Hi to everyone,
Well, another visa run completed to Penang, so that's that for another 15 months
- Non imm 'O' 12 month multiple entry visa again thanks to Haji Jabar at the NJ book centre/visa agent....phew!
As ever, I always learn something doing this trip; this time I discovered that it's no good turning up at HatYai at 4:30pm on a Sunday expecting to get on a minibus to Penang. During the week it's no problem, but at a weekend arriving after 2.00pm so I'm told, is just too late. An expensive lesson learnt as I ended up paying 1,800 Baht for a taxi to Georgetown!! As the saying goes 'you live and learn'....Next time I'll do an overnight bus trip from Phuket and get to HatYai early.
Georgetown (Penang) never seems to change much; I personally quite like the place and it's certainly cheaper than Phuket for food and accommodation; beer is arguably more expensive – but there again I don't drink, so that's no problem...I find it refreshing to get away from pickup trucks (you don’t see any in Penang), broken roads and dangerous overhead power cables. It always strikes me what Malay’s must think when they cross the border in to Thailand for the first time – it’s like stepping back into the 20th century.
Anyway, happy to be back on Phuket with my Thai wife and baby.
Geoffphuket