Koh Samui To Langkawi (malaysia)

[perkie173]

Hey.

Me and my boyfriend are currently planning our first visa run for September. We would really like to go from Koh Samui to Langkawi in Malaysia for the week but are trying to find out the cheapest options.

I checked out flights first and the cheapest I have found from 2-9 September is with firefly who fly from Samui to Subang and then Subang to Langkawi for approx £140 return. There is a one day stop in Subang on the way there and the way back though.

I then started looking at ferry's and trains and this is where I have got confused. I know that I can get a ferry from Koh Samui to Surat Thani. I also found out that the ferry for Langkawi leaves every 30mins from Kuala Perlis which is not far from Arau in Malaysia. This would cost about £15 return for the ferries. I have tried looking for a train from Surat Thani to Arau and this is where I am having trouble. It seems there is an overnight sleeper train from Surat Thani to Arau. The train is number 35 if I have read it right. I have been to the Malaysian site to try and book these tickets but the closest place I could get a train from is Hat Yai. Has anyone done this trip before and can anyone help me regards to travelling from Surat Thani to Arau by train.

Other questions I have is how far is the train station from the ferry port of Surat Thani? And on re-entering Thailand on the 9th September does somebody come aboard the train to restamp our passports or can this only be done by flying back into the country.

Thank you for any replies, I really hope someone can help!

Kind Regards

Laura

[perkie173]

Been doing a bit more research and it seems it is possible to travel from Satun in Thailand to Langkawi by ferry for around 600baht return. Can anyone confirm whether this is correct as it seems a much easier way than travelling by train through to Arau.

I have found that it is possible to get a bus from Koh Samui to Hat Yai and then from reading other posts on here a minibus from Hat Yai to Satun's ferry port is about 90 baht. I would love to hear if anyone has done even part of this journey before just for some confirmation that what I have found online is correct. I would also like to know if anyone has caught the mini bus from Hat Yai to Satun just to know approximate minibus times. Do you think this is possible to complete all in one day also? The last ferry from Satun to Langkawi is 4.30pm according to the website.

Thank you for any replies.

[gerryBScot]

We went to Langkawi from K Perlis via train from Thailand. Best thing to do is get off at the border, Padang Basar, and then get a taxi to the pier, about a 40 minute ride costing about £12 GBP. Regular boat service. (I hated Langkawi, thought it was absurdly expensive and was delighted to get back to Thailand.) You pass through immigration at Padang Basar, the border crossing.... there is no reason why you cannot leave Thailand at this train station and re-enter without going any further.....you just might have a long wait for the next train back north. Also remember this is a land border so they will only issue you with 15 days on visa on arrival but if you have a multi entry non-imm or tourist visa entry just make sure they give you the right number of days. You can also go via Satun and I believe there are also sea links from Krabi etc.

[jbaldwin]

Another option would be to fly from Samui to Penang and then get the ferry from there

[PoorSucker]

Another option would be to fly from Samui to Penang and then get the ferry from there

Firefly has stopped the flight direct Samui-Penang.

Must go now via Subang (KL).

[perkie173]

Thank you for your replies. At the moment flying is my last option as the times aren't fantastic when co-inciding with getting to Langkawi and it is also a lot more expensive. I have plenty of time so the bus/train is an idea for me. I am just trying to find out what information I have is correct. It seems that by doing it this way it will be a quarter of the price of flying.