Kuala Lumpur to Koh Tao

There are 3 stages to the journey by train from Kuala Lumpur to Koh Tao. The first two stages are by train, and the third stage is by connecting bus and ferry service.

Stage 1: Train from Kuala Lumpur to Padang Besar

The journey by train from Kuala Lumpur to Koh Tao commences with a Malaysian train service to Padang Besar, which is near the border with Thailand.

• Buy train tickets from Kuala Lumpur to Padang Besar.

Stage 2: Train from Padang Besar to Chumphon

The second stage of the journey by train from Kuala Lumpur to Koh Tao involves taking a Thailand train service from Padang Besar in Malaysia to Chumphon in Thailand.

• Buy train tickets from Padang Besar to Chumphon.

Please Note: Train #46 departs at 18:00 Malaysian time, which is 17:00 in Thailand.

Stage 3: Ferry from Chumphom to Koh Tao

The third stage of the journey by train from Kuala Lumpur to Koh Tao is by joint bus and ferry service from Chumphon Railway Station to Koh Tao.

• Buy tickets from Chumphon Railway Station to Koh Tao.

Kuala Lumpur Railway Station

The journey by train from Kuala Lumpur to Koh Tao starts from KL Sentral Station.

Padang Besar Railway Station

The next stage of the journey by train to Koh Tao involves alighting from the train from Kuala Lumpur at Padang Besar Railway Station and boarding a Thailand train service.

Chumphon Railway Station

For the third part of the journey by train to Koh Tao, alight from the train at Chumphon Railway Station and board a bus and ferry service to Mae Haad in Koh Tao.

About Train Travel to Koh Tao

By train the journey from Kuala Lumpur to Koh Tao takes at least 23 hours. Not all of that time, however, is spent travelling. Train passengers on this route need to wait at least 5 hours between the time the train from Padang Besar arrives in Chumphon and the time of the first bus and ferry service to Koh Tao departs the following morning.

Train from Kuala Lumpur to Padang Besar

Depending upon which train you take, the journey from Kuala Lumpur to Padang Besar is scheduled to take from 4 hours 50 minutes to 5 hours 37 minutes.

Because the connecting train from Padang Besar to Chumphon in Thailand departs at 18:00 Malaysian time (17:00 Thai time) that means passengers need to arrive in Padang Besar no later than 17:00 Malaysian time. Travellers need at least an hour to complete immigration procedures and then board the train to Thailand. In practice what that means is that passengers need to board a train to Padang Besar departing from Kuala Lumpur no later than 11:00.

Seat Types from Kuala Lumpur to Padang Besar

Electric train services from Kuala Lumpur to Padang Besar are generally very comfortable in all conditioned carriages and not too different to intercity train services in Western Europe. Nonetheless, there are several different seat types available depending upon which train service you take:

• Premier Seat
• Business Seat
• Second Class Seat

The main difference between the different seat types is that you have more space around you in a Premier Seat or a Business Seat than you would in a Second Class Seat.

Passport Control in Padang Besar

Before boarding Train #46 to Chumphon travellers need to pass through both Malaysian immigration control to exit Malaysia, and also Thai immigration control to enter into Thailand.

There is a room on the ground floor of Padang Besar Railway Station with both Malaysian and Thai immigration desks. Travellers need to go to the Malaysian immigration desk first before they visit the Thai immigration desk.

There is no further opportunity to complete immigration checks after boarding Train #46 so it essential train passengers complete both sets of immigration procedures before attempting to board the train.

Train from Padang Besar to Chumphon

Train #46 is scheduled to complete the journey from Padang Besar to Chumphon in 8 hours 17 minutes.

Seat Types from Padang Besar to Chumphon

There is only 1 seat type available on Train #46 from Padang Besar to Chumphon:

• 2nd Class A/C Sleeper

2nd Class A/C Sleeper seats are arranged in pairs facing each other. Between 18:00 and 19:00 train staff convert the seats into upper and lower beds each with a sheet, a pillow, a blanket, and a privacy curtain.

Arrival in Chumphon

Train #46 arrives in Chumphon late at night (01:17). The first joint bus and ferry service to Koh Tao departs at 06:00.

Rather than wait at the train station we recommend booking one of the inexpensive hotels on the Krumluang Chumphon Road. The Krumluang Chumphon Road is the main road facing the approach road to the train station. It’s a fairly short walk from Chumphon Railway Station to reach popular small hotels such as Salsa Hostel (550 metres from the train station) or Chumphon Euro Boutique Hotel (850 metres from the train station). Booking in advance, and advising the hotel of your late arrival time, is recommended.

Bus and Ferry Services to Koh Tao

Joint bus and ferry services to Koh Tao are operated by the Lomprayah High Speed Ferry Company. These services depart from the car park in front of the ticket hall at Chumphon Railway Station.

The first part of the journey from Chumphon Railway Station to Koh Tao is by road 27.5 km to Tung Makham Ferry Pier. This part of the journey takes around 34 minutes. The second part of the journey is a sea crossing in a high speed catamaran ferry which is scheduled to take 1 hour 45 minutes.