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The most common place to go for a Thai consulate is Penang, Malaysia, a fairly nice, very modern, and inexpensive (for the seasoned traveler) island in the Andaman Sea near the Thai border, and where the Thai consulate is accustomed to processing a lot of nonimmigrant and tourist visa applications. Westerners can travel to Malaysia without needing to get any visa from the Malay embassy. Unlike the other bordering countries, Malaysia is very modern, and there are many foreign business people there.

Some people take the 24-hour train ride in an air conditioned sleeper coach down the Thai peninsula in order to save a little money, going thru immigration at the border, and exiting the train at Butterworth where you can take a ferry or a bus over the bridge to Penang. However, with the increase in terrorist violence in the southern most province, this overland route has become less popular due to its potential risks.

Flying to Penang is relatively inexpensive. While a travel agent can book reservations at a hotel, you will find that Penang usually has plenty of guest houses available, both in the city center and along the much less densely populated coastline, many of which offer to carry your passport and application to the Thai consulate for you for a reasonable fee. You can find information on a wide range of guesthouses at the airport. Taxis and buses serve the island very well and economically.