Special Express train number 45 travels almost 1000km from Bangkok, through southern Thailand, before crossing the border into Malaysia at Padang Besar sixteen hours later. This international train operates as a comfortable and convenient overnight sleeper service, departing Bangkok in the mid-afternoon and arriving at Padang Besar the following morning.
It’s very popular with tourists looking for an adventurous route between the two countries and, as there are only two carriages available, you should book as far in advance as possible.
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Route map and details
Train numbers 45 (to Padang Besar) and 37 (to Sungai Kolok) are coupled together at Bangkok and run as a single train to Hat Yai Junction. So when you board at Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat station, there might be up to ten carriages waiting on the platform, but only two of them are bound for Padang Besar.
After leaving Krung Thep Aphiwat, the train joins the Southern Line and glides out of Bangkok, first west and then turning south. The following morning upon reaching Hat Yai Junction, an elaborate shunting operation comes into effect, splitting the train into its two separate services.
Train 37 departs first to Sungai Kolok, with train 45 to Padang Besar leaving a few minutes later. From here, it’s only 45 minutes to the Malaysian border and Padang Besar.
Timetables
There is only one train per day from Bangkok to Padang Besar.
Note that the train arrives at 8.05am Thai time, which is 9.05am Malaysian time. All timetables in Thailand use Thai time, regardless of whether they have crossed a border or not.
So you might see an arrival time of 8.05am for train 45 listed elsewhere, but as you’re now in Malaysia (which is one hour ahead of Thailand), we’ve listed the arrival time in Malaysian time here.
| Train No. | Bangkok | Padang Besar |
|---|---|---|
| Special Express 45 | 16:10 | 09:05 1 |
1 Malaysian time
How to buy tickets
The easiest way to buy train tickets in Thailand is online rather than going to the station. You do pay a very small commission but the ease and convenience makes it worthwhile in our opinion.
Baolau is the best site to use for buying train tickets, they have access to the live Thai Railways booking engine, so you can easily see availability, timetables and prices.
Payment can be made using international credit cards and PDF confirmation tickets are sent to your email address within a few minutes. This is the actual ticket you need to board the train, so there’s no need to exchange it at the station before travel. You may prefer to print the pdf out, but it’s also fine to show it on your mobile phone to the conductors and station staff.
Bangkok to Padang Besar train tickets
How much does it cost?
Only second-class berths (A/C) are available on the train from Bangkok to Padang Besar. The lower bunks, which are wider, have a window, and are easier to access, are slightly more expensive.
The prices for each class are:
| Class | Cost (THB) |
|---|---|
| Upper second class berth (A/C) | 850 |
| Lower second class berth (A/C) | 920 |
THB850 is approximately £20 or US$25
What to expect on board
Thai sleeper trains are an excellent way to travel across the country overnight. During the daytime, the beds are converted into comfortable facing seats, ideal if you’re travelling as a couple, although it also works fine for solo travellers.
Attendants appear in the carriage from around 6.30pm to make the beds up, but you can ask to have this done earlier or later if you prefer. Each berth has its own pillow, blanket and sheet.
Lower berths are the most popular, mainly because they have the window, are slightly wider, and are easier to get in and out of. Upper berths don’t have a window and are more impacted by the bright lighting that’s left on for the entire journey. You also have to be quite agile to climb up the tiny metal ladder to access them. If you have the choice, the extra THB70 is money well spent on the lower berth.
One of our top packing essentials for train travel (especially sleepers) is a good travel eye mask. This really is a must for the Bangkok-Padang sleeper train.
Luggage is stored either in your berth or the small luggage racks in the corridor. Small backpacks fit into the space much easier and are infinitely preferable to large, rigid suitcases, which tend to block the corridor. We usually take a small padlock and tether with us to secure our backpacks to the storage area, but it’s by no means essential. Thai trains are safe places and theft is rare.
Several different type of carriages (manufactured in China or Japan) can be used on this service and it’s pot-luck which ones you get. If it’s one of the older-style carriages, you might notice that they’re showing their age. Power points are available on most carriages, but the quantity and location can vary.
Thai trains use a Type A, B and C plug (two flat parallel pins), so don’t forget your travel adapter. We also recommend packing a compact power bank just in case power points aren’t available.
What are the toilets and wash facilities like?
Although somewhat cramped, the toilets are kept clean throughout the journey and there seemed to be enough toilet-paper, although it’s always best to carry your own. Each carriage has its own pair of toilets, one Western-style and one ‘squat-and-drop’.
Two sinks are also located at the end of carriage, providing space for washing hands and brushing teeth. It’s not five-star luxury but more than adequate for a quick clean-up before bedtime.
Catering options
A catering car is usually hooked onto the train for the leg down to Hat Yai Junction, although it’s typically at the far end of the train and slightly difficult to reach. A better option is the catering staff who walk through the train with a menu, then you can order with them and have the meals delivered to your berth. A small tip is appreciated for this service.
As this is Thailand, there will never be a shortage of food vendors making their way through the train, offering drinks, snacks and meals. It’s safe to eat and good quality, expect to pay THB20 for soft drinks and THB50 – 100 for fried chicken, rice, pad kra pao, etc.
Alcohol is prohibited onboard the train, as it is on the entire Thai railway network.
Journey description
Krung Thep Aphiwat station is huge and slightly soulless. A grand expansion of the railway network (including high-speed international trains) is planned over the next decade, and this will significantly increase the number of services using the station. With this in mind, the station has been built on a large scale, with vast areas currently unused, patiently awaiting the trains and crowds that are planned for the future.
While this foreplanning is to be commended, it does mean that the station feels cavernous and not the most exciting place to start your journey.
The train to Padang Besar departs from Gate E, which opens for boarding around 3.50pm (20 minutes before departure). Scan your QR code and you’ll be directed to the lifts and escalators to reach the platform. Staff are on hand to help but it’s a simple process with everything signposted.
After departing Krung Thep Aphiwat, the train crosses the river and makes its way out of the city via the western route, then turns south for the long journey to the border. Once you’ve left the confines of the city, the view changes from urban to rural, with a magnificent sunset visible out of the right hand window.
A couple of hours into the journey, attendants begin to put the seats into night-mode and most passengers are tucked up in their berths by 8.00pm. Aside from a few stops throughout the night, it’s quite peaceful until around 6.00am when you’ll hear the first calls of the drinks vendors, and the clank-clank of berths being returned to their day-modes.
By 7.00am, the train is pulling into Hat Yai. Plenty of passengers disembark before the shunting and separation process begins, a seemingly endless game of rolling forward a few metres, a large jolt, then back again, before another jolt. Eventually, the carriages forming train 37 are free and they continue onto Sungai Kolok (the other border crossing with Malaysia, close to the town of Tumpat, which is the start or end point for Malaysia’s Jungle Train). Train 45 waits for a few more minutes on the platform, performs a final circuit of the station, and then heads towards the border.
Don’t be confused when you see a signpost for Padang Besar (Thai): this is the penultimate stop and the last chance to remain in Thailand. A couple of minutes later, the train ends its journey in the Malaysian version of Padang Besar, where you disembark, clear Thai and Malaysian immigration, and continue into Malaysia.
Padang Besar, in common with many other border towns, isn’t a place to hang around in. Most travellers board the first service heading south, often the train from Padang Besar to Butterworth and the beautiful island of Penang.
Useful reads before you go:
Top tips for Southeast Asia train travel
Reasons why you should travel by train around Southeast Asia
The BEST train journeys in Southeast Asia
10 essentials experienced travellers always take on trains in Southeast Asia
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