“Little by Little,
One Travels Far”
Travelling to another country does not always mean it has to be by air. Apart from commuting by flight, another alternative and fun way is to travel by train! Not only can you get off at any city/town you would like to explore, you also get to catch beautiful scenery of the countryside. Unlike the fluctuating airfares, train prices are quite constant and you do not need to worry about your overweight backpack at all.
There are a few ways to cross Malaysia-Thailand border by train raging from luxurious price to backpacker price:
- Eastern and Oriental Express: runs once or twice a month from Singapore to Bangkok for 3-days 2-night. Price ranges from USD2,500 per traveller
- Johor Bahru —> Gemas —> Kuala Lumpur —> Penang —> Padang Besar —> Hatyai: about 19-hours (excluding transferring and waiting), total cost SGD48 (~USD35)
- Johor Bahru —> Gemas —> Padang Besar —> Hatyai: about 19-hours (excluding transferring and waiting), total cost SGD48 (~USD35)
- Johor Bahru —> Pasir Mas —> Rantau Panjang —> Sungei Kolok —> Hatyai: almost 24hrs, total cost SGD30 (~USD22)
And needless to say, I chose the cheapest way to start off my adventure.
Don’t Miss: How To Spend 24-hours in Hatyai
The easiest way to get a train ticket from Johor Bahru is from JB Sentral, where Singapore-Malaysia border is.
Do note that there is only one train leaving daily at 1900hrs from JB to Pasir Mas.
This whole journey took about 18-hours. There are several stops in between towns which allow you to get down the train to buy food or smoke.
By mid-morning, you will arrive at Pasir Mas train station. From here, you may walk about 10-minutes to bus station to catch Bus 29 to Rantau Panjang.
After clearing the Malaysian immigration, you will be crossing a bridge towards the Thai immigration.
From Thai immigration, walk about 800-meters or take a ride to Sungei Kolok Railway Station.
If everything goes smoothly, you should be able to catch a 1420hrs train to Hat Yai.
Lastly, if you want to keep a track of all my photos and travels, remember to follow @wanderrsaurus on Instagram!
Pin this post for your next adventure!
