planetartcenter Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Hi everybody.I'am wondering about safety these days down to the Malasya border(?),and what is the best, possibly cheapest way, to get to the border in Pedang Besar from Hatyai airport.Thank you much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Taxi is the fastest although not cheapest bus is cheapest its less than 1 hour drive by car There is no trouble between hat yai and the border. BUT this is Thailand :-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samran Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Taxi is the fastest although not cheapest bus is cheapest its less than 1 hour drive by car There is no trouble between hat yai and the border. BUT this is Thailand :-) Meaning there is more of a chance of your bus, taxi, can ploughing into a tree at 180km/h than there is for any terrorist activity on that particular route. Most of the violence is confined to pattani and narathiwat etc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerryBScot Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 As I recall there is not much happening in P Besar beyond a physical border crossing. There are few trains. Once got a taxi from there to Perlis where we got boat to Langkawi; can get a boat there from Satun in Thailand. If you are looking for onward ground travel from Hat Yai airport, best to head for downtown Hat Yai - all the coach and van services/connections are there, both for Thailand and for Malaysia. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schondie Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 OK. The best way is to walk outside the airport (across the car park) and catch a songthaew to the main bus station. From there you can either catch a minibus or normal bus to Pedang Besar. The minibus was 100 baht each way last time I caught it. The normal bus is a lot cheaper and far less crowded. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 You get the airport minibus which I think is 80 Baht to Hat Yai. It is only about 10 km. You are best to ask to be dropped at the minibus point to go to Padang Besar. This is win rot dtoo pai Padang Besar in Thai. Minibuses run every hour to the border and the journey takes up to 2 hours depending on the stops. I can't remember but it is not more than 200 Baht maybe 100, can't remember. Otherwise you can get off at the bus station, there is more than one. I am not sure if both bus stations have buses to the border though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Pinkie Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 absolute cheapest is airport songthaew as above 20 baht to either nightmarket/plaza/na hor or even to tesco lotus then big red bus to padang about 42 baht. there were reported real bombings on this route very recently. it is on here if you search for it try search sadao or padang police. dont go to the bus station to catch the big red bus because from there it goes into hat yai then not back to the bus station ie waste time . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planetartcenter Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 absolute cheapest is airport songthaew as above 20 baht to either nightmarket/plaza/na hor or even to tesco lotus then big red bus to padang about 42 baht. there were reported real bombings on this route very recently. it is on here if you search for it try search sadao or padang police. dont go to the bus station to catch the big red bus because from there it goes into hat yai then not back to the bus station ie waste time . I guess is this the post you talking about (?) http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691213-24-hurt-as-three-bomb-blasts-strike-songkhla/..crazy.but i find myself that way .since i booked a flight already.just need to stamp visa.then off to pakbarra &islands.was also considerating going from ko lipe to langkawi ,but the ferry sounds like 1200B each way+you may need to spend a night on langkawi (?),which i don't find very interesting ...any suggestions about alternative border crossings around hat yai ?I think is Sadao or? thanks for the info everyone . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Pinkie Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 absolute cheapest is airport songthaew as above 20 baht to either nightmarket/plaza/na hor or even to tesco lotus then big red bus to padang about 42 baht. there were reported real bombings on this route very recently. it is on here if you search for it try search sadao or padang police. dont go to the bus station to catch the big red bus because from there it goes into hat yai then not back to the bus station ie waste time . I guess is this the post you talking about (?) http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691213-24-hurt-as-three-bomb-blasts-strike-songkhla/..crazy.but i find myself that way .since i booked a flight already.just need to stamp visa.then off to pakbarra &islands.was also considerating going from ko lipe to langkawi ,but the ferry sounds like 1200B each way+you may need to spend a night on langkawi (?),which i don't find very interesting ...any suggestions about alternative border crossings around hat yai ?I think is Sadao or? thanks for the info everyone . yes that is the post. sadao and padang are/were the main visa runs in that region. there is/was also a ferry from saturn to langkawi but its been 20 years since i went that way so things may have changed, and cant remember the transport links. ask at cathay guesthouse. . closest other border is ranong to burma but its not feasible. there are further crossing into to malaysia further south but that area has more bombing than sadao/padang. choice is yours, depends on your risk aversion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planetartcenter Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 absolute cheapest is airport songthaew as above 20 baht to either nightmarket/plaza/na hor or even to tesco lotus then big red bus to padang about 42 baht. there were reported real bombings on this route very recently. it is on here if you search for it try search sadao or padang police. dont go to the bus station to catch the big red bus because from there it goes into hat yai then not back to the bus station ie waste time . I guess is this the post you talking about (?) http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691213-24-hurt-as-three-bomb-blasts-strike-songkhla/..crazy.but i find myself that way .since i booked a flight already.just need to stamp visa.then off to pakbarra &islands.was also considerating going from ko lipe to langkawi ,but the ferry sounds like 1200B each way+you may need to spend a night on langkawi (?),which i don't find very interesting ...any suggestions about alternative border crossings around hat yai ?I think is Sadao or? thanks for the info everyone . yes that is the post. sadao and padang are/were the main visa runs in that region. there is/was also a ferry from saturn to langkawi but its been 20 years since i went that way so things may have changed, and cant remember the transport links. ask at cathay guesthouse. . closest other border is ranong to burma but its not feasible. there are further crossing into to malaysia further south but that area has more bombing than sadao/padang. choice is yours, depends on your risk aversion. well, via satun -langkawi -lipe sounds a quiet long trip anyway ,on langkawi doesn't seem the same pier for arrival- departure..i guess i 'll take a chance to just go in n out of the border is sadao then back to hatyai-->pakbarra..good chances are (hopefully ) m not going to be bombed within those few hours........... :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Pinkie Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 (edited) there is one other way that you can do this too. catch the early morning butterworth train to padang then wait at the station for the KL to hatyai train. sometimes and if you are lucky with no delays or other issues on either train this is the most comfortable easy way to do it. perhaps an hour and a half turnaround at padang. not the cheapest as you have to pay sleeper and express charges on the butterworth train but the return train doesn't have these charges, else you can walk through the border and catch the big red bus back to hatyai. stops at the bus stop just across the road from after thai immigration clearance. train feels probably safer than the bus. not absolute safe because bombings have occurred at hatyai station some time ago now. oh yes buy enough snacks and drinks to complete the task from seven11 before you go because food at padang station where you may have to wait some time is dreadful bordering on toxic. Edited January 15, 2014 by Big Pinkie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planetartcenter Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 there is one other way that you can do this too. catch the early morning butterworth train to padang then wait at the station for the KL to hatyai train. sometimes and if you are lucky with no delays or other issues on either train this is the most comfortable easy way to do it. perhaps an hour and a half turnaround at padang. not the cheapest as you have to pay sleeper and express charges on the butterworth train but the return train doesn't have these charges, else you can walk through the border and catch the big red bus back to hatyai. stops at the bus stop just across the road from after thai immigration clearance. train feels probably safer than the bus. not absolute safe because bombings have occurred at hatyai station some time ago now. oh yes buy enough snacks and drinks to complete the task from seven11 before you go because food at padang station where you may have to wait some time is dreadful bordering on toxic. thanks..i guess i'll just catch the bus .I arrive at airport 9.45am and follow your suggestion to get the bus at tesco correct ?): you wrote: airport songthaew as above 20 baht to either nightmarket/plaza/na hor or even to tesco lotus then big red bus to padang about 42 baht.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Pinkie Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 (edited) seems you still have time why not a border run to aranyaprateth before you go? after the airport songtaew goes over the railway bridge http://goo.gl/maps/mqtM3 it turns left. from this turn it is duplicating the red bus route all the way down petchkasem, and then also turns right into Tesco's Kanjanavich road. catch the red bus on the same side of the street as the songthaew drops you off. but some airport songthaew dont go further down petchkasem or to tesco http://goo.gl/maps/s8V2y but they all go over the railway bridge and to what is called plaza on this map http://goo.gl/maps/VXZt3, so you have many choices where to get off. best option for the big red bus is padang border not sadao border. Edited January 16, 2014 by Big Pinkie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planetartcenter Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 Thanks big Pinkie ,it all worked out as you planned!back safely to Surat thani ,easy bus ride from hat yai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomtomtom69 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Taxi is the fastest although not cheapest bus is cheapest its less than 1 hour drive by car There is no trouble between hat yai and the border. BUT this is Thailand :-) Are there are cross border bus services from Hat Yai or other points in southern Thailand to Malaysia? I find it very strange that there is no Bangkok-Malaysia bus even though both countries drive on the same side of the road, yet we now have cross border Thailand-Laos and Thailand-Cambodia services (which is a good thing mind you, but apart from the shorter distances from Bangkok to Laos/Cambodia compared to Malaysia I don't understand why a Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur service hasn't been implemented yet). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomtomtom69 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 As I recall there is not much happening in P Besar beyond a physical border crossing. There are few trains. Once got a taxi from there to Perlis where we got boat to Langkawi; can get a boat there from Satun in Thailand. If you are looking for onward ground travel from Hat Yai airport, best to head for downtown Hat Yai - all the coach and van services/connections are there, both for Thailand and for Malaysia. OK that answers my question about direct bus services from Hat Yai to Malaysia. I knew they must exist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 (edited) Taxi is the fastest although not cheapest bus is cheapest its less than 1 hour drive by car There is no trouble between hat yai and the border. BUT this is Thailand :-) Are there are cross border bus services from Hat Yai or other points in southern Thailand to Malaysia? I find it very strange that there is no Bangkok-Malaysia bus even though both countries drive on the same side of the road, yet we now have cross border Thailand-Laos and Thailand-Cambodia services (which is a good thing mind you, but apart from the shorter distances from Bangkok to Laos/Cambodia compared to Malaysia I don't understand why a Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur service hasn't been implemented yet). 8 Buses a day from KL to Hat Yai. KL to Bangkok would be a 28-hour bus journey. That is why it does not exist. You can connect immediately in Hat Yai if you like suffering. Edited February 15, 2014 by Briggsy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomtomtom69 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Taxi is the fastest although not cheapest bus is cheapest its less than 1 hour drive by car There is no trouble between hat yai and the border. BUT this is Thailand :-) Are there are cross border bus services from Hat Yai or other points in southern Thailand to Malaysia? I find it very strange that there is no Bangkok-Malaysia bus even though both countries drive on the same side of the road, yet we now have cross border Thailand-Laos and Thailand-Cambodia services (which is a good thing mind you, but apart from the shorter distances from Bangkok to Laos/Cambodia compared to Malaysia I don't understand why a Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur service hasn't been implemented yet). 8 Buses a day from KL to Hat Yai. KL to Bangkok would be a 28-hour bus journey. That is why it does not exist. You can connect immediately in Hat Yai if you like suffering. I disagree. There is a daily 40-hour Vientiane to Kunming bus journey (which often takes longer than this) and seems to be a good option for those that don't want to fly or can't afford to fly on this route. 28 hours down to KL wouldn't be too unreasonable if you ask me (although I think 21 hours would be doable by bus from BKK to KL i.e. 12 hours to Hat Yai then another 9 to KL including 30min-45min for the border crossing, no?) Although personally I don't like this kind of suffering and would rather drive, but knowing how slow and unreliable the trains are it sounds like the best option at the moment if you don't have your own car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4evermaat Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 (edited) What color is the airport song theaw? what times does it start/stop running? Padang Besar song theaw. What times does it start/stop running? I think also that both song theaws either stop at both clock tower (or Plazaa Market) and the bus station, is this correct? where do they finish? Edited December 16, 2015 by 4evermaat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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