Surat Thani to Malaysia Train

There is a single daily service from Surat Thani to Padang Besar on the border with Malaysia, from where you can connect with Malaysian train services. From Padang Besar there are frequent train services to destinations on Malaysia’s West Coast Railway Line, including Penang, Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur.

Train Timetable to Padang Besar

Train #45 departs after midnight from Surat Thani, and we recommend booking a sleeper berth so that you can sleep once you board the train.

Train #45 originates in Bangkok and on occasion gets delayed on route. If you plan to catch this train from Surat Thani to Padang Besar be prepared to wait up to an hour after the scheduled departure time or alternatively book one of the very cheap rooms in the nearby Queen Hotel and rest until the scheduled departure time.

Tickets from Surat Thani to Padang Besar

Buy your train tickets from Surat Thani to Penang using the Search Box below:

Tickets for travel from Padang Besar to Butterworth Train Station, near Penang, can be purchased on arrival at Padang Besar Train Station. Tickets for travel from Pdang Besar to Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh can also be purchased separately using the Search Box above. At the present time it is not possible to buy a single train ticket from Surat Thani to destinations in Malaysia; separate tickets are required for Thai and Malaysian train services.

Travel from Padang Besar to Penang

From Padang Besar Railway Station on the Malaysian side of the border it takes just under 2 hours to travel by train to Butterworth Train Station, which is the closest train station to the island of Penang. There are 14 trains a day from Padang Besar to Butterworth Train Station starting at 05:25 until the last train at 21:35. Malaysian is one hour ahead of Thailand, and if you take Train #45 the likelihood is that you be able to board the 12:25 train from Padang Besar arriving at Butterworth Train Station at 14:16.

Khoo Kongsi in Georgetown, Penang

There are two ways to travel from Butterworth Train Station to Penang. The cheapest option is to walk from the railway station a few hundred metres to board a car ferry to Georgetown in Penang. The car ferry takes 15 minutes and departs every 20 to 30 minutes throughout the day. The adult one way fare is 1.20 MYR and for children it is 0.6 MYR. The other alternative is to take a taxi via one of the two bridges connecting Penang to the mainland. Taxi is the best option if your destination is somewhere other than Georgetown or you have a lot of bags or small children to carry. Expect to pay 30 to 50 MYR for a taxi depending upon your final destination in Penang.

Next read about Train Travel from Padang Besar to Kuala Lumpur