I woke up at about 4:45 a.m., right before the bus arrived at Hat Yai Bus Terminal. The woman who looked like she was in her 40s or 50s right next to me was still sleeping. I thought Hat Yai was the final destination of the bus, but when I got off, about 50% of the passengers were still on board.
After getting off the bus, I made sure to pick up my large backpack from the luggage compartment. Then, I did the first thing I usually do in the morning: brush my teeth. It was still dark, but there were already some people waiting for buses on the benches. Some people wearing red vests approached me and started talking to me, which was quite annoying.
While I was searching for how to get to Penang, Malaysia, from there, I found out that I could get there more cheaply by train than by bus. So, I decided to take the train instead.
After sitting on a bench at the station for a while and thinking about my next move, I started walking to Hat Yai Railway Station, which was about 30 minutes away on foot. I was not in a rush and felt like moving my body, so I decided to walk. The city was pretty empty, but I was approached a few times by people wearing red vests offering me rides. By the time I got to the station, I had sweated quite a lot.
I found a ticket counter next to the gate where people go through to take the train. There were a few people working there. I asked for a ticket from Hat Yai to Padang Besar and quickly got one, which cost me only 50 THB ($1.50).
After getting the ticket, I realized that the train was departing in about an hour. Since I wanted to relax at a coffee shop and also needed to exchange my Thai baht for Malaysian ringgit, I asked the same person who had issued my ticket about getting a ticket for a later train. She told me that train tickets could only be issued starting two hours before the departure time.
I was not completely sure about the train schedule, but from what I had found online, I knew there was a train departing at 2 p.m. That meant I had to come back after 12 p.m. to buy the ticket.
I went to Starbucks, which was just a five-minute walk from the station, and settled down there. The staff were amazingly friendly. Since I hadn’t been able to get a full night’s sleep on the bus, my concentration while studying French was quite low.
I stayed there for a few hours and then went to a Chinese restaurant, where I had spring rolls and a rice dish, although noodles seemed to be their specialty. After leaving the restaurant, I went to a currency exchange shop. I assumed the rate wasn’t bad. I ended up exchanging 1,000 THB for 121 RM. After that, the Thai baht I had left was barely enough to buy my train ticket to Padang Besar.
I went back to the station and bought a ticket for the 2 p.m. train. It was much busier than it had been in the morning. About 30 minutes before departure, I went to the assigned platform, No. 4, and got on the train.
At first, I was confused about the seat numbers, but I found out that they didn’t matter. I think the train had three cars. It was very hot inside, although some fans were turned on later. When I first got on, the train was pretty empty, but it became quite packed by the time it departed. A group of Chinese-looking people sitting near me were talking loudly.
I loved looking at the scenery outside along the way. The train ride took about 45 minutes.
I accidentally got off the train at Padang Besar on the Thai side, but then I realized that most of the passengers were still on the train. I asked a staff member on the platform and quickly got back on the train, which had already started moving. Every passenger was looking at me because the train had to stop for me. I felt sorry and quietly sat back down.
After just a few minutes, we arrived at Padang Besar on the Malaysian side. Everybody got off the train, and we had to wait for a little while on the platform. The immigration office was right next to it.
I was still wondering whether I was in the right place because I had thought I would go through Thai immigration to leave Thailand while still on the Thai side. However, I eventually went through both processes—leaving Thailand and entering Malaysia—at the station on the Malaysian side. I wasn’t asked for anything at either immigration checkpoint, and I was good to go.
After finishing Malaysian immigration, I found a ticket counter for trains to Butterworth, which was my next destination. I bought a ticket for about $3. Some people also bought their tickets from the machines. I was quite surprised that they accepted cards.
The train I took was the KTM Komuter. I wasn’t sure whether the train was going to leave soon, but I headed to the platform after getting my ticket. Just about five minutes after I arrived at Platform 2, the train came. I got on and was able to get a seat.
It took me about three hours to get to Butterworth. From there, I took a ferry to George Town. The ferry departs every 30 minutes. I paid only about $0.50, and I could use a credit card. I think it took about 10 minutes to get to George Town.
After that, I took a bus that cost me 1.40 RM ($0.30). You can only pay with cash. After just a five-minute ride, I got off the bus at Love Lane. I quickly realized that it was a very touristy area because I saw many Western tourists there. It was also quite loud. My first impression of George Town wasn’t very good.
I headed to my hostel, Amore Stay, which cost about $6 per night. I didn’t know that I was supposed to do a self-check-in, so I struggled a little to get into the hostel. Eventually, I got the password and made it to the dorm room.
I was assigned the top bunk. I don’t like top bunks, but it is what it is.
I was exhausted after taking a seven-hour overnight bus from Phuket to Hat Yai, followed by several trains, a ferry, and a bus to get to George Town. In total, it took about half a day to travel from Phuket, Thailand, to George Town, Malaysia, but the whole journey cost me only around $20.
I dropped off my backpacks and headed to the nearest hawker center for dinner. There, I met a 30-year-old Chinese girl named Sophia. Since it was busy, we ended up sharing the same table. We talked while eating, although it was difficult to have a conversation because of all the noise.
The food was amazing, but it cost more than I expected. After dinner, we exchanged social media accounts, said goodbye, and headed our separate ways. She said she was going to walk around the city.
I headed back to the hostel, took a shower, and went to bed.
Lunch in Hat Yai
