Trains from Hat Yai to Penang

By train the journey from Hat Yai to Penang is scheduled to take from 4 to 5 hours depending upon which trains you take. At the moment there are no through trains from Hat Yai to Penang so you need to change trains at Padang Besar in Malaysia, where travellers also complete immigration procedures.

Train 1: Hat Yai to Padang Besar

See below for times of Thai train services from Hat Yai to Padang Besar in Malaysia.

• Time Zones: Departure times are in Thai time, and arrival times are in Malaysian time (1 hour ahead of Thailand).
• Tickets: 3rd Class tickets for the journey for the journey from Hat Yai to Padang Besar are available for purchase at the train station on the day of travel.

Train 2: Padang Besar to Penang

See below for times of Malaysian train services from Padang Besar to Butterworth Train Station (near Penang Island).

• Time Zones: All arrival and departure times are in Malaysian time.
• Tickets: Tickets for KTM Komuter services from Padang Besar to Butterworth Train Station are available for purchase at the train station on the day of travel.

Location of Hat Yai Railway Station

Read more about Hat Yai Railway Station.

Location of Padang Besar Railway Station

Read more about Padang Besar Railway Station.

Location of Butterworth Railway Station (Penang)

Read more about Butterworth Railway Station.

About Train Travel to Penang

There are two parts to Penang State, the eastern half which is on the mainland and the western half of the state which is Penang Island. This guide relates to travel by train to Penang Island, and the closest train station to Penang Island is Butterworth Train Station. Penang Island is located about 4 km from Butterworth Island on the other side of the Malacca Straight, which is the narrow sea channel separating Penang Island from the mainland.

Hat Yai to Padang Besar Train

The first stage of the journey by train from Hat Yai to Penang, which is a train service from Hat Yai Junction Railway Station to Padang Besar Railway Station, takes only 45 minutes.

There are three train services a day from Hat Yai to Padang Besar in Malaysia. The first train of the day (Train #45) is a Special Express service originating in Bangkok. This service has only 1 seat type, 2nd Class A/C Sleeper, and tickets for the short journey from Hat Yai to Padang Besar can’t be booked online in advance. Passengers wanting to travel on Train #45 need to check for availability at the ticket office at Hat Yai Junction Railway Station on the day of travel to see whether there is a seat available on the train.

It’s generally much easier to secure a ticket on the next 2 trains from Hat Yai to Padang Besar, which are Ordinary services. Ordinary trains are shorter distance services aimed primarily at local commuters and tickets for these services can only be purchased at the train station on the day of travel. There is no allocated seating on these services. The only seat type available is 3rd Class Fan Seats and, as a consequence, the tickets cost very little.

Immigration Procedures

After arriving by train at Padang Besar in Malaysia travellers need to complete 2 sets of immigration procedures before they can continue their journey southward to Penang:

• Exit procedures for leaving Thailand.
• Entry procedures for entering Malaysia.

There are two immigration desks, one for Thailand and one for Malaysia, located in separate area on the ground floor of the train station which opens periodically during the day to accommodate passengers travelling on the 3 trains a days from Thailand to Malaysia and for the 3 trains a day from Malaysia to Thailand. Any traveller who did manage to bypass these immigration checks would face potentially serious legal problems later on in their journey when they attempted to leave Malaysia.

Padang Besar to Butterworth Train

The second train journey, from Padang Besar to Butterworth Railway Station, takes slightly longer (1 hour 51 minutes) and it covers a much longer distance than the Hat Yai to Padang Besar service because it’s faster more modern electric train service.

As with train services from Hat Yai to Padang Besar, train services from Butterworth Railway Station can only be purchased at Padang Besar Railway Station on the day of travel. There are 2 ticket windows located in the upper level of the station building at Padang Besar. When trains from Thailand arrive a queue at these ticket windows can quickly form on these ticket windows making it difficult sometimes for passengers to board the next connecting train.

However, once you do make it to the front of the queue at the ticket counter tickets for the next service from Padang Besar to Butterworth Railway Station are always available. There is no allocated seating on KTM Komuter services. There is seating on these trains but there are also open areas in the carriages designed to accommodate large numbers of standing passengers. Many of the passengers on KTM Komuter services travel only short distances so normally any passengers who do need to stand will manage to get a seat later on in the journey.

Travel from Butterworth to Penang Island

Butterworth Railway Station is the connection point between the Malaysian railway network and Penang Island. The cheapest and most popular way to travel from Butterworth Railway Station to Penang Island is to take the Rapid Ferry service to George Town.

Rapid Ferry services to George Town depart from the 2nd level of Penang Sentral Bus Station, which is 550 metres walking distance from Butterworth Railway Station:

• Ticket:
  • Child: RM1.00 one way
  • Adult: RM2.00 one way
• Operating Hours:
  • First Ferry: 06:30
  • Last Ferry: 23:00

The journey by ferry takes about 15 minutes and the arrival point on Penang Island is Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal, which is located on the seafront road in George Town, 200 metres walking distance from the southern end of popular Chulia Street.

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