Hat Yai to Phuket

There are 2 stages to the journey by train from Hat Yai to Phuket. The first stage of the journey is by train to Surat Thani. The second stage of the journey is by connecting bus service from the train station in Surat Thani to Phuket.

Stage 1: Train from Hat Yai to Surat Thani

There are currently 4 train services a day from Hat Yai to Surat Thani, all of which are available to book online subject to availability.

• Buy train tickets from Hat Yai to Surat Thani.

Stage 2: Bus from Surat Thani to Phuket

There are currently 9 bus services a day from Surat Thani Train Station to Phuket, which are also available to book online subject to availability.

• Buy bus tickets from Surat Thani Railway Station to Phuket.

Location of Hat Yai Train Station

Read more about Hat Yai Train Station.

Location of Surat Thani Train Station

Read more about Surat Thani Railway Station.

Location of Phuket Bus Terminal 2

Read more about Phuket Bus Terminal 2.

About Travel from Hat Yai to Phuket

Travelling by train from Hat Yai to Phuket, via Surat Thani, is a way of avoiding the need to spend up to 10 hours to complete the same journey by bus or minivan. Travelling by train also allows you to break the journey into two parts, with a night in a hotel after completing the first stage of the journey, which is from Hat Yai to Surat Thani.

Train from Hat Yai to Surat Thani

All 4 daily train services from Hat Yai to Surat Thani depart either in the late afternoon or early evening and arrive in Surat Thani before midnight. Depending upon which train you take, the journey from Hat Yai to Surat Thani is scheduled to take from 4 hours 36 minutes to 5 hours 05 minutes.

In terms of journey times, there is not much difference between the different trains from Hat Yai to Surat Thani. There are, however, some differences in relation to the seat types available on each of the trains:

• Train #172:
  • 2nd Class A/C Sleeper, 2nd Class Fan Sleeper, 2nd Class Fan Seat, 3rd Class Fan Seat
• Train #32:
  • 1st Class A/C Sleeper, 2nd Class A/C Sleeper
• Train #38/46:
  • 1st Class A/C Sleeper, 2nd Class A/C Sleeper, 2nd Class Fan Seat, 3rd Class Fan Seat
• Train #170:
  • 2nd Class A/C Sleeper, 2nd Class Fan Sleeper, 2nd Class Fan Seat, 3rd Class Fan Seat

Although this journey is not an overnight journey, you may still wish to consider booking a sleeping berth. Sleeper berths on Thai trains are typically prepared between 18:00 and 19:00 which means that on all services travellers who have reserved sleeper berths would be able to rest lying down for at least 2 hours during the journey.

Staying Overnight in Surat Thani

All long distance train services from Hat Yai to Surat Thani arrive too late in the evening to continue the journey by public transport to Phuket on the same day. Train travellers need to pause their journey with an overnight stay in a hotel.

One of the advantages on this pause in the journey is that travellers will arrive in Phuket at around lunch time on the following day which means they won’t need to wait around with luggage until check-in time at their accommodation Phuket. Other advantages include the opportunity to charge electronic devices, take a shower, and change clothes.

Surat Thani Train Station is located around 16 km by road to the west of the centre of Surat Thani City. There are taxis available at night at Surat Thani Train Station which take around 20 minutes to reach Surat Thani City, which is where the best range of overnight accommodation is located. Travellers can also, however, choose to stay in a hotel closer to the train station in a town called Tha Kham which also has 24 hour convenience stores and late night food stalls. The hotels in Tha Kham include:

• Queen Hotel (150 metres from Surat Thani Train Station)
• PhunPhin Station (200 metres from Surat Thani Train Station)
• Nadpob Mansion (300 metres from Surat Thani Train Station)
• The Episode Boutique Hotel (350 metres from Surat Thani Train Station)

Bus from Surat Thani to Phuket

All of the bus services to Phuket listed above depart directly from Surat Thani Train Station.

The bus stop which these services use is located in a car park located to the right side of the ticket hall as you enter Surat Thani Train Station. This car park is very easy to identify because it has a row of small cafes, most prominently Wut Travel, and it will also be where lots of passengers are waiting for connecting bus services, including services to the ferry ports for Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.

Travellers are advised to walk to the car park and speak with the representatives of the various travel companies operating from this car park who will be able to direct you to the correct place to wait for your bus. Many travellers choose to buy a drink or breakfast at one of the cafes in the car park whilst they wait for their bus.

The bus journey from Surat Thani to Phuket is scheduled to take from 4 to 6 hours depending upon which service you take. The service operated by Phantip tends to be the most popular because it completes the journey in around 4 hours.

Local Transport in Phuket

Bus services from Surat Thani Train Station to Phuket terminate at Phuket Bus Terminal 2. Phuket Bus Terminal 2 is the island’s main long distance bus station, and it’s located about 5 km by road from Phuket Town, and 14 km by road to the east of Patong.

The only public transport available at Phuket Bus Terminal 2 is a shared taxi service which runs on a fixed route terminating at Phuket Bus Terminal 1, which is located in the centre of Phuket Town. Phuket Bus Terminal 1 is a local bus station with inexpensive bus, minivan, and shared taxi services to destinations across Phuket, including Patong.

The shared taxi service to Phuket Bus Terminal 1, sometimes referred to as the ‘Pink Bus’, departs from platform 12 at Phuket Bus Terminal 2 approximately every 20 minutes during daylight hours. The fare is payable to a conductor after you have entered the vehicle.

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