Trains from Penang to Koh Phangan

The journey by train from Penang to Koh Phangan has three stages:

• Stage 1: Travel by train from Butterworth Train Station to Padang Besar.
• Stage 2: Travel by train from Padang Besar to Surat Thani train station.
• Stage 3: Travel by bus and ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan.

Train Times from Penang to Padang Besar

• Stage 1: Butterworth train station is very close to the island of Penang. You can travel from George Town to Butterworth train station by ferry or by road in a taxi.

• There are 14 KTM Kommuter train services a day, but the best two services to take in order to arrive on time for the connecting train to Surat Thani are the 14:25 and 15:25 departures from Butterworth train station.

Train Times from Padang Besar to Surat Thani

• Stage 2: There is a single direct train service a day from Padang Besar train station to Surat Thani. If you miss this connection then you can take one of the 2 shuttle trains from Padang Besar on the Malaysian side of the border to Hat Yai which depart at 09:55 and 15:40. Alternatively if you also miss these two shuttle trains you can take a taxi or motorbike taxi to the border, cross over into Thailand and take a minivan to Hat Yai, with a 50 minutes journey by road.

• Malaysia is 1 hour ahead of Thailand so Train #46 departs from Padang Besar train station at 18:00 Malayasian time.

Train Tickets to Surat Thani

Use Search Box below to buy your train tickets from Padang Besar to Surat Thani. There is a single train service a day so it is important to book ahead as the train gets full very quickly:

It is easy to buy your tickets for the commuter service from Penang to Padang Besar at Butterworth Railway Station before you board the train as there are lots of departures on this route.

Travel Times from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan

Stage 3: You can travel direct from Surat Thani train station to Koh Phangan by taking a joint bus and boat service from the car park in front of the train station. You will need to stay the night in hotel before catching a bus early the next morning to connect with the ferry to Koh Phangan.

• The most popular train service from Surat Thani Train Station to Koh Phangan is the 09:30 departure with the Lomprayah High Speed Ferry Company.

Location of Butterworth Railway Station

The ferry from George Town in Penang to Butterworth departs from the pier on the Pengkalan Weld Road just south of Little India and the Chulia Street area.

Thong Sala Pier in Koh Phangan

Ferries from Surat Thani arrive at Thong Sala Pier is Koh Phangan’s main port.

About Travel in Koh Phangan

Public transport is by shared songthaew taxi in Koh Phangan. On arrival at the ferry pier you will be approached by taxi touts trying to sell you ride in a shared taxi.

Shared Taxis in Koh Phangan

Shared taxis are the cheapest way to travel and there is no difference in price between the taxi services offered by the touts who approach you as you get off the ferry and the price you will be offered if you walk to the car park near to the ferry terminal building. The prices are fixed: 200 THB per person to Haad Rin and 300 THB person to Thong Nai Pan or Haad Yao. If you want to hire a whole taxi expect to pay 1,000 to 2,000 THB and also expect to pay more if you want to leave before the taxi fills up completely.

Another option is to take a motorbike taxi, for which the prices are not fixed.

Motorbike Taxis in Koh Phangan

As a general guide a motorbike taxi will cost you around 100 to 200 THB more than a ride in shared taxi. Taxi boats don’t operate out of Thong Sala and there is no bus station or taxi rank in Thong Sala town itself so the ferry pier is the best place to arrange onward transport.

Car and Motorbike Rental in Koh Phangan

The only other alternative is to rent a car or motorbike in Thong Sala town which will entail you leaving your passport as a deposit, which will cause you difficulties when you try to check into your hotel or bungalow resort as they will want to see your passport. For this reason we recommend renting a car or motorbike after you have checked into whenever you are staying.

Next read about Train travel from Kuala Lumpur to Penang

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