Sungai Kolok is at the very bottom end of Thailand’s Southern Railway Line. This train station is popular with passengers travelling to and from destinations on the East Coast of Malaysia such as Kota Bharu and the Perhentian Islands.
About Sungai Kolok Train Station
- Located about 1 km from the border with Malaysia.
- There are two fast trains a day going northwards to Surat Thani and eventually Bangkok. The first of these two trains departs at 11:43 and the second at 14:20.
- The train journey from Sungai Kolok to Surat Thani takes around 10 to 12 hours. The journey all the way to Bangkok takes 20 to 22 hours.
- The Thai Army provides security at Sungai Kolok train station and on the train as far as Hat Yai. It is normal for passengers to have to go through security checks and for there to be armed soldiers on the trains themselves.
Train Times from Sungai Kolok to Bangkok
There are two trains a day which travel all the way from Sungai Kolok to Bangkok.
Sungai Kolok | Hat Yai | Surat Thani | Hua Hin | Bangkok |
12:00 | 15:40 | 21:06 | 05:24 | 10:30 |
14:20 | 17:55 | 23:04 | 06:59 | 12:05 |
The 14:20 departure is the better train to take to Bangkok. It is quicker has better seat types.
About Sungai Kolok Train Station
Sungai Kolok Train Station lies at the bottom end of the Southern railway line some 1,208 km (750 miles) from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong train station.

The modern concrete station building is heavily guarded by the Thai Army. There is a security check at the entrance and exit to the station manned by heavily armed soldiers. You will be required to show your passport on entry and exit from the station and for your bags to be searched. As a foreign visitor you will encounter no problems at the security check and process is very quick.
Travel from Sungai Kolok to Kota Bharu
The border with Malaysia is 1.3 kilometres walking distance from the train station. You can walk the distance although many travellers choose to take a motorbike taxi for which the normal charge is 50 THB. Once at the border you need to stamp out of Thailand and travel about 500 metres over the Harmony Bridge to stamp into Malaysia. From there you walk about another 100 metres turning right at the main road until to come to the end of the roadside railings where there is a small bus station. Again you can pay 50 THB to another motorbike taxi to take you from the Thai side of the border to the bus station on the Malaysian side. From the bus station on the Malaysian side of the border in Rantau Panjang you have two choices for getting to Kota Bharu, about 40 km away:
- Option 1: Catch local bus number 29. This goes to the bus station in the centre of Kota Bharu and costs 5 MYR per person and takes 1 hour 20 minutes. NB: if you arrive after dark then the buses will have stopped running.
- Option 2: The second option is to take a taxi. This should cost 60 MYR (you need to agree a price before you set off) and takes 40 minutes.
Local Transport to Sungai Kolok Train Station
The bus station is 1.9 kilometres walking distance from the train station. It is on the same road as the train station in the opposite direction to the border. The best way to get between the two stations is by motorbike taxi. From the border with Malaysia it is either a 10 to 15 minute walk along the main road or a 2 minute ride on the back of a motorbike taxi for 40 THB (prices checked March 2020). Sungai Kolok is a small town and the train station is on the main road to the border making it very straight forward to locate.
- Travel Tip: In the Thai language train station is ‘satanee rot fai‘.
Location of Sungai Kolok Train Station
Buying Tickets at the Train Station
There are a number of counters inside the station for travel on the same day and advanced ticket purchase.

Third class and 2nd class fan seats are very cheap from Sungai Kolok and rarely need to be purchased in advance. You buy these seats easily at the ticket hall before you travel. However, there is normally only 1 or 2 carriages which have sleeper berths and air-conditioning. These seats often need to be booked in advance particularly in busy periods.
Buy Train Tickets Online
Use the Search Box below to buy tickets from Sungai Kolok train station. Enter your destination and date of travel to find tickets.
Facilities at Sungai Kolok Train Station
- Left Luggage: for security reason there is no left luggage services at this station.
- Toilets: there are toilets on Platform 1 to the left end as you enter via the main entrance.
- Food: there is food and drink on sale at a kiosk on Platform 1 and there is a restaurant at the far left hand side of Platform 1 with cheap Thai food available as well as tea and coffee. There is seating at this restaurant.
Facilities near Sungai Kolok Train Station
If you come out of the single exit of Sungai Kolok train station and cross over the road you are close to the centre of Sungai Kolok town. There you will find hotels, restaurants, banks and two large markets which get busy in the evening. Sungai Kolok is very popular with Malaysian tourists who come for the shopping and nightlife and it can get very lively in the evening.