Trains from Chumphon to Penang

By train it takes between 12 hours and 14 hours to travel from Chumphon to Butterworth Railway Station, near Penang Island in Malaysia. There is no direct train service from Chumphon to Penang, with Thailand train services only going as far as Padang Besar Railway Station just over the border in Malaysia. At Padang Besar you need to change to a Malaysian train service for the remainder of the journey to Penang.

Train Times from Chumphon to Penang

• Train 1: Train times from Chumphon to Padang Besar.

• Train 2: Train times from Padang Besar to Penang.

• NB: Train times from Padang Besar to Penang are in Malaysian time (Thai time + 1 hour).

Buy Tickets from Chumphon to Penang

Use the Search Box below to buy your tickets from Chumphon to Padang Besar for the first part of the train journey to Penang.

Tickets for ETS Komuter train services from Padang Besar to Butterworth need to be purchased at Padang Besar Railway Station on the day of travel.

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 interchange station between Thai and Malaysian train networks.

Location of Butterworth Railway Station

Butterworth Railway Station on the mainland is the closest train station to Penang Island.

How to Travel from Butterworth Railway Station to Penang Island

You can travel from Butterworth Railway to Penang Island either by road, via either of two bridges, in taxi or by commuter ferry. By taxi expect be charged around 30 MYR for the journey from Butterworth Railway Station to George Town and 44 MYR for the journey to Batu Batu Feringghi. There are no fixed rates for taxis in and around Penang so you need to agree a fare before you travel. The Rapid Ferry commuter service to Penang Island is a lot cheaper: 1.2 MYR for adults and 0.6 MYR for children. The ferry pier on the mainland is located inside Penang Sentral Bus Terminal, which is very close to Butterworth Railway Station. The arrival point for the commuter ferry is the sea front road in George Town, which is fairly close to popular areas such as Chulia Street. There is also a bus station with local bus services near the the entrance to the ferry pier called Penang Jetty Bus Terminal. From Penang Jetty Bus Terminal you can get inexpensive bus services to most points on the island, as well board the free tourist bus which stops at popular places in George Town.

Places to Visit in George Town

George Town is an exciting place with lots of history and thing to see. The old town area around Chulia Street and Armenia Street is very popular with visitors to Penang and most people will choose to stay at a hotel in this area as it is close to the main points of historical interest.

Penang’s location on the narrow sea passage between the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra made it an important trading post in the time when sailing ships plied the route between Europe, India and China. During the 19th Century and early 20th Century Penang, and George Town in particular, were thriving commercial centres which attracted lots of immigrant workers from China and India and the interest of the world’s dominant colonial power, Great Britain, which incorporated Penang into the British Empire. All three sets of immigrants had a lasting impact on the city and created some interesting buildings and introduced some great new food traditions to the island.

To see great colonial architecture head to the seafront Esplanade and visit Penang City Hall, Penang Town Hall, and Fort Cornwallis. For historic Chinese buildings head to the area around Amernia Street to visit Thean Hou Kong Temple, the clan houses such as Cheah Kongsi and temple such as Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple. For Indian heritage head to the Little India area to east of Chulia Street and visit the Sri Mahamariamman Temple and sample authentic Indian street food such as samosa and onion bhaji.

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