Going To Hat Yai Info Please

[happyme]

I will be flying to hat Yai next week any 1 with any info about taxis or buses to the boarder and any info they with to give to make it a more pleasant Journey

[elektrified]

If you go to a travel agent in Hat Yai and tell them you want to travel to the border at Padang Besar, they will know of many Thais who work and/or have businesses in Padang Besar and commute each day. Many like having passengers for someone to talk with and share a modest cost of gasoline. I think we paid 200 THB last time we went. The last guy was very interesting and owned a number of businesses in Malaysia. He picked us up at our hotel in the morning in his brand new Mercedes and dropped us off right at the front-door of where we were going in Padang Besar.

[jackr]

Shared taxis used to go from outside Kings hotel along Niphatutit 1, a few blocks due east of the train station right in the centre. It was about 250 baht and may have run to Penang (can't remember). Along this street (or the others next to it--Niphatutit 2 and 3) are several travel agents where minibuses go to the border regularly. Pretty cheap and takes about an hour to Sadao, which I always found these easiest, though when bouncing borders, it's best to pay for a motorbike taxi between the checkpoints as it's a fair hooking. You can buy duty-free at the mall on the way back.

You can also get a regular bus, but the station's a bit of a pain to get to. With either method, it'll have to be taxi from the airport.

However, if the idea is just to hit the border, might be worth asking the taxi how much direct from the airport as it's a fair way south of the city to start with and would save a huge amount of time and messing about. Tell them you live there when he gives you the price.

On the buses, Wikitravel has a bit of info on the options:

There are three border crossings to choose from, all easily accessible from Hat Yai.

• Dannok: Vans run from Hat Yai right up to the Thai immigration complex in Dannok in Sadao district. Journey time is about one hour and the fare is 55 baht. Vans leave Dannok in front of the 7-11 store on the left side of the street after leaving the immigration complex. Note that the distance between the Thai and Malaysian immigration checkpoints is about 1km, quite a distance to walk in the heat. You can take a motorcycle taxi between them. Bus and minivan to the border stop running around 6PM, so ask if there will be a return before boarding.
  
• Padang Besar: Regular buses depart Hat Yai's bus terminal for Padang Besar (only to the Thai side). Journey time is about one hour, price 50 Bhat (Aug 2012). If you are crossing to Malaysia immediately, ask to be dropped off right at the gates of the Thai immigration complex before your enter town.
  
• Sungai Kolok: A minibus run from Hat Yai bus terminal right up to the Thai immigration complex in Sungai Kolok by passing through the provinces Pattani and Narathiwat in about 4 hours. THB180. When considering this option, please consult local advice on current security threats, many travel advices around the world consider it an area to avoid (according to a travel agent nothing has happened to this Minibus service in the last 4 years, as opposed to the Hat Yai-Sungai Kolok train. The threat is a sleepy driver and the numberous roaming cows on the street.
  

[masuk]

Do remember that many western Embassies have issued 'no travel' warning to the southern provinces.

If anything happens, the insurance companies won't want to talk to you.