Visa run to Penang: fly from HH to Hat Yai, then bus?

[Diana]

Me and my partner need to do a visa run because our 30-day exemption expires. We want to get the 60-day tourist visa in Penang.
Because the train takes such a long time, I was looking into other alternatives. Found a cheap flight from Hua Hin to Hat Yai. From there we can take a minivan or bus to Penang. Anyone experience with this one? Or any other advice that might be helpful?
Thanks in advance!

[lomuamart]

It's a long time since I've done it but the minibuses from Hat Yai to Penang were frequent. You go through the border at Pedang Besar/Sadao which is close.
Can't remember how long the journey was but I'll guess at about 5 hours. The minibus should cross to Penang over the bridge and drop you off in central Georgetown.
Be amazed at how the driver starts obeying simple traffic laws, like speed, once you're in Malaysia!!

[oakdale160]

Cost of flight?

[JustAnotherUser]

Getting van from Hat Yai to Penang is pretty easy, any tuk tuk driver will bring u to some kind of bus\van station. Bus\van go pretty frequent, but be aware that last ones departure around 4-6 pm (because they need to come back to Thailand same day). So better get there earlie, if u not planning spend night at hat yai.

[HHTel]

I've done the journey to Penang on bus and by train. Given a choice, I would always take the train. It may take longer but it's overnight (or was when I did it) so you're in your bunk for a large part of the journey.

[Homer]

Most people use a visa service. The Thai embassy is a long taxi ride, so it's easier and cheaper to pay 20 RM for the service. Drop passport before cutoff time on morning of day 1, get it back in afternoon on day 2. Knowing those 2 times are useful, so one doesn't spend more days & nights in Penang than need be.

[Jose]

I have done visa runs to penang loads of times,

If your in HH, then the train is best as its over night,

I tend to use a visa service at bananna boutique hotel,
not cheap but they have done the business for me on 3-4 occasions.