Hat Yai

By Minivan

Minivans connect to and from all major locations in southern Thailand with Hat Yai. Where they depart from depends on the destination but the locals will be able to point you in the right direction. They are generally cheap and quicker than the buses but often overcrowded thus making them uncomfortable and dangerous.

By train

Hat Yai is on the southern line connecting Bangkok to Butterworth and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

To/from Bangkok:

Five trains daily to and from Bangkok. Express trains depart at 16:16, 17:34 and 18:05 while the slower Rapid trains depart at 14:18 and 15:26. Trains go via Surat Thani, Chumphon, Hua Hin etc.

A 3rd class ticket with reserved, upholstered seat sets you back 259 Baht Hat Yai-Bangkok on ordinary trains and slightly more for Rapid/Express trains June 2008. Buy tickets directly at the respective railway stations, surcharges are imposed if bought at other agencies!

To/from Sungai Kolok:

Three trains to Sungai Kolok daily departing at 05:36, 07:18 and 11:30.

To/from Malaysia:

The State Railways of Thailand's (http://www.railway.co.th) International Express leaves Hat Yai for Butterworth near Penang daily at 05:50, going via Padang Besar. In the other direction, trains leave Butterworth at 13:15 and arrive in Hat Yai at 17:30. The train then continues to Bangkok. The Senandung Langkawi operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Malaysian Railways (http://www.ktmb.com.my) departs Hat Yai for Kuala Lumpur daily at 15:00 Thai time, arriving at KL Sentral at 05:30 Malaysia Time the next day. Trains from Kuala Lumpur depart at 21:20 Malaysia Time and arrive in Hat Yai at 09:27 Thai Time the next day. The Senandung Langkawi goes via Bukit Mertajam and Padang Besar. Please note that Malaysian time is one hour ahead of Thai time. If it is noon in Thailand, it is 13:00 in Malaysia. Be sure and check the departure time on your ticket as many tickets have Malaysian departure times even though Hat Yai is in Thailand.

Surat Thani

3rd class ticket cost 55 bahtdec 07 but takes 7 hours!! Good for stunning views of the countryside. See timetable at railway station. Sleepercabins 1st class, 2nd class aircon & fan sleeperettes and 3rd class now upholstered seats! are available

By bus

Hat Yai has a large bus station located near the Diana Department store N 06° 59.699 E 100° 28.962. Buses can be taken to all major towns in the south of Thailand and up to Bangkok. Depending on the route, different classes of bus are available. These range from local orange colored buses without air-conditioning to luxurious 24-seater coaches with toilets and reclining seats.

Buy tickets only from the ticket counters, do not allow yourself to be directed to agencies by touts this included tuk tuk drivers in the bus station. You will pay more and most likely get a later time.

To/from Bangkok: Air-con buses by The Transport Co. Ltd บริษัท ขนส่ง จำกัด (บขส., bor-kor-sor) run between Bangkok southern bus terminal สายใต้, sai-tai and Hatyai bus terminal daily. The distance is ~954km and normally takes 12 hours.

24 seats VIP bus พิเศษ, phiset costs 1072B, departs from Bangkok at 1700, 1800, 1900 and 2000. For the return, the departure is at 1600, 1700 and 1800.

32 seats Class 1 B bus ม1พ costs 828B, departs from Bangkok and Hatyai at 1730.

47 seats Class 2 bus ม2 departs from Bangkok at 0700, 1700 and 2145, Hatyai at 0800, 1530 and 1700 for 535B.

Other scheduled, interprovincial buses serving Hat Yai: Surat Thani, Phuket, Satun, Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Bus to Songkhla goes past the clock tower along Th Phetkasem ถนน เพชรเกษม, at the intersection close to Th Montri 1 ถนน มนตรี 1.

To/from Malaysia:

Kuala Lumpur

There are several Malaysian bus companies that go to KL, you can get tickets either at tour agents or from the bus company shop. Cost of ticket varies depending on company and time of departure.

Konsortium Bas Ekspress Semenanjung, 32, Prachathipat Road, Hat Yai Tel : +66 074 351280 and +66 074 351281 have 5 buses every day which leave Hat Yai to Kuala Lumpur, departure at 9:00 am, 9:30 am, 10:00am, noon and 7:00pm, ticket cost around 520 baht and it's a 10 hour journey if you factor in waiting at immigration, a meal stop, and traffic when you arrive in Kuala Lumpur.

Alisan Golden Coach Express, 17/1 Chee Uthit Road, Hatyai, Songkhla, 90110 Thailand. Tel : +66 074 243775 have 3 buses every day which leave Hat Yai to Kuala Lumpur, departure at 9:00 am, 11:00 am, and 7:00pm, ticket cost around 400 baht and it's a 10 hour journey if you factor in waiting at immigration, a meal stop, and traffic when you arrive in Kuala Lumpur.

Penang

Scheduled airconditioned Minivans leave hourly in daylight time on the full hour from Georgetowns Lebuh Chulia Parking Lot of E & A Hotel The fare is presently set at 30-35 RM, advance booking is recommended. The journey including border formalities requires about 3.5-4 hours.

Ipoh

There is a daily bus from Ipoh at 12.30am going to Hat Yai, departing from the long-distance bus terminal, at RM 45.

There are three border crossings to choose from, all easily accessible from Hat Yai.

Dannok:

Vans run from Hat Yai right up to the Thai immigration complex in Dannok in Sadao district. Journey time is about one hour and the fare is 55 baht. Vans leave Dannok in front of the 7-11 store on the left side of the street after leaving the immigration complex. Note that the distance between the Thai and Malaysian immigration checkpoints is about 1km, quite a distance to walk in the heat. You can take a motorcycle taxi between them. Bus and minivan to the border stop running around 6PM, so ask if there will be a return before boarding.

Padang Besar:

Regular buses depart Hat Yai's bus terminal for Padang Besar only to the Thai side. Journey time is about one hour, price 50 Bhat Aug 2012. If you are crossing to Malaysia immediately, ask to be dropped off right at the gates of the Thai immigration complex before your enter town.

Sungai Kolok:

A minibus run from Hat Yai bus terminal right up to the Thai immigration complex in Sungai Kolok by passing through the provinces Pattani and Narathiwat in about 4 hours. THB180. When considering this option, please consult local advice on current security threats, many travel advices around the world consider it an area to avoid according to a travel agent nothing has happened to this Minibus service in the last 4 years, as opposed to the Hat Yai-Sungai Kolok train. The threat is a sleepy driver and the numberous roaming cows on the street. December 09: Last issues

To/from Singapore:The main terminal for buses to and from Thailand is at the Golden Mile Complex, 5001 Beach Rd. It's at the north-eastern end of Beach Rd, where it meets Crawford St; the Lavender MRT station is within walking distance A number of travel agents specializing in buses and tours to Thailand operate from there. Grassland Express Tel: 6293 1166 has a bus at 7 pm to Hat Yai for S$55. Other operators at Golden Mile complex: Transtar Travel tel. 6299 9009, Sri Maju tel. 6293 4160, City Line Tour tel. 6396 6969, Konsortium tel. 6392 5000, Star Mart Express tel. 6396 5681/6396 5682, Five Star Tour tel. 6294 7011, Alisan tel. 6292 2112