Train to Malaysia
Train to Malaysia
Has anyone taken a train from Hua Hin to Malaysia. I would like to make the journey but need to know the time it takes and roughly how much it would cost.
I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges
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dtaai-maai
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Take a look here.
http://www.tourismhuahin.com/trains-huahin.php
You'll need to check the times are correct at the train station, but the timetables don't tend to vary as much as the buses, although they may be late.
So journey times will be about 17 hours to Sungai Kolok, but you'd be a brave lady to try and enter Malaysia from that side of Thailand with the troubles down south and the train terminates at SK. You walk over a bridge to Malaysia and it's buses, taxis from there.
Bit shorter, time wise, to Butterworth/Penang. You cross the border at Pedang Besar/Sadao. You get off the train at one end of the platform, Thailand and get back on at the other end, Malaysia. Butterworth's maybe another 4 hours south, if I remember correctly.
It's years since I've taken either route. Unless you want 1st class accommodation, which can be pricey - I'd reckon maybe 2,500++ one way, I've always found 2nd class sleepers to be fine. In fact I think the Butterworth train only has these air-con now. Price about 1,200/1,300 one way?
Do book your journey in advance. Couple of days before should be OK. I've always enjoyed the journey. Pretty comfortable, restaurant car and regular food and drink service in the carriages during the day.
Had to travel to Butterworth on a visa run once, 1st class. That was great. Very comfortable carriages, two bunk beds to a compartment and waiter service for food and drink. Wouldn't normally do it, but I had no choice and the extra cost was justified by the experience - and there was no other person in the compartment.
http://www.tourismhuahin.com/trains-huahin.php
You'll need to check the times are correct at the train station, but the timetables don't tend to vary as much as the buses, although they may be late.
So journey times will be about 17 hours to Sungai Kolok, but you'd be a brave lady to try and enter Malaysia from that side of Thailand with the troubles down south and the train terminates at SK. You walk over a bridge to Malaysia and it's buses, taxis from there.
Bit shorter, time wise, to Butterworth/Penang. You cross the border at Pedang Besar/Sadao. You get off the train at one end of the platform, Thailand and get back on at the other end, Malaysia. Butterworth's maybe another 4 hours south, if I remember correctly.
It's years since I've taken either route. Unless you want 1st class accommodation, which can be pricey - I'd reckon maybe 2,500++ one way, I've always found 2nd class sleepers to be fine. In fact I think the Butterworth train only has these air-con now. Price about 1,200/1,300 one way?
Do book your journey in advance. Couple of days before should be OK. I've always enjoyed the journey. Pretty comfortable, restaurant car and regular food and drink service in the carriages during the day.
Had to travel to Butterworth on a visa run once, 1st class. That was great. Very comfortable carriages, two bunk beds to a compartment and waiter service for food and drink. Wouldn't normally do it, but I had no choice and the extra cost was justified by the experience - and there was no other person in the compartment.
I travelled down to Butterworth earlier this year and the journey was very pleasant. The train was comfortable but the toilets were rather dirty. As has been mentioned already only sleeper tickets are available. I would suggest you book a lower bunk. Easier to get into and a little wider than the top tier. The cost was just over 1000 bt. The train left at 6.30/7.00pm and if my memory serves me correctly we arrived at about mid-day the following day. If you want to travel on to Penang the ferry port is a 200 metre walk from the train station at Butterworth.
Well worth going for the experience.
Well worth going for the experience.
If you decide to go to Penang avoid the touts in the train station and keep walking. They will try to hose you for about $35 to go across the bridge by taxi. The ferries are a 3-minute walk and leave every 10 minutes or so and costs about 50 cents round trip (you pay getting on but don't pay coming back).
On the train lower berth is much better. Upper has the crved ceiling of the railcar and can be claustrophobic. Pay a few baht more for a lower.
On the train lower berth is much better. Upper has the crved ceiling of the railcar and can be claustrophobic. Pay a few baht more for a lower.
As the OP was asking about traveling to Malaysia overland, I hope she dosn't mind me opening this up slightly.
Another way to enter Malaysia is by boat from Satun to Langkawi. Train as above to Hat Yai and a minibus to Satun and ferry over. The minibus can't take long???
I've got a friend who's been living on Langkawi for some years now and he always says it's brilliant. I've got an "open invitation" to visit, but havn't done so yet. Accommodation is supposedly roughly the same as HH, the food's more varied - Malay, Chinese, Indian and Thai - BUT, being a duty-free area, the beers are about 15-20 Baht a bottle. Beaches great etc etc.
Just some food for thought, OP, if you don't need to get a visa. Apparantly, the small Thai consulate there aren't issuing them yet for farangs - I checked with my friend some 9 months ago. However, if it's just a journey for pleasure, or a simple border hop, it's an alternative.
Another way to enter Malaysia is by boat from Satun to Langkawi. Train as above to Hat Yai and a minibus to Satun and ferry over. The minibus can't take long???
I've got a friend who's been living on Langkawi for some years now and he always says it's brilliant. I've got an "open invitation" to visit, but havn't done so yet. Accommodation is supposedly roughly the same as HH, the food's more varied - Malay, Chinese, Indian and Thai - BUT, being a duty-free area, the beers are about 15-20 Baht a bottle. Beaches great etc etc.
Just some food for thought, OP, if you don't need to get a visa. Apparantly, the small Thai consulate there aren't issuing them yet for farangs - I checked with my friend some 9 months ago. However, if it's just a journey for pleasure, or a simple border hop, it's an alternative.
Well, islands seem out of the question, then.jackie wrote:lomuamart:
We would very much like to go by boat but no matter what medication my husband takes he gets violently sea sick. We have tried putting pressure on his wrist with marbles and all kinds of sea sick tablets but nothing helps.
Unless you "pressgang" your husband by giving him a firm smack on the head to inconvenience him slightly. He'll wake up in Wonderland then.
Remember Mr T from the A Team TV series? He didn't like flying!!
It was an idea
Sorry for the digression.
It would take more than a slap around the head to get him on a boat. Last year we tried yet another type of sea sick pill and went to Koh Samui by boat, and yet the same thing happened.
There was no way he was going back on the boat so we had to leave our family and friends and fly back to Bangkok and then get a taxi to Hua Hin.
There was no way he was going back on the boat so we had to leave our family and friends and fly back to Bangkok and then get a taxi to Hua Hin.
I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges