Nakhon Si Thammarat to Penang?

[ajarnrose]

Can someone please advise me how to get to Penang and cost from Nakhon Si Thammarat. 

 

Thanks in advance :)

[4evermaat]

Note:  I've never actually gone from Nakhorn, so maybe others will chime in.

 

Not sure where in Nakhorn you are located, but coach buses run down hwy 41 from Bangkok/Surat Thani/Phuket to Hat Yai pretty often, and there should be minibuses also. So you are better off with that.  About 3 hours between Nakhorn Si and Hat Yai bus stations via hwy 408 (< 200 baht).

 

From hat yai, either take minivan via Sadao/Dannok to Penang (550-ish baht right to GeorgeTown), or take the train to Padang Besar (< 100 baht) and then onwards to Butterworth (12RM); take ferry to Penang island (1.20RM).   

 

There might be a train that runs once or twice a day direct (Nakorn Si <> Hat Yai) ; I would check the Nakorn train station for updated information on that.  It might end up going through some junction anyway, so it might be better to take bus Nakorn Si <> Hat Yai

 

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Make sure to exchange for some Malaysian ringgit when you are on the train from Hat Yai to Padang Besar (or minivan will stop at rest stop just after Sadao border; there is exchange booth).  They should give you a proper exchange rate.  If you wait until you go into Penang on the weekends, regional currencies like THB the spread will increase significantly.

[Stocky]

It's about 4hrs by train from NST - HDY.

You need to catch either Train 451 or 455, departing 06:00 and 09:58 respectively.

 

Going back it's either Train 456 or 452, departing 09:18 and 13:50 respectively.

 

Fares are peanuts.

 

.

[surfdog]

last time I drove to Hat Yai, and then took a minivan, plenty of minivans running from Hat Yai near Central Hat Yai, that was plenty years ago.  There is a 'tour' shop on the main road there.  The extra costs of hotels and food and Penang may be the difference between airfare to Laos.  However to be fair Penang consulate is much better then Vientiane.  

[phuketsub]

It's hard to believe that the Bangkok>Butterworth service ended over a decade ago. Such a no-brainer, but bureaucracy/international relations/cheap airfares/Patani separatists have all played a role on this retarded situation.

 

Maybe Asean should get involved (joke).

[Rhys]

Air Asia  Surat Thani to KL or Penang...

[4evermaat]

On 2/9/2018 at 9:29 PM, phuketsub said:

It's hard to believe that the Bangkok>Butterworth service ended over a decade ago. Such a no-brainer, but bureaucracy/international relations/cheap airfares/Patani separatists have all played a role on this retarded situation.

 

Maybe Asean should get involved (joke).

 

Bangkok to Butterworth service ended in early 2016.  Now it stops at Padang Besar border.  Instead of getting back on that train same, you just buy a new ticket (Malaysian ticket booth upstairs) and then take the rest of the trip to Butterworth.  It's the same price if not slightly cheaper.   

 

A minor inconvenience to have to buy the separate ticket; sometimes there is a bottleneck line.

[phuketsub]

1 hour ago, 4evermaat said:

 

Bangkok to Butterworth service ended in early 2016.  Now it stops at Padang Besar border.  Instead of getting back on that train same, you just buy a new ticket (Malaysian ticket booth upstairs) and then take the rest of the trip to Butterworth.  It's the same price if not slightly cheaper.   

 

A minor inconvenience to have to buy the separate ticket; sometimes there is a bottleneck line.

oh, thanks for that and sorry for spreading false info; I was unaware of it. Is there any way to book the Malaysian ticket in advance, though? Is there always room. This would seem an obvious solution for the OP, providing he/she doesn't mind jumping on the train in the middle of the night.

[4evermaat]

I think the ETS train you can book (assigned seating); but only 1 per day that goes through Butterworth (07:05) . the other ETS trains bypass Butterworth.  So they seem to be designed for longer commutes cross country (to KL, Gemas, etc).  But the free seater (Komuter) I'm not sure; doesn't look like it from the website.   Maybe the app allows it.

 

Here is the Komuter schedule.  From memory, it is 11.40RM to Butterworth.

 

 

If you are adventurous, you could take the ETS to SUNGAI PETANI and then take the RapidPenang shuttle bus to Butterworth. 

[phuketsub]

12 hours ago, 4evermaat said:

I think the ETS train you can book (assigned seating); but only 1 per day that goes through Butterworth (07:05) . the other ETS trains bypass Butterworth.  So they seem to be designed for longer commutes cross country (to KL, Gemas, etc).  But the free seater (Komuter) I'm not sure; doesn't look like it from the website.   Maybe the app allows it.

 

Here is the Komuter schedule.  From memory, it is 11.40RM to Butterworth.

 

 

If you are adventurous, you could take the ETS to SUNGAI PETANI and then take the RapidPenang shuttle bus to Butterworth. 

Interesting. I'd actually like to go back to visit Penang. I went there every three months for over a decade when I lived in BKK. Now I am much closer, but no longer need to do visa runs so it has been almost 15 years....

[markwhite]

Go to the main bus station (Bor Kor Sor) and there are two minibuses that travel to Hat Yai regularly. Should be about 160baht and take 2.5 to 3 hours.

Get out at Hat Yai bus station and exit onto the road with all of the shops (7-11, travel agencies, restaurants)

There's one travel agency that's on the corner opposite the 7-11 with a big wooden counter and an open shop front. I've used that a few times, but all others do it and they're all pretty much the same from my experience. A minibus to Penang will be about 300 baht from memory and takes about 5 hours.

You'll wait a while and an old guy will turn up in an old blue Mercedes with tan leather inside. He'll drive you to another shop next to a Khanom Jeen stall where the buses actually go from.

There will be one toilet stop in Malaysia.

I find if I get the bus about 1pm, I get to Chulia Street about 7pm Malaysia time.

 

Hope this helps.

 

[4evermaat]

On 2/13/2018 at 10:21 AM, markwhite said:

.....

Get out at Hat Yai bus station and exit onto the road with all of the shops (7-11, travel agencies, restaurants)

There's one travel agency that's on the corner opposite the 7-11 with a big wooden counter and an open shop front. I've used that a few times, but all others do it and they're all pretty much the same from my experience. A minibus to Penang will be about 300 baht from memory and takes about 5 hours.......

 

 

When was the last time you took a minivan Hat Yai to Penang?  the ticket prices seem to be around 400-500 baht these days.

[markwhite]

On 2/14/2018 at 7:23 PM, 4evermaat said:

 

When was the last time you took a minivan Hat Yai to Penang?  the ticket prices seem to be around 400-500 baht these days.

 

About 12 months ago and my memory could be failing me so I'm happy to stand corrected.