Doing a Visa Run to Malaysia

While some regular travelers dread the arduous visa run, for some, it is one of the most exciting parts of a foreigner’s stay in Thailand. A visa run (also called a border hop) is the journey towards a neighboring country where a foreigner needs to “refresh” or apply for a Thai visa to stay legally in the country. In accordance with Thai visa laws, a foreigner must leave the country on or before the visa’s expiration. Destinations practically include all the neighboring countries like Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos and Burma or sometimes flying to nearby countries such as Singapore or Vietnam. But we will discuss the visa run to Malaysia in particular.

Journey by bus or plane

Just south of Thailand’s border is Malaysia. One can travel to Malaysia via land or air. If you want to make the visa run from Bangkok by land, you can do it by train or by bus but a good chunk of your time will be spent on the traveling alone. The last major city of Hatyai in the south is a good 15 – 18 hours away from Bangkok via the highways and the railroads. The city is the jump-off point for the travel across the border to Malaysia.

On the other hand, if you’re not keen into long distance land transportation, you can opt to enter Malaysia by air via different airline companies. There are lots of daily flights from Bangkok to Malaysia, so you can pretty much choose a flight that fits your time and budget. The flight can be an hour or two depending on your Malaysian destination, so it’s worth taking this option if you don’t want to spend almost the whole day in the road.

Entering Malaysia

Prior to entering Malaysia by land, you have to pass the Sadao Immigration Post. There, your last day of stay is stamped onto your passport. Upon entering the Malaysian side of the border, your luggage is screened and checked, and your passport will be stamped a 30-day tourist visa.

By air, your exit is stamped at the Suvarnabhumi Airport, and upon entry to an international airport in Malaysia your passport will be stamped with a 30-day visa. Just make sure you exit the country on or before the 30 days allowable stay.

Malaysia is a culturally rich and progressive country. Language barrier is hardly a problem as they are generally good English speakers. By ethnicity, Malaysians are more of the Malay/Indian heritage than being of Chinese descent. Islam is the major religion in the country, so it would be best to familiarize yourself with the Islamic culture so you won’t get into trouble. And when it comes to food, there are also a lot of Indian influences as seen in the flagrant use of curry and spices.

Processing of Visa

There are basically two destinations in Malaysia to process the Thai visa. The Thai Consulate in Penang is where the 90-day single-entry non-immigrant B visa is obtained; another is the Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur where the 1-year multiple-entry non-immigrant B visa is issued. The consulate in Penang and the embassy in Kuala Lumpur also process other types of visas such as tourist, transit, re-entry, extension of stay, etc.

The most important part of the visa run, however, is the planning. Make sure to bring all the necessary documents to ensure the success of the application. The processing time usually takes around one to two days. Keep a fair amount of money for the processing fees and for your personal expenses. Get a local map, and check out the Malaysian and Thai holidays to avoid wasting time. And remember to always come on time!

There are some stories from foreigners who were denied of a visa for incomplete documents so it’s best to check all requirements before flying out. It’s not like you can just run down a block to get that one missing document. Doing a visa run should not be that unpleasant. When in doubt, seek the assistance of a visa expert or legal adviser to make sure everything is in order.