Visa Run - Laos Vs Malasia

[hansco]

Hi All,

As many of your visa run stories have been helpful to me in the past I thought I would share mine with you.

I have been in Thailand on a tourist visa for 6 months now and have just got another double entry tourist visa from Penang.

I am English, 38 years old and was on a year off the vicious circle of work, pay, tax, drink, sleep and work again so I decided to go around the world but as I suspect many before me I got to Thailand, met a good lady and haven't made it any other country's yet.

Anyway back to the visas! I originally applied for a single entry visa in England, not knowing I could apply for double entry+ (I had not discovered thaivisa.com at that time) so I came with my single entry (60 days) and went to Bangkok for my 30 day extension (Also not knowing I could get it from any local immigration office).

At the end of my 90 days I was near Nong Khai at my girlfriends house so I decided to go to Vientiane for a new visa. It was a complete nightmare as it was 2 day's before the price hike in August (I had no choice as I didn't want to overstay). I spent 4 hours queuing to hand in my application and they would only give me a single entry, probably because the prices were going up in a couple of day's then I spent 3 hours queuing for my passport the next day.

As you can imagine I was completely put off by the whole process and swore I would never do it again.

Two months on I was on Koh Samui and after talking to some other local farangs I discovered the local immigration office was in Nathon on the west side of the island so I got on my bike and headed over there. I arrived at the immigration office at about midday after finding it without much trouble (It is on the road south out of Nathon towards Lamai and is on the crossroads of the first set of traffic lights you hit).

As I pulled up the immigration guy was outside having a cigarette and asked what I wanted so I told him a 30-day extension, he said "I was going lunch but if you quick I do". I was pleasantly surprised after the miserable faces in Bangkok immigration. I quickly filled out the form and handed over a photo and my 1900 baht and was on my way in 5 minutes flat.

Another 28 day's later I was still on Samui so I had to plan a visa run (My vow to never do it again had been forgotten by this time) as the nearest and after talking to other expat's on the island the best bet looked like Penang in Malaysia. I went off and got my 560 baht bus ticket from Nathon, Samui to Penang via Hat Yai. I was promised a big air-conditioned bus to Hat Yai then a mini bus to Penang.

My girlfriend and I turned up at Nathon to meet the bus at 7:30am and discovered the nice bus I was promised was big and air conditioned but 20 years old with uncomfortable seats and a driver that insisted on blowing his air horns if another vehicle came within 100 yards of him (don't ask me why). So after a ferry trip to Surathani, 6-hour trip to Hat Yai and a Tuk Tuk to the Mini bus station I wasn't very rested or relaxed.

Upon arrival at the mini bus station they asked for our passports and when I asked why (I don't like to give up my passport to anyone who isn't in uniform) I got the usual Thai brush off or the can't be bothered to explain look. Anyway my girlfriend said it was ok so I gave them it but kept it in my site, as it turned out they were doing the Malaysia immigration forms in English for the Thai's and were checking all was Ok with the farangs visa's etc. My passport was promptly returned to me and off we went on the bus.

It was a 1-hour trip to the border from Hat Yai where the Thai Immigration people took a very long look at all my visas and checked me on the computer but I eventually got my exit stamp. In contrast to the nightmare that is Thai visa land, when we got to Malaysia immigration the lady just smiled and gave me a 3 month visa stamp for Tourism and business without asking a single question and after filling a simple form not unlike the Thai entry form, my Thai girlfriend got a 1 month stamp so there is difference between nationalities. Back on the bus it took another two hours to get to Penang along a nice well surfaced road with 3 lanes and proper entry and exit slip roads unlike the Thai U-turns and dirt track entry's of the land of smiles.

Arriving in George Town Penang at 8:00pm and after talking to some of the other passengers (First timers too) and the Mini bus company in Hat Yai we arrived at the Bus terminal which was outside the recommended Swiss Hotel, well we went to the desk and asked to see a room (just looking at the place you could tell it was a dump) and we were shown a room that if you have seen the film 'The Beach' and have seen the room he stayed in on the Khao San Road you will know what I am talking about. Also recommended to me by my neighbour on Samui was the Hotel Continental and as we were driving to the bus stop I spotted it on the next road so we and another couple headed off for that, 5 minutes later and 96 ringits (approx 1000 baht) later we were checked into a nice hotel with Sat TV, Mini bar and a rarity in Thailand a kettle with Tea and Coffee.

The next morning I got up at 9am after over sleeping and decided to get some breakfast and head off to the Thai consulate only to be informed by the waiter that breakfast finished at 10am (I had forgotten to put my watch forward 1 hour to Malaysian time) so I immediately thought I have no chance of getting my visa today, the queue will be too long (after the Laos experience) and it closes at midday but I thought I would go and try and at least get a application so after asking reception the best way to get there she said go outside and ask a taxi.

The taxi said no problem 10 ringits (100 baht) and I will wait for you and bring you back which seemed good service but once we arrived I could see why as the Thai consulate is located right in the middle of what looked like residential district with no passing taxi's that I could see.

I walked into the compound and was asked to sign in the security post and was given a application form by the guard and when I looked round there was the application window (Outside) with no one queuing and just a couple of people sitting on chairs. I went over to desk along to wall next to the office and filled out my application walked up to the window and gave it to the official there, he took a quick look at it and said "How many entries do you want?" I was shocked after my last experience and said rather sheepishly two please (I thought about asking for more but as I am only intending being in the LOS for another 6 months at the most I stopped myself) he said "OK 200 ringits" (2000 baht approx) 100 per entry. So in less than 15 minutes I was back on my way to the hotel with my receipt to pick up my passport the next day after 2pm.

After a good night in George town and a good nights sleep the same taxi driver from the previous day turned up 1:45pm to take us to pick up the passport, I arrived at 1:55pm waited behind about 6 other people and was out of there at 2:05pm with my passport complete with double entry tourist visa in my hand and my faith in the Thai visa system much improved.

We had intended making a holiday of the trip to Penang and maybe stay a week or so but the situation changed as my girlfriends mother has been rushed into hospital in Udon Thani to have a operation on a brain Tumour which there was a 50/50 chance of surviving so we ended up going straight from the consulate to the bus station, back to Hat Yai then on a plane the next day to Udon via Bangkok but I am glad to say she survived the operation and is now recovering.

I am sure the Laos experience was made worse by the timing a couple of day's before the rise but if anyone asked me I would say Penang is by far the better place to go as the town is nicer (Vientiane was very boring), the hotels are better (Forgetting the Swiss Hotel), the consulate staff are allot friendlier and there don't seem to be the thousand visa touts jumping the queue's like Vientiane.

Hope this will be of help to someone

Simon.

[PK2]

Appreciate the report - there must be lots of long term genuine tourists in LOS will find this a useful update.

[alykev8892]

Thanks for the detailed input. I have done the Vientiane visa run for 2 years now and it gets worse every trip. Penang may be further from Pattaya than Vientiane, but perhaps it is time to try it my next visa run. I am wondering if you had to produce any bank statements, etc. in order to acquire a multiple entry tourist visa.

[z21rhd]

Greetings,

Just returned from a visa run - Yang Tao (Laos ) back to Thailand Thru Chong Mek

Thai Immigration requested 100 Bhat ( no receipt) for 30 days (is this new??)

THe Laotions charge $30 US + 20BT

previously with reciepts - now none

Richard

[hansco]

I am wondering if you had to produce any bank statements, etc. in order to acquire a multiple entry tourist visa.

No I didn't give them any additional paperwork, just the application form.

[bartender100]

I have done the Penang run a few times,I always go to the same place on one of the tourist street,fill in the forms there,and they go to the embassy for you for 20 ringet.Saves the hassle of getting a taxi 4 times,and is legal to do.

I was told the embassy prefer you to do it this way.

[shemmy]

ya the swiss hotel has the service,save time and the taxis,,,,smart move

[hansco]

I was told after I had already been to the consulate that the day manager at my hotel (Continental) does a visa service for guests but it was too late by then! I always hear about these things after the fact!