Transport Options in Hat Yai - Page 3
Hat Yai Transport Options
From Hat Yai you can travel to anywhere in Thailand and there are normally a variety of transport options. This page includes just a few illustrations.
Before the budget airline market took off in 2004 (no pun intended), most people travelled to Bangkok by bus because the only flight on Thai Airways was quite expensive. Travelling by bus takes about 12 hours but it is quicker than taking the train.
With even more budget airlines these days and fierce competition in the airline industry, a lot fewer people travel by bus because promotional flight tickets are normally cheaper than bus tickets and the flight only takes a little over an hour. However, it is still an option.
You can get a bus to Bangkok at the bus station or use a private travel company, such as Konsortium. When I checked in April 2014 the Konsortium fares ranged from Bt850 on a 38-seat bus to Bt1,260 on a 24-seat VIP bus.
Travelling by minivan is another option, but travelling in those vans terrifies me. The minivan fare is about Bt700.
There are some attractive islands located off the coast of Satun province in the Andaman Sea that don't attract as many tourists as the better known Thai islands, such as Phuket, Samui, Phi Phi, Lanta, etc.
The nearest airport to these islands is in Hat Yai and therefore many tourists will want to know how to get from Hat Yai airport to, for example, Koh Lipe.
The most convenient way is just to jump in a taxi at Hat Yai airport and tell the driver to take you to Pak Bara. Tummalang pier in Pak Bara is where the boats to the islands leave from. However, this is also the most expensive way. It's difficult to estimate a fare because drivers don't use meters and they will quote the highest fare they think they can get away with. However, the fare will be in the region of several thousand Baht and it won't include the feery ticket.
The cheapest way is to take a sawng-thaew from the airport into town for Bt20. Once you arrive downtown, walk or take a taxi to the train station (satanee rote fai in Thai). Alternatively, a taxi from the airport to the train station should cost around Bt300.
Opposite the train station you will see a travel agency called Sukhothai Tour Hatyai. At this travel agency you will be able to buy a ticket to one of the islands. The price of the ticket includes the minivan trip to Pak Bara and also the ferry crossing to whichever island you wish to visit.
Here are the fares, as given to me in February 2015:
Hat Yai to Koh Lipe (One-Way): Bt600
Hat Yai to Koh Lipe (Return): Bt1,100
Hat Yai to Bulon (One-Way): Bt500
Hat Yai to Bulon (Return): Bt1,000
Hat Yai to Tarutao (One-way Only): Bt450
From Tarutao Island there is no direct return trip to Pak Bara. Boats leaving Tarutao first go to Lipe Island before going back to Pak Bara.
Alternatively, you can just pay for a minivan trip to Pak Bara from Hat Yai and then you can buy a ferry ticket at Pak Bara. There is a minivan stand just outside Hat Yai station (on the left as you exit the station). The journey to the pier takes around two hours and the cost is around 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 in Thailand can be a pain but they are the best option in this instance.
High season runs from about November to May and during this time there are two ferry crossings per day at 11:30am and 3pm. Low season starts at the end of May and runs through to October. During low season there is only one crossing at 11:30am.
I was told that the big ferries stop running for three months (from June to August) due to rough seas. The small speed boats will assess the situation day-by-day during the low season and leave when the drivers think the sea is calm enough. If the sea is rough during the low season you may have to wait for a while until the conditions settle down.
Here is the timetable:
Morning
Depart Hat Yai by minivan 9am, arrive Pak Bara 11am, depart Pak Bara by speed boat 11:30am, arrive Koh Lipe 1pm.
Afternoon (High Season Only)
Depart Hat Yai by minivan 1pm, arrive Pak Bara 2:50pm, depart Pak Bara by speed boat 3pm, arrive Koh Lipe 4:30pm.
There are two return ferries. Passengers are first taken back to Pak Bara where they transfer to minivans for the journey back to Hat Yai. The first ferry departure leaves Koh Lipe at 9am and passengers arrive back in Hat Yai by minivan at 1pm. The second leaves at 1pm and passengers arrive back in Hat Yai at 5:30pm.
Sukhothai Tour Hat Yai
Address: 263 Thamanoonvithi Road (opposite the train station)
Mobile: +66 (0)86 695 8449, +66 (0)81 357 8998
Fax: +66 (0)74 232171, +66 (0)74 236175
Website: Hatyai Tour, Sukhothai Tour Hatyai
E-mail: info@hatyaitour.com, sukhothaitourhatyai@gmail.com
Booking Accommodation
If travelling to one of these islands I would strongly advise booking somewhere in advance. You can do this on-line through Agoda. If you arrive without anywhere to stay you may be asked for a lot of money and you will not be in a strong position to negotiate.
There are no buses from Hat Yai that go directly to Khao Lak. It is necessary to get a Phuket-bound bus (several of which leave every day, see 'Phuket by Bus' below) and get off at a place called Khok Kloi. The fare is Bt241 and the journey time is around five and a half hours. At Khok Kloi board a Phuket to Takua Pa local bus and get off at Khao Lak - they pass through Khok Kloi about once every hour and how long you have to wait depends on your luck. The fare is Bt50 and if you tell the lad collecting the fares where you want to get off he will make sure you don't miss your stop.
Backpackers staying at the Cathay Guest House who are in a hurry to get to one of the islands in the Gulf of Thailand can just go downstairs to the travel agency there and buy a ticket to their destination of choice. They will be piled into a Surat Thani bound minivan with several other backpackers. The minivan will not leave Hat Yai until it is no longer physically possible to get anyone else in.
A hot, fast, uncomfortable, white-knuckle ride 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 11:30 and 21:30. 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 Bt367 which includes the ferry crossing. The journey time is approximately six-and-a-half hours.
If you wish to return to Hat Yai the same way, the buses leave Koh Samui bus station at 07:00 and 17:00. The buses are colour-coded red and the definition of a red bus is 'First Class Air-Conditioned'.
If you are headed to Koh Tao, you can board a train, bus or minivan to Chumphon and board a ferry from there.
Many travellers coming up from Malaysia and following the standard backpackers 'banana pancake' trail will want to get to Krabi for their next stop after arriving in Hat Yai. There aren't any buses that actually go to Krabi as a final destination but all of the Phuket-bound buses (of which there are many leaving Hat Yai every day) go through Krabi. The buses are far more spacious and comfortable than minivans.
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.
One word of caution if you plan to catch a bus from Krabi on your return to Hat Yai. The buses that leave Phuket and stop at Krabi are normally full by the time they reach Krabi. Buying a bus ticket doesn't actually guarantee you a seat.
On my first trip to Krabi from Hat Yai I wanted to go by big bus, however, I didn't know where the bus station was. The travel agent I was speaking to told me that the bus station was very far away and looked at me as if I was mad to want to go by bus. Of course, all she was interested in was her small commission for selling me a minivan ticket.
The van was small and cramped, and after getting on board it was soon full with 14 people sitting down and everyone's luggage in the back. It was about to go, when three backpackers showed up. The driver opened the door, but I failed to see how he would get another three people in the van.
He removed the luggage from the back of the van and stowed it on the roof. There was a collapsible seat in the back, on which the backpackers sat. The van was now overloaded and the driver, of course, drove at breakneck speed to Krabi.
It was a nightmare. The journey was hot, extremely uncomfortable and downright dangerous. It is incidents such as this one that have given me an extremely negative view of minivans in Thailand.
If you stay at a guesthouse and ask them to arrange transport to Krabi they will probably book you on a minivan. It's entirely up to you, but my advice is always to avoid minivans in Thailand and to take a big bus whenever possible.
According to the sign, speed boats to Langkawi run three times a day. You will need to get to the pier first and the options are a minivan from just outside Hat Yai railway station or one of the big, old Mercedes taxis that go from outside the Post Office on Rattakarn Road.
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.
Several coaches owned by private companies run every day from Hat Yai to Malaysia and Singapore. Any travel agent will be able to sell you a ticket. I have taken the bus from Hat Yai to Singapore a few times. In Singapore the buses terminate at Golden Mile Complex in Beach Road which is Singapore's Little Thailand area.
Singapore-bound buses skirt around Kuala Lumpur, and the first Malaysian town they really stop at is Johor Bahru - right at the bottom of peninsula Malaysia. 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 Bt850.
The last time I went to Singapore by bus, I used Konsortium opposite Lee Gardens Plaza. Their coach leaves from just outside Central department store.
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.
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 big 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.
The following information for Konsortium was correct in April 2014. Other travel agents, such as Coachland, Grassland, Patcharin, Davis Tour, etc., offer the same basic service, but departure times and prices may vary slightly.
When I checked with Konsortium in April 2014 the fares to KL ranged from Bt400 to Bt600 and the fare to Singapore was Bt850.
One word of warning about travelling overnight on these big buses. The drivers crank up the air-conditioning to its maximum setting and without any sunlight outside it feels like being inside a fridge.
I have lived in Hat Yai for many years and have never needed a single item of warm clothing at any time of year. However, on the overnight bus from Hat Yai to Singapore I would feeze without a warm fleece.
Up until April 2007, minivans to Nakhon Sri Thammarat left from a couple of locations on Phetkasem Road. However, since the opening of the new minivan terminal in Hat Yai Nai, there have been lots of changes.
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 a previous trip (July 2009) the fare was Bt140. The journey time is around three hours.
Book a hotel in Nakhon Sri Thammarat
If you can afford to spend four and a half hours getting to Nakhon Si Thammarat from Hat Yai, the train journey is quite pleasant. When I did this trip in 2004, the fare was just Bt37 for a seat in third class. I suspect that the fare nowadays will be a little more expensive.
Book a hotel in Nakhon Sri Thammarat
Vans used to leave from Niphat Uthit 2 Road just a few yards from where it intersects with Manasruedee (Manatruedee) Road. The fare was Bt40 (probably more now) and the journey time is around one hour.
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.
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.
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. This popular visa run takes about four and a half hours.
When I last checked in June 2009 the fare was Bt280, which isn't very much considering the distance. In 2011 I was quoted Bt250.
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. 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 whosze palms to grease with Ringgits.
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 visitor to this site 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 most likely all use the same vans. The fare is cheap but expect the usual overcrowding and generally poor service that all minivans in Thailand are guilty of.
The vans drop you off in Georgetown. If you need help finding a cheap guest house on Chulia Street, you need to change money, or you require someone to help with your visa application, the van driver will no doubt know someone who can provide assistance.
If you wish to go by private taxi, the fare I was given was Bt2,200.
An alternative method to get to Penang is to go by train to Butterworth on the Malaysian mainland and then catch a ferry. There are two trains from Hat Yai. One leaves at 06:27 and arrives at 11:55. The other leaves at 14:50 and arrives at 21:30. When I last checked fares, the morning train was Bt322 and the evening one Bt180, but these may have increased. There is more information about trains on Page 2.
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.
Up until April 2007, minivans to Phattalung left from several places on Phetkasem Road - like the one in the photo. However, since the opening of the new minivan terminal in Hat Yai Nai, this is now where you need to go to get a minivan.
Vans leave fairly frequently, the fare is around Bt50 and the journey time is around 90 minutes.
I have only ever taken the train back to Hat Yai from Phattalung. It costs all of Bt18. The first time I took the train it took almost two and three-quarter hours compared to less than 90 minutes by minivan. It stopped at every station, sometimes for 20 minutes or more, to allow the express trains to come through.
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.
Several big, comfortable buses leave Hat Yai bus station for Phuket every day of the week. Many travel agents in town are only interested in selling tourists minivan tickets but minivan trips can be very uncomfortable, especially for seven or eight hour journeys. Minivans are also notoriously dangerous in Thailand because most drivers are maniacs.
It is possible that if you inquire at a Hat Yai travel agency regarding travel to Phuket they will only tell you about minivans because that's where they make their commission. That's what happened to me on my first visit to Hat Yai before I knew any better.
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.
I have made it very clear how much I hate travelling by minivan in Thailand. Before I had a car, I would always travel to Phuket on big buses. However, there is another alternative.
There is a private company in Hat Yai Nai that runs mid-size buses between Hat Yai and Phuket. They are smaller than the buses at the bus station, but significantly bigger than minivans. There are only 17 seats and they look quite comfortable. The fare is just Bt380 (March 2015) and there are 16 departures each way every day. The journey time is 7 hours.
Hat Yai to Phuket: 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00
Phuket to Hat Yai: 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00
The company is called 'Waa-ra-rut-sa-mee-ma-haa-taa-nee'. The company has a website, but it is all in Thai.
The Hat Yai office is located in the Hat Yai Nai area, almost opposite the Hat Yai Nai branch of Tesco Lotus. Buses terminate at Phuket bus station.
There are many phone numbers.
Phuket office: +66 (0)88 169 4584, +66 (0)91 165 2425, +66 (0)81 569 4320, +66 (0)76 232628
Hat Yai office: +66 (0)84 689 6565, +66 (0)82 423 0692, +66 (0)80 538 3625, +66 (0)74 258612
The company also operates a delivery service if you need to send packages between Hat Yai and Phuket.
Big old Mercedes (with Nissan engines) operate on a share basis between Hat Yai and Satun. They congregate on Rattakarn Road, just north of the train station opposite the post office there. The fare is Bt300 but I'm not sure if this is per person or divided between passengers (I would suspect the latter). Journey time is approximately 90 minutes.
From Satun you can get boats to Koh Tarutao National Marine Park or to Langkawi in Malaysia.
I hadn't really considered this as an option but it was suggested by a visitor to the site.
For a while Tiger Airways stopped their direct service from Hat Yai to Singapore and getting to Singapore became 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.
Songkhla is the easiest place to get to from Hat Yai because of the proximity and close ties between the two towns. You can go by bus or sawng-thaew but the distance makes it quite uncomfortable to travel by sawng-thaew. Both options are cheap. The public buses in Thailand (depending on what kind of mood you're in) can be quite good fun. Many of them are 'Disco buses' in that they have on-board Karaoke videos and huge sound systems that blast out music the entire time.
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.
I am not a big fan of minivans but they are normally OK for journeys between Hat Yai and Songkhla. Because there are so many people travelling between the two places they depart regularly and you don't have to wait for ages until the full quota of passengers arrives. They will actually leave before they are full because they can pick up people on the way. The other reason this particular minivan journey is bearable is because it only takes about 45 minutes.
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.
Minivans to Surat Thani used to leave from the corner of Niphat Uthit 1 and Duangchan roads, opposite the V.L. Hatyai Hotel. However, like all other minivan services, they now leave from the central minivan terminal in Hat Yai Nai.
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.
Minivans to Trang used to depart from the corner of Suphasarnrangsan Road and Soi Duangchan (a small Soi that runs between Suphasarnrangsan and Duangchan roads). They now leave from the central minivan terminal in Hat Yai Nai.
The fare is 80 Baht and the journey time is approximately two hours.
Vans to Yala used to leave from Niphat Uthit 2 Road just a few yards from where it intersects with Manasruedee (Manatruedee) Road. The fare was Bt70 (probably more now), and the journey time is around 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.
Introduction and basic information
Planes, trains and tuk-tuks