Penang, Malaysia Vientiane, Laos

Hatyai Transport - Flights, Buses and Trains.

For flights from Hat Yai and to the city, visit this page.

(Notice that Hatyai can be spelled without the space, or with it - Hat Yai. I've also seen it spelt Haadyai and Hadyai).

Buses

There are 2 'styles' of buses from Hat Yai, the regular buses/minibuses that leave from the bus station and the tourist minibuses that will pick you up from your accommodation.

The bus station in the south-eastern part of the city center (see the first map on this page) has buses leaving to many destinations in Thailand.

The bus station is a little too far from most guesthouses and hotels in the city to be called a comfortable walk, especially with heavy luggage (it's about 1500 meters to many hotels). Tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis will take you for about 30 or 40 baht. Think about booking bus tickets with tour agencies (see the circles, that represent tour agencies, on the second map on this page) in the city - for most buses, you'll have to pay about an extra 50 to 100 baht for the service - but this will save you the probable long return journey to the bus station - it might not be the best idea to head to the bus station without a previously bought ticket as the buses might be full up....exception might be the services that leave frequently to destinations (every hour or so).

You can get minibus services from the Clock Tower (see the north-east section of the first map on this page) to the laid-back beach town of Songkhla, and Sadao/Danok.

The comfortable minibuses that ply regularly between Hat Yai and Sadao/Danok, costing just 50 baht

Danok is a small town next to Malaysia where you can do a border crossing. As of June, 2009, it cost 27 baht to Songkhla (40 mins, 30 kms, about every 20 minutes) and 50 baht to Danok (1 hr, 60kms, about every 40 mins). Just head to the Clock Tower and you'll see minibuses parked up (early morning to late afternoon)...the drivers will probably approach you....For the minibus to Sadao/Danok, you can also get on it from the bus station. On the minibuses will be signs for the town of Sadao and probably Danok too - Danok is actually where you need to go to cross the border - a further 10 kms from Sadao..) Normal size, 3rd class buses leave for Songkhla (20 baht, about every 20 minutes) from the bus station - they also ride past the clock tower so you can pick it up from there too.

The following times and prices were correct as of June 2009, when I visited the bus station myself. The prices won't change drastically so if you're reading this in 2010 or 2011, don't expect too much to change!

Buses to Bangkok (Southern Bus terminal):

13 hour journey, about 900 baht. Times: 7:30am, 8:30am, 9am, 3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm, 5pm, 5:30, 6pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8pm. The 8:30am bus and the 5:30pm bus are VIP buses, with only 24 seats....cost is bit more - about 1,000 or 1,100 baht.

Buses to Surat Thani:

5 hour journey, 260 baht. Times: 5:20am, 6:50am, 7:10am, 8:20am, 9am, 10am, 11:20am, 12 midday, 3pm.

Buses to Koh Samui (Samui Island):

6 hour 30 minute journey, 430 baht, including ferry cost. Times: 9:30am, 11:30am.

Buses to Phuket:

7 hour journey, 346 baht. Times: 8am, 8:30am, 9:30am, 10:30am, 11:45am, 1pm, 9:30pm

Buses to Nakorn Sri Thammarat:

3 hours 30 minutes journey. 20 buses in total, leaving between 4:55am and 4:15pm.

Bus to Phang Nga:

7 hour journey, 279 baht. Time: 10am

Buses to Krabi:

4 hours 30 minutes journey, 218 baht. Time: 11am

Buses to Trang:

4 hours 30 minutes journey. 100 baht. 25 buses during the day, leaving between 5:10am and 4:25pm. (aout 25 buses in total!)

Buses to Chumpon:

8 hour journey, 350 baht. Times: 7:15am, 8:15am, 9:30am, 10:30am, 12 midday, 9:30pm.

Minibuses

Many tour agencies (see the circles, that represent tour agencies, on the second map on this page) can book minibuses that will conveniently pick you up from your hotel. The tour agency I got the following information from is at the entrance on the ground floor of Cathay Guesthouse, number 3 on my accommodation list on this page.

Prices will be similar in other tour agencies, but I did find that the Cathay Guesthouse agency (see telephone/email below) was competitively priced. This tour agency was also the only place I found in the city where you could rent a motorbike, for 200 baht daily). Prices might change slightly to what I've written below. In June 2009, prices were about 30 baht more than they were in August, 2009.....Below, I've written the August 2009 prices.

Many of the tour agencies (see below) book bus journeys to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Singapore.

The cost (using the Cathay Tour Company) to Kuala Lumpur is 450 baht. Departing 9am, 10am, 12 midday, 19:30pm. Journey time - 8 to 9 hours.

To Singapore, it's 800 baht. Departing Hat Yai at 12 midday, 1pm and 17:30pm. Journey time - 14 hours.

A/C Minibus to:

Krabi:

9:30am, 1pm. 3pm, 5pm. Cost: 250 baht. Journey time: 4 hours.

Phuket:

9am, 10am, 12 midday, 2pm , 4pm, 5:30pm. Cost: 380 baht. Journey time: 6.5 hours.

Koh Pee Pee:

9:30am (a/c minibus + boat). Cost: 700 baht.

Trang:

8:30am to 5pm (every 1 hour). Cost: 200 baht.

Koh Lanta:

9:30am, 12:30pm. Cost: 450 baht. Journey time: 6 hours.

Surat Thani:

8:30am to 5pm (every 1 hour). Cost: 250 baht. Journey time: 5 hours.

Nakhon Sri Thammarat:

8:30am to 5pm (every 1 hour). Cost: 250 baht.

Su Ngai Kolok:

8:30am to 5pm (every 1 hour). Cost: 280 baht.

Langkawi Island (Malaysia):

9:30am, 12 midday. (to Tammalang Pier and then a boat). Cost: 560 baht.

Penang Island (Malaysia):

9:30am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 4:30pm. Cost: 280 baht. Journey time: 4 hours.

Koh Samui (Koh means island):

Depart Hat Yai at 9am - for a direct minibus to Donsak pier, leaving the pier at 2pm, arriving Koh Samui at 3:30pm. Cost 500 baht....otherwise it takes longer, stopping at Surat Thani first:

Leave Hat Yai: 8:30am, arrive Surat Thani 2:30pm, travel to Donsak pier, leave the pier at 4pm, arrive Samui at 5:30pm. Cost 550 baht

Leave Hat Yai: 9:30am, arrive Surat Thani 3:30pm, travel to Donsak pier, leave the pier at 5pm, arrive Samui at 6:30pm. Cost 550 baht.

Leave Hat Yai: 10:30am, arrive Surat Thani 4:30pm, travel to Donsak pier, leave the pier at 6pm, arrive Samui at 7:30pm. Cost 550 baht.

For the Night Boat, leave Hatyai at either 12 midday, 1pm, 2pm or 3:30pm for Surat Thani. Leave Surat Thani to catch the night boat from the night boat pier (not the Donsak pier) at 11pm. Arrive Samui at 5:30am. Cost: 580 baht.

Koh Phangan:

To get to this island at the earliest time, you can leave at 9am (the same minibus heading to Koh Samui), direct to Donsak Pier. You'll need to buy the ticket to Koh Phangan yourself at the pier. (Ferries leave to Koh Phangan every 2 hours, between 8am and 6pm). You should be able to buy a ticket for the 2pm ferry. Cost (just for minibus): 350 baht.....otherwise

Depart Hat Yai at 8:30am, arrive Surat Thani 2:30pm, travel to Donsak pier, leave the pier at 4pm, Arrive Koh Phangan at 6pm. Cost: 700 baht.

Depart Hat Yai at 9:30am or 10:30am, arrive Surat Thani 4:30pm, travel to Donsak pier, leave the pier at 6pm, Arrive Koh Phangan at 8pm. Cost: 700 baht.

Koh Tao:

You won't be able to get to Koh Tao in one day from Hat Yai by minibus/boat. You can travel to Koh Samui or Koh Phangan in one day, and then get an early ferry the next morning to Koh Tao...or...:

You can get the Night Boat. leave Hatyai at either 12 midday, 1pm, 2pm or 3:30pm for Surat Thani. Leave Surat Thani to catch the night boat from the night boat pier (not the Donsak pier) at 11pm. Arrive Koh Tao at 8:00am. Cost: 950 baht.

You can also book trips to 4 islands off the west coast of Thailand, Koh Lipe, Koh Turutao, Koh Adang and Koh Bulone, leaving from the Pakbara Pier, about 2 hours journey from Hatyai. Price is about 600 baht one way (1,100 baht return (just ferry return), speed boat: 700/1300 baht single/return). (leaving Hatyai at 9am).

Here are addresses and telephone numbers of some of the tour agencies in the city:

Cathay Tour Hatyai - Address: 93/1 Niphat Uthit 2 Road. Tel: Mobile: 089 466 2591 / 089 466 2592 Landline: +66 (0)74 232202 +66 (0)74 235044 Email: cathay_ontours@hotmail.com

Archiperago Travel Service - Address: 5, Chee Uthit Road. Tel: Mobile: 081 328 8942 Landline: +66 (0)74 223059 Email: archi-tour@hotmail.com

i Travel - (can rent Toyota cars for 1,200 baht a day here....). Address: 79/7 iphat Uthit 3 Road. Tel: Mobile: 089 467 3801 Landline: +66 (0)74 223026 Email: i_tour_travel@hotmail.com

South Travel Hatyai Co. Ltd - (Can rent a Toyota Camry for between 1,300 and 1,500 baht daily...) Address: 13 Prachathiphat Road. Tel: Mobile: 081 8962241 Landline: +66 (0)74 350 298 / 350 200 Email: hs9qah@hotmail.com

New Hoover Tour - (cars for 1,500 baht daily) Address: 160 Niphat Uthit 3 Road. Tel: Mobile: 081 275 6477 Landline: +66 (0)74 245 502 (no email on card)

Trains

Hatyai train station is very conveniently located, right in the center of town, near to many hotels and guesthouses (see the maps on this page). The station is a stop on the Butterworth (Malaysia, near Penang) to Bangkok line. To see this timetable, have a look at the southern line timetable on this page).

View of Hat Yai station from the nearby bridge

Some things to note:

The train arriving at Hat Yai from Butterworth at 11:15am stops at Hat Yai. It doesn't carry on to Bangkok.

Most get the 6:20pm train from Hat Yai to Bangkok, arriving at 9:55am. There's a train leaving Hat Yai at 3:26pm but it only gets to Bangkok an hour or so earlier, at 8:45am. The 4:20pm train gets in to Bangkok very early, at 5:40am.

Cost to Bangkok ranges from 339 baht (3rd class fan) to 1,494 baht (1st class sleeper). A 3rd class overnight journey stuggles to be fun - most go for the 2nd class sleeper, it's only about 300 baht or so more than the 2nd class seat, and a lot more comfy! see this page)

Going by minibus to Penang (close to Butterworth) is about the same price as by train (300 or so baht) but about 2 hours quicker. The train crosses the border with Malaysia at Padang Besar.

See this timetable (a lot of the timetable is in Thai) for information on some more trains going to/from Hat Yai.

There's some good info on this timetable as it includes trains that don't have Bangkok as the final destination.

Some things to note:

Train number 446 leaves Hat Yai at 6:30am and terminates at Chumphon at 5:50pm. I like this train because it's not AC (it's 3rd class) so the windows are open and you feel the breeze. It's also very cheap....to Surat Thani, it's only 55 baht (a similar journey by bus/minibus is 260 baht). Surat Thani is a good place to catch ferries to either Koh Samui or Koh Phangan....The price to Chumphon won't be much more than 100 baht.

Train number 448 leaves Hat Yai at 11am, terminating in Surat Thani at 5:50pm, costing just 55 baht.

Note that train 170, leaving Hat Yai at 2:18pm, terminating in Bangkok, arriving at Surat Thani at 7:45pm, costs more - a 3rd class ticket to Surat Thani costs 105 baht, a 2nd class ticket to Surat Thani costs 176 baht.

Getting around Hat Yai

Tuk Tuk's and motorbike taxis are always an option to get around the city. Hat Yai is very walkable - I spent my days there walking about, but journeys to Mahapanya Vidayalai Temple and particularly the municipal park (see the eastern part of this map) are a bit far by foot. Songthaew's do a circular route along Phetkasem Road, Karnchanawanich Road and Thamanoonvithee Road, costing about 10 baht. (see the same map as above).

For the Buddha on the hill and the municipal park, get off the songthaew at the Phetkasem Road/Karnchanawanich Road junction, turn left and look out for another songthaew going north the 2 kilometers to the park - it's worth the effort!

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