Hi there,

We are going for the next Visa Run at Hatyai - Sadao .

I have read information on internet but still want to know more.

We don't have car,

I look for Airline which is fly to Hadyai, ( Happy Airline) , but they don't have daily fight and pretty costly.

We intended to go on weekend.

Does anyone have experience for Minibus. Does they drive extreamly crazy ??

Looking for any suggestion.

Thank you in advance.

Where are you travelling from?

What sort of visa run are you talking about?

There are several air conditioned mini buses and/or coaches that make the Phuket to Hat Yai run several times a day.

Once in Hat Yai just about every travel you find in the dowtown area will arrange for your run to Sadao either by taxi or by mini bus. The quality of drivers is no better or no worse than anywhere else in Thailand.

I guess because you say you want to do this on a weekend then you are only looking to do a turn around visa run i.e. a 15 day exemption?

There are lots of daily & regular coaches that ply the Bangkok-Hatyai route. There is also the train which is quite cheap at Hua Lum Pong Station. From Hatyai, there are private vans & cars that will take you to Sadao. Think it is only 30km from Hatyai. Songkla is fairly well developed province and quite safe. Being there countless times & has yet to experience matters relating to safety.

Most of the professional drivers (i.e. those that drive as their profession) in Thailand have a death wish. Your chances of survival are better if you rent a car. Then you can go at your own pace and enjoy it. It is a very nice drive to Hatyai from Phuket. I just did it this last weekend on a motorcycle. If you don't have experience driving in Thailand, just be attentive to the vehicles overtaking on a curve or rise, as that practice is common here. Be ready to swerve to the left at any moment.

I recommend The Great Hotel in Hatyai. New and clean and only about 500 baht a night. 600 for a suite.

Why do you want to visa run on that route?

If you just need to leave Thailand and re enter you get 30 days on air entry rather than 15 days on land entry.

Check out a return flight to KL or Singapore on Tiger or AirAsia. If you go mid week and book early it won't cost too much, you get twice as many days and you don't have to spend hours and hours on a minibus...

if it is just for the visa run to get a 15 day extension on Tourist visa, or 90 days on Non Immigrant. Why don't you go to Ranong? Several companies are doing it every day. Can be done within one day, for Hat Yai will be two days, just for crossing the border that would be a waste of time.

Unless you are planning to spend some time in Hat Yai or surrounding area it is much better and cheaper to go to Ranong.

If you are more than one person rent a car and share the costs. With 3 person it will be cheaper and safer(Depending how you drive, of course) than by organized tour.

Where are you travelling from?

We are from Phuket

Where are you travelling from?

We are from Phuket

Ranong/Penang? http://www.phuketvisa.com