visa back, then, the journey back.

I haven't tried the 60 ringgit one day service yet, but I think you can save at least half a day using this service. the visa service guy told me that with the one day service, you will get your passport back the same day at around 4pm.

the thai consulate in penang accepts visa applications between the hours 9am to noon. you usually receive the visa/passport back the next day after 2pm.

if you want, you can go to the thai consulate yourself to submit the visa application, transportation to the consulate by taxi costs about 10 ringgit. by 137 bus, it costs about 2 ringgit, but you have to know where to get off. the conductors are nice, you can ask them to tell you. I did this the first 2 times I went to penang. it takes about 3 hours transportation and all. ..ever since, I go the visa service route so that I can wake up late, and enjoy being the tourist more.

cost per tourist visa is 99 ringgit. I usually get 2 or 3. if you go with the visa service guys, you need to remember to give them the money for the visas plus their 20 ringgit visa service fee. they will give you a receipt. don't lose it.

you can confirm all the above by asking people at the place where you plan on staying.

on the day that you get your passport back, if you can get back to chulia street before 2:30pm, you may be able to get a minibus going back to hatyai at 3pm. the currency exchange guys provide the minibus. cost is 20 ringgit one way.

if you can do this, you can reach the hatyai bus terminal before 6pm (malaysia and thailand are on a different time zone.) and get a VIP 24 seat bus back to bangkok the same day. I've been lucky and been able to do this the last few times. but it will only work if there are available seats on the bus.

another option to my routine....

if you do the one day service, and get your passport/visa back at around 4pm, you could take a regular 38 seat bus from penang directly to bangkok that leaves at around 8pm. I heard the cost is from 70 to 90 ringgit. depending on where you buy the ticket. I think the visa service guys sell it for 90 ringgit. down the street, there is a travel agency on lover lane street that sells it for 70 ringgit.

not having done it this way before, I have some concerns. ...like will I still be able to cross the border that late at night?

I know there other ways to do this trip. I've heard of people who went to khao san road and got bus tickets taking them all the way from bangkok to kl for only 600 baht. but where they got the tickets, I don't know.

the first time I did the bus route, I boarded a 38 seat bus, and arrived into hatyai with an aching back. khao san guys advertise a 42 seat bus. ugh! if you are tiny, it may be ok.

total cost for 2 tourist visas, transportation, accommodations, food = about 5000 baht. 4 days of your time.

if you nickel and dime it, I think you could do it for about 3500 baht. but that would mean taking the regular 38 seat buses.. ugh!

by train...

same routine as above except you board train at hualompong train station. cost for 2nd class sleeper is about 1300 baht one way. I've seen cheaper train tickets going for about 350 baht one way, but you can't lie down. ugh!

some of the trains have a dining section that opens until about 8pm at night.

all the way from bangkok to butterworth. but you spend more time traveling. did this route 2 times in the past. 21 to 25 hours on the train depending on delays.

keep in mind that the last train leaving butterworth to bangkok on the return trip leaves at 2pm in the afternoon. if you pick up your passport at 2pm, there is no way you can get the train at butterworth the same day. ...unless of course, you get to hatyai by minibus before 6pm. possible. but haven't done it before.

if you have company, the train route may be the route to go. clackity, clack, clackity clack, clackity clack. if you are not too big, the lower bunk can be cozy for 2 people.

oh. one last tip. be sure to bring a sweater or a jacket with you when you travel on bus or by train. sometimes they jack up the air con big time.

another tip.... there is a malaysia tourist office on silom road where you can get all the maps and tourist info on penang for free. if I recall, it is on the 19th floor in the liberty building where california fitness is located.

ANOTHER tip... be sure to check that the time you go for the visa run does not fall on any malaysian or thai holidays. otherwise, your stay will get extended because the thai consulate is closed. ..this happened to me once.

hope this helps... enjoy!

Edited January 20, 2005 by haha

[Queers for Fears]

The way the OP worded his post. he was trying to find out how to get from the penang airport to Georgetown. I was considering using the haha bus plan but it's a bit on the expensive side

[haha]

The way the OP worded his post. he was trying to find out how to get from the penang airport to Georgetown. I was considering using the haha bus plan but it's a bit on the expensive side

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if you do the nickel and dime route, you are only paying 1500 baht total for 4 days - 3 nights in a hotel plus transportation, and food. that's about 400 baht a day.

the tourist visas will cost you the same price no matter where you go.

I once heard of a guy telling me he hitchhiked all the way down. but he had to provide the "entertainment" all the way down. if you are interested in trying this route, post an ad in the www.bahtsold.com website, and you might get a bite.

[frenchFARANGbkk]

I like to save money, Can anybody inform me,

What is the bus number and where is bus station , from airport to george town,

from town to counsalate? and reverse trip?

vest regards thank you!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I use to say Khon Thai mai ruuuu, but this time it is Khon farang mai ruuuuu ;-)

As I like to experience and find by myself everywhere I go, I did it once from PENANG AIRPORT TO GEORGETOWN by BUS:

BUS NUMBER 66 is going to KOMTAR for 2 Ringgits!

But do not go out of airport by the road that cars use, this is not the way to the road where the bus 66 passes. YOU MUST GO STRAIGHT when you come out of airport, just in front of you (keep airport door on your back), there is a green gate where only people can pass (no cars), and 100 meters behind this gate is the sacred road! ;-)

From town to consulate I forgot because It think it's really a lot better to give this job to the money changer next to swiss hotel.

[jamesb]

How about going back to airport from town?

where is bus station?

[ProfessorFart]

The main bus station is at KOMTAR centre.