Penang Consulate Open Jan.1 Or 2?

[daeng1212]

I'll probably be going to Penang to try to get a tourist visa at the end of this month (along with how many hundred other people?). Could someone kindly tell me if the Thai Penang Consulate in Penang will be open on Jan. 1 and 2? Also, is it closed on all weekends? I checked the website http://www.thaiembassy.org/ but there was no link for the Penang consulate. I noticed that the Thai embassy in Vientiane says it is/was closed on Jan. 2 and 3, and on weekends as well. I imagine that was Jan. 2 and 3 of this year (2006), which would've been the Monday and Tuesday following New Year's Day.

Thanks for any help anyone gives.

- Daeng

P.S. The title of this post should read "Penang Consulate open Jan.1 or 2?", but I don't see any way to edit the title.

[i've chenged the title for you. Maestro]

Edited December 5, 2006 by maestro

[daeng1212]

Also - what about Dec. 25? Will the Thai consulate in Penang be open on that day?

[Axel]

December 25, Christmas-day is public holiday in Malaysia, also January 1, New Year's day. Both being public/national holidays, so for sure every office is closed incl. the consulate.

IOn addition, Thai government offices do note work on weekends, so the consulate should follow suit, as well.

[Roger Dodger]

Word going round is that the Penang consulate will be closed on December 25th, Jan. 1 AND 2. But it would be nice to get some kind of confirmation on that... Anybody got the OFFICIAL word on that? Maybe Sunbelt Asia? I'd plan to get myself in there on the THIRD just to be safers ;-)

BTW, got my ThaiVisa Polo shirt today. Hope you guys got yours too. We gotta stick together. I'll be wearing mine on my next border run... Recommend you do the same, let em know you know the score mate.

[Maestro]

got my ThaiVisa Polo shirt today. Hope you guys got yours too. We gotta stick together. I'll be wearing mine on my next border run... Recommend you do the same, let em know you know the score mate.

Now that’s a capital idea! It identifies you as almost a colleague of the immigration officials.

Which reminds me: I ought to order mine before they run out of stock.

---------------

Maestro

[lopburi3]

Normal holiday schedule of a Consulate will be to observe all local and home country holidays.

Penang workweek is Mon-Fri so always closed on Saturday and Sunday.

December 25 holiday in Malaysia so will be closed.

January 1 always holiday so will be closed.

December 31 always holiday but on Sunday this year so expect Tuesday will be observed as holiday in Thailand and Consulate will be closed.

But the only sure way to know is to call them and ask.

[Axel]

Lupburi 3 said it all, but here some confirmations sourced to the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Division of the Malaysian Prime Minister's Department and the Tourist Authority of Thailand. Guss these 3 can be treated as OFFICIAL.

And btw, school starts this term on January 3/07 in Malaysia, that's OFFICAL too.

http://www.kln.gov.my/?m_id=44&id=285

Copyright of ICT-Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia

http://www.tourism.gov.my/misc/HolidaysFederal06.asp

Source From : Cabinet Division of the Prime Minister's Department

The following are national public holidays in Thailand :

New Year's Day : Jan 1

Source: TAT

http://www.tourismthailand.org/about/about...spx?ParentID=19

Edited December 5, 2006 by Axel

[daeng1212]

Thanks to everyone for their responses.

I just called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok and asked about the consulate in Penang. They said it would be OPEN on Dec. 25 (Christmas day) and closed on Jan. 1 & 2. Surprise.

[lopburi3]

Monday, December 25 is a Federal holiday in Malaysia (all states) and I do not believe the Royal Thai Consulate will be open. Suspect MFA gave you Thai holiday schedule. I do not believe there Consulate in a foreign country will fail to observe local holidays.

[Axel]

Below contact-details from ThaiVisa.com. Perhaps give them a bell and keep us informed. Good Luck!

PENANG

Royal Thai Consulate-General

No. 1, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman

10350 Penang

Tel. (60-4) 2268029, 2269484

Fax:(60-4) 2263121

E-mail : [email protected]