A new Thailand visa run option: if you are an expat wanting to renew your Thailand visa, try the new Thailand visa run from Phuket to Langkawi, Malaysia and back for only $120!
A new option for Thailand visa runs is to hop over to the Langkawi beaches of Malaysia in less than 1 hour. Another reason why you would want to pop over to Malaysia is to do some duty free shopping at the duty-free island of Langkawi.
A 34 seater turbo propeller airplane will fly you in 40 minutes from Phuket to Langkawi with "Happy Air" for 4,000 baht or 100 bath a minute :-). 4000 Thai baht is about $120 USD.
This new Thailand visa run can be done in a single day with no hotel expense: the flights depart from Phuket on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 9am, arriving at Langkawi Island at 11am local time. Passengers can get their visas for Thailand stamped and take a return flight one hour later.
Who needs a Thailand visa run?
Foreigners who come to Thailand normally will get a 30 days arrival visa to Thailand in their passport. If you are willing to stay longer in Thailand, then you have to leave the country and return back again. The 10 day extension done in Bangkok immigration is a time consuming alternative costing already 1900 baht or half the price of the new Phuket - Langkawi Thailand visa run.
Alternative Thailand Visa Runs: Phuket visa run: 3 days to Penang or few hours to Ranong
Happy Air is currently flying between Phuket and Haad Yai and is in talks to fly between Haad Yai and Malaysia’s no frills Subang Airport: more for visiting Malaysia than just doing your Thailand visa run.