Hello Thailand experts,

I am needing to do a border run to activate my 2nd entry on my "multiple entry tourist visa". We are wanting after to be in Krabi for a few days. What is easiest, hiring a car and going to ranong, then driving to Krabi? or, training it down to malaysia, then mini-vanning up to Krabi?

Where do I need to get off for malaysia, do I have to go all the way to butterworth for it? we dont need to go to any embassey or anything, just a border run..

Whats the deal when I get to Ranong, someone said we have to hop on a boat? do they run all day?

Any advice would be great

Ranong is probably nearer.

Yes you have to get a boat to cross the river and there are plenty of them.

Last I heard it was a crisp $10 bill to enter Burma.

This might help:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/541216-visa-run-next-week/#entry5233892

Malaysia you can cross at Sadao or Padang Bessar.

A Visa is not needed to enter Malaysia.

Catch slow train to Chumphon, leave HH ~ 1130, arr CHMPN ~1700, cost ~ 50B. Walk out of station to the west , past three old locomotives ~ 100m to traffic lights, look to north ~ 80 m Fame GuestHouse. Rooms 160B+. Book for next day visa run costs 1100B (includes the $US10), leave 0530 from Fame, put your big toe in Burma (all guided too easy, all you need is a photocopy of main page of passport or pay 20B at Thai side of border), return to Fame* 1130 and can get "Sprinter" train leaves Chumphon ~ midday, back in HH ~1600, cost ~ 200B

(*ask the Fame minivan to drop you off at the railway to save time)

thanks for info!

1 more question, is there a bus from ranong-Krabi? as thats where im heading to.. and do you have any info on it? costs, frequency etc, I cant find much on it..

cheers

@mrastoney, yes. I don't know the schedule but the main bus station in Krabi should be able to help you. If you still want to go all the way to Malaysia, why not depending on whether you are in a rush or not. Langkawi is near the Thai border and Penang is only about 90 mins south of the border. Both are easy to reach from Thailand. Not sure about cross-border bus options (at least from Had Yai) but it would be ridiculous if they didn't already exist...both Malaysia and Thailand drive on the same side of the road anyways.

OK, there are big buses (ChokAnAn Tour Co) that leave from CHMPN for Phuket ~ 4x daily, going via Ranong. You would have to get out on the Hway then take minibuses/taxi to Ranong Port - not easy to do with no local knowledge. Cost? maybe 200B

There are 2 minibuses daily CHMPN to Krabi - not sure if they operate out of Fame GH, but Fame can certainly book for you. Cost ~ 350B.

Unless you are in a big hurry, might be better to do visa run one day, enjoy CHMPN, then on to Krabi. I never stayed at Fame but did the 0530 visa run last year, they are very helpful. AA

You could hop a flight to Panang and then fly direct to Krabi. Would take care of your visa and can check out Panang at the same time. Very short flights and would save time from all the buses and trains as mentioned above.

I recommend you take the train to Haad Yai. In Haad Yai, depending on your budget, you can take a local bus to Pedang Besar, a share mini-van or (easiest) hire a taxi. They will take you to the border at Pedang Besar, stamp out of Thailand, stamp in and out of Malaysia and back into Thailand. They will stop at duty free if you want and then back to Haad Yai. This takes about 3 hours. You can then catch a VIP(blue) bus to Trang, about 3 hours. From Trang you can take the train to Hua Hin. If you want you can take a bus from Haad Yai to Krabi, stay there a while, then take a bus to Surathani train station.

If you go to the Andaman Club you do not need the crisp 10 US$ but the crossing costs a foreigner 850 Baht