Train ride from Hatyai to Padang Besar

Continuing from Hatyai train station after 7 years

The reason I went to the train station (apart from recalling old memories) is to check out the train schedule. One could get a train to return to Malaysia from there and later in the afternoon I decided to buy a ticket.

Before that I was considering other means, perhap taking a van, perhaps a bus. But I found the time for train to leave for Malaysia at 1 pm just convenient enough. I could still spend some time in Hatyai before checking out of my hotel at 12.

So there I was taking this old train when came the time.

From Hatyai it is just 40 plus kilometres to the Malaysian border at Padang Besar.

Seven years ago I took the same means of transport to return to Malaysia from Hatyai,

The difference was at that time you could take the same train all the way to Kuala Lumpur. You just have to drop down a moment at Padang Besar for passport check.

I was told since about a year ago that the service from Hatyai ends at this border station, That was since the electrical railway double tracking project was completed. From Padang Besar people can continue travelling up to Butterworth using the Komuter (commuter) service or on too Kuala Lumpur and further using the ETS (Electric Train Service).