Koh Phangan to Penang

There are 3 stages to the journey by train from Koh Phangan to Penang. The journey starts with a ferry journey and then involves taking 2 connecting trains. You need to buy 3 separate tickets for this journey.

Stage One: Ferry and Bus to Surat Thani Train Station

The first stage of the journey is to take a joint ferry and bus service from Koh Phangan to Surat Thani Train Station.

• Buy joint ferry and bus tickets from Koh Phangan to Surat Thani Railway Station.

Stage Two: Train from Surat Thani to Padang Besar

The second stage of the journey by train from Koh Phangan to Penang is by train from Surat Thani to Padang Besar in Malaysia. There is only 1 train service a day from Surat Thani to Padang Besar.

• Buy train tickets from Surat Thani to Padang Besar.

Stage Three: Train from Padang Besar to Penang

The third stage of the journey by train from Koh Phangan to Penang is by train from Padang Besar to Penang.

• Tickets for train services from Padang Besar to Penang can only be purchased at Padang Besar Railway Station on the day of travel.

Location of Koh Phangan Ferry Pier

The journey from Koh Phangan to Penang begins at the ferry terminal in Thong Sala, which is the main town in Koh Phangan.

Location of Surat Thani Train Station

For the second stage of the journey from Koh Phangan to Penang you need to take a train from Surat Thani Railway Station.

Location of Padang Besar Train Station

For the third and final stage of the journey by train from Koh Phangan to Penang you need to take a train from Padang Besar Railway Station.

Location of Butterworth Train Station

The journey by train from Koh Phangan to Penang ends at Butterworth Railway Station. Butterworth Railway Station is the closest train station on Malaysia’s West Coast Mainline to Penang Island.

About Train Travel to Penang

Travelling by train from Koh Phangan to Penang is a pleasant option, partly because if you book a sleeper berth you can get some sleep along the way and partly because of the scenery during the journey. The journey does involve several different stages, and some time waiting for connections, however, these are relatively minor inconveniences for adult travellers. Those travelling with young children may wish to consider other options.

Ferry and Bus Services to Surat Thani Railway Station

There are lots of different ferry and bus services from Koh Phangan to Surat Thani Railway Station arriving at the train station throughout the day from 05:45 until 21:45. If you are planning to travel from Koh Phangan to Penang by train we advise taking one of the services arriving later in the evening to reduce the amount of waiting time at Surat Thani Railway Station.

Surat Thani Railway Station is not located in Surat Thani City. It’s located in a small town called Tha Kham which is located 16 km by road to the west of the city. There are a few restaurants and late night food stalls near the train station, as well as two 24 hour convenience stores. There is also a hotel in the centre of the town, the Queen Hotel, which offers basic rooms at a low cost making it suitable for shorter stays whilst waiting for a train. Other than this, there are few facilities in the area close to Surat Thani Railway Station.

Train to Padang Besar

Train #45 from Surat Thani to Padang Besar in Malaysia is a Special Express train with only 1 seat type available, 2nd Class A/C Sleeper. There are around 40 berths in a typical 2nd Class A/C Sleeper carriage. Individual berths have privacy curtains, along with a sheet, a pillow, and a blanket.

The journey by train from Surat Thani to Padang Besar (where Train #45 terminates) is scheduled to arrive at 09:05 Malaysian time, which is 08:05 in Thailand. This means that the scheduled journey time by train from Surat Thani to Padang Besar is 6 hours 13 minutes.

Immigration Procedures

On arrival at Padang Besar Railway Station travelling wishing to travel further south need to complete two sets of immigration procedures before continuing their journey:

• Exit from Thailand
• Entry to Malaysia

There is an immigration centre located inside Padang Besar Railway Station with both Thai and Malay immigration desks. Before passengers arriving by train from Thailand can proceed to their next train, or leave the station, they need to visit both immigration desks and successfully complete both sets of immigration procedures.

Train to Penang

The next train travellers need to take is a KTM Komuter service from Padang Besar to Penang. None of the longer distance trains travelling south from Padang Besar stop at Butterworth Railway Station, which is the stop for Penang Island.

Tickets for KTM Komuter services to Penang need to be purchased at the ticket office on the 2nd level of the Padang Besar Railway Station. They are not available for sale online.

The journey from Padang Besar to Penang is scheduled to take 1 hour 51 minutes. The seating in KTM Komuter services is not as comfortable as other longer distance train services in Malaysia and there are no facilities on these trains. Nonetheless, it’s a fast journey and the level of punctuality on this service is very high.

Travel to Penang Island

For travel to Penang Island alight from the train at Butterworth Railway Station. Butterworth Railway Station is located about 3.5 km from Penang Island, on the other side of a narrow sea channel known as the Penang Strait.

 There are two ways to travel from Butterworth Railway Station to Penang Island:

• Taxi:
  • RM30 to RM45 depending on the destination and what you can negotiate with the driver.
• Ferry:
  • Child: RM1.00 one way
  • Adult: RM2.00 one way

Taxis wait for passengers in front of Butterworth Railway Station. To reach the ferry you need to walk 550 metres to Penang Sentral Bus Station. The entry to the ferry pier is on the 2nd level of the bus station. Tickets to Penang Island are available for purchase as you walk to the ferry.

The arrival point for Rapid Ferry services from Butterworth to Penang Island is a ferry pier on the main beach front road in George Town. From there it’s a 200 metre walk to the southern end of Chulia Street, which is a popular area for foreign visitors to the city. Alternatively you could take a taxi from the George Town ferry pier to your hotel, or maybe take a local bus service from Penang Jetty Bus Terminal, which is adjacent to the ferry terminal.

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