Trip Report - Visa Run Samui To Malaysia

[dancep]

I got a lot of information from this site and thought I'd share what I learned on my recent visa run trip...

I have a double entry tourist visa, have used the 1st 60 days and had a 30 day extension. Not wanting to endure a 16 hour mini bus ordeal I decided to plan a 2 day trip with info from here and friends. A friend I knew also needed a new visa on entry so came along.

Summary:

Day 1

8:30am arrive by bike at Nathon's Seatran pier, buy a ferry/bus ticket to Hat Yai for 600 baht from the information desk guy.

9:30am the big bus arrives at the pier, we get on for the 50 metre ride to the ferry! Get off and enter ferry as foot passenger

10am Ferry departure

11:30am ferry arrives at Donsak, I got back on the bus while on the ferry but it waits on at Donsak for foot pasengers

11:30am to 5:30pm - drives down east coast roads via Nakhon Si Tammarat and Songkla to Hat Yai. Only stop for a break is at Nakhon at 130pm

530pm - Tuk tuk to Asian Hotel - 50 baht

6:00pm - check in - twin room with breakfast was 950 baht, same as I had seen on Agoda.com

Day 2

7:00am breakfast

8:00am taxi arranged by the hotel picks us up, cost is 600 baht to border or 700 return

9:00am arrive at the Padang Besar border crossing. Stop one block away for the motorcycle taxi guys. They have the forms for Malaysia and Thailand, and a table and pens for us to fill them out.

9:04am arrive on motorbike at Thai immigration, get exit stamp

9:06am arrive at Malaysia immigration, get entry stamp. Don't even get off of bike!

9:10am go around a roundabout and arrive at Malaysia immigration for exit stamp...

9:13am arrive at Thai immigration, no lineup, got my 2nd 60 day tourist visa

9:20am back in taxi, the taxi driver paid the guys 60 baht each which we later paid him.

10:05am arrive at bus station (yes our driver was fast)

10:30 bus leaves Hat Yai for Samui, same route as prior day. Paid 450 b on the bus for both bus and ferry tickets

3:30pm bus arrives at Donsak

4:00pm ferry leaves

5:30pm arrives at Nathon, Koh Samui

Cost summary:

ferry and bus to Hat Yai = 600 pp

tuk tuk to hotel = 50 pp

hotel = 950 / 2

taxi to border = 700 / 2

motorbike through border = 60 pp

return bus/ferry = 450 pp

Total for me = about 2000 baht plus meals etc

I think I was quoted about 2500 for a visa run to that border... and I enjoyed seeing Hat Yai briefly.

Some details:

From Samui the guy told me the buses to Hat Yai are on the 8am, 10am and 12 noon ferries. He at first tried to sell me a mini bus (higher commission?), but I much prefer slower bigger buses... but you have a choice. The big buses are public and stop to let people on and off, so are slower, but comfortable seats and air con and safer. The guy went off to the bus station in Nathon to buy the tickets while we went for breakfast. But I assume you can just buy your ferry ticket and then get on the bus at Donsak and pay the bus directly, cheaper I would guess as it was cheaper on the return.

The bus ride down became less comfortable as at 2pm they turned on loud music videos and Thai comedy shows halfway down, and the bus got full after starting out empty. No real problem but incredibly loud so hard to sleep or read or listen to music. On the return trip they didnt turn on the TV at all and much more pleansant and an hour faster. Try to sit away from the speakers just in case... unless you love loud Thai comedy shows...

At the bus station in Hat Yai taxi drivers meet the bus and try to to you to go to the border right away... so if you want to you can do so right there and get it done. They asked 700/800 return but that can be brought down a bit. I prefered to head to the hotel and do it in the morning.

The Asian hotel was fine, nothing special but nice staff. I talked to people who stayed at the King Hotel, they paid 500 baht for a double and said it was very good value. I was there Sunday night and very quiet, I think if you avoid the Friday/Sat crowds you have no problem with hotels. Hat Yai was much quieter than I expected, seemed very civilized really but I wasnt out long after dinner. No big police presence so I assume not any trouble these days like a few years ago.

You can get to the border with minibuses cheaper but I wasnt sure where from and had a time constraint, as there were 2 of us a taxi is not bad and very convenient right from the hotel. He was right on time and very pleasant guy, drove fast but safe.... he knew exactly where to stop for the motorcycle taxi border guys. They had the Thai and Malaysia cards for us to fill out, a table and pens...

Then we headed each on the back of the a bike. As described in a post here there is a motorbike lane on both sides. So you hop on and you get off for the Thai exit stamp. No lineup and took 30 seconds. Then he hands you a helmet for the Malasian side... I guess it is the law there! It is then a few hundred metres to the Malaysian side, with a sign amicably reminding you that the penalty for importing drugs is death... and then you go under the Welcome to Malaysia sign. There was a duty free shop on both sides but I didnt stop on the way back.

At the Malaysian entry booth the bike drives right up, I didnt get off or even remove my helmet! No words were spoken, she stamped me in, friendly and relaxed. We drove on to a roundabout and back to a Malaysian booth for the exit stamp, same thing.

We then drove back to Thailand. We were ahead of my friend so he stopped and asked if I wanted to take a picture of the Malaysia sign. Then got off and removed helmet for Thai immigration. Everything in order so took less than a minute for my 60 days. My friend is on an EU passport and got 15 days which is really only 2 weeks more... No lineups at 9am Monday morning...

Then back to the main road to meet out taxi. He arrived 2 minutes later and apologized for not waiting.. mai pen rai! He paid the motor taxi guys 60 baht each. He then drove fast back to Hat Yai bus station... we didnt ask him to hurry. There were 3 police check points on the way back, the first one looked like an immigration check and we stopped, but after a few words we went on, didnt have to proudly show our new visas... Our driver ran off to get change for 1000 baht... charged 700 plus 120 for the other guys.

Was told that the buses from Hat Yai to Samui leave at 8am (for 2pm ferry) and 1030am (for 4pm ferry). Sure enough there was one at 1030am and paid 450b on the bus, very quiet and comfy, 4pm ferry and on my bike in Nathon at 545pm...

Overall it was a very good trip... I never felt anyone was trying to take advantage, all provided good service for money, and everyone was friendly and helpful. The border was about as easy as it could be, well set up and even no lineups. I was amazed how quickly it all went, I wasnt actually planning to make that 1030am bus... Didnt have time to see Hat Yai or area, if I do it again I will take more time to explore Songkla.

The whole visa process is a puzzle to me I must say... Thailand seems to spend so much effort and money to bring in tourists, and then so much effort to get people out... I certainly considered many options once my visa was done, and most would have been trips outside of Thailand including just staying in another place the rest of the winter. Nothing against Thailand, but if you are able to stay longer easily then you tend to do so. Once you are being forced out you just naturally think of trying other countries, or at least spending a week or 2 of your tourist money elsewhere. Not sure why they dont have a 6 month multi entry tourist visa for those of us escaping winter... Same for this 14 day border visa. I met a middle aged couple fromthe EU who thought they'd stay about 3 weeks in Thailand as they travel about. Oh well, no problem now they will stay under 2 weeks and add an extra week in Cambodia/Vietnam. So 1 less week of spending in Thailand... and they are not exactly backpackers with no money. The backpackers are all on Air Asia getting 30 day visas...

But if you are in the south this is certainly a reasonable trip for a 60 day visa run, although not so much for the 14 days.... if I had that then I gues I'd fly to get 30 days.

[dancep]

I believe this is in the wrong forum and I cant change it...perhaps the moderator could move to the Thai visa section. Thanks.

[Lite Beer]

Moved.

[samuijimmy]

The public bus system works very well, in Thailand... it's very cheap and not that hard to figure out. I use them when ever I can when I head south... & have also used from Chaing Mai to Pai...

But the mini bus companies will always try to get you to use their "network", rather than the Public buses.

Every major town has a public bus station, which I have always found to be clean. The buses too are far more comfortable too & move along at a steady speed, unlike the mini buses where you are squeezed in like sardines & drive generally too fast....

You where you wan to go either way....

[mattcodes]

Would you say its relatively simple to find your way from Hat yai to the border, taking the GF's truck so easier if dont have to bother with taxi.

[lopburi3]

It is. You get on the road a bit beyond the bus station and stay on it. Should not have any problem. Only choice will be go straight to Sadao crossing or turn right to Padang Besar crossing (almost at the border).

[steve187]

well written and very informative thank you.

[antaray]

Please suggest: can I open ED visa in Padang Besar (having all the papers from my school with me)? Or I should only go Penang or Kuala Lumpur?

I would really appreciate your reply.

Thank you.

[notmyself]

Was there yesterday around 12:30. Huge queue of Russians who were all on an overtay of between 2 and 9 days. I always have spare forms which I fill in the night before going so it takes me around 10 minutes all up. This time... 1 hour. They were even bitching to the drivers for going too fast on the trip down! If I was a driver picking up in Donsak and finding the minibus full of overstayers I would floor it too.

[lopburi3]

Please suggest: can I open ED visa in Padang Besar (having all the papers from my school with me)? Or I should only go Penang or Kuala Lumpur?

I would really appreciate your reply.

Thank you.

What are you asking? To obtain a visa (which it appears is what you want to do) you must visit a Consulate and there is no Consulate at border; so Penang or KB or KL would be the places in Malaysia you would have to visit. But if you have a multi entry visa and just need to exit/return for a new 90 day stay you can do that by crossing the border and return.

[bangkokburning]

If you have a multi entry and want to just hop across the border at Sadao you can avoid all the tourists by walking (free) or moto (B40 minimum) to the Hat Yai bus station. Get a minibus to PEDANG BESAR (B45- I forget). Just tell the driver "border". You will stop at the border - do the deed at the Thai kiosk. Walk thru the terminal and down the road to Malaysia. Get stamped in and then turn and look in back of you - walk thru that passthru and go get stamped out. Walk back up the road and buy a bottle of Bourbon. Proceed to the Thai kiosk and get stamped in. When all that is finished walk across the street and pick up an orange local bus that will take you into the city (B40-65? forget). Wherever yo uget off will depend on your ability to speak Thai, your knowledge of HY and the bus route.

If you take a van from the station you will miss all those farangs coming and going to Sadao. Often I am the only one in the van and rarely more than a few farang at Padang Besar.

Unless you own a boat, Samui is for losers. Crap island, crap people, crap immigration. Just crap.

Edited March 1, 2012 by bangkokburning