Told there are flights to Yat Hai but cannot find.

Any suggestions other than visa run companies ?

Anyone taken the bus? Is it awful?

If all you want to do is a visa run, then from Hat Yai bus station you can get the non aircon bus to Padang Besar. (1 hour)

Tell the conductor you want the border and they will drop you off there and you can exit Thailand walk across the border (600 metres), enter Malaysia and if u like turn right around and go back to Thailand.

Then get the bus back to HY.

This is certainly the cheapest way and the bus ride is fine.

From Phuket bus station to Satun is about 8 hour trip. Take songthew or motorbike taxi to ferry (50 baht), then ferry to Langkawi. Stamp in/stamp out, ferry back to Satun then bus back to Phuket. Langkawi has is free port so some good buys but remember the liquor import limit into the LOS.