Thailand (KL Sentral & Padang Besar & Hatyai, Thailand - Aug 2018 D-1

TGIF (Thank God Is Friday) - The starting day for our 12 day overland trip from KL > Southern Thailand 

Day 1 - Friday 3rd August 2018

1) Taking a Rapid KL LRT train (Kelana Jaya Line) from Subang Jaya SS15 > KL Sentral (Rm2.10 senior)

2) Boarding the KTM ETS train (Gold seat -Rm42 Seniors, Rm76 Adults) from KL Sentral > Padang Besar (10.04 > 15.55 Malaysia time). Thai time is one hour behind of Malaysia ! So if your arrival time in Padang Besar is 4pm, Thai time is 3pm so you gain 1 hour ! 

3) Countryside scenery from Kuala Lumpur > Padang Besar, Malaysia / Thailand border

4) Upon arrival at the Padang Besar Malaysia / Thai train station cum Immigration Complex, just proceed to the Thai train ticketing room (a table manned by a Thai train staff) & buy your Thai train ticket (50bht one way) for a train ride to Hatyai (45 minutes). Next, just queue up and present your passport to a Malaysian Immigration counter for processing and then another queue up at a Thai Immigration counter for passport stamping. 

Boarding the Thai Shuttle train from Padang Besar > Hatyai (15.40 > 16.35 Thai time) - You have about 15 minutes free time (depending on the crowd) after the customs protocol at both the immigration check points to board the Thai train ready to leave for  Hatyai ! 

5) Arriving at the Hatyai Junction Train Station (16.45); if you are not staying overnight in Hatyai, just take a sleeper train from Hatyai to Hua Hin (arriving 06.00) or Bangkok (arriving 10.30) and continue your journey to see a greater Thailand to suite your own pace !

6) Our group dinner (750bht) at an aircon restaurant near the Hatyai train station - our first yummy Thai dinner meal in Hatyai ! 

150bht - Thai Tom Yam seafood soup !

100bht - Thai fried seafood Padthai (kway Teow)

100bht - Thai fried rice with egg

7) Boarding the Special Express sleeper train from Hatyai > Bangkok (18.45 > 10.30, train arrival time delayed by 30 mins); upper bed 1,005bht, lower bed 1,105bht); aircon, clean, more comfortable than the Rapid train, beds ready for sleeping from 19.30 …. hope you are a sound sleeper as the train will rock & roll for 15 hours until your arrival in Hua Lamphong train station, Bangkok ! You may like to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa drink or coffee at the train's canteen till 22.00 before retiring for bed ! I had 7 hours of sleep on the train so a great evening train ride for me on this lucky Friday !