From Singapore and Malaysia
June 23, 2009 by admin
Filed under Getting Here
Direct Links To Krabi
Welcome Singaporeans, Malaysians and other visitors coming up from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.
BY AIR
From 25th October 2009, Tiger Airways will resume direct flights between Singapore and Krabi four times a week. If you are planning a trip down to Krabi, you can start to book your flight tickets online. More details at http://www.tigerairways.com. Tiger Airways also flies to Bangkok and Phuket from Changi Airport where you can get connecting flights down to Krabi.
In 2008, Airasia decided to offer daily direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Krabi. In addition to Bangkok hub, Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) will be the airline’s second hub to serve direct flights to the beach paradise. Thai AirAsia currently serves three daily flights to Krabi from Bangkok.
Of course, one can still fly into Phuket from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur and transport overland to Krabi through flights serviced by Jet Star Asia, Silk Air, Tiger Air, SIA, Air Asia, etc. Alternatively, one can also do a stopover in Penang by flying from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur and transport overland to Krabi.
BY BUS
Overnight buses depart from the Golden Mile Complex at Beach Road or Pudraya Bus Terminal in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysians are looking forward next year to the Bandar Tasik Selatan (BTS) integrated transport terminal. Advised to book your tickets in advance especially during local holiday surge in demands. The journey to Thailand stops at the border town of Hatyai. The VIP Bus with reclining seats arrived the next morning after a 16 hours journey. You can stop at Hatyai Bus Station to catch the next available bus to Krabi which takes about 5 hours and 260 Thai Bahts. Mini van services are run by the local travel agencies that costs about 250 Thai Baht and 4 hours. The advantage of this service is they dropped you at your preferred doorstep in Krabi Town.
BY TRAIN
The Rakyatt Express from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur & Penang...
Taking the train is the safe, comfortable, cheap and traditional way to travel independently between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang & Bangkok. It’s environmentally-friendly, too, compared to unnecessary short haul flights. Singapore-Kuala Lumpur takes 6 hours on one of two modern daytime trains or 8 hours on a time-effective overnight sleeper train, from just $9 or £5 one-way. Singapore to Bangkok is a wonderful 1,249 mile overland journey, it takes about 48 hours including an afternoon free in KL and a morning spent in Penang, departures are daily, and it costs a bargain £33 ($50) one-way including comfortable sleeping-berths with fresh clean sheets. You change trains at Kuala Lumpur and Butterworth (Penang), and of course you can stop off to see Kuala Lumpur or Penang as long as you like, or get down at Hatyai Railway Station to catch the ferry to Ko Samui or make your way to Hatyai Bus Station to catch the next available bus to Krabi which takes about 5 hours and 260 Thai Bahts. Mini van services are run by the local travel agencies that costs about 250 Thai Baht and 4 hours. The advantage of this service is they dropped you at your preferred doorstep in Krabi Town.
You leave from the faded colonial grandeur of Singapore’s 1932 art deco mainline station, rumble slowly over the famous causeway and on into Malaysia, over a railway built by the British and mainly single-track, past palm plantations and jungle. In Kuala Lumpur, trains now use the modern KL Sentral station, but those going north from KL still pass through the famous old Moorish-style station. Trains in Malaysia & Thailand run on metre-gauge track, narrower than European standard gauge.
A TRAIN JOURNEY FROM KUALA LUMPUR TO SINGAPORE
embedded by Embedded Video
YouTube Direkt
This page will explain everything you need to know, including train times, fares, what the trains are like, and how to buy tickets.
TRAIN TIMES
Singapore – Kuala Lumpur – Penang – Hatyai – Bangkok
Forget planes and buses. Take the train, put your feet up, enjoy the ride. This photo shows the 1st class seats on a Kuala Lumpur to Singapore daytime train, just 68 Ringgit (£12 or $21) one way. Getting a bit worn, these days perhaps, but very comfortable. Photo courtesy Willy Kaemena.
1st class (Premier) seats are quite luxurious, although a tad worn now. They recline & can be rotated to face each other or the direction of travel.
The train trip from Singapore to Bangkok is 1,946 km or 1,249 miles and involves 2 or 3 separate train rides, depending on where you want to stop off and change trains. I’d recommend stopping off at Kuala Lumpur and Penang, both fascinating cities. So stage 1 is to take a train from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, choose between two modern air-conditioned daytime trains or an overnight sleeper train. Stage 2 is from KL to Butterworth (linked by frequent ferry to Penang), with a choice of two daytime trains or an overnight sleeper. Stage 3 is to take the ‘International Express’ leaving Butterworth at lunchtime and arriving in Bangkok next morning. It’s entirely up to you whether you do this journey all in one go in 48 hours or stop off and see places on the way, as each train is booked and ticketed separately. All 3 trains can be booked at any railway station in Malaysia or Singapore, or by email with Malaysian Railways. There is a detailed map of train routes in Malaysia on the Malaysian Railways website, www.ktmb.com.my.
2nd class (Standard) seats are also very comfortable, although they do not recline and cannot be rotated...
It’s not difficult to read the timetable below! Each column is a separate train, and you read downwards. You can buy tickets for any train, between any two stations. So for example, in the second column you see that train number 2, with 1st & 2nd class seats, running daily, leaves Singapore at 07:40, stops at Johor Bahru, Gemas, Tampin, calls at Kuala Lumpur at 14:19, stops at Ipoh and finally arrives at Butterworth (for the Penang Ferry) at 21:35. You could change trains at KL onto train 8. Or you could stay on board till Butterworth, stay overnight and catch train 36 to Bangkok next day. It’s up to you…
SINGAPORE – KUALA LUMPUR – PENANG – HATYAI – BANGKOK
KEY TO CLASSES :
L = Deluxe sleeper (Premier Night Deluxe), 1 or 2-bed compartments with private shower & toilet, air-conditioned.
F = 1st class sleepers (Premier Night Standard), 2-bed compartments with washbasin.
S = 2nd class sleepers (Superior Night), upper & lower berths with curtains for privacy, air-conditioned.
1 = 1st class seats (Premier). Quite luxurious, reclining, air-conditioned.
2 = 2nd class seats (Superior). Comfortable, air-conditioned.
3 = 3rd class seats (Economy). Modern & fairly comfortable, but basic.
* = Only one 2nd class sleeper & seats car runs to/from Hat Yai. The 1st class sleepers only run between Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth & Padang Besar.
All times shown in local time (remember that Thailand is 1 hour behind Malaysian time!). Customs & passport formalities leaving Singapore.
Please check times before you travel at www.ktmb.com.my, as they change from time to time. See notes by train number below.
NOTES BY TRAIN NUMBER
Train 1 & 2 : Ekspress Rakyat. Singapore-Kuala Lumpur-Butterworth (Penang) express, runs daily. 1st & 2nd class seats with buffet car serving snacks and light meals, refreshment trolley.
Train 3 & 4 : Ekspress Sinaran. Sats & Suns only. Refreshments available. Economy & 2nd class, no 1st class.
Train 5 & 6 : Ekspress Sinaran Patang. Singapore-Kuala Lumpur express, runs daily. Trolley refreshments.
Train 7 & 8 : Express Langkawi. Kuala Lumpur-Butterworth-(Penang)-Hat Yai daily. Most of this train only runs between Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth & Padang Besar on the Thai frontier (1st & 2nd class sleepers, 2nd & 3rd class seats), but one 2nd class sleeping-car (Malaysian) & a 2nd class seat car runs direct to/from Hat Yai in Thailand. See the sleeper photos below. If you want to travel by 1st class sleeper to Hat Yai, you will need to transfer to the 2nd class seats at Padang Besar.
Train 11 & 12 : Ekspress Senendung Malam: Daily Singapore-Kuala Lumpur overnight sleeper train. Deluxe 1&2 berth sleepers with shower/toilet, 2nd class sleepers, 2nd class seats, all air-conditioned. See the sleeper photos below or watch the video.
Train 35 & 36 : International Express (Ekspress Antarabangsa). Butterworth (Penang)-Bangkok daily. Check the exact times locally, as there is a small discrepancy between Thai & Malay railway websites. The International Express consists of clean and comfortable air-conditioned 2nd class sleepers direct between Butterworth & Bangkok. Between Hat Yai and Bangkok, it also has a restaurant car, a 1st class sleeping-car (2-bed compartments) and additional 2nd class sleepers. Train provided by State Railways of Thailand – see the photos below. If you want to travel by 1st class sleeper, you will need to use 2nd class sleepers (in daytime mode) between Butterworth & Hat Yai, then use 1st class sleepers for the overnight section between Hat Yai & Bangkok. This works going south, as both legs can be reserved in Bangkok, but is problematic going north, as Hat Yai to Bangkok berths cannot be reserved at Malaysian railway stations, and may be full if you just turn up and approach the sleeper attendant at Hat Yai. 2nd class sleepers are clean and comfortable, I’d advise sticking with those.
Train 41 & 42 : Hat Yai-Surat Thani fast air-conditioned railcar with 2nd class reclining seats. Actually goes to/from Bangkok, but not recommended for Bangkok passengers as it has no sleepers.
Train 170 : rapid train, 2nd & 3rd class non-air-con.
