Off The Beaten Path - Phatthalung How To Travel By ETS and SRT to Hatyai and Phatthalung Catchingtravels

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Off The Beaten Path - Phatthalung : How To Travel
By ETS and SRT to Hatyai and Phatthalung
ASIA - SOUTH EAST ASIA / WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018
Our journey to Phatthalung begins with a train ride from Malaysia. However, this is not a direct
one-train-journey that takes you from KL to Phatthalung, but rather 2 di erent train rides and a
minivan ride.
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In the past, it is much more convenient to travel to Hatyai on the overnight sleeper train (the old
Intercity Express Trains) which operates from Singapore to Hatyai (it would have been fantastic
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for people like me who stay in Singapore). This has since been terminated since 19th May 2016,
and replaced with ETS which only operates from Gemas to Padang Besar.
Gemas Station is currently the furthest point south that the ETS operate, as the last section to
Johor Bahru has yet to be completed (expected completion in 2020). Therefore, if you are
travelling by train to anyway further down-south (Singapore for example), you will have to
disembark at Gemas, then board the separate New Shuttle / Intercity Trains from Gemas. This
New Shuttle Train connects Gemas to JB Sentral. If you wish to go to Singapore, you will need to
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take the separate JB-Singapore shuttle train.
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In the north, Padang Besar is the nal destination, and therefore one would need to cross the
border to Hatyai. There are several ways to cross the border, which I would elaborate more in the
next section.
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The entire journey to Phatthalung is therefore broken down as follows:
1. ETS (KL – Padang Besar)
2. Minivan (Padang Besar – Hatyai)
3. SRT Train (Hatyai – Phatthalung)
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Day 0 : ETS Train (KL Sentral – Padang Besar)
About ETS
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To go on the train journey to Phatthalung, the rst train to get on is the ETS (Electric Train Service)
operated by KTM Malaysia. You can of course board the train from other stations (Ipoh, Tampin,
Seremban, Alor Setar, Taiping to name a few) in Malaysia, but it also depends on the which train
you
will
be
taking.
For
the
timetable,
you
may
refer
this
this
webpage:
https://www.train36.com/ets-train-schedule.html
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There are only 5 trains which travels to Padang Besar with the following arrival time (new arrival
time from 18 December 2017 onwards):
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The return time from Padang Besar (from 18 December 2017 onwards) is as follows:
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How much does it cost
There are three types of ETS train – ETS Silver Services, ETS Gold Services (EG numbered trains)
and ETS Platinum Services (EP numbered trains). However, only ETS Gold and Platinum travels to
Padang Besar. The ticketing price for both trains (from KL Sentral to Padang Besar) are as follows:
ETS Gold: Adults RM76, Children RM42
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ETS Platinum: Adults RM102, Children RM55
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Both trains have the same type of seats and basic amenities such as toilet, cafeteria and electric
socket at the bottom of your seat. However, ETS Platinum makes less stops along the way and is
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therefore more expensive. In addition to that, passengers are also served refreshments during
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How to get your tickets
Train tickets can be purchased online for the same price as you would pay at a KTM counter. You
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can buy train tickets online direct from the KTMB website, or much more easily through an online
agent selling tickets. Ticketing agents o er a much easier booking process than the KTMB ETickets site. The price is the same as you would pay on the KTM website (or sometimes cheaper if
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there is any promotion). I personally wouldn’t recommend buying directly on KTM website as we
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encountered some problems when we tried booking our tickets. Fortunately, MJ worked at NU
Sentral so she managed to get our tickets over the counter at KL Sentral during her lunch hour.
It is also advisable to purchase your ticket as soon as it is released, normally 60 days prior to
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departure. The train tickets often sell like hot cakes and it would be sold out in not time. We
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checked our tickets after a couple of days and realised it was already sold out.
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As this blog post is written 6 months after our trip and the recent latest train schedule has
changed (the screenshot above is the latest schedule), the departure time was also around
11.30pm (the latest schedule at 11.27pm). It’s the last train from KL Sentral (which started from
Gemas around 9pm, the latest schedule departs at 9.10pm. Arthur who works at Melaka boarded
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the train from Tampin with Richard’s father at around 9.30pm, while CK who was in Ipoh boarded
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this same train at about 2am. The rest of us (Richard, Sherry, Anna, Amy, Lloyd, MJ and I) boarded
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from KL Sentral. The train arrived at Padang Besar around 5am in the morning. Feeling hungry,
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we had breakfast at a Malay café in Padang Besar Station, before crossing the border.
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Day 1 (Part 1) : Crossing boarder (Padang Besar – Hatyai)
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There are several ways to cross the border:
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1) Hire a private minivan to take to the border of Hatyai, then Hatyai Junction Train Station
2) Take the Padang Besar Hat Yai Shuttle Train from Padang Besar Station to Hatyai Junction Train
Station
3) Walk
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It would have been most convenient to continue the journey from Padang Besar to Hatyai via the
shuttle train (option 2) but unfortunately for us, the train schedule did not match with the late
night train we took from KL with a transit time of at least 5 hours (last train arrives at Padang
Besar at 5.01am,
rst train to leaves Padang Besar at 9.55am). The shuttle train would work
better for those travelling on the rst two morning trains from KL instead.
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However, for our return journey from Hatyai on Day 4, we took the Shuttle Train instead as we
were not in a rush.
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The Beaten Path Phatthalung : How To Travel ...
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The shuttle train costs 70 Thai Baht in either direction and can be purchased from either station
on the day of departure (no online booking is available). You can also pay in Malaysian Ringgit
(RM10 at the moment).
The Beaten Path Phatthalung : Summary Itiner...
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Our journey
As the train option doesn’t work in our favour, we decided to cross the border via minivan. We
were approached by Mr. Dullah who o ered to take us all the way to Hatyai Junction Train Station
for 1300 Baht (10 pax including Richard’s father who tagged along. It is twice the costs of the
shuttle train, but it wasn’t sky-rocket high after converting to Ringgit (SGD5.35 / RM16.90 per pax).
Besides, we need to catch the train to Phatthalung so we can’t possibly waste 5 hours waiting in
Padang Besar station.
The minivan dropped us at both immigration, before taking us to Hatyai Junction. On the way, we
also dropped Richard’s father at his hotel at Hatyai’s town. Our decision to take this minivan
proved to be a wise one as we reached Hatyai station just in time to catch the train to
Phatthalung.
Day 1 (Part 2) : SRT train (Hatyai – Phatthalung)
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is the state-owned rail operator under the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of Transport in Thailand. The train that will bring you from Hatyai Junction to
Phatthalung is the Southern Line. Here’s the timetable I managed to nd online for trains from
Hatyai to Phatthalung, and vise versa. The entire journey takes only 2 hours (83km), and it passes
several other smaller stations along the way such as Khao Chai Son (more about that later).
How much does it cost
The train fares for ordinary and rapid services are as follows:
Ordinary: 18 Baht (adult), 9 Baht (child), only 3rd class fan seats
Rapid: 48 Baht (adult) and 39 Baht (child) for 3rd class fan seats, or 71 Baht (adult) and 51 Baht
(child) for 2nd class fan seats
18 Baht ordinary train ticket from Hatyai to Phatthalung
Delays are common for ordinary service trains, so if you want to feel more secure,you may want
to pay a little extra for a Rapid train, which is more likely to run on time. But if you are traveling
on a morning train, ordinary trains will likely not be delayed especially the rst train (train 446)
which departs from Hatyai as the rst station.
Special Express service is best avoided as they are charged a xed fee, no matter the distance
travelled. Therefore, it is not worth paying for if you are only going to Phatthalung. Train 37 or 38
for example charges 231 Baht (Child 211 Baht) for 2nd class fan seats and 208 Baht (Child 199
Baht) for 3rd class fan seats. Train 35 or 36 on the other hand, only 1st and 2nd class airconditioned sleeper seats and will therefore cost a minimum of 511 Baht (approximately SGD21 /
RM66) for the cheapest seat. The same applies to trains 41 or 42 which are the fast 2nd class airconditioned seat only services which will set you back for 351 Baht (approximately SGD15 /
RM47).
How to get your tickets
You can book train tickets in Thailand online directly from SRT. There are small extra fees to pay
(depending on the class of seat / berth you want to book), but this is the cheapest way to book
your train tickets in Thailand online. You will have to create an account to book tickets.
Alternatively, you can also book your train tickets online via 12go or Busonlineticket.
If your schedule is exible or may change unexpectedly, you can also purchase your ticket over
the counter.
Our journey
We did not purchase our ticket in advance and thank god that was what we did. Honestly, tra c
at the immigration o ce could be unexpectedly long and we did delay a little as we dropped
Richard’s father at his hotel before proceeding to the train station. We also waited for quite a bit
at Padang Besar for the immigration o ce to open and for bargaining the minivan price with the
driver. We managed to reach Hatyai Junction around 9.10am, which is 8 minutes before the train
departs. Lucky for us that we reached just in time for the 9.18 train. Throughout our ride to
Phatthalung, the carriage we were in were not fully seated with plenty of seats for us to roam
around. Hence, I reckon that advance booking online is not necessary unless for weekend and
Thailand public holiday or school holidays (it was weekday and Malaysia public holiday but
Phatthalung isn’t well-known among Malaysian tourist).
Orange carriage (photo credit: CK)
The entire 2-hour train ride to Phatthalung was a rather pleasant journey. Just like the orangepainted wooden seats in the carriage we chose, our mood for the day was bright and cheery,
although we were all sleep deprived. The entire ride was full of laughter and we had fun taking
photos and checking out the daily lives of the locals. As the train stopped at each station, food
vendors walked along the railway tracks passing through each carriage to sell their products.
Some even boarded the train to sell their items. Passengers from the trains on the opposite track
looked out of the window, amused to have seen some foreigner in this area not frequently
travelled by foreigners.
Train to Phatthalung (photo credit: Arthur)
We bought some interesting mini rice dumplings from a lady vendor and even chatted with an
uncle (although we don’t understand each other, body language helps. LOL). Soon, we reached
Phatthalung around 11.30pm, just in time for lunch.
Day 1 (Part 3) : Songthaew (Phatthalung train station to resort)
Getting a Songthaew
The rst thing we looked for once we reached Phatthalung station was the public toilet. There are
of course toilets on the train but somehow the “cleanliness” wasn’t so appealing, so we waited
until we reached Phatthalung. Thankfully, the one at the station was clean enough. The next thing
we did was looking for a ride to our resort. There were songthaew and motor taxis drivers
around the train stations, and we were approached by one songthaew driver. After some
negotiation with the help of Google Translate (Richard has gotten a Thailand simcard earlier on),
we managed to get a ride for 40 Baht (SGD1.65 / RM5.20) per person (one way). As we were
starving, we made a promise to be back for the ride after our lunch.
Looking for restaurant in Phatthalung town (photo credit: CK)
We walked around with our backpacks on our back, wondering around town to nd a place to ll
our stomach. There weren’t many restaurant visible in the area we circled around, and we nally
come across a decent-looking local Thai restaurant – Khao Mae.
Lunch at Khao Mae
Lunch at Khao Mae
Here’s some of the food we ordered for lunch that day. The total bill summed up to only 1100
Baht for the 9 of us. That’s 122 Baht (SGD5.03 / RM15.89) per person.
Thai style hor fun
Basil pork with rice
Seafood fried rice
Padthai
Tomyum seafood soup
Stir-fry seafood with rice
After lunch, we were supposed to walk back to the train station to get on our songthaew, but we
nally got defeated by the hot weather and decided to ditch the previous driver as we managed
to fetch another songthaew just outside of Khao Mae. 40 Baht per person seemed like a market
rate as we were quoted the same.
The ride took only around 20 minutes, and once we arrived, we made sure to take the drivers
phone number (thank goodness we had Richard who remember to do just that) so that we can
call him shall we need a ride for the following days. I suggest you to also do the same, since it’s
rather impossible to fetch a songthaew around the resort area.
Day 1 (Part 4) : Sai Klong Song Lae Resort
Once we arrived at the resort, we proceeded to check in. Booking was made online in advance,
but payment is only made on the spot. We booked 4 queen-bed chalets for the 9 of us, which
costs 1000 Baht per chalet per night. That’s 8000 Baht for two nights for the 9 of us. After splitting
the cost, it’s 889 Baht (SGD36.58 / RM115.56) per person for two nights. Not bad, huh?
Wooden bungalow at Sai Klong Song Lae
Beach-feel bungalow
Our room
Here’s how our room looked like from the inside.
Every room is painted in di erent colour. Ours is in teal
Room for two
Queen size bed
As everyone was feeling rather tired from the long-haul journey, we decided to take a nap.
Meanwhile, Richard was approached by the hotel sta , o ering to take us for a Thale Noi boat
tour for only 900 Baht (for 2 boats). We immediately agreed to the arrangement, since the market
rate is around 450 Baht per boat per hour if we were to fetch one at the pier. Since this is a
private tour where they will pick us up at our resort, the price is reasonably cheaper. (We found
out the next day that there was a miscommunication and it was actually 900 Baht per boat). More
about the story of our dispute in the next post.
Sunset
At late evening, we came out from our room and went to the restaurant just outside of our
chalet, where it overlooks the lake, for the opportunity to catch the sunset. Here’s some photos
from my Sony a6000.
Yok Yar ( shing platform) next to the banks
Sun setting
Almost gone
Dinner at Yok Yor Kicthen
Dinner for the night was at Yok Yor Kitchen just right beside the lake, operated by the same
owner of the resort. A quick glance at the menu reveals authentic Thai dishes at very a ordable
price. Here’s what we ordered for the night:
Fried calamari
Stir-fry lotus root with century egg
Stir-fry squid
Tomyum seafood soup
Stir-fry petai and prawns
Deep fried sh
Fish curry with lotus root
The dinner only costs us 1,495 Baht (166 Baht per person or approximately SGD6.84 /
RM21.59). With our tummy
lled, we went back to our respective rooms for shower, before
gathering in the boys’ room for board game and beer.
… and our footprints in Phatthalung continues [Day 2 – Thale Noi]
Epilogue:
The entire journey from KL to Phatthalung may seem like a hassle to some people, but it didn’t
matter that much to travel-enthusiast like me. Through this travel arrangement, I had the
experience of taking both the ETS and SRT for the rst time in my life. Yes, it’s my rst rides on
both trains and I love experiencing new things as much as exploring new destinations. There was
nothing to see on the ETS as we travel in the night, and the seat was rather uncomfortable to
sleep on. For those who would prefer to get better rest for the journey ahead, perhaps a ight
directly to Hatyai (especially during promotion) could be a much better choice.
Loving this shot of us in on the vibrant orange-coloured seats
The train from Hatyai to Phatthalung is an eye-opener for me. Not only that it was pretty
comfortable for a short 2-hour ride, I was particularly impressed that it was so a ordable.
A ordable is an understatement, I should say it was darn cheap for only 18 Baht (SGD0.74 /
RM2.34). It isn’t air-conditioned, but the smile on those pretty local faces and the cold breezes
and scenic view from the window made up for it. If you like train or have never been on the SRT,
don’t miss it. Even if you aren’t a fan of train or have been on the train, I would still suggest taking
the train to Phatthalung. It’s actually faster and I think it would be more comfortable than a 3hour bus ride (80 Baht).
Thanks for reading. Stay tune for my next post on Thale Noi!
Related entries:
Summary of itinerary
Day 2 - Thale Noi
Day 2 - Temples of Phatthalung
Day 3 and 4 - Khao Chai Son, Hatyai and journey home
TAGS: ASIA - SOUTH EAST ASIA SOUTH EAST ASIA - THAILAND THAILAND - PHATTHALUNG TRAVELOGUE BACKPACKING
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Catherine
A travel enthusiast with passion for hiking, outdoor adventure, photography and
writing.
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3 comments:
EXPLOREBESTTODAY
I impressed with your article. Tq for sharing amazing place. Keep on updating
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Reply
STANLEY
Ha ha. You ditched the rst songtheaw ? Very bad karma. How will you people feel if the
songtheaw ditched you ? One of you could have volunteered to do the walk and fetch
the rest of you.
Reply
Replies
CATHERINE
Haha, I'm sure the songthaew driver wouldn't wait there for us for hours.
Talking about karma, we may have gotten them on our return from Khao Chai
Son as the the train delayed for hours. LOL
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