Koh Samui to Hat Yai

[Eric1949]

Could anyone please tell me abount the buses which run from Samui to Hat Yai, then onto Penang.

I have just found out that my Thai bank account is the wrong type for my retirement visa this year. So I have to make a trip to Penang for a non-immy 'O' visa. Is it still possible to get a year visa, or is it less now?

Thanks

[limbos]

Buses to Hat Yai leave from Nathon, opposite the old pier, where the night market is. There may be minibus services but have no idea where they would leave.

[PoorSucker]

Sombat goes to Hatyai with Super VIP bus.

They got a sales office at the Lamdin red-light in Chaweng.

http://www.sombattour.com/html/home.php

[PoorSucker]

You could fly to Penang for 6300 baht return with Firefly.

[robsamui]

Asia Travel will sort you out a through ticket for about (trying to remember) about 800 baht?

But you need to split your trip. Hat Yai first then a connection to Penang.

I've done this a dozen times now and find that it's just as quick and easy to do-it-yourself rather than getting a joint ticket. This came about when I landed in Had Yai, went to get the bus to Penang, and was told there was a 3 hour wait for this. There was a mini bus (another company) waiting to go right away so I just got straight onto it (paid the extra 300B or so fare) and off I went.

I suggest that the best bet is the one I just went to Had Yai on - the bus from the imaginatively-named "Had Yai Thai Malay 2001" company. Sombat Tours charges 730 baht to Hat Yai whereas these (and Phantip Travel's mini bus) only charge 450B, including the ferry.

The Had Yai Thai Malay 2001 VIP coach leaves the Nathon Bus Station at 7.30 am to get the 8:00 am Raja ferry in Lipa Noi. I think it runs direct to Penang, with no need to change (but check this - go to Nathon and speak to the very pleasant girl in the front office facing the street.) It certainly goes to the border at a place called Sungai-Kolok, from where you can take a bus to Kota Baru if you want (there's a Thai Consulate there - much nicer place than Penang. Gonna do this myself in 3 months time).

And you can leave your car/bike safely at the Nathon Bus Station (just before the first BKK Bank on the left as you come into Nathon).

Arrives in Hat Yai at around 3.30 pm, stops for 10 mins then goes on to arrive at the border at around 7 o'clock at night, for a grand total of 632 baht, including the ferry. If you can satisfy yourself that there's a connection to either Kota Baru or Penang (and that the coach indeed does go to Penang) then this sounds like the one to go for.

Just Google Had Yai Thai Malay 2001 and there's the info at samuidays-dot-com. But get to Nathon first, get all the info and book a few days in advance.

Have fun!

R

[robsamui]

ps - I'm pretty sure that Penang will not give you anything more than a double-entry non-Im-O. That's 60 days and then a border run? This WAS the case but things might have changed. Asia Travel will give you all the details. And you could do a lot world than browsing through the current info in the Visa section of TV.

Best to research this before you go!

R

[samuijimmy]

ps - I'm pretty sure that Penang will not give you anything more than a double-entry non-Im-O. That's 60 days and then a border run? This WAS the case but things might have changed. Asia Travel will give you all the details. And you could do a lot world than browsing through the current info in the Visa section of TV.

Best to research this before you go!

R

Unless this has changed within the last year, you should be able to get the O visa for one year in Penang and just report to Nathon Immigration every three months...

I got screwed up on renewal dates last year and now have O not OA visa.... but which way is the wind blowing today!?

[longtom]

I have just found out that my Thai bank account is the wrong type for my retirement visa this year.

Are you sure about that( wrong type of account)? If yes, forget and just skip what I write next.

Was it 'birdman' at Samui immigration who told you that? Just asking because I know a few cases in the last 1 or 2 years where the accounts were actually OK (with confirmation from bank managers), but ...

If you're not sure, ask Herbert's visa service or Asia Travel, they should be in the know about it!

Thanks everybody for the Penang travel tips, have to go there for my yearly visa and always appreciate the best information for that.

[Eric1949]

Thanks all, will try the various oiptions.

[PoorSucker]

ps - I'm pretty sure that Penang will not give you anything more than a double-entry non-Im-O. That's 60 days and then a border run? This WAS the case but things might have changed. Asia Travel will give you all the details. And you could do a lot world than browsing through the current info in the Visa section of TV.

Best to research this before you go!

R

There are no double entry non-O visas.

Non-O visas are for single or multiple entry and each entry gives you 90 day permission of stay when entering the kingdom.

They will issue a single entry non-O that the OP need for extending his stay at immigrations.

The OP probably had the money in a joint account that will not qualify him for extension (unless 1.6 Mbaht).

[robsamui]

ps - I'm pretty sure that Penang will not give you anything more than a double-entry non-Im-O. That's 60 days and then a border run? This WAS the case but things might have changed. Asia Travel will give you all the details. And you could do a lot world than browsing through the current info in the Visa section of TV.

Best to research this before you go!

R

There are no double entry non-O visas.

Non-O visas are for single or multiple entry and each entry gives you 90 day permission of stay when entering the kingdom.

They will issue a single entry non-O that the OP need for extending his stay at immigrations.

The OP probably had the money in a joint account that will not qualify him for extension (unless 1.6 Mbaht).

OK - sorry - wasn't at all certain, when I wrote this. Thanks for the correction.

R

[Eric1949]

ps - I'm pretty sure that Penang will not give you anything more than a double-entry non-Im-O. That's 60 days and then a border run? This WAS the case but things might have changed. Asia Travel will give you all the details. And you could do a lot world than browsing through the current info in the Visa section of TV.

Best to research this before you go!

R

There are no double entry non-O visas.

Non-O visas are for single or multiple entry and each entry gives you 90 day permission of stay when entering the kingdom.

They will issue a single entry non-O that the OP need for extending his stay at immigrations.

The OP probably had the money in a joint account that will not qualify him for extension (unless 1.6 Mbaht).

The account where my money is, is an investment account which cannot be withdrawn on for 12 months (in my case end of November).

The bank did not tell me, or they just did not know, that this account was unsuitable for retirement visa requirements. They even did the confirmation of funds letter yesterday, which was rejected by immigration.

Question has anyone managed to get a non-immy 'O' (not for marriage purposes) from Penang this year, and for how long?