Thread: Penang Visa Run

I plan to do a visa run to Penang. I used to do them donkey's years ago. Before it was simple, overnight sleeper train direct to Butterworth arriving after midday. Here my memory clouds. I'm sure on arrival I would go to a cafe where there was an indian guy who provided the visa service. He'd take the passport that day and return it next day in time to get the train back to Bangkok. So it was just one night in Georgetown. Anybody remember if that was the case or have I got this wrong?

Anyhow onto the now. It seems the direct train is no more and I cant see how to get it done in minimum time. Seems to me no way to arrive in time to submit application same day, you have to arrive day before application. AND then with passports being ready for collection next day after 2pm is there time to get to Hat Yai for the Bangkok train back.

Can somebody please give me the details on the fastest Penang visa run by train?

btw - what a struggle to find out info. Seems every man and his dog is publishing "How To" webpages but all them out of date (there is no direct train) or miss out on key steps, information and timings. None of the Georgetown visa agents have webpages (with details). The Thai railway site talks about buses not trains, has broken links or crashes. Even this site doesn't have a sticky with full visa run details. The page says ..............

There is a train that leaves from Bangkoks Hua Lamphong train station every afternoon at 2.45pm, this arrives at Padang Besar on the Malaysian Border early the next morning and carries onto Butterworth, the train arrives there at lunchtime,

Is there a train?

fly there with Air Asia, its only around 4,500 baht if you book a month in advance. Stay for 2 nights, there's loads of cheap accomodation there or sleep on the street or beach, its warm enough. The return flight is 17.30 so you should make it with ease

Originally Posted by DenDee

It seems the direct train is no more and I cant see how to get it done in minimum time.

Seems you are correct. Unless it must be Penang alternative is Vientiane.

Train from Bangkok to Udon Thani Schedules and Fares

I get this same departure and arrival before noon. 2:45pm departure, 11:55am arrival. Fly though its a long haul... Not much more if any when you include food and beverages.. Take dill's advice.

http://www.thairailways.com/img/south.gif

@aging one - The schedule you linked to is dated 2008. There is no Bangkok-Butterworth train.

As regards flying, I'm aware that's an option but it avoids rather than answers my question. Same applies to Vientiane.

Nonetheless I appreciate Dillinger, Norton and your responses.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by DenDee

Is there a train?

No...The reason there is no train is, I believe, due to all the floods down South which has damaged the lines



You've probably seen this page through your search

Bangkok to Malaysia by Train and Forward to Penang

but the first comment tells you the lines are down in Prachuap Kiri Khan

Shirley Campbell • 4 days ago Planning on doing this same trip in March, but just informed that the rail is down in Prachuap Khiri Khan, so need to make alternate plans. Is there any other way other than fly?. Also if the rail is open, can we book 1st class cabins?
Thank you

So a google search for Prachuap Kiri Khan lines down leads to this which is a week old



and the week old article from the Bangkok Post

No train services south of Prachuap Khiri Khan | Bangkok Post: news

Originally Posted by DenDee

There is no Bangkok-Butterworth train.

No direct train, you have to change in Pedang Besar.

@Dillinger - You missed my point. I asked somewhat sarcastically "Is there a train" because there is NO train service Bangkok->Butterworth. There used to be but the service no longer exists. I was talking about how there are countless websites with travel advice but how information is either omitted or out of date. I quoted the Teak Door sticky post as example.

Thank you for reminding me, I need to check if and when normal service is resumed on the southern rail.

There is a train from Bkk to Butterworth but one must change at Hat Yai and Padang Besar. Still doable as far as I can see. The service from Besar to Butterworth is a stopping route which I should imagine would be fucking tedious in the extreme.
Are you doing this for a bet?

@Seekingaslyum - Its a leap of the English language to say there is a train somewhere when in fact you mean its possible to get there by train. Its no doubt possible to get to Calais from Bangkok by train but you would not say there is a Bangkok-Calais rail service.

I should imagine would be fucking tedious in the extreme. Are you doing this for a bet?
This is it. You "imagine" you don't know. I was hoping people here would know. Perhaps somebody would advise taking the minibus and tell me if I did that I could submit visa application in time. This is why I posted.

The service is a modern commuter train. It should be clean and comfortable. If spending 2 hours sitting with a laptop looking out the window at Malaysian countryside and perchance chatting to the local sitting opposite is "tedious" how the hell do folk manage to endure being stuffed like sardines into a train to London and sit at their workdesks all morning.

Patience, empty your mind, fill your belly with beer, smile at pretty girl opposite as you sneak a peek ather tits and daydream. Inhale the natural beauty outside you. Consider whether it will be chicken vindaloo or meat masala for dinner tonight. Think about those poor bastards freezing their nuts off back in England. Chat with the farang you met on the train sitting next to you.

This grasshopper, is how you endure 2 hours on the train from Pedang Besar to Butterworth !

When I want a train in Thailand, I alway`s check here first:
Train travel in Thailand | Train times & tickets from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Ko Samui, Phuket, Nong Kai etc.

@ch1ldofthemoon - This is part of my problem and reason I posted here. Firstly the site you link to is not an official site. One look at the site style tells me its outdated. I could never take anything from there at face value. I would have to double check info which then beggars the question whats the point of info that cannot be relied on without corroboration.

Secondly, if I look at the relevant schedule on that page it lists just ONE BKK train connecting to Pedang Besar. The train arriving at 7.35. But there is a train arriving 6.45. AND from another rail site (TeakDoor wont let me post links yet) there is a train 171 that arrives at 5.52 which is NOT listed on your site.

Elswhere I see several Hat Yai - Pedang Besar trains. And there is bus and minibus from Hat Yai to Pedang Besar. It may be possible through earlier train, bus, minibus etc to get to Penang in time to submit visa. I dont know and all the information I've found or been given is unreliable, incomplete, inaccurate. Hence my posting here hoping somebody knew from having done it.

Thanks for trying to help.

how about learning Thai and ringing them up then, or get a Thai to do for you.

The problem is Malaysia has upgraded their trains to nicer, newer, faster and electric. Hence no connection is possible.

This seems to be the way now, at least as of 4 months ago.

Bangkok to Malaysia by Train and Forward to Penang

@Chico - I do speak Thai. I will go to my local train station and will confirm train availability, connections and times. BUT the guy at the train station won't be able to tell me that if I get the earlier train to Hat Yai and walk down the road to the bus I will have time to get the earlier Malaysian train to get to Penang in time to submit visa. And he won't be able to tell me that if I go to Fred on Chulia Street before 2am he can submit the visa to his pal at the consulate who he gives money under the table to.

You get the picture? I was hoping somebody here knew the trail. This site has an entire section dedicated to visa runs but so far I've had ...

• go by air
• go to Vientianne
• go by a train that doesn't run there any more
• learn thai and phone "them"

Come on lads, I appreciate folks are trying to help but perhaps the best answer is "Sorry mate, don't know".

One thing I have learned in Thailand is don't necessarily trust what the Thai at the end of the phone tells you. I put more trust in the Farang who has been there, done it, got the Tshirt but it seems nobody here has the Tshirt.

Its no big deal. I've been to Penang many times in the past. I'll simply do a bit of path and fact finding and then when I return I will have an up to date Tshirt. Easy Peasy !!

@aging one - I saw that site but its not a "How to do a Penang Visa Run" site. Its a "This is how I went to Penang" page. Its his travel blog. This is what I meant when I spoke of every man and his dog posting travel guides that fall short of the mark. He talks about there being one train a day. Not true. And he gives no info on Thai visa application and return to Thailand.

The pain is these guys promote their sites so they comes high in the google rankings such that the really informative sites (if any) are buried on page 2,378.

Originally Posted by DenDee

Come on lads, I appreciate folks are trying to help but perhaps the best answer is "Sorry mate, don't know".

No, the best answer is; Get the plane you cheap bastard and spend the time that you've saved sitting outside Bora Bora sipping cocktails on Batu Feringhi beach or in the Gurney Hotel banging Chinese brass or trekking to Monkey or Turtle Beach and hire a cheap scooter and go round the island.

Anything but sit on a train with a bunch of stinkin backpackers

Originally Posted by DenDee

if I go to Fred on Chulia Street before 2am he can submit the visa to his pal at the consulate who he gives money under the table to.

That's all stopped now..All visas have to be applied for in person now.

What visa are you going for btw? There's no more double entries issued there now

Dee visa runs or not its the fastest way. He stresses that and gives the cost of every train type. It cant be done by rail anymore. Shared taxi's are right there so jump in one then wait until it gets full.

Dill once again has said it best. Mom mom god bless her would have called you "persnickety". You really know the answer.

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  Originally Posted by DenDee

  He talks about there being one train a day. Not true. And he gives no info on Thai visa application and return to Thailand.

Why don't you talk to the guy in his comment section, he has responded to that woman's question already

• Shirley Campbell • 5 days ago Planning on doing this same trip in March, but just informed that the rail is down in Prachuap Khiri Khan, so need to make alternate plans. Is there any other way other than fly?. Also if the rail is open, can we book 1st class cabins?
  Thank you
  
  
  
  
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