Penang Missionary Schools and their dilemma

Missionary Schools was once the best English school tradition left from colonial era; the schools had produced many leaders in the country, and also for other countries, especially Singapore. There are many alumni of the missionary schools all over the world, from Penang. We have many Queen scholars from the schools, former Prime Ministers and business leaders, doctors and lawyers, economist, academician, and people in police and military forces......their contribution in nation building is enormous. They are the important part of the education system in Malaysia.

* Penang Free School founded by Rev. Sparke Hutchings in 1816, is the first and oldest English School in South East Asia. Rev. Sparke Hutchings was the Resident Chaplain of Prince of Wales Island, from the Church of England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion (http://www.cofe.anglican.org/).

* The St Xavier's Institution established in 1852, is the first school established in Malaysia to be administered and fully owned by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, also known as the De La Salle Brothers or the De La Salle Christian Brothers, a Roman Catholic religious teaching order founded by French Priest Saint Jean-Baptiste de La Salle(http://www.lasalle.org/).

* Convent Light Street or the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, a girls' school established by a French Sisters' Mission in 1852, is the oldest girls' school in South East Asia. Sisters of the Infant Jesus, previously also referred to as Sisters of the Holy Infant Jesus or Les Dames de Saint-Maur, is a Roman Catholic Missionary order. It was founded in 1666 by Father Nicolas Barré, a Minim priest, for the gratuitous instruction of poor girls. Sisters of the Holy Infant Jesus were among the pioneer missionaries in Malaya and Japan. The Sisters arrived in Malaya as it then was in 1852 – the first mission on foreign soil since the Founding of the Institute in 1666. The first School as well as an Orphanage was in Penang(source: http://www.infantjesussisters.org/). In October 1852, four French nuns arrived in Penang after having travelled overland from their native country in caravans. Reverend Mother Mathilde Raclot, leader of this group, was to become a key personality in the early history of the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus on Victoria Street, Singapore in 1854(source: wikipedia)

* The St George's Girls' School, nowadays known as SMK (Perempuan) St George, is a school for girls founded by Anglican missionaries, similar to the Penang Free School. St George's Girls' School traces its history to informal classes in 1884, conducted by Mrs Biggs, wife of Reverend L. Courtier Biggs, Colonial Chaplain and the Anglican missionary in Penang.

* ACS(Anglo Chinese School) or now MBS(Methodist Boy's School), Penang was opened by Rev. B. H. Balderston from Methodist Mission on 28th May 1891 at Carnarvon St, Penang.

* ACGS(The Anglo-Chinese Girls School), now Methodist Girl's School, traces its history back to Oct 1892, when Mrs Amelia Young(later Mrs G.F. Pykett)from Methodist Mission, began conducting classes for girls in Northam Road.



Mission schools or Missionary Schools?

Some said the schools started by missionaries should called Missionary School, not Mission school. You can call it Christian School. A Christian school is a school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization.

A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to carry on ministries of the word, such as evangelism and literacy, or ministries of service, such as education, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin missionem (nom. missio), meaning "act of sending" or mittere, meaning "to send". In Christian cultures the term is most commonly used for Christian missions, but it applies equally to any creed or ideology. Missionary school means missionary's school, schools started and owned by a mission or missionary, but the teachers there may be missionary or non-missionary civil servants, or it may be all government civil servants.

Mission is a religious mission or mission station, a location for missionary work e.g. mission field, mission of education, hospital, social work etc. A place for missionary work. Mission school is the school where the missionary teachers worked. That should be the right word, a name or type of schools, where the missionary teachers worked or where the schools were started by Christian missionary, and the missionary work there. The schools where the nun, the Catholic brother/father, or other missionaries teach at the schools. All Convent schools are mission schools where the nuns worked as teachers in the schools. St Xavier's Institution is a mission school, but gradually less Catholic brothers are teaching there.

Mission schools are few now; most of them are now missionary schools.

The Missionary Schools

Missionary schools are schools built by Christian missionaries. Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups (called "missionaries"), to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization (in order to expand Christianity through the conversion of new members), but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged. Missionaries have the authority to preach the Christian faith (and sometimes to administer sacraments), and provide humanitarian work to improve economic development, literacy, education, health care and orphanages. Christian doctrines (such as the "Doctrine of Love" professed by many missions) permit the provision of aid without requiring religious conversion.(source: wikipedia)

Missionaries of various Christian denominations, such as the Roman Catholic Josephian order and the Lasallian Brothers, Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and Brethren churches, started a series of mission schools in Malaysia. It provided primary and secondary education in the English language. Most of these were single-sex schools. Although nowadays they had fully assimilated into the Malay-medium national school system and most admit students regardless of gender and background (some single-sex schools remain), many of the schools still bear their original names today, such as the ones with the names of various saints or words such as “Katholik”, “Convent”, “Advent” and “Methodist”.

Mission schools though started by Christian missionaries, strove to provide education for all the people in the country regardless of race, religion, creed and social class or gender. Mission schools are popular for providing quality education, coupled with education for religious, moral and spiritual values. These values helped to build up generations of Malaysians that are tolerant with a strong spirit of service to society and the nation.

In the early years of independence, existing Chinese, Tamil and mission schools accepted government funding and were allowed to retain their medium of instructions on the condition that they adopt the national curriculum.

In the 1970s, in accordance to the national language policy, the government began to change English-medium primary and secondary national-type schools into Malay-medium national schools. The language change was made gradually starting from the first year in primary school, then the second year in the following year and so on. The change was completed by the end of 1982. From 1982, all missionary schools become Malay medium schools.

Now 410 schools remain throughout the country with 289 primary schools and 121 secondary schools. These schools, each with their different heritage, have contributed much to the building of Malaysia. In Penang, most of the missionary schools are by Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and Brethren churches.

The missionary schools in Penang are:-

1. Methodist Boys' School or Sekolah Menengah Laki-Laki Methodist(established in 1891)
2. Methodist Girls' School or Sekolah Menengah Perampuan Methodist
3. St Mark, Butterworth or Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan St. Mark, Butterworth
4. Assumption
5. St Xavier's Institution
6. St Xavier's Primary School or Sekolah Kebangsaan St. Xavier Cawangan
7. Convent Light Street or Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Convent Light Street
8. Convent Pulau Tikus or Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Convent Pulau Tikue
9. Convent Green Lane or Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Convent Green Lane
10. Convent Butterworth or Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Convent Butterworth
11.Convent Dato Kramat or Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Convent Datuk Keramat (槟城修道院国民型中学)
12. Convent Bukit Mertajam or Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Convent Bukit Mertajam
13. Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Sacred Heart( 圣心国民型中学),
14. St George or Sekolah Kebangsaan Saint George, Balik Pulau
15. Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Methodist Nibong Tebal
16. Sekolah Kebangsaan Pykett Methodist
17. Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Heng Ee
18. Heng Ee High School(恒毅国民型中学)
19. Sekolah Kebangsaan St. Xavier, Pulau Tikus

(note: if any missing names, please inform)

However there were more missionary schools than that, some have been taken over by colonial government under statutory power,which is now government school, like Penang Free School, founded in 1816 by Sparke Hutchings, an Anglican chaplain. Schools like St George's Girls' School, nowadays known as SMK (Perempuan) St George, is a school for girls founded by Anglican missionaries in 1886, are now government public schools. Some schools have been involved by the missionary in fund raising or donation of land, or indirectly by the church or church members e.g. SRJK(C) Shang Wu, Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Union,Union High School( founded 1928 by some charitable Christian believers)etc

Many of the missionary schools left today are convent schools. Convent is an association of religious persons secluded from the world; an assembly or meeting; a body of monks, friars, or nuns; a company of twelve (or with a Superior, thirteen); an assemblage or gathering of people. In simplicity, convent is the building where nun lived(女修道院). Convent school is the school run by nuns(女修道院办的学校). In the Roman Catholic tradition, concern for female education has expressed itself in the foundation of religious orders, with ministries addressing the area. These include the Ursulines (1535) and the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (1849). A convent education is an education for girls by nuns, within a convent building. This was already being practiced in England before 1275, and later become more popular in France during the seventeenth century, and thereafter spread worldwide. Contemporary convent schools are not restricted to Catholic pupils. Students in contemporary convent education may be boys (particularly in India).

In his paper 'Christian Schools in Malaysia' released in 1986, (the late) David Boler outlined three distinct phases through which the mission schools have passed

The Phases of Mission Schools:-

1. Pre Merdeka Era( pre 1957)
The first phase, which Boler called the 'Pre-Merdeka Era', was when the Christian missionaries who established the schools also administered them. The Christian mission are fully involved in the schools, the political support from the colonist government, and nuns and missionary teachers are teaching in the schools. The medium of instruction was English, the standard of English was the best in the region. There are students from the schools who become English teachers in the region. This was the golden era of missionary schools. Many of the past leaders in Malaysia are from the period.

2. Unified Teaching Service(1957-1971)
Next, came the 'Unified Teaching Service' which was implemented following the Razak Report (KPM, 1956). Here, each school was responsible for selecting its own teachers through its Board of Governors. Many schools begin to provide residential accommodation for the students from the villages. The medium of instruction was English. This is the period of political adaptation to national policies and changes, a transition period.

3. Post Aziz Commission Era(Post 1971)
The third phase came with the recommendations made by the Aziz Commission (1971) where teachers would now become government servants and their appointment and deployment determined by the Teachers' Service Commission. After the national language policy in 1970, Malay language gradually replaced English as medium of instruction. It become the only medium of instruction in 1982. The NEP or New Economic Policy implemented in the period. The quality of the schools have declined.

Boler's analysis helps us understand better how the Christian ethos and traditions in mission schools have gradually eroded over the years. The loss of this original sense of identity of the mission schools has been so keenly felt that many of the mission authorities have begun rethinking the future of mission schools (Malaysian Lasallian Education Council, 2007).

Penang state government & Missionary schools

January 09, 2010 Uploaded by 5xmom



Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng met with the headmasters and Parents-Teachers Association representative from 19 missionary schools in Penang. Some of the schools who were present at Komtar Level 5 Auditorium are Methodist Boys School, Methodist Girls School, St. Xavier Institution and primary schools, Convent Schools, Assumption and St. Marks

The purpose of the meeting with CM Lim Guan Eng, YB Chong Eng, YB Law Choo Kiang and committee members of the approving board is to brief the school heads on the application of fundings from the state government.

In 2009, a total of RM4.5 million was disbursed to the school for urgent repair works and also upgrading of the schools. In 2010, the State will allocate RM11.3 M to 124 schools in Penang

However, a few of the headmasters asked if they can also apply for funds to purchase computers, provide teachers training and etc. CM Lim said the state government will carry out proper auditing and hence, the funds are only for physical works such as school repairs and upgrading.

He was shocked to hear that the schools are paying some of the utilities bills which cost thousands of ringgit per month because these schools are charged the same rate as corporate sector. It was also revealed that teachers training allocation was drastically slashed in 2010.

CM Lim offered to help the schools to bring the appeal to the highest authorities to reduce the sewage charges. If need be, he said he will even bring it up in Parliament. He also assured the headmasters that the State Government will be able to provide tailor-made training for teachers as USM and other sources in Penang are able to provide skills training.

The Dilemma

The Missionary schools are facing dilemma, missionary schools now, being a national high schools/primary schools (Sekolah Kebangsaan/Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan), uses Malay as their medium of teaching instead of English, teachers in schools are civil servants, and the recent trends and reports of De-Cristianising by some civil servant teacher appointed as Headmaster. The worry that the identity of the missionary schools are fading. Some of the teachers did not understand the historical background of Missionary schools, and treated the schools like a normal public schools. The historical heritage status of the school cannot be removed, some of the school buildings are heritage buildings, and any ignorant civil servant will damage the historical value. There are documents, magazines, photos and manuscripts in the school premise or library are national heritage. Any administrator of the missionary schools should understand the history of missionary school, otherwise the preservation of the historical materials will be adversely affected.

Being a government public schools,the financial and government support of missionary schools is crucial. Are they having the same support as other non-missionary government schools?. The charging of corporate rate to utility bills of the missionary schools is not help to the school, but added financial burden to the school. Is the Missionary School private enterprise school or government school, that need clarification by the authority.... if not why the double standard of charging corporate rate for utility?(refer to dialogue with Chief Minister).

For the alumni and parents of the missionary schools, the quality of the education is the most crucial for them. Otherwise the reputation of the schools and the future student enrollment will be affected. To the Christian, and the mission that establish and support the school, to maintain the identity of the missionary school, in spirit and in its reputation as schools that provide quality education. The fate of the school chapel, Bible class, and the school society of Christian students(or Christian study) are the main concern.

In conclusion, the need to maintain the identity of missionary school, as its tradition and founding as missionary school.....

Related articles:

1. De-Cristianising Mission Schools?, ttp://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2007/12/de-cristianising-mission-schools.html
2. Recognising the Lasallians, http://www.thenutgraph.com/recognising-lasallians/
3. De La Salle brothers must find new ways to animate their schools , http://www.ucanews.com/2009/07/06/de-la-salle-brothers-must-find-new-ways-to-animate-their-schools/
4. Which were the top 20 schools in the early years of the nation?, http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2010/01/27/which-were-the-top-20-schools-in-the-early-years-of-the-nation/
5. The Mission to Reclaim Mission Schools,by Chan Geok Oon & Lim Boon Hock, http://www.necf.org.my/newsmaster.cfm?&menuid=2&action=view&retrieveid=1043
6. SECRETARIAT BEING BROTHERS TODAY, http://www.lasalle.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=3&lang=en

Free Central Area Transit

Hop On Free Central Area Transit (CAT)

Wonder whether we can get a free bus trip nowaday?

MPPP Rapid Penang CAT(Central Area Transit) is a free shuttle bus service that ply the streets of George Town. It was launched on Friday, 23 January, 2009. MPPP or Majlis Perbadanan Pulau Pinang is Penang's Town Council. Rapid Penang is a private bus company. The collaboration between the local council and bus company for the benefits of local tourism.

There are a total of 19 stops which will take you from Weld Quay, near the Penang Ferry Termninal, to Penang Road. Covering the core and buffer zones of George Town Unesco World Heritage Site. The Hop On Free Central Area Transit (CAT) ply the route between Weld Quay Jetty and Komtar on 15-minute intervals from 6am-12 midnight.

Please visit website http://www.visitpenang.gov.my/portal3/component/content/article/63-getting-around/429-cat.html, and use their excellent Hop On Free Central Area Transit buses and discover George Town, Penang, at your leisure.

The Free Central Area Transit has 3 fully air-conditioned buses with the words

* Hop On Free painted on the front
* City Hop On and Central Area Transit painted on the sides

The Hop On Free Central Area Transit shuttle bus starts at Weld Quay (Bus Stop #1). It then goes along these roads

* Chulia Street Ghaut
* Victoria Street
* China Street Ghaut
* Beach Street or Lebuh Pantai
* Light Street
* Pitt Street or Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling
* Farquhar Street
* Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah or Northam Road
* Penang Road
* Prangin Road
* Jalan Ria
* Magazine Road
* Penang Road
* Burmah Road
* Transfer Road
* Hutton Lane
* Penang Road
* Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong
* Carnarvon Street
* Jalan Kampung Kaka
* Jalan Kampung Kolam
* Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling
* Farquhar Street
* Light Street
* Beach Street
* Downing Street

Route, Bus Stops and Penang Tourist Attractions

Do take advantage of this service and try to see all the sights in George Town, Penang, during your stay here.

1. Weld Quay(or Pengkalan Weld)- There are two bus stops here, include the main bus station at Weld Quay or Pengkalan Weld in Malay. Marked Bus Stop No.1(near Port Swettenham)

1. Port Swettenham, stop at bus stop No1, walk eastward
2. Old post office at Downing Street
3. Chulia Street Pier, can also stop at the main bus station or bus stop NO2

2. Ferry Bus Terminal - Still at Weld Quay(near Ferry terminal).

1. Pengkalan Tun Raja Uda, Weld Quay - take a ferry ride to Butterworth
2. Wisma Yeap Chor Ee, China Street Ghaut
3. Wisma Kastam,China Street Ghaut
4. Clan Jetty, Stop at bus stop no 2, and walk westward

3. OCBC, Beach Street
1. Pinang Peranakan Mansion
2. Chung Keng Kwee Ancestral Temple
3. Penang Heritage Trust
4. San Wooi Wooi Koon
5. Old OCBC Building
6. 1886 Building
7. Kongsoon House
8. Ghee Hiang, Beach Street; just opposite the bus stop No 3

4. Standard Chartered, Beach Street
1. Standard Chartered Building, Beach Street
2. HSBC Building, Beach Street
3. Royal Bank of Scotland (formerly ABN Amro Bank), Beach Street
4. Logan's Building, Beach Street
5. Whiteways Building, Beach Street
6. Immigration office, Beach Street
7. Immigration office, Beach Street
8. Police station, Beach Street

5. Light Street, just opposite Dewan Sri Pinang, in front of Great Eastern Building
1. Town Hall
2. City Hall
3. Fort Cornwallis (inc. Francis Light Statue and Lighthouse)
4. Cenotaph
5. Dewan Sri Pinang

6. Penang Museum, Light Street
1. Penang Museum
2. St George's Anglican Church (inc. Francis Light's Memorial)
3. Church of the Assumption
4. Supreme Court
5. Logan Memorial
6. Convent Light Street
7. St Xavier's Institution
8. Walk at Love Lane

7. St Francis Xavier Church, Penang Road - Recommend to walk to the Northam Road Christian Cemetry, to explore the burial ground of Penang colonial pioneers, inlcuding the tombs of Capt Francis Light; and walk along the Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah near Upper Penang Road, E&O Hotel, Garage; turn right to Leith Strret to visit Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion & Leong Fee Mansion. Other destination are optional.

1. St Francis Xavier Church, Penang Road
2. Francis Light's Tomb, Northam Road(now Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah)
3. Segara Ninda
4. Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Leith Street
5. Bengalli Mosque,Leith Street
6. Leong Fee Mansion, Leith Street(just opposite Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion)

8. Kampung Malabar, Penang Road
1. Benggali Mosque, Leith Street
2. Chowrasta Market, Penang Road
3. Penang Bazaar, Penang Road
4. Bihari Hindu Temple, Penang Road(just opposite the bus stop)
5. Walk along Campbell Street

9. Komtar,Jalan Ria - A shopping stop, take a rest at any of the food outlet
1. Komtar
2. Prangin Mall
3. Pacific Komtar
4. Penang Road Teochew Chendol

10. Ong Kongsi, Penang Road
1. Ong Kongsi
2. Komtar
3. Masjid Jamek Simpang Enam
4. Gama
5. Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, Macalister Road
6. St Paul Anglican Church, Macalister Road
7. Kek Seng Coffee Shop, Penang Road(try the homemade durian ice cream or durian ice kacang)

11. Transfer Road
1. Masjid Titi Papan
2. Dato Koyah Shrine
3. Saw Khaw Lean Heah Kongsi, Burmah Road
4. Penang Khek Association, Burmah Road( visit the Hakka museum)
5. Kuan Yin Temple, Burmah Road(if you visit on 9th month Chinese lunar calendar)
6. Bengali Roti shops along Transfer Road

12. Chowrasta Market, Penang Road
1. Penang Bazaar
2. Penang Road Cendol(if you did not visit at Bus Stop No 9, this is 2nd chance)

13. Prangin Road(Now Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong)
1. Prangin Mall
2. Masjid Pintal Tali
3. Ghee Hin Hall of Heroes, Jalan Pintal Tali(Rope Walk)
4. Prangin Canal
5. Sia Boey
6. Soo Beng Dispensary, Carnarvon Street(the clinic of former Chief Minister Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu and his father Dr Lim Chwee Leong, the road is named after him.
7. Walk along the Carnarvon Street , the coffin street, and stop for Penang food at some of the coffee shops.

14. Carnarvon Street
1. Li Teik Seah Building, Carnarvon Street
2. Penang Tourism Information Centre
3. Penang Islamic Museum
4. Sun Yat Sen Penang Base
5. Campbell Street Market

15. Kampung Kolam
1. Kapitan Keling Mosque
Noordin Family Tomb
2. Khoo Kongsi
3. Cheah Kongsi
4. Lim Kongsi
5. Yap Kongsi
6. Choo Chay Keong Temple
7. Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple
8. Acheen Street Mosque
9. Gudang Acheh

16. St George's Church, Farquhar Street
1. St George's Church
2. Kuan Yin Teng, Pitt Street(now Jalan Masjid Kapitan Kling)
3. Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Queen Street
4. Supreme Court
5. Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Pitt Street(now Jalan Masjid Kapitan Kling)
6. Bank Negara Malaysia
7. Little India

17. Dewan Sri Pinang, Light Street
1. Dewan Sri Pinang
2. Town Hall
3. City Hall
4. Supreme Court
5. Logan Memorial
6. Cenotaph
7. Fort Cornwalli(including Francis Light Statue and Lighthouse)
8. The Explanade

18. Padang Kota Lama
1. State Assembly Building
2. House of Yeap Chor Ee
3. Foo Tye Sin Mansion, now Hong Leong Bank Building
4. Fort Cornwallis (including Francis Light Statue and Lighthouse)

19. Downing Street
1. General Post Office
2. Islamic Council Building
3. HSBC Building
4. Standard Chartered Building

The Central Area Transit free bus service is to facilitate the tour of the heritage city of George Town. Remember you need to walk out of the bus stop to explore the area around the bus stops. A walking tour is the best way to visit Penang old city; not only walking, eating street food and exploring their taste is another challenging experience in the tour; talking to the Penang people in the old city, enjoy the friendly conversation and enjoy the slang of the Penang lang lah....

Selamat Berjalan(Happy Walking)....Hop & Walk....

List of the consulates in Penang

List of the consulates in Penang:

If you need to meet your embassy or consulate; you do not need to go to Kuala Lumpur. You can met them in Penang. But do call them to confirm the nature of the services provided.

1. Consulate General of Japan
Level 28, Menara BHL,
No. 51 Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 Penang
Tel: (604) 226-3030 Fax: (604) 226-1030


2. Royal Danish Consulate in Penang
2nd Floor, Standard Chartered Bank Chambers
2 Lebuh Pantai, 10300 Penang
Tel: 4-262 4886 Fax: 4-261 4963

3. German Honorary Consulate in Penang

Honorary Consul Herbert Anton Weiler, P.K.T.,
Address OE Design Sdn Bhd
Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone 3
11900 Penang
Malaysia
Phone local: (04) 647.1288
international: +60.4.647.1288
Fax local: (04) 647.2120
international: +60.4.647.2120

(Postanschrift: Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Herbert Weiler, P.K.T., Managing Director, OE Design Sdn Bhd, Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone 3, 11900 Penang, Malaysia)

4. Australian Honorary Consulate

1-C Lorong Hutton
10050 Penang
Malaysia
Phone local: (04) 263.3320
international: +60.4.263.3320
Fax local: (04) 263.3320
international: +60.4.263.3320
Email: Public-Affairs-KLPR@dfat.gov.au
Web site: http://www.malaysia.embassy.gov.au


5. Austria Honorary Consulate

Address 19, Halaman Bukit Gambir 2
11700 Gelugor, Penang
Malaysia
Phone local: (04) 656.8525
international: +60.4.656.8525
Fax local: (04) 659.8525
international: +60.4.659.8525
Email austrianconsulate@carmelita.com.my
Hours Monday: 09.00-13.00, 14.00-17.00, Tuesday: 09.00-13.00, 14.00-17.00, Wednesday: 09.00-13.00, 14.00-17.00, Thursday: 09.00-13.00, 14.00-17.00, Friday: 09.00-12.00, 14.30-17.00

6. Canadian Honorary Consulate

Honorary Consul Tan Yew Thong
Address 3007 Tingkat Perusahaan 5
Prai Industrial Park
13600 Prai, Penang
Malaysia
Phone local: (04) 389.3300
international: +60.4.389.3300
Fax local: (04) 389.2300
international: +60.4.389.2300

7. Finnish Honorary Consulate

Honorary Consul Mr. Kim Seng Poh
Address c/o MS Elevators Engineering Sdn. Bnd.
8th floor, Wisma Penang Garden
42 Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah
10050 Penang
Malaysia
Phone local: (04) 229.4300
international: +60.4.229.4300
Fax local: (04) 227.4533
international: +60.4.227.4533

8. British Honorary Consulate

Honorary Consul Rob Hawkins
Phone local: (04) 227.5336
international: +60.4.227.5336
Fax local: (04) 227.2336
international: +60.4.227.2336
Email robh@tm.net.my
Web site http://ukinmalaysia.fco.gov.uk/en/

9. Thai Consulate General in Penang

NO. 1, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman
10350 Penang
Tel. (60-4) 2268029, 2269484
Fax:(60-4) 2263121
E-mail : thaipg@tm.net.my
web site: http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2792.php?depid=222

Office Hours:

Monday- Friday 9.00-12.00 hrs | 14.00-16.30 hrs
From 1st of June 2008
The Royal Thai Consulate will accept Visa Application
from 9.00 - 11.00 am
It is closed on Thai Public Holiday, Malaysia Public Holiday and Penang Public Holidays. Please check it on the website.

10. Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia Penang,

467, Burma Road
Penang 10350
Tel. 04-2274686; 04-2267412;
04-2274955
email: admportal.penang@deplu.go.id
web sites: http://www.deplu.go.id/penang/Pages/default.aspx?l=en

The consulate is located next to Penang Adventist Hospital

Working hours:
09.30-16.30 (Monday-Friday)
Saturday, Sunday and Official Holidays Closed

It is closed on Indonesia Public Holiday, Malaysia Public Holiday and Penang Public Holidays. Please check it on the website.

Visa Run in Penang

For tourist and foreigners in Thailand and Indonesia. If your visa is going to expire soon, where did you extend your visa. They called it Visa Run, you run to renew you visa to extend your stay. To extend your visit once your visa runs out you must leave the country and then re-enter to receive that 30 day ‘on entry’ stamp. This can be done at any of the main border crossings with Thailand’s neighbouring countries.

Thai Tourist Visa
A tourist visa will be issued to applicants wishing to enter the Kingdom for tourism purposes. You are not allowed to work or conduct business with a tourist visa.

A tourist visa can be used to stay in Thailand for up to 30 days or up to 60 days and can be extended by 30 days at the nearest Immigration office. Fee 1,900 Baht (as per 2008-01-17).A tourist visa is needed when a person plans to stay in Thailand for tourism purposes longer than is allowed when entering under the visa exemption, or if a person is from a country that has no visa exemption agreements with Thailand. To see which countries are covered by visa exemption agreements and what the allowed period of stay is please contact Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand - URL: http://www.mfa.go.th for Complete country list.

Nationals of certain countries are required to apply for a visa only at the Thai Embassy or Consulate-General in their home/residence country or at the designated Thai Embassy. Therefore, travelers are advised to contact the nearest Thai Embassy or Consulate-General to find out where they may apply for a visa to Thailand before departure. Passport holders of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Sudan, Algeria, Libya, Yemen, Egypt and Palestinian States are requested to file for application at the Thai Embassy/Consulate-General where they have their permanent residence (home country).

Before traveling to Thailand check with the Thai embassy in your country or ask your travel agent for advice; as policy may change.

Thai Visa extension

You may apply for an extension of stay at any "Immigration Office" in Thailand where you may be permitted to stay for another 30-day period. You must do so before your stay permits expires, otherwise you will be fined 500 Baht for each day you overstay in Thailand. But effective from 2009, Home affairs department decided to reduce all overland visa on arrivals to just 15 days, presumably to discourage visa runs, effectively rendering the exercise pointless for multiple extensions.

30 days tourist visa
Every time you leave and re-enter Thailand at any border post, a new 30 day visa is issued, no matter how short your exit stay is. In mid 2006, a new directive was issued permitting only a maximum stay of 90 consecutive days (ie two renewals) on a tourist visa, after which you have to leave the kingdom. This can be resolved by applying for a 60 day tourist visa at a neighbouring consulate, and starting over. Furthermore, those leaving and re-entering Thailand on the same day are usually asked to show proof of at least 10,000 baht in a local bank account or cash.

60 day tourist visas
These are issued by Thailand Embassies abroad for a variable fee (about $15/£10) and can be collected on-the-spot. Once in the Kingdom you may renew this visa for a further 30 days at your nearest immigration department before the expiry date. The fee for this extension is 1,900 baht.

Visa Run
Depend of where you are,the following are the place you can head for visa run. But I will recommend you to try Penang, a place you can stay for few days and relax for your visa run. There are also consulates of some countries located in Penanag, you do not need to go as far as Kuala Lumpur, Vientian, Saigon, or even Bangkok.

Penang is not only a popular destination for transit travelers to and fro South East Asian nations, but it is also a frequent destination for foreign employees working in Thailand aiming to extend their visas. In the same way, tourists wishing to extend their vacations can easily take a trip to Penang and get a month or two extension. With the low cost airline like Air Asia and Firefly airlines carrying passengers to and from Bangkok, Koh Samui(Firefly), Phuket, Medan, Padang, Bandar Acheh to Penang. Travelers can also reach the Penang island of Malaysia by land(bus), which has proved to be at times inconvenient and time consuming. But it will be worth the effort for your visa run in Penang.....

Moreover in Penang, you can obtain Thai visa for 60 days, for other cross the border visa run, you get an ‘on-entry’ visa or extension for 30 days, effective from 2009 it was reduced to 15 days for overland visa, it include almost all border points. But Penang visa run is not cross border run, but visa issue by Thai Consulate. So it is more worthy to come to Penang where there is Thai Consulate, which can issue visa for 60 days.
Note: please check the latest policy before you do your visa run, in case of visa policy changes.



Thailand

1. Ranong/Kawthoung, Myanmar - by long tail boat to Kawthoung from Ranong
2. Nong Khai/Vientian, Laos - by road/bus
3. Hadyai/ Padang Besar, Malaysia - by train, by road/bus
4. Sg Kolok/ Kota Bharu, Malaysia - by road/bus
5. Mae Sai/ Tachileik, Burma - by road /bus
6. Phuket/ Penang, Malaysia - by air, by road/bus

(i)Thai Consulate General in Penang
NO. 1, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman
10350 Penang
Tel. (60-4) 2268029, 2269484
Fax:(60-4) 2263121
E-mail : thaipg@tm.net.my
web site: http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2792.php?depid=222

Office Hours:

Monday- Friday 9.00-12.00 hrs | 14.00-16.30 hrs
From 1st of June 2008
The Royal Thai Consulate will accept Visa Application
from 9.00 - 11.00 am
It is closed on Thai Public Holiday, Malaysia Public Holiday and Penang Public Holidays. Please check it on the website.

(ii)Thai Consulate General in Kota Bharu

4426, Jalan Pengkalan Chepa,
15400 Kota Bharu, Kelantan
Tel. (609) 744-5266, 744-5934, 748-2545
Fax. (609) 744-9801
Email. thaicg@streamyx.com
Office Hour: Sunday-Thursday
09.00 - 12.30 hrs./ 13.30 - 17.00 hrs.
Office Hours : Sunday – Thursday : 09.00 – 17.00 hrs.
Visa and Consular Section : 09.00 – 12.00 hrs. / 14.00 – 15.30 hrs.
Web site: http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2849.php?depid=221
It is closed on Thai Public Holiday, Malaysia Public Holiday and Kelantan Public Holidays. Please check it on the website.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Official website: http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2637.php

Indonesia

1. Medan/ Penang,Malaysia - by ferry and by air
2. Bandar Acheh/ Penang Malaysia - by air
3. Padang/Penang, Malaysia - by air

Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia Penang,
467, Burma Road
Penang 10350
Tel. 04-2274686; 04-2267412;
04-2274955
email: admportal.penang@deplu.go.id
web sites: http://www.deplu.go.id/penang/Pages/default.aspx?l=en

The consulate is located next to Penang Adventist Hospital

Working hours:
09.30-16.30 (Monday-Friday)
Saturday, Sunday and Official Holidays Closed

It is closed on Indonesia Public Holiday, Malaysia Public Holiday and Penang Public Holidays. Please check it on the website.

Related articles:

1. Thailand visa history, http://www.stickmanweekly.com/ThailandVisa/ThailandVisaHistory.htm