Koh Tarutao and Koh Lipeh are probably the best known but there are others. There is a minivan stand just outside Hat Yai station (on the left as you exit the station) where vans run to Tummalang pier in Pak Bara and from the pier there are ferries going to the islands. The journey to the pier takes around two hours and the cost is Bt120.

Buses also run to Pak Bara from Hat Yai bus station but they are slower and less frequent. I know from personal experience that the 10:15am service has been cancelled. Minivans can be a pain but they are the best option in this instance.

The big ferries stop running for three months (from June to August) because of rough seas and I would definitely recommend talking to a local travel agent for current information.

A hot, uncomfortable journey to Surat Thani will commence. At the other end the passengers will be unceremoniously dumped on a ferry to whichever island they wish to go to. Inter-island ferries and speed boats are readily available which (like the minivans) also carry too many passengers and are driven too quickly. Occasionally they capsize and occasionally people drown.

A more relaxed alternative might just be to head to Hat Yai bus station and hop on a big number 729 bus. These depart every day at 08:00 and 10:40. The buses go to Donsak Pier in Surat Thani before boarding the ferry for the final stage of the journey to Koh Samui. The total cost is Bt295 which includes the ferry crossing. The journey time is approximately six-and-a-half hours.

If you are headed to Koh Tao, an option might be to catch the train to Chumphon and board a ferry from there.

My fare from Hat Yai to Krabi in September 2004 on an air-conditioned bus cost Bt173. It was a Phuket-bound bus that stopped at Krabi bus station on the way. A short tuk-tuk ride from Krabi bus station to Ao Nang beach cost Bt300 but it was the only available transport option apparently and I didn't have a very powerful bargaining position.

Phuket-bound buses leave frequently from Hat Yai bus station, see 'Phuket by Bus' below for details.

You may find that at certain times of the year the boats don't run because of rough seas. Use information you find here and in guide books only as a guide but check locally to confirm details.

Singapore-bound buses skirt around Kuala Lumpur, and the first Malaysian town they really stop at is Johor Bahru - right at the bottom of the peninsula. Some passengers disembark here but those heading for Singapore get Malaysian exit stamps in their passport at JB immigration and then continue over the causeway to Singapore.

The journey time to Singapore is about 15 hours and the buses tend to leave Hat Yai in the early afternoon which means a rather unsocial arrival time in Singapore in the early hours of the morning. The fare to Singapore varies slightly but is approximately Bt750.

The last time I went to Singapore by bus, I used Konsortium opposite Lee Gardens Plaza. Their coach leaves at 1:30pm from just outside Central department store. The fare was Bt720 (September 2008).

The journey time could be quicker but the drivers make frequent stops at motorway cafes. In addition, the Konsortium buses stop to refuel at the main Konsortium depot in Malaysia which is quite a long diversion from the motorway. I understand that the drivers need to stay alert and refreshed but it seemed that the bus stopped a little too often.

On the way back to Thailand they make an additional extended stop at a Duty-Free place near the Thai/Malaysian border so Malaysians can stock up with cigarettes and alcohol.

I have never taken a bus from Hat Yai that terminates in Malaysia. However, there are plenty available to different destinations in Malaysia. Any Hat Yai travel agent will be able to give you details.

You cannot travel directly to some destinations in Malaysia by big coach, such as Penang. The only direct service from Hat Yai to Penang is by minivan. You could always go to Butterworth by coach or train and then make your own way across to Penang but it might just be easier to get a minivan.

You can catch minivans to Nakhon either from the new minivan station, or from the main bus station behind Diana. The vans from each place take different routes. The route the vans from the main bus station take is more scenic, and maybe a little faster.

In addition to transporting passengers, the vans act as courier services carrying all kinds of items to Nakhon and by the time the drivers have loaded the vans up, there is hardly a cubic inch of spare room. On my last trip (July 2009) the fare was Bt140. The journey time is around three hours.

Since the opening of the minivan terminal, everything has changed. Vans going north leave from the minivan terminal but vans going south leave from the bus station. I think vans for Pedang Basar leave from the bus station but you need to check.

Map: Map 1
Brightly coloured public buses without A/C are another option for journeys to Pedang Besar. The big buses without A/C are generally fairly comfortable even when the weather is hot. Belting along with all the windows open creates a cool breeze and when the buses are stationary the driver switches on the fans.

These ones can be caught from the clocktower by Hat Yai Plaza on Phetkasem Road. A visitor to the site wrote to tell me the fare is Bt39. He also mentioned they go to the border crossing and that there are motorcycle taxi drivers there who - for Bt50 - will assist foreigners with immigration forms, and with getting across and back, so they can get their passport stamps.

Map: Map 3
Many foreigners living and working all over the south of Thailand make their way to Hat Yai periodically to get a minivan down to Penang in order to get visas at the Thai Consulate. It's a popular run that takes about four and a half hours.

The fare has increased gradually as oil prices have risen. When I last checked in June 2009 the fare was Bt280, which isn't very much considering the distance.

The Thai Consulate in Penang only accepts visa applications from 09:00 to 12:00 and none of the minivans leave Hat Yai early enough to get there on time. Therefore people usually go to Penang later in the day and apply for their visa the following morning. They then have to wait until the next day to collect their visas. Therefore, a two night stop in Penang is normally required although there are ways to get around this little inconvenience if you know the right people to drop a few Ringgits to.

Any travel agent in Hat Yai will be able to arrange a minivan but for this kind of thing I normally stick with the agent at Cathay Guest House who I have a reasonable amount of confidence in. Cathay offer three trips a day leaving Hat Yai at 09:30, 12:30 and 15:30. A Swedish guy who wrote told me he uses TR Intertours on Kimpradit Road (Map 4).

I am not aware of any vans that leave earlier in the day. Note that whichever travel agent you use, they will probably all use the same vans. The fare is cheap but expect the usual overcrowding and generally poor service that most minivans in Thailand seem to be guilty of.

The vans drop you off in Georgetown. If you need help finding a cheap guest house on Chulia Street, need to change money, or require someone to help with your visa application, the van driver will no doubt know someone who can provide assistance.

No doubt it is more comfortable than a minivan but, as you can see, the journey time is considerably longer. In addition you will have to make your own way to Penang from Butterworth at extra cost whereas the minivans drive right into Georgetown.

Vans leave fairly frequently, the fare is around Bt50 and the journey time is around 90 minutes.

The second time I did the same journey it only took 90 minutes with no long stops to let fast trains pass. The carriages are third class and not the most comfortable in the world. Hard wooden bench seats make backsides sore after a while and there is no air-conditioning. In the Thai hot season the heat can be almost unbearable.

If you have time though it's a very scenic ride through rubber plantations, rice paddies and groves of palm trees. Birdwatchers will be in for a treat too. I saw some beautiful birds including at least a dozen brilliant-blue Kingfishers. A couple were in flight but most were perched on the telephone wires that run alongside the track.

The bus times are 08:00, 08:30, 09:00, 10:00, 10:30, 11:45, 13:00 and 15:00 but there may be more. If you want to go to Phuket and arrive at Hat Yai bus station in the morning you shouldn't have to wait long. There are also non air-conditioned, regular buses that are cheaper but as comfortable.

For A/C buses the fares range between Bt270 for first-class and Bt390 for VIP. The VIP buses are plusher and have fewer seats so there is more legroom. The cheapest way to make the journey is on a regular public bus without A/C for Bt150. The journey time varies depending on the standard of the bus. The VIP buses take just over seven hours whereas the regular buses without A/C take almost eight-and-a-half hours.

From Satun you can get boats to Koh Tarutao National Marine Park or to Langkawi in Malaysia.

Map: Map 1
I hadn't really considered this as an option but it was suggested by a visitor to the site.

Since Tiger Airways stopped their direct service from Hat Yai to Singapore, getting to Singapore is a pain. The coach journey is about 15 hours and most arrive in Singapore around 5:30am which isn't very convenient or sociable. The advantage of travelling by coach, however, is that you can store your luggage, get on board and then completely relax.

From what I can work out, the train journey requires making a connection at Butterworth to Kuala Lumpur, and then making another connection at KL to Singapore. If you are travelling with lots of luggage, these connections could be a real pain. My other suspicion is that getting through immigration when travelling by train might take longer, but I've never done it so I don't know for sure.

The overall journey appears to take around 24 hours.

I guess it depends on your individual circumstances. There is a certain 'romance' involved with train journeys that coach journeys don't have. You have more freedom to wander around on trains, while coaches can be a little claustrophobic. I would also imagine the scenery is better when travelling by train.

However, it's slower and there is more work involved making connections at various places. You can find more details about train travel from Hat Yai on Transport Page 2 of this site.

Some bus journeys I've been on have been almost surreal. Most bus travellers aren't that rich and use the buses because it's the only transport they can afford. Watching them on the way back from their weekly shopping trip loaded up with bags from the market as Thai and European disco-trash music blasts out and coloured lights flash inside the bus is just weird. Then again, this is just Thailand.

Phetkasem Road is as good a place as any to find a Songkhla bound bus.

Depending on the driver it can be quite a hair-raising experience if he drives in true Thai style. Fares range from about Bt25 or Bt30. When I asked why there was a difference, it apparently depends on the route they take. It's more expensive to go on the new road. If you're lucky you will board on of the few luxurious vans on this route, but under normal circumstances you will find yourself on a 20 year-old knackered Toyota van with two million kms on the clock.

They depart from near the clocktower on Phetkasem Road, very close to Hat Yai Plaza. They head north towards the fountain and then either go up Niphat Songkhrao (past Big C) and turn right (new road), or up Phetkasem Road and turn left on to Karnjanavanit Road (old road). During 2007/2008, the 'old road' was widened and repaved so now it is smoother and faster.

One of the most heated confrontations I have had in Thailand was on a Hat Yai to Songkhla minivan. The van had 14 seats and after 14 people got on board it left. But then it stopped to pick up another three people. I didn't say anything.

It then stopped again to pick up another three people and this time I was expected to shift up even though I had no space in which to shift up. I launched into a tirade at the driver because it is dangerous and downright uncomfortable and they just don't care.

He was a stroppy guy and didn't like the fact someone had dared to say anything about what he was trying to do, especially as it was a farang. He was furious and told me to get out, addressing me as, "Farang." I refused to get out and he had to abandon his plan to get the last three people on board.

He was livid and, with 17 passengers aboard, he sped off like a lunatic to teach me a lesson. This brought complaints from the other passengers and after a few minutes he calmed down.

This overloading business is common practice. I've spoken to my Thai friends and students and it happens all the time. Thais don't like it either but they won't say anything. One of my students, on an overloaded van to Phattalung, did say something and the driver told her that she was being selfish.

You pay for a seat and often don't get a full seat to yourself. Sometimes it is so cramped that you suffer from bad aches and pains in your legs and back. The air-conditioning, suspension and brakes aren't designed for so many people so it makes the journey uncomfortable and dangerous.

Yes, someone is being selfish - and greedy - but it isn't the paying passengers. On the plus side, the drivers will take individual passengers to where they are actually going instead of dropping everyone off at the same place, which is very handy.

The fare used to be Bt150 (probaly more now) and the journey time is approximately four and a half hours. Surat Thani is of course the jumping off point for Koh Samui.

The fare is 80 Baht and the journey time is approximately two hours.

Since the opening of the minivan terminal, everything has changed. Vans going north leave from the minivan terminal but vans going south leave from the bus station. I think vans for Yala leave from the bus station but I need to check.

Caution is still advised when travelling to Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat.

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