Penang and Back - just
-
KelpieKiss
- Banned
- Posts: 255
- Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:36 pm
-
derekahall
- Novice
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 6:08 pm
Visa run
I need to do a visa run next week from Hua Hin. I have a non immigrant O visa so I only need to cross the border and come back, which is the best way to do this? Has anyone taken the train from HH to Padang Besar and then taken the first train back, before?
-
margaretcarnes
- Rock Star
- Posts: 4172
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:28 am
- Location: The Rhubarb Triangle
Penang and back - Just!
Hi Derek - no - I'm pretty sure you can't do it in a day by train. I've been down by train to HatYai and stayed over for a night or two. You can get a sleeper from HH, then in HatYai there are a couple of minibus companies not far from the train station where you just book in and wait - never long. They are running backwards and forwards to the border all day.
Can't remember the name of the soi I'm afraid but some kind soul might put a map up for you!
I wouldn't advise getting any old taxi from the train station. The only time I did that the guy took me to an airport. TIT
BTW if time is important it might be quicker to do Cambodia. Night train from HH, Coach about 7 am from Sukhumvit near Robinsons, whiz to Poi Pet, lunch, back in Bangkok hopefully in time for an early evening train to HH. It can still stretch to over 24 hours though.
Can't remember the name of the soi I'm afraid but some kind soul might put a map up for you!
I wouldn't advise getting any old taxi from the train station. The only time I did that the guy took me to an airport. TIT
BTW if time is important it might be quicker to do Cambodia. Night train from HH, Coach about 7 am from Sukhumvit near Robinsons, whiz to Poi Pet, lunch, back in Bangkok hopefully in time for an early evening train to HH. It can still stretch to over 24 hours though.
A sprout is for life - not just for Christmas.
Glad you had a good time, KK.
derekahall,
Mags is right, the overnight train will be your best bet. Either take the Butterworth one that'll cross the border at Pedang Besar and just get off there, or get a minibus from Hat Yai (not much point as the train goes on to PB anyway). You'd have to get off in HY if you were on the Sungai Kolok train. Take a look here for timings:
http://www.tourismhuahin.com/trains-huahin.php
By the looks for things, you could get back the same day after a few hours wait in PB or Hat Yai - it's a heck of a lot of traveling though. I've stayed over in PB and it's a pretty boring place. HY would be better.
I'd book the sleeper well in advance if you go this way. Advance tickets can be reserved 3 months beforehand.
Alternatively, why not just go to Ranong and over to Burma. That's your closest crossing point. Bus leaves HH at 8am (to Phuket) and arrives in Ranong at approx 2.30/3pm. Allow a couple of hours to do your run and there are regular buses back to HH. Think there's one at 5.30pm and another at 7pm. Arrive back in HH about 1am.
Again, I'd go a day early, the bus from HH can sometimes be full and if you arrive in Ranong a day late you'll be jepordising your Non O visa (I assume it's multi-entry). If the bus is full, there are other ways to get there. A later train to Chumphon, overnight there and a minibus the next morning to Ranong for instance.
derekahall,
Mags is right, the overnight train will be your best bet. Either take the Butterworth one that'll cross the border at Pedang Besar and just get off there, or get a minibus from Hat Yai (not much point as the train goes on to PB anyway). You'd have to get off in HY if you were on the Sungai Kolok train. Take a look here for timings:
http://www.tourismhuahin.com/trains-huahin.php
By the looks for things, you could get back the same day after a few hours wait in PB or Hat Yai - it's a heck of a lot of traveling though. I've stayed over in PB and it's a pretty boring place. HY would be better.
I'd book the sleeper well in advance if you go this way. Advance tickets can be reserved 3 months beforehand.
Alternatively, why not just go to Ranong and over to Burma. That's your closest crossing point. Bus leaves HH at 8am (to Phuket) and arrives in Ranong at approx 2.30/3pm. Allow a couple of hours to do your run and there are regular buses back to HH. Think there's one at 5.30pm and another at 7pm. Arrive back in HH about 1am.
Again, I'd go a day early, the bus from HH can sometimes be full and if you arrive in Ranong a day late you'll be jepordising your Non O visa (I assume it's multi-entry). If the bus is full, there are other ways to get there. A later train to Chumphon, overnight there and a minibus the next morning to Ranong for instance.
-
Randy Cornhole
- Rock Star
- Posts: 3701
- Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 5:01 pm
- Location: London
- Contact:
-
edwinadanish
- Amateur
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2008 3:27 pm
-
Cowtown Comedy
- Professional
- Posts: 285
- Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 4:47 am
- Location: Hua Hin
Trains Planes and Automobiles
Its quite funny that I a guy on the train to Penang who was very much like John Candy..looks and personality..
I've done the train trip to butterworth 3 times, and I think its the only way to go as long as you have the time. The lower beds are a nice size and quite comfortable. The dining car stays open until 10p, the food is ok, and the beer is cold. If you dont bring food, remember that the dining car get dumped at the border, so you have no food service from the border to penang. When you get to butterworthvery modern bus, dont get scammed into a taxi ride, take the passenger ferry, for ...umm i think it was 1.5R, or 15bht....when you get to the island, take a very modern bus down chulia street for only 1R.....for something different, take the minibus back to hadyai...stay a night...i thought it was a fun city..then jump back on train the next night.
I've done the train trip to butterworth 3 times, and I think its the only way to go as long as you have the time. The lower beds are a nice size and quite comfortable. The dining car stays open until 10p, the food is ok, and the beer is cold. If you dont bring food, remember that the dining car get dumped at the border, so you have no food service from the border to penang. When you get to butterworthvery modern bus, dont get scammed into a taxi ride, take the passenger ferry, for ...umm i think it was 1.5R, or 15bht....when you get to the island, take a very modern bus down chulia street for only 1R.....for something different, take the minibus back to hadyai...stay a night...i thought it was a fun city..then jump back on train the next night.
Ive just this week done it the other way around Singapore to Hua Hin by road.Jockey wrote:Great report Lomu. I'm planning a road trip from Hua Hin to Singapore, stopping off at Chumpon, Krabi, Penang, Cameron Highlands, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Considered using the train but reckon taking my own truck will enable me to go places I would otherwise find difficult to get to. Any tips / advice welcome.
I got the VIP bus from golden mile dept at 7pm we travelled through the night and arrived at hat yai around 9.00 am , i looked for a VIP bus from there but nothing to be had and did not fancy a long wait at the station with my luggage so I asked thetravel agent what the best way was and she said a mini van was leaving in 15 minutes so i took that it stopped every three hours and i was dropped off at the clock around 8.20pm.
the mini van was cramped when i first got in it was me and 5 girls plenty of room but it picked up again and filled up and the fat family with 3 year old ended up next to me.
Im glad i did it but i came back via tiger airways!!
Rob