Location Transport

train services in thailand and malaysia?

I was wondering if anyone knew how good/cheap/reliable the train services in thailand and malaysia are. I am thinking of flying out to bangkok from england then traveling south through thailand to malaysia, ending in singapore. Would this be possible using public transport services and would you recommend it? thanks.

Public Comments

1. Yes its very easy. Just go to the main train station in Bangkok and buy your tickets. I just showed up there and bought them and waited like 3 hours until the next one was leaving. I dont remember exactly how much it cost me, but I took the train from Bangkok to Surat Thani (I went from Pattaya, to Bangkok, to Surat Thani, then got off the train there and took a bus to Phuket) which is pretty far south. I took the overnight train, so I slept on it, there was no air conditioning but it wasnt really needed. It was around april of 2007. Cost me less than $25 for the train overnight. It goes all the way through to Malaysia, because Im planning on doing it this year. Dont know how much it costs but I know its gotta be less than $75 at the most.
2. Hi, greetings from the land of smiles..... The train service in Thailand is very good, cheap, and reliable. It's very easy to travel, people working at the train station in Bangkok speak English, and there's not even one problem. But I wouldn't just travel through Thailand, take the time and hang around beautiful beaches, and nature, waterfalls, fishing........I settled down here 7 years ago, and i couldn't go back to Europe. I deeply recommend to do this. You'll enjoy your trip, but the South of Thailand could be in some parts very dangerous because som terrorists would like to have the south. I don't want to point on religious groups, if you know what I mean....Just do it. You're also welcome to travel to the North- east, the so called Ian, where Thailand is still Thailand, no bars like in tourist areas...better stay away from those places, it's all the same shit. If you'd like to know more about this beautiful country feel free to contact me. mikelmersi@hotmail.com chock dee kharp..( good luck)
3. Train service is excellent in Thailand. Not too expensive either! In Bangkok if you get a hotel not far from the Skytrain route you can use the Skytrain to get to the Asok stop. At the Asok Skytrain stop you can connect to the subway. The subway has a stop for Hualamphong Station where you pick up the train for Malaysia. You can also take a train up to Chiang Mai too. A new train route to Laos also just opened up from Thailand if you are interested. For the train ride to Hat Yai or Malaysia you may want to consider getting a sleeper car. Also, same for Chiang Mai, you may want to get a sleeper car. If you want a sleeper car get the tickets several days ahead of time. Plan on seeing Bangkok for a few days. During this time you an get your train tickets and also maybe take in a tour or two or some of the nightlife. Don't skip Bangkok, that city is amazing and worth a visit. Last November I used the train to get from Bangkok to the Malaysia border at Hat Yai (train to Malaysia was fully booked so I had to get off there otherwise I would have went on to Penang (Butterworth by train.) I also used the train from Butterworth to Kuala Lumpur and then from there to Singapore. Very interesting trip. You could spend the night in Hat Yai if you want or spend the night in Penang/Butterworth if you want. Thai portion of the train ride south was uneventful, got a little chilly from the A/C on full all the time. Thai train staff gave out a free meal and some deserts plus drinks. Also they gave everyone a blanket. On the Malaysia train ride from Butterworth to KL to Singapore no free food but the dining car had some good chicken and rice for cheap prices. You could spend a night in KL also if you want. Again the A/C was up on full for this train ride. Immigration procedures for Malaysia to Singapore was on the train. For the Singapore immigration procedures we got off and had the procedures in a building and then got back on the train to continue into Singapore. For any hotel recommendations don't forget to mention what your price range is per night in Baht or Ringgits. Travel forums for more specific help. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g293916-i3687-o20-Bangkok.html http://forum.virtualtourist.com/forum-1943-1-Travel-Thailand-1-forum.html http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forum.jspa?forumID=51 Good luck.
4. Hi Helen ...We malaysians dont use the train anymore and this is the reason why :- www.airasia.com The above budget airlines are almost on par with the price of trains minus endless time waste ! I just booked KL ( Kuala Lumpur ) - BKK RETURN for only 2400B .Now tell me 2 hours by flight or 24 hours from BKK to Penang ( which is still 5 hours away from KL ) Unless you are a dyed in wool traveler use airasia and enjoy your trip From KL to Singapore you can do the same . I think it is currently only as low as 1700 B return Mind you that the fair INCLUDES taxes .If you really like trains KL to Singapore is a nice over night trip provided you get a 2nd class sleeping berth . Get a compartment below . One more thing the 1st class cost more then flying AND you will freeze to death :) NB The trick about airasia is to book early and try and keep flights early in the day and not later . Late flights can face delays Cheers