I have been in Thailand since December 2012. My girlfriend and I live in a rented house near a village called Khao Kuang Village near Mount Kuang. This is located just a few kilometers from Pranburi.
I have not yet applied for a one-year visa. Because I don't know when to go to the Netherlands every now and then, and because I didn't want to wait long when I stopped working, I decided that this was better and faster for me.
Before the extension I had first planned to fly with Lufthansa (my previous employer) to Kuala Lumpur and get another stamp for a month there. This had been the cheapest way. But we decided to do it differently. My girlfriend had never traveled on a night train before and had never been to Malaysia.
So we booked two tickets on the sleeper train to Butterworth. In Penang I could then get a visa for three months. I arranged the overnight stay in Penang via the internet. And on the day of departure. A nice guesthouse in Batu Ferrenghi. Everything went fine.
The train was scheduled to depart from Hua Hin at 18:45 PM. We only took a small suitcase and backpack with us and parked our motorcycle with an acquaintance who lives near the station. Before we got on the train, we quickly got a few snacks in the supermarket and a tasty soup for dinner.
The mosquitoes danced merrily above my friend's black hair
When we waited for the train at the station, the mosquito season had come again and they danced merrily above my girlfriend's black hair and above my grey-black backpack… Why? The animals come to light, but like to hover over black backgrounds…
The train journey was accompanied by a number of delays and we arrived in Butterworth the next day with an hour delay. We had already eaten our breakfast long before. When you arrived there you were immediately “attacked” by people who wanted to take unsuspecting travelers by taxi to Georgetown. I ignored this one, exchanged a few Thai baht in peace and my last 10 euros for Malaysian ringgit, which I needed to book the return journey. This way we secured a better place back. Lower birth: a wider bed and easier to get into. Costs a little more.
By the way, I booked the train journey to Butterworth at the station in Pranburi. There and back the trip cost just over 4000 Baht for the two of us.
The next day we immediately went to the Thai embassy in Georgetown. We drove a part by bus (101) and covered a part by taxi, because it was not so easy to find. There was a car with a copy machine in front of the Embassy, so that you could have any forgotten documents copied. And don't forget to have your passport photo taken. We were lucky: when I submitted my application I was the last. Then the embassy closed. But we were able to collect my visa at half past four. Cost: 110 Ringgit.
Because I had seen on the internet that the printer I wanted to buy in Malaysia was almost 3000 Baht cheaper than in Thailand, we went looking for it. I found him in the Komtar building. But what a box…. we dragged it all the way to the embassy… get on the 101 to Batu Ferrenghi, get off at the police station and from there to the embassy. And back again… pfff .. a taxi would have been easier, but it was just not nearby.
15:30 Ten minutes later the first ones started to complain
When we arrived at the embassy (exactly at 15:30 am) there were already quite a few applicants – or collectors for their visas. Ten minutes later the first ones started to complain. When the counter would finally open. After all, the visa was collected between 16:00 PM and XNUMX:XNUMX PM?
A young woman with long light blond hair and protruding breasts stood very close to an official with this because she thought he would become weak and gave her the visa first…. he wasn't exactly impressed... But the return was quick and soon we were on our way.
Penang is nice. I was there for the first (and last) time about 35 years ago. Of course everything has changed. Georgetown was then a small town and is now a large city. Land prices have shot up. The road from Georgetown to the airport is now packed with residential areas and factories manufacturing computer equipment.
There is plenty to see. The Butterfly Farm is worth seeing. There is also a spice park, where you can breathe in wonderful scents. There was often a lemon scent in the air, but I couldn't make out where it came from. I first noticed that at the exit and after a few mosquito bites: there were two bottles with anti-mosquito spray that smelled like that….
Batu Ferrenghi is a nice place to stay. In the evening you can go to the night market and buy all the copies you get in Thailand there.
Malaysian food was disappointing
However, what disappointed us a bit was the Malaysian food. My girlfriend in particular thought it was something that would be fed to pigs in Thailand: you could grab a plate of rice and then choose from vegetables and meats. All tasty, but then many people slapped a mishmash of sauces on your rice, making the whole thing a mash. We could have prevented it by asking for separate plates… And the food was not spicy at all. I thought I remembered that Malay cuisine was almost as spicy as Thai. Or it must be adapted to the taste of the foreigners… a bit bland food…
On our way from Georgetown to Batu Ferrenghi we saw a shopping mall with a Tesco. We also went in there, because I wanted to buy herbs (Asian) that I couldn't find in Thailand, or couldn't get because of my pronunciation. Much cheaper than in Thailand and afterwards can still be found in Tesco Lotus Pranburi or Hua Hin.
I was part of the search that a family from Limburg was looking for cloves, but did not find them. They probably didn't know the English name. I took a package from the shelves and brought it to them. Since I myself come from Limburg, they thought it was nice to meet someone else with a soft g.
The next day I met those people again in Batu Ferrenghi. It turned out that grandmother and granddaughter (of Indonesian origin) live in the same street where our Guesthouse was. How small is the world….
It was noticeable that the temperature in Penang is higher than in Hua Hin and the surrounding area. I also think the humidity was higher. We visited Fort Cornwallis. The heat was exhausting and a visit to the botanical garden wasn't that great either. So the next day I rented a Honda motorcycle and with it we drove around the whole island in 5 hours…
The return journey was pleasant; the lower beds were comfortable
The return journey was also pleasant and went well. The ferry to Butterworth on the way back is free. Next to the station are restaurants where you can spend your time waiting for the train back to Thailand. This one was on time on the platform. Two Japanese who had nestled on the benches next to us in the train had to leave because they were in the wrong carriage. The new passengers were Chinese, who also approached us, because they thought we were wrong. Apparently we had read our tickets a little better….
The border is at Penang Besar. On the out and in trip we simply left our well-secured luggage in the train (I had the printer in my suitcase). On the way out I heard an American screaming excitedly. Turns out he was drunk and not allowed into Malaysia. What did he do when his visa for Thailand had expired and could not continue? No one could give me an answer… an unanswered question went with us.
This time we dined on the train…. 500 baht for a pretty nice meal… soup, rice, vegetables, chicken and fruit for dessert… for two people.
The lower beds were more comfortable than the upper ones and we could easily sleep two in a bed. My girlfriend was very happy with it, because she didn't like lying alone in such a bed. And we put part of our luggage on the other bed (of course no documents or money)…
The next morning around seven o'clock we were in Hua Hin. Our knowledge was already (still) exhausted and a little later we drove home again with our motorcycle, heavy suitcase, full backpack and bag with herbs….
Pretty nice story.
“Penang Besar” is Padang Besar.
We think differently about food – it will be due to different experiences and difference in taste. The food on the train … rather not.
There are many hawker stands on Penang and the food is very good there. Many Chinese restaurants.
I come to Penang every year and it is a true paradise for the culinary enthusiast. And there is also Thai food available everywhere.
You will have it bad.
I'm glad to hear that the Bangkok-Butterworth train (and vice versa) has not yet been cancelled. In recent years I have experienced that that service is too often limited to Bangkok-Hat Yai. Then I (usually coming from Penang) had to take a taxi or van from Butterworth to Hat Yai and that is not exactly my preference.