Trains from Phuket to Ipoh

There are 3 parts to the journey by train from Phuket to Surat Thani and travellers need to buy a separate ticket for each part of the journey.

Part 1: Phuket to Surat Thani Train Station

The first part of the journey by train from Phuket to Ipoh is take a bus service from Phuket to Surat Thani Train Station.

• Buy bus tickets from Phuket to Surat Thani Railway Station

Part 2: Surat Thani to Padang Besar

The next part of the journey from Phuket to Ipoh is to travel on a Thai train service from Surat Thani to Padang Besar in Malaysia.

• Buy train tickets from Surat Thani to Padang Besar

Part 3: Padang Besar to Ipoh

The third and final stage of the journey from Phuket to Ipoh is to take a train from Padang Besar to Ipoh Railway Station.

• Buy train tickets from Padang Besar to Ipoh

Location of Phuket Bus Terminal 2

Most of the direct bus services from Phuket to Surat Thani Train Station depart from Phuket Bus Terminal 2.

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 Ipoh Train Station

Read more about Ipoh Railway Station.

About Train Travel to Ipoh

By train the journey from Phuket to Ipoh takes from 21 to 23 hours depending upon which bus and train services you take. Only around 9 hours of the total travelling time is spent on a train. Up to 10 hours is spent waiting for connecting train services, the majority of which is in Surat Thani where you can book into a hotel if you prefer rather than waiting on the station platform.

Travel to Surat Thani Train Station

Surat Thani Train Station is the closest train station to Phuket and there are lots of bus services travelling direct from Phuket to Surat Thani Train Station. Depending upon which bus service you take the journey from Phuket to Surat Thani Train Station is scheduled to take from 4 hours to 6 hours 30 minutes. Because of the late departure time of the once a day train from Surat Thani to Padang Besar (01:52) travellers can take any of the bus services listed above and reach the train station in time.

All of the bus services from Phuket to Surat Thani Train Station listed above depart either from Phuket Bus Terminal 1 or Phuket Bus Terminal 2. Phuket Bus Terminal 1 is a local bus station located in the centre of Phuket Town. Phuket Bus Terminal 2 is a long distance bus terminal which is located about 5 km to the north of Phuket Town. To reach Phuket Bus Terminal 2 by public transport you need to first travel to Phuket Bus Terminal 1 to take the shared taxi service departing from Platform 7 which operates as a shuttle service between the two bus stations.

Waiting Time in Surat Thani

Even if you take the latest of the listed bus services from Phuket to Surat Thani Train Station, which arrives at 19:00, you still have a wait of nearly 7 hours at Surat Thani Train Station until the departure of Train #45 to Padang Besar.

Surat Thani Train Station is not located in Surat Thani City. It’s located in a small town called Tha Kham about 16 km to the west of the city centre. There are facilities near the train station which, although not extensive, are sufficient to meet the basic needs of most travellers. These facilities include ATM machines, a 24 hours convenience store, some restaurants and late night food stalls, and two inexpensive hotels, all within 200 metres walking distance of the ticket hall at the train station.

The two hotels near Surat Thani Train Station, which can be booked online through major hotel booking websites or apps, are:

• Queen Hotel
• Phunphin Station

Train #45 to Padang Besar

Train #45 is scheduled to complete the journey to Padang Besar in 6 hours 13 minutes, arriving at 08:05 Thai time, which is 09:05 in Malaysia.

The only seat type available on Train #45 is 2nd Class A/C Sleeper seat. Each carriage has around 40 sleeper berths all of which will be prepared with sheets, a blanket, and privacy curtain by the time the train arrives in Surat Thani allowing passengers to go straight to sleep when they board the train.

Changing Trains at Padang Besar

There are two train stations called Padang Besar, one in Thailand and one in Malaysia. It’s the larger of the two train stations, which is in Malaysia, where Train #45 terminates and that passengers wishing to continue their journey south by train should alight.

On arrival at Padang Besar Train Station in Malaysia the first thing that passengers arriving by train from Thailand need to do is to pass through Thai and Malaysian immigration control. Thailand and Malaysia operate a joint immigration centre on the ground floor of Padang Besar Train Station.

Travellers coming from Thailand first need to visit the Thai immigration desk to complete exit procedures for Thailand. After that they then need to visit the Malaysian immigration desk to complete entry procedures for Malaysia. Only after that are passengers free to board a further train heading south into Malaysia.

Train from Padang Besar to Ipoh

By train the journey from Padang Besar to Ipoh is scheduled to take from 2 hours 46 minutes to 3 hours 3 minutes depending upon which train you take as some trains are slightly faster than others.

Trains from Padang Besar to Ipoh travel on Malaysia’s West Coast Line mainline which is a fully electrified train line. All train services on this line are in modern style electric trains which are similar to the types of trains in use in many parts of Western Europe, although these train services are not high speed train services.

Depending upon which train you take there are up to three different seat types available on trains from Padang Besar to Ipoh:

• Second Class Seat
• Business Seat
• Premier Seat

Compared to the differences between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Class seats on trains in Thailand, the differences between the different seat types on trains from Padang Besar to Ipoh are relatively small. The main benefit of paying extra for a Business or Premier seat is that you get additional personal space as the seats are larger and spaced further apart.

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