Koh Samui to Penang

There are three stages to the journey by train from Koh Samui to Penang. The first part of the journey is by ferry and bus to Surat Thani Train Station. From Surat Thani you need to take two trains, one to Padang Besar in Malaysia where you can change to a Malaysian train service for the final stage of the journey to Penang.

Stage One: Koh Samui to Surat Thani Train Station

The easiest way to travel from Koh Samui to Surat Thani Train Station is take a joint ferry and bus service direct from Koh Samui to the train station.

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

Stage Two: Train from Surat Thani to Padang Besar

The second stage of the journey by train from Koh Samui to Penang is to take a train to Padang Besar Train Station, which is in Malaysia a short distance from the border with Thailand.

• Buy train tickets from Surat Thani to Padang Besar.

Stage Three: Train from Padang Besar to Penang

The third and final stage of the journey by train from Koh Samui to Penang is to take a train from Padang Besar Train Station to Butterworth Train Station, which is the main train station in Penang State and connection point for travel to Penang Island.

• Tickets for stage three of the journey (Padang Besar to Penang) need to be purchased at Padang Besar Train Station on the day of travel.

Location of Nathon Pier in Koh Samui

Lomprayah services from Koh Samui to Surat Train Station depart from Nathon Pier.

Location of Surat Thani Train Station

Read more about Surat Thani Railway Station.

Location of Padang Besar Train Station

Read more about Padang Besar Train Station.

Location of Butterworth Train Station

Read more about Butterworth Railway Station.

About Train Travel from Koh Samui to Penang

By train the journey from Koh Samui to Penang takes at least 20 hours, around 8 hours of which are spent on a train. The other 12 hours of the journey involve travelling from Koh Samui to the closest train station on the mainland, and then time spent waiting for trains. Nonetheless, travelling by train from Koh Samui to Penang is typically more comfortable than travelling by bus because passengers can sleep overnight in a sleeper berth.

Travel to Surat Thani Railway Station

The first part of the journey by train from Koh Samui to Penang is to travel by sea and by road to Surat Thani Railway Station. For this journey nearly all travellers, both local people and tourists, will take one of the more than 20 a day joint bus and ferry services from Koh Samui to Surat Thani Railway Station. The reason for this is because the ferry piers in Surat Thani Province are a long distance from Surat Thani Railway Station and travellers need to book a connecting bus service in advance to get from the the ferry pier to the train station.

Train from Surat Thani to Padang Besar

The next stage of the journey by train from Koh Samui to Penang is to take Train #45 from Surat Thani, which is scheduled to depart at 01:52 and terminate at Padang Besar Railway Station at 08:05 Thailand time, which is 09:05 in Malaysia.

• Journey Time: 6 hours 13 minutes
• Seat Types:
  • 2nd Class A/C Sleeper

Waiting Time at Surat Thani Railway Station

The latest joint ferry and bus service from Koh Samui to Surat Thani Railway Station arrives at 21:45, which means a wait of at least 4 hours for Train #45, or longer if you take one of the earlier connecting services from Koh Samui.

Surat Thani Railway is located in a small town called Tha Kham which is located 16 km by road from the centre of Surat Thani City. There are some amenities in Tha Kham within 200 metres walking distance of Surat Thani Railway Station which we recommend passengers waiting for a train make use of, particularly the inexpensive hotels:

• 7-Eleven and Family Mart convenience stores.
• Some small indoor cafes and restaurants.
• Late night foodstalls.
• Two hotels:
  • Queen Hotel
  • Phunphin Station

Immigration Procedures in Padang Besar

On arrival at Padang Besar Railway Station, passengers on Train #45 from Surat Thani are required to pass through Thai and Malaysian immigration checks before continuing their journey south to Penang.

There is an immigration centre on the ground floor of Padang Besar Railway Station with both Thai and Malaysian immigration desks. Travellers need to complete immigration procedures for departing from Thailand first before they visit the Malaysian immigration desk to complete immigration procedures for entering Malaysia.

Train from Padang Besar to Penang

For the third and final stage of the journey by train from Koh Samui to Penang, travellers need to take one of the frequent and inexpensive commuter train services that operate on the route from Padang Besar to Butterworth:

• Journey Time: 1 hour 51 minutes
• Seat Types:
  • No allocated seating

There are several different train stations in Penang State. The main train station is Butterworth Railway Station. The reason this is the main station is because it’s located close to Penang Island, with a commuter ferry service to George Town (capital of Penang Island) which departs from near to Butterworth Railway Station.

Buying Tickets for Trains to Butterworth

Single train tickets on the commuter train service from Padang Besar to Butterworth cannot be purchased in advance online. They need to be purchased at Padang Besar Railway Station at the ticket office on the 2nd level of the train station before you attempt to board a train.

Travel from Butterworth Railway Station to Penang

From Butterworth Railway Station it’s simple and easy to reach George Town in Penang Island. George Town is the main tourist attraction in Penang State, a major city in its own right, and also the location of a Royal Thai Consulate where visa applications for Thailand can be submitted.

There are two ways to travel by public transport from Butterworth Railway Station to George Town in Penang Island:

• Taxi
  • Typical Journey Time: 30 minutes
  • Cost: RM30 to RM45 (negotiable)
  • Departure Point: Butterworth Railway Station forecourt
  • Arrival Point: Any hotel in George Town, Penang

• Ferry
  • Typical Journey Time: 45 minutes (including walking and waiting time)
  • Cost: RM2 for adults / RM1 for children
  • Departure Point: The entrance to the ferry pier is located on the 2nd level of Penang Sentral Bus Terminal, 550 metres walking distance from Butterworth Railway Station.
  • Arrival Point: Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal, which is located on the beach seafront road in the centre of George Town.

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