The 24-hour-long land journey from Georgetown to Bangkok through Padang Besar; ferry-train-immigration-van-overnight seater train. In this article, I give an exact overview of the route to be taken for your Malaysia-Thailand land border crossing via Padang Besar.

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The street vendors have unloaded their crates, to settle under umbrellas or in decided evening-spots at Penang’s lit pockets of night markets. The smell of freshly-bruised noodles flanked in broiling oil making a messy fuzz, and the sight of Malay-Chinese faces stern in contemplation over the Nasi Goreng Biasa they are creating… I tackle the thin crowd in zigzags, mind not to hit someone with the tent that right-out peeps from my backpack. My backpack is bigger than me, certainly. I can’t hold on to Penang’s smells and moving sights; for my host Des waits for me in her apartment, worrying about my late evening arrival. Des is an Indonesian expat living in Malaysia with her two handsome cats, ‘Latte’ with a goofy moustache and ‘Willow’ with a willow-like personality. 

As we cooked Tempeh and Mushrooms together, frying the self-decided rectangular chunks of frozen Tempeh over an excessively-oiled pan, the two cats worked out on a treadmill-like toy that unfurrowed in cat-meows and forward-backward semi-circles.

From Where in Malaysia Can You Cross to Thailand

The Malaysia-Thailand border crossing begins from the northernmost corner of Malaysia, Penang, that splits into its inland and an island called Georgetown. A long bridge ‘Penang Bridge’ is the connector between these two parts of Penang. From the bus, I saw the panache of the sun-lit doomed clouds bracing up over the hologram of a blue ocean. The first sight is a change in taste; from the freckled-green hilly bytones of Cameron Highlands to the impromptu sunset over the sea.

1. Georgetown to Butterworth (By Ferry)

If your journey starts from Penang, you may have to take a local bus to ‘Georgetown Jetty’. Since my host lived in the Queensbay area of Penang, bus no. 401E for 2 MYR twirled around the town in 13 stops to its last stoppage over the jetty. If you are already in Georgetown, you can directly approach the jetty at a walking length.

Every 40 minutes, starting from 7 am to 11 pm, a ferry leaves for Butterworth, a major transportation hub in Penang, Malaysia. Here is the ticket structure for a 20-min ferry-ride from Georgetown to Butterworth:

• Adult: RM 2
• Child (Aged 5 to 12): RM 1
• Individuals with disabilities: RM 1

You can also load your vehicle on the ferry, with the following charges:

• Bicycles: RM 2
• Motorbikes: RM 2.50 (including pillion rider)

With open Wi-Fi, organized set-up calls, and clean crossovers, Malaysia’s public transportational structure surprised me with its systematic approach. The jetty was no exception. During those acute moments of floating in the vessel of a large ferry, moving with the moves of the waves, Georgetown’s sky-rocketed buildings found no purpose but to float out of the frame. An anchored boat, maybe, somewhere. Or a yellow navigator with a cross, conveying the danger in the water.

Also read – Malaysia E-Visa Requirements for Tourists (Indians & Others)

2. Butterworth to Padang Besar (By Train)

The ferry terminal is right adjacent to the railway station; a matter of walking a few metres through an overbridge. You swipe your card and get your own ticket for 11 MYR to Padang Besar, the Malaysia-Thailand border. The frequency of trains is at an interval of an hour or two. The first train leaves the station at 5:20 am, and the last train is scheduled at 9:35 pm. Both KTM Komuter (Keretapi Tanah Melayu) and ETS/Intercity train tickets can be purchased then and there, at the station.

In a little less than 2 hours, in a comfortable air-conditioned train roving through the last leg of Malaysia, the landscape swipes left and right, with compiled bona fide structures and decayed wear-off of tiny hills. ‘A hundred miles’… I kept listening to the song…

Check out the full train timetable here.

Both at Georgetown Jetty and Butterworth Railway Station, only cards are accepted. No cash. Paying with your card in Malaysia is not a problem. But once you cross to Thailand, you will only be asked for cash. No card.

Immigration at Padang Besar, the Malaysia-Thailand Border

The rush of Padang Besar gets at you like an envelope; trying to fit you in, to a van to Hat Yai, or for a Thai Sim Card. And from here on, get ready to dash out only cash.

Ever since in Cameron Highlands and Penang, the ATMs decided to put up a strike against me. After trying my State Bank of India Debit Card in 3-4 different ATMs, I was bound to be hapless with only 15 MYR cash left in my picketed pocket.

During those acute moments of floating in the vessel of a large ferry, moving with the moves of the waves, Georgetown’s sky-rocketed buildings found no purpose but to float out of the frame.

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I took a step; a leap. I left all the haggles and persuasions of the station behind, to take a last keen chance at ‘What happens if I can’t take out my money’, the only one left. For days before I tried taking out cash, but I was damned with ‘Incorrect pin’. But in an instant, a kilometer ahead of the border in Padang Besar, inside a petrol pump, I typed my pin with a numb matter-of-chance at a Maybank ATM. The buzz stuttered and the machine printed the 100 MYR notes in bulk. How the circumstances put me through hard gambles in life! Only to throw me out of it!

Here are some practical reminders about the Malaysia-Thailand border immigration process:

• The Malaysian exit checkpoint is right next to Padang Besar Railway Station at a walking distance.
• Keep enough buffer time at hand, as it is going to be a slow process with only two immigration officers. I had to stand in a long queue for a minimum of 25-30 minutes.
• Most of the travellers crossing the land border are either Malay, Chinese, or Thai. As the only Indian (foreigner) in the queue, my immigration was done separately inside a room by the rudest person I have encountered in 4 years of travelling. But no document apart from the passport was asked of me. Only thumbprints and photographs, as always.

Also read – Malacca, the Way It Happened, in Street Art And Flipped Pages

The Rest of the Journey to Thailand

From Padang Besar, you can choose the path between Hat Yai or Bangkok, wherever in Thailand your heart wants to carry you. My heart didn’t want to carry me to Bangkok, in fact I wholeheartedly hoped to avoid it, but my next bus to Chaiyaphum had to be boarded from Bangkok. So here I am, in pursuit of the Thai neon Capital.

The Way I Made It to Bangkok Right After the Malaysia-Thailand Border

3. From Padang Besar to Hat Yai (In A Van)

Why did I stop at Hat Yai, if my intended destination was Bangkok? Two reasons.

• The direct train from Padang Besar (Malaysia) to Bangkok (Thailand) is only compatible with Second-class Sleeper AC (upper and lower berths). No third class or seater compartments. That means, a high demand for this train, and tickets are almost unavailable unless booked a month prior. As a last-minute traveller with no fixed plans, there was no way I would have scored a seat.
• Yes, that train is comparatively more expensive. The break journey reduces almost 2/3rd of this special train costing if you opt for a seater compartment from Hat Yai. I will come to that.
• Any train taken from Padang Besar railway station stops for immigration at the Malaysia-Thailand border.

So, all in all, in 55 minutes, vans pick you up right from the platform of Padang Besar, take you through immigration, and all the way to the Southern big city of Hat Yai. You can book the van online through 12go Asia or even better, the moment you get down at Padang Besar, Malay and Thai men with big placards written ‘Van to Hat Yai’ will clobber you. I found this more economical, since the van ride was for only 30 MYR, compared to the online price of almost 60-70 MYR. They even drop you anywhere in Hat Yai you want; your hotel, railway station, or wherever.

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As the outer sunlight eventually splayed into kindred light-bulbs inside, the moving picture crumbled under a dark blanket. Only my sleepy eyes kept blinking at the new sounds of elapsing stations.

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There are direct van services from Georgetown to Hat Yai as well. More expensive, of course. And they take you through the border customs while crossing from Malaysia to Thailand.

4. From Hat Yai to Bangkok (An Overnight Train)

• Train timings: 4:05 pm (Train no. 172), 5:45 pm (Train no. 32), 6:05 pm (Train no. 38), 6:05 pm (Train no. 46), 6:20 pm (Train no. 170).

• Tickets: 3rd class fan seating – 200-300 TBH, 2nd class fan seating – 400-500 TBH, 2nd Class Sleeper – 800-1000 TBH

My ticket was already booked for this incredible Thai-train overnight adventure in a 2nd class seater compartment. Here are the classes in most of the Thai trains:

• 2nd Class Sleeper AC
• 2nd Class Sleeper Fan
• 2nd Class Fan Seats Only
• Class 3 Fan

In the 2nd class non-AC seater, there’s enough legroom with soft-cushioned comfy seats and large-squared spare windows to slow-travel through the green of Thailand. A Thai grandmother beside me, in her half-crisp cargo pants and check-shirt, dumped a pastry cake on my hand. Every time she opened her fruit juice box, water bottle, or dinner set, she gestured for a share. As the outer sunlight eventually splayed into kindred light-bulbs inside, the moving picture crumbled under a dark blanket. Only my sleepy eyes kept blinking at the new sounds of elapsing stations.

Also read – This Could Be Your Search for Vegetarian Food in Malacca

The Alternative Way You Can Take at the Malaysia-Thailand Border

From Padang Besar to Bangkok (By Sleeper Train)

• Train timing: 5:00 pm to 8:05 am
• Travel time: 16 hours
• Ticket: Lower berth – 918 THB, Upper berth – 848 THB

As I mentioned earlier, plan your trip a little ahead to find a seat on this sleeper train. This is a special train (Train No. 46) with only 2nd class sleeper that runs everyday from Malaysia to Thailand (Padang Besar to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station, Bangkok). This train also stops at Hat Yai (Till Hat Yai, a 3rd class coach is attached to the train). Book the train here.

You Might Want A SIM Card in Thailand

TrueMove H provides decent internet coverage all over the country. At Padang Besar, even before the border-crossing, you can both get a SIM card and exchange your currency. I got my TrueMove H 5G SIM card in Bangkok, for 400 Thai Baht with unlimited calls and 45 GB data for a month. AIS and DTAC are also considerable network services.

Exchange your currency at the Malaysia-Thailand Border. Or, small currency exchange kiosks are everywhere in Bangkok or Hat Yai. Chances are that you will bargain for a better exchange rate in Bangkok.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• What is the name of the border between Malaysia and Thailand?

There are 7 checkpoints connecting these two countries. However, the most convenient one is Padang Besar, if you are in Penang or Georgetown. You can read about other crossings here.

• Which city in Thailand is near Padang Besar?

Hat Yai is only 55 minutes away from the immigration entry point.

• Is the Malaysia-Thailand border open?

It remains open from 6 am to 11 pm (Malaysian time).

• What documents are needed to clear immigration?

Officially, you should have a passport with a 6-month validity, proof of your onward journey (return ticket), proof of sufficient funds, and a visa (depending upon country to country).

Malaysia-Thailand Border Map

Find all the stops along the route on Google Maps.

• To book a bus, train or ferry anywhere in Malaysia or Thailand, you can use 12GoAsia or Easybook in advance. These are two of the most reliable booking sites for commutes in Southeast Asia.

• For booking any property, go through booking.com or Hostelworld.

• To book your flights, Skyscanner is the answer!

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I found very little clear information on the internet about the Malaysia-Thailand border crossing by train via Padang Besar before doing it myself, so I tried to simplify the route as much as possible, and kept it information-based.

Do you have more questions about the land crossing? Shoot away!

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