Could someone please give me the drill as to the ideal time to arrive, (by air) go to the embassy, hotel to stay at and best time to fly out of Penang is with a view to obtaining a non immigrant visa is.

Thanks

I think you might have a long wait John as very few people appear to go to Penang on visa runs any more.I guess all the trouble means Cambodia or Burma is safer.

There are only a couple of flights - at night or late morning arrival. The AirAsia late morning can sometimes get you there in time to submit application before the 12 noon cutoff. If not you have to wait until next day. Visa is available after 2 pm next business day after application; so an evening flight back. Hotel Continental on Penang Street is a good mid class hotel at about 1,000 baht. They can also do the visa process if you don't have time directly from airport.

I think you might have a long wait John as very few people appear to go to Penang on visa runs any more.I guess all the trouble means Cambodia or Burma is safer.

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How is Cambodia or Burma safer than Penang? Surely not in terms of 'security' of crime, etc. But that's probably not what you meant. Last time i went to Penang (last October, i think) i flew in the morning from Bangkok, got there around 10am or 11am, gave in my visa application before noon and picked it up the next afternoon and came right back to Bangkok. Approximately 35 hours.

Assuming you want to fly from BKK, these are your present daily connections:

Bangkok To: Penang

Thai Airasia (FD) Flight 5116

Depart: 7:25a - Bangkok Arrive: 10:05a - Penang

Thai Airasia (FD) Flight 5118

Depart: 7:10p - Bangkok Arrive: 9:50p - Penang

Thai Airways International (TG) Flight 429

Depart: 7:30p - Bangkok Arrive: 10:15p - Penang

Penang To: Bangkok

Thai Airways International (TG) Flight 430

Depart: 8:40a - Penang, Arrive: 9:20a - Bangkok

Thai Airasia (FD) Flight 5117

Depart: 10:35a - Penang Arrive: 11:15a - Bangkok

Thai Airasia (FD) Flight 5119

Depart: 10:20p - Penang, Arrive:11:00p - Bangkok

Here is a copy of a Penang trip report I posted a few months ago:-

I've just returned from a trip to Penang to obtain a non-immigrant B visa. If anybody needs to go in the near future the following may be useful.

1. I flew out on Wednesday evening and back on Friday evening on Air Asia spending two nights in Penang. Both the outward and return flights were delayed by at least an hour. This didn't affect me but it's something to bear in mind for those taking the early morning flight scheduled to land in Penang at 10:05 who want to make the visa application the same morning.

2. I stayed at The Oriental an adequate clean Hotel 69 MR per night.

3. I obtained my visa through an Agent Ravi Sharma Travel Leith street tel 04 2632145. e-mail [email protected]. Just round the corner from the Oriental. Total cost 220 MR. (200 MR visa fee and 20 MR commission). I handed the visa application to him 9.am Thursday morning and it was returned at 3pm the next day. I asked him if it was possible to obtain the visa the same day for a fee he said it was possible with ????? airline (I forget the name) but not with Air Asia.

4. Taxi fare from the airport to the hotel was a fixed 28 MR. On the way back I flagged a taxi down from the street he refused touse his metre though his price of 25 MR was still cheaper than the fare from the airport to Georgetown