Phuket to Penang

There are three parts to the journey by train from Phuket to Penang. The first part of the journey is by bus to the closest train station. From there travellers need to take two trains to reach Penang.

Part One: Bus from Phuket to Surat Thani Train Station

The first part of the journey is to travel by road from Phuket to Surat Thani to board a train.

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

Part Two: Train from Surat Thani to Padang Besar

The second part of the journey is to travel by train from Surat Thani to Padang Besar in Malaysia.

• Buy train tickets from Surat Thani to Padang Besar.

Part Three: Train from Padang Besar to Penang

The third part of the journey is to take another train from Padang Besar to Penang.

• Tickets for trains from Padang Besar to Penang need to be purchased at Padang Besar Railway Station on the same day as you travel. Single tickets for KTM Komuter services are not available for purchase online.

Location of Phuket Bus Terminal 2

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

Location of Surat Thani Train Station

At Surat Thani Railway Station passengers need to then board a train travelling south to Padang Besar in Malaysia.

Location of Padang Besar Train Station

For the third part of the journey Padang Besar Railway Station passengers need to board a Malaysian train service to Butterworth Train Station.

Location of Butterworth Train Station

From Butterworth Railway Station passengers can then travel either by ferry or by road to Penang Island, which is the main tourist area in Penang State.

About Train Travel to Penang

The journey by train from Phuket to Penang, with connecting bus service to Surat Thani, takes at least 20 hours. About 6 hours of the journey is spent on a sleeper train allowing passengers some bed rest during this long overland journey.

Despite the need to first take a bus, and then change trains once during the journey, it’s actually very straightforward in terms of working out where to go and when.

Bus from Phuket to Surat Thani Railway

All bus but one of the bus services from Phuket direct to Surat Thani Railway Station departs from Phuket Bus Terminal 2, which is located 5 km to the north of Phuket Town. The exception is the service operated by 12Go Transport which departs from Phuket Bus Terminal 1, which is located in the centre of Phuket Town.

To reach Phuket Bus Terminal 2 by public transport you first need to take a bus or minivan from wherever you are staying in Phuket to Phuket Town. There is a cheap shared taxi service (often referred to as the ‘pink bus’) which departs every 20 minutes from Phuket Bus Terminal 1 and takes about 20 minutes to reach Phuket Bus Terminal 2.

Arrival in Surat Thani

All the direct services from Phuket to Surat Thani listed above drop off passengers outside the front of the ticket hall at Surat Thani Railway Station. Because of the late departure of Train #45 from Surat Thani (01:52) passengers will have a wait of at least 7 hours from the time the bus arrives in Surat Thani until the time the train to Padang Besar departs.

Surat Thani Railway Station is not located in Surat Thani, it’s located in a small town called Tha Kham which is about 16 km by road to the west of the city centre. Tha Kham has two 24 hour convenience stores, some small restaurants which shut early evening, some late night food stalls, and two inexpensive small hotels, all within about 200 metres walking distance from the ticket hall of Surat Thani Railway Station.

Some passengers, particularly those with small children or the need to recharge phones or laptops, should consider checking into one of these hotels for a few hours rather than sitting on the platform waiting for the train. The hotels are called the Queen Hotel and Phunphin Station.

Train to Padang Besar

The journey by train from Surat Thani to Padang Besar is scheduled to take 6 hours 13 minutes, arriving in Padang Besar at 09:05 Malaysian time, which is 08:05 in Thailand. The sleeper berths on Train #45 are normally prepared by the time the train reaches Surat Thani so passengers joining the train at this station can go straight to bed as soon as they board.

Immigration Procedures at Padang Besar

After alighting from Train #45 at Padang Besar Railway Station (where the train terminates) passengers are directed to go straight to the immigration centre on the ground floor of the railway station. Passengers first need to visit the Thai immigration desk to complete procedures for exiting Thailand. After that they need to visit the Malaysian immigration desk to complete procedures for entering Malaysia.

Tickets for the Train to Penang

Tickets for the KTM Komuter services to Penang will be available for purchase at the ticket booth on the upper level of the main train station building, which is directly above the platforms. Tickets need to be purchased before you can board the service to Penang,

Train Service to Penang

The journey by train from Padang Besar to Butterworth Railway Station in Penang is scheduled to take 1 hour 51 minutes.

There is no allocated seating on these services, which have large open spaces within carriages designed to accommodate standing passengers. Because this is a commuter type service, with many passengers travelling on shorter distances between neighbouring towns, the volume of people on the trains fluctuates a lot. If you have difficulties getting a seat initially, one will become available a short time later as passengers alight along the way.

Arrival in Penang

There are several train stations in Penang State. The one which most leisure travellers will want to arrive into is Butterworth Railway Station. This is because Butterworth Railway Station is the most convenient train station for travel to Penang Island, and in particular historic George Town, where the Royal Thai Consulate is located.

There are two ways to travel by public transport from Butterworth Railway Station to George Town in Penang Island. The cheapest option is to take the commuter ferry which costs RM2 for adults and RM1 for children. The ferry departs from a jetty accessible via the 2nd level of Penang Sentral Bus Station, which is 550 metres walking distance from Butterworth Railway Station.

The other way to travel by public transport from Butterworth Railway Station to George Town is to take a taxi. Fares are not fixed and need to be negotiated with the driver. Expect to pay from RM30 to RM45 depending upon the destination and the driver.

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