Is there any bus, minibus route to Penang from Hat Yai main bus station in the evening. I arrive there about 5.45 so something around 6-6.30 would be ideal?

You might catch one in the station but that is hugely doubtful. Why don't you call Cathay GH and get their schedule?? Whatever you do you wil have to be across the border by closing (8pm?) so bear this in mind.

FYI: Better to take the mb from in town as it is less hassle and the moto taxi will charge you nothing less than b40++ for a b20+ (1.3km) ride. Another alternative is to take the train all the way to Butterworth, it is no longer cheaper to take the fan down to HY and a mb from there. Well, it is but only B100. So better to go direct and not hassle with those <deleted> old broken mb's.

Where do you get that songteaw?? Any landmarks for the stop?

Man, that station is really mafia now days.

I have walked that into town many times in the middle of the night. They want like B70, yeah right.

I am almost certain that there is no transport to Malaysia at that time.

Better to sleep over for the night.

It's a 2 kms walk to downtown.

You can catch a song-theo from the bus terminal.

You will be getting off at 'Kim-Yong'.

It's the nearest drop off point for the 'center' of town.

Fare is 10 baht.

Bear in mind that the songtheo takes a longer route to the center(7 kms or so)

Or for an even faster service, you can hop on a motorcycle taxi to the center of town which is called RongRam Center (Central Hotel).

This center is about 1 km from Gim Yong Market on NiPhut-Oo-Thit Third Street.

And for another 800 THB or so you can hire a private taxi to run you to the border before it closes for business from RongRam Center.

Ask any tuktuk driver or motorcycle taxi there.