Chumphon Railway Station is the closest train station to the island of Koh Tao. From Chumphon it’s a two stage journey to Kuala Lumpur as there are no direct trains. The first stage of the journey is on a Thailand train service to a railway station just across the border in Malaysia called Padang Besar. For the second stage of the journey you need to change at Padang Besar to Malaysian train service for the remainder of the journey to Kuala Lumpur.
Stage 1: Chumphon to Padang Besar
Train times from Chumphon to Padang Besar.
| Chumphon | Padang Besar | Train | Service |
| 00:21 | 09:50 | 45 | Special Express |
- Buy train tickets for travel from Chumphon to Padang Besar.
Stage 2: Padang Besar to Kuala Lumpur
Train times from Padang Besar to Kuala Lumpur.
| Train | Padang Besar | Kuala Lumpur | Service |
| 9273 | 07:30 | 13:04 | ETS Platinum |
| 9275 | 09:35 | 15:09 | ETS Platinum |
| 9277 | 13:40 | 19:14 | ETS Platinum |
| 9425 | 15:50 | 21:35 | ETS Gold |
| 9279 | 16:45 | 22:23 | ETS Platinum |
- Buy train tickets for travel from Padang Besar to Kuala Lumpur.
Location of Chumphon Railway Station
Chumphon Railway Station is located in Chumphon town centre.
Location of Padang Besar Railway Station
Padang Besar Railway Station is the station where you need to change trains.
Location of Kuala Lumpur Railway Station
KL Sentral Station is Kuala Lumpur’s main train station.
About a Visit to Kuala Lumpur
There are plenty of things to do and see during a day in Kuala Lumpur. In if you only have 1 day to spend in Kuala Lumpur suggest spending half a day looking around the Chinatown area in Kuala Lumpur and the other half of the day visiting the Batu Caves, which are a short train journey away from Kuala Lumpur City Centre. In the Chinatown area the places we suggest you visit are:
- Petaling Street Market: Petaling Street Market is a covered market selling clothes, bags and shoes, with some great food stalls.
- Kl Central Market: KL Central Market is an indoor market selling high quality hand made products from all over Malaysia.
- Sri Mahamariamman Temple: The Sri Mahamariamman Temple is a Hindu temple with an stunning 22.9 metre tall gopura entrance tower.
- Guan Di Temple: The Guan Di Temple is a Chinese temple dedicated to the ‘God of Martial Arts’. If you lift the God’s spear the local legend is that you will be endowed with special powers.
Temple of Guan Di in Kuala LumpurThe easiest and cheapest way to get to the Batu Caves is to take a train from KL Sentral Station. Trains depart from Platform 3 and the fare is 2 MYR each way. The Batu Caves were transformed into a Hindu temple in 1890. At the bottom of the 272 steps up to entrance to the caves is a 42.7 metre tall statue of Lord Murugan, a Hindu deity. There are three caves to explore with shrines in each. The largest cave has a hole in the ceiling through which you can see the foliage from a forest above. The Batu Caves are atmospheric and unique.