[Updated 18 June 2024]
Most ex-pats in Southern Thailand are living on the island of Phuket, so the easiest Visa Run to renew or extend their Thailand visas is to drive right up to Ranong, Myanmar (Burma) and cross over by boat. Many expats living in Krabi, Trang, Phuket, Phang Nga, and Surat choose to go to Malaysia at the Satun border crossing instead. IT’S EASIER!
We now offer Visa Runs for expats from Krabi to Satun by van or car!
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Krabi to Satun, Malaysia’s Wang Prachan Border
Recently I completed my 9th visa run to Satun’s Wang Prachan (Wang Prajan) border crossing in Thailand’s Satun Province. It is quite an easy and necessary experience! Sometimes I took the motorbike, and sometimes our car. Our friend recently began driving this route from Krabi Town and Krabi’s Ao Nang Beach down to Satun in their nice VIP Toyota Van!
NOTE: I have the Non-immigrant O Visa from the USA because I am married to my Thai wife. Your experience may be different if you have a different VISA or you are from a different country. Satun can also be a place to go out and in to get another 30 day Thailand Visa on Arrival.
It’s a little bit stressful drive – considering you’ll travel just under 600 km in about 8 hours from Krabi, and much further from Phuket. There are many bad and inconsiderate drivers on the roads in Thailand that you should look out for. Drive defensively and don’t risk a costly and life-changing accident if you drive yourself!
Where Is the Satun Border Crossing with Malaysia?
From Krabi, you can head South toward Satun Province on Highway 4. This is the main road leading to KBV – Krabi International Airport. Before you reach Ampur Muang (central), Satun, you make a left at Chalung and a right at Khuan Don Subdistrict you’ll see a couple of signs for the border – a right-hand turn. Take it. It’s about 15 km from there.
After just a couple hundred yards after making the turn, there is a big soup sign on the left. I ate noodles with beef there – amazing and still cheap (40 THB). They are re-finishing this road, and it is nearly done. It is a lot nicer than it was 3 months ago when the entire road was mud!
Here are the Google Maps directions to Satun from Krabi:
Drive Yourself or Take Our Krabi Visa Run Van Service?
Driving your own car or motorbike works, and some people do it. it’s possible to take a motorbike from Krabi to Satun and make it just fine. I did the roundtrip in less than 8 hours last time on a Suzuki Raider 150cc motorbike. It isn’t exactly comfortable!
It’s safer and much more comfortable to go with our Krabi visa run service because our Thai VIP Van driver knows the road and knows intimately how other Thais drive. Thailand roads can be dangerous if you haven’t lived here and driven here for a few years.
Riding to Satun to take care of your Thailand Visa extension requirement is much more comfortable in our plush Toyota van.
Driving our own car was easier in some respects, but the motorbike was probably faster. In a car, you cannot easily pass all the time to get around slower drivers. I went on a Tuesday and the traffic was negligible in most places before 3 pm.
Mondays and Fridays can be much more crowded, so choose another day if possible.
All day long vans show up packed with tourists doing their visa runs at Wang Prachan border. If you get there around 8 am, you’ll be sure to have a short waiting time. Vans from Phuket, and other further areas don’t arrive until after 9 am.
Krabi to Wang Prachan Border in Satun VIP Bus Schedule
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – 2 Person Minimum
- 0400 (4 am.) – We leave from Ao Nang Beach at the Big Blue Marlin fish statue.
- 0420 – Passengers in Krabi Town picked up at the Crab Statues on the Krabi River.
- 0500 – Pickup of passengers at the intersection leading to Ko Lanta Island.
- 0530 – Pickup of passengers in Trang in front of the Trang Airport
- 0830 – Arrival at Satun’s Wang Prachan Border
Returning to Krabi after everyone fulfills their legal visa requirements to stay in Thailand the schedule varies a bit because it may be a short line, or a long line at the border checkpoint. We try to Ao Nang Krabi by 2 pm. in all cases.
Bring with You On the Visa Run
- Passport!
- All pages and stapled papers that go in your passport.
- Extra money for any surprise at the border – it happens sometimes.
- Hat, for sun and umbrella in case it is raining.
- Snack, lunch, and drink for the ride, it’s about 8 hours round trip. Limited bathroom break opportunities.
Can You Take GRAB Ride for Your Visa Run from Krabi or Trang to Satun?
Yes, you can! The price however, is going to be FAR MORE money – over 14,000 Thai baht round-trip to take a comfortable van. If you want to just take any vehicle that will drive you, you can go for about the same rate as our VIP Van – around 5,800 Thai baht round-trip.
The problem with Grab rides is that you are in the small car with someone who may or may not be a good driver. They may not have a decent vehicle with up-to-date brakes, tires, and other crucial parts. Their vehicle may not be safe or comfortable. They may be on methamphetamine, like our recent Bangkok Grab driver was!
Since the cost is roughly the same, but you get to ride in the luxury of a very nice leather-seated Toyota VIP Van, your choice should be obvious! We can vouch for our drivers and the vehicle is up to date!
June 2024 Wang Prachan Border Run Trip Report
After hearing from many sources on Aseannow (formerly ThaiVisa) that the border in Satun and Malaysia is no longer as easy to cross and come back in 5 minutes, as it once was, I almost went up to Burma instead. Fearing the high seas because this is the season for it, I wimped-out and drove down to Satun as I usually do to extend my visa in Thailand!
The drive to Satun is so much nicer, easy-going, and stress-free than the drive to Ranong, at the Ranong Border Crossing. Instead of drive there early in the morning like I usually do, I left Krabi Sunday afternoon and drove to the Thaleban National Park just 5 minutes from the border to stay overnight.
It’s just about 1 km from the border, so it’s easy to wake up, have breakfast, and go to the border early around 8 am.
I arrived around 8:20 am. this time and they were open. There was only one foreign woman ahead of me and nobody else to be seen anywhere. I lucked out!
I was fully ready to pay the 1,300 THB I was told was the current bribe there. Malaysia recently implemented a mandatory overnight stay for people trying to do a simple over-and-back border run for their tourist visas (TV). That’s bad news because this border is in the middle of nowhere.
You’d be staying in a tent in Malaysia if you had to go there for a night. That, or drive a long distance in a pay taxi to reach any kind of accommodations.
So, I figured, I would just pay the 1,300 Thai baht bribe and be in and out like the old days, with just a little less money in the pocket.
I checked out of Thailand. And, to my surprise, I wasn’t asked for money.
I went to the Malaysia inbound window. I handed the man my passport. He looked at the picture and said, “Get queue.”
I said what? He pointed to a pink number tag. “Get queue,” he repeated.
OK. I had heard there was a pink number that needed to be got, but I didn’t get offered one on the Thai side. I went back to the Thai side and told the guy, “I need the Pink Number.”
He said, “Not need.”
I said, “Malaysia immigration just said I need.”
He said, “Not need because you have a Non-Immigrant O visa. Show them your visa.”
I said, “OK, thanks.”
I walked back to the Malaysia border. I said, “I don’t need a queue because I have non-immigrant O visa.”
He said, “OH, you do?”
He hadn’t looked, just assumed I had a tourist exemption and was trying to get another 30 days at the border. Apparently, they charge Americans with a tourist visa 1,300 THB. Russians are charged 2,600 THB for their 60 day visa extension.
So, if you have a non-immigrant visa, in Satun at the Wang Prachan Border, you won’t have to pay the extra fee.
Keep in mind that the border situation is always changing, and it may be slightly different for you. Our VIP Van Service keeps up with the changes as much as possible, so you should have a smooth time of it.
Bring a little extra cash anyway. Who knows if you’ll need it?
I have another visa run in a couple of months. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Cost of Krabi/Trang to Satun Visa Run
- 1 person – 2,900 THB
- Travel Visa fees at the border (you pay) – 1,300 for 30 day or 2,600 for 60 day pass.
- Breakfast and Lunch – about 100 THB each.
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If you are in PHUKET and need a Visa Run (click)