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Padang Besar (rail)

The Bangkok–Butterworth–Kuala Lumpur rail link: change trains at Padang Besar, where both countries check you in one station.

All border crossings · Thailand ⇄ Malaysia · Rail, Road · checked 2026-09

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The two posts

Hours: Rail checks follow the train timetable; road post about 06:00–22:00 Malaysia time (check)

Entering Thailand

Padang Besar (Thai side) · Sadao district, Songkhla

Visa on arrival
Some passports
E-visa accepted here
Yes

Visa exemption for many passports; land entries can be capped per year. Fill the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) before you cross. (check)

Entering Malaysia

Padang Besar station (joint checks) · Padang Besar, Perlis

Visa on arrival
No
E-visa accepted here
Check

Visa-free for many passports. Fill the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) within three days before entry. (check)

Visa answers are for most Western passports and change often. Check yours on entry check and the official e-visa site; for e-visas, the post must be on the country's list of accepted ports.

Getting across

  • Train Hat Yai → Padang Besar (about 1 h), then the KTM ETS or Komuter north-south trains to Butterworth (for Penang) and Kuala Lumpur.
  • The Bangkok sleeper runs as far as Padang Besar on some schedules (check).

Scams and traps

  • Money changers at the station with poor ringgit rates: withdraw in town.

Tips

  • Malaysia is one hour ahead of Thailand: book the connecting ETS with that in mind.
  • Buy ETS tickets on the KTMB app ahead; they sell out at weekends.

Nearest places

Other Thailand–Malaysia crossings

Everything marked check, and every hour and fee, needs confirming before you travel: posts close for holidays, disputes and roadworks with little notice. Written from Voykit's own notes; checked 2026-09.