Last month, my best friend and I had a really fun trip to Thailand. First, we took the train from Padang Besar to Surat Thani. Next, we travelled to Koh Samui; one of the popular island on the Gulf of Thailand. We totally had a blast when we were there and it was a great getaway trip.
We had been planning for the trip few months before. We booked our train tickets from Padang Besar to Surat Thani via BusOnlineTicket.co.th in advance to secure out tickets and ensure a smooth journey. Now, let me share with you on how we travelled from Padang Besar to Surat Thani by train.
Going to Padang Besar Train Station
We brought the printed PDF ticket sent to our email and went to Padang Besar Malaysia Train Station.
By following the signboard direction, I proceeded to the custom and immigration counter of Malaysia first before heading to the immigration counter of Thailand.
Padang Besar Station (Malaysia)
Padang Besar Station (Malaysia) is a place for immigration clearance at the Immigration counter of Malaysia and Immigration counter of Thailand before heading to Thailand border area. The custom for both Malaysia and Thailand are in the same building. You can walk to the next level and then you can see Thailand custom which is also in the building (First Floor).
Note: The border crossing, not open 24 hours but which is the main entry point to Thailand, is open from 6am to 10pm daily. The other border checkpoint in Wang Kelian, also in Perlis, is open from 7am to 7pm daily.
Waiting Area in Padang Besar Malaysia Train Station
There are many waiting areas for passengers at Padang Besar Train Station because there are many passengers that travel between Malaysia and Thailand every day.
Passengers can also wait for the train at the second floor of the building.
Duty Free Shop, Food Stalls and Washroom
There are Duty Free shops in the Padang Besar train station. Moreover, you can find food court and washroom at the second floor. Please take note that you will need to pay RM 0.30 for toilet entrance fee.
The SRT Train from Padang Besar to Surat Thani
We waited for the State Railway of Thailand train to Surat Thani. The train picked the passengers up at the Padang Besar Malaysia Train Station. Then, the train stopped at Padang Besar Thailand Train Station to pick up more passengers.
Padang Besar Thailand Train Station is not so far from Padang Besar Malaysia Train Station, and it took us about 15 minutes to reach there. After that, the train continued its journey and stopping at several more stations before we reach Surat Thani.
2nd Class Air Conditioned Sleeper SRT Train from Padang Besar to Surat Thani
Our train ticket type that we chose was the 2nd Class Air Conditioned Sleeper. During the day, the seats were positioned as normal seats. When night came, the staff of the train changed the seats into beds for the passengers since it’s a sleeper train. They also provided all passengers with a new clean pillow and a new blanket.
On the way to Surat Thani, the train will stop at other stations to pick up and drop off the passengers. There are foods you can purchase on-board. Alternatively, there will be people selling food to the passengers from outside of the train when the train stopped at the stations at an affordable price. Outside foods are allowed on the train.
Arrival in Surat Thani Train Station
On the way to Surat Thani, the train passed by many stations to drop off the passengers. Some of the stations include:
- Hat Yai Train Station
- Phatthalung Station
- Thung Song Station
The journey from Padang Besar to Surat Thani took about 6 hours. It was already night when we arrived at Surat Thani. Therefore, at Surat Thani Train Station, there were only motorcycle taxis waiting to take you to your next destination.
Getting to Surat Thani was not as difficult as we thought. We booked train tickets from Padang Besar to Surat Thani online with BusOnlineTicket.co.th. This is a long journey so you should book train with sleeping bed if you are travelling at night.
