Visa run - hat yai/padang besar

[dinosaur]

Help needed for newbie!

Will be doing my first visa run next week and have concluded that Hat Yai/Padang Besar may be the most convenient. Hoping to do a one-day turn around for a tourist visa.

I will be flying down (free airmiles!) from Bangkok to Hat Yai.

How does one get from Hat Yai to Padang Besar?

How much does it cost? Is it regular?

Can I just walk to Padang Besar and turn around?

Is it easy to get transport from Padang Besar back to Hat Yai?

How long does it take?

All advice appreciated.

Thank you in advance!!!! :laugh:

[lopburi3]

Never used Padang but believe that there is regular bus service from Hat Yai.  Always took a taxi to Sadao and that costs about 500 baht by yourself.  Even the Thai drivers from the airport are willing to make this trip.  They might also take you to Padang if you ask.  But if you are concerned about cost a van into town and then bus or share taxi would probably be the best.

[Jade]

I have used the Hai Yai - Padang Besar visa run on several occassions. If travelling by taxi, it is recommended that you first take the airport minibus service from Hat Yai airport direct into Hat Yai town, for 60 baht, and then take a taxi from the town centre direct to Padang Besar. The cost is between 400 and 500 baht one way. On the other hand, if you take a taxi direct from Hat Yai airport to Padang Besar, the taxi cost will be significantly higher, so it is suggested that you get a taxi in the town, rather than the airport.

Alternatively, you can take the mini bus to the city, and then take a public bus to Padang Besar. There is a public bus service which leaves from the Hat Yai clocktower on a regular basis. The trip cost is 20 baht. The seats are most uncomfortable and small, so I would recommend the taxi trip unless you are on a tight budget.

The bus or taxi can stop right outside the border entrance to Padang Besar, where you can walk right through the Thai and Malaysian immigration, and walk right back into Thailand. The whole process can be completed in less than 20-30 minutes. On all occassions I have been through, there have been no waiting queues.

In answer to your question, taking transport from Padang Besar back to Hat Yai can be a difficult task, especially by bus, however there is a taxi service which operates from the Padang Besar border which you can negotiate to take you direct to Hat Yai airport for between 400-500 baht. The trip takes between 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the route taken.

Hope this helps.

[stellone]

any recommended hotel in padanbesar?

[ubonjoe]

You just dug up a 6 year old topic.

It might of been better to of made a post on the Thailand travel forum or even the southern Thailand forum.

[stellone]

oops, i am so sorry i didnt see the topic date. i was searching google and this link came up so i just opened and was curious to reply immediatly.

[bjhabal]

If you can catch the morning train from Hatyai comming from Bangkok and going to Butterworth (arround 7.00-8.00 AM) then you can comeback immediately by the Malaysian train, which arrive from Butterworth to the border at the same time with the Thai train. It is one hour trip per one way and the cost should be less than one hundred Bhat. and even if you mised the Malay train to comeback, you can just wait for the Thai train, which will be back on the evening arround (6.00 PM). There is ticketing offices at the border for both trains.

It is not the best option, but at least one of them.

Good luck

Bishop

[bjhabal]

oops, i am so sorry i didnt see the topic date. i was searching google and this link came up so i just opened and was curious to reply immediatly.

Me too sorry.

Bishop

[ubonjoe]

oops, i am so sorry i didnt see the topic date. i was searching google and this link came up so i just opened and was curious to reply immediatly.

I just though I might bring it to your attention.

Why don't you just stay in Hat Yai and make the trip from there to Pedang and back in the same day.

[stellone]

hi ubonjoe thanks for the suggestion.

I have booked the ticket to go Hatyai tomorrow by Thai Airways. I will arrive there around 10:40. i want to go to padang immediatly and then finish the visa thing then come back to hotel. next day i will be back to bangkok.

please let me know the best suggestion and the best way to do it.

thanks.

[Lite Beer]

A few years ago when I used to do this. Mini bus to Padang. 40 Baht Get off at the crossing. Motorbike Taxi round the checkpoints . Duty Free on the way back. Drop off at the Mini Bus Station. Back to Had Yai 40 Baht. That was 4 years ago, it cannot be that much different.

[ubonjoe]

Post number 3 gives you some good options.

The trip is only about an hour so you have plenty of time.

[stellone]

i checked all most all the hotels but all are full but i got a hotel called President Hotel which is so cheap. i am worried why are they so cheap. anyways the hotel guys will pick me to hotel. then from hotel will arrange something to go crossing the border. i am new for this so i dont want take a risk.

the sadest thing is there is no spa in the President Hotel

[Lite Beer]

i checked all most all the hotels but all are full but i got a hotel called President Hotel which is so cheap. i am worried why are they so cheap. anyways the hotel guys will pick me to hotel. then from hotel will arrange something to go crossing the border. i am new for this so i dont want take a risk.

the sadest thing is there is no spa in the President Hotel

Maybe they saw your Avatar. Don't Worry. It is quite easy.

[lopburi3]

If money is not an issue I always got a taxi from next door to King's Hotel and went to Sedao (highway) crossing (you can also get an airport taxi to take you directly but at a higher cost). But that was also a few years ago. Hat Yai has very good hotels at reasonable price and active nightlife/restaurants.

[lopburi3]

Tomorrow trip - Saturday - that explains the full hotels. Malaysians come in busloads for the shopping (women) and nightlife (men) so Friday/Saturday do fill up. The President is a very old low rise hotel of the type common 20/30 years ago. I have stayed there about 15 years ago and was OK - beds were a bit sagging but a normal tourist class hotel and not too far out of center of town.

[stellone]

there is no issue of money involved but the issue is i am travelling alone and i am new to this part of thailand. i guess there is not much difference. anyways there wont be a problem since i arrive in the midday and i can just check-in to the hotel and afterwards can do the crossing.

i guess the border is open till 23:00 pm. if what i read was not wrong.

i will post my experience after i come back to bangkok

[stellone]

Tomorrow trip - Saturday - that explains the full hotels. Malaysians come in busloads for the shopping (women) and nightlife (men) so Friday/Saturday do fill up. The President is a very old low rise hotel of the type common 20/30 years ago. I have stayed there about 15 years ago and was OK - beds were a bit sagging but a normal tourist class hotel and not too far out of center of town.

i guess the place is so much changed after 15 years so i will not bother to find that hotel..

maybe i will search skype to find someone from hatyai.. i couldnt find a professional escort website either from hatyai. maybe they dont do the stuff what bangkok doing..

[ubonjoe]

Did you try contacting any of these hotels.

http://www.r24.org/hotels.thaivisa.com/south/hotels

[stellone]

today i called the hotels from top to bottom in this page. have a look.

http://www.nature-run.psu.ac.th/hotel_info.php

difficult to beleive all are full!!

the regency hotel asked me to call on arrival to airport. they may have. thats why i thought i will choosed President Hotel as a guarenteed place

Edited May 1, 2009 by HassanMuneer

[lopburi3]

There are a lot more hotels than that. I have stayed at Central Hat Yai (not the Central on your list), Lee Gardens (not the Plaza, which I like, but original hotel), Florida and several others (all middle class). But they are probably also booked on the holiday weekend. I always planned by trips to avoid Friday/Saturday.

Edited May 1, 2009 by lopburi3

[stellone]

i wont plan my trip for a weekend again.

[ubonjoe]

Another website with 40 hotels listed: http://www.gogohatyai.com/

[stellone]

helo guys i have successfully completed the trip to padangbesar to get my 90 day stamp.

i arrived to Hatyai yesterday morning at 10.30 by Thai Airways and directly went to hotel with a friend i found in MSN (Previously i didnt know she live there, until just 11 PM of the night before my flight). She took me to the President Hotel and we did the check-in. The hotel costs 600 baht per night for all catogary of rooms. The rooms are big enough and have a big bed. Toilet was ok but the windows looks like it was never cleaned. The lobby also looks nice but the lobby doors looks like never cleaned too.

after check-in we went to have lunch in a sea food restaurent and then directly went to padangbesar by her car. on the wa y i paid her 500 baht for patrol. we arrived to Padang after 40 mins of drive and stopped the car out side the border gate. went and showed my passport to the immigration officers there for the departed stamp. it took for them 5 mins to check it because they have never ever seen a Passport from my country in that area. They said this is the first time a Maldivian crossing border through Padang. Anyways the officers were friendly they just asked about the country and let me go. so we both went inside malay and had 5 min drive and came back.

The same questions also at the arrival immigration counter too. they dont even know maldives and never seen a passport from my country. the visa was from colombo so they thought im from colombo even the passport showing my country name. they brought a senior officer and showed it. they asked me few questions like why u came this area.. what u did in malay and how u get malay visa.. i said Maldivians get malay visa on arrival and i am in padang with a friend just travelling. tomorrow i am flying back to bangkok. anyways they gave me the visa for 90 days

Thank GOD it was successful. we came direct to Hatyai and went to beach to spend time until dinner.

Had the experience of escort, massage girls and restaurents. I guess bangkok is better in terms of all those services. the escorts were hurry to finish the job and run away. massage girls cannot be nagotiated. they dont care.. they just want to do the job and go.. i just wanted to experience the Hatyai services i didnt use them. paid and let them go because i had girls who give better services..

after all those experiences of 24hrs in Hatyai i am back to Bangkok now.

Edited May 3, 2009 by HassanMuneer

[ubonjoe]

Thanks for the report.

Sounds like you had a good trip.

[stellone]

OH YAH.. that was a fantastic trip. for those of you who didnt choose the padangbesar road to do visa run i will tell its the best place. no Q line and no traffic. you dont have to spend much for hotels and food.