fast rail link

I was quite impressed with this new addition to ease your travel between Padang Besar and
Butterworth .It takes just 1hr-40mins to complete the journey in either direction which is pretty
                                   impressive and a very comfortable ride.

I took the First class sleeper from Bangkok to Padang Besar leaving Bangkok on time at 2.45 pm
this was a much-improved experience from the last time I used this service,apart from the new
  carriages there is a much-improved quality of ride,it is much smoother and less noisy.
                          We arrived in Padam Baser on time at 7.30am
Making sure you travel to the Malaysian side to clear immigration before boarding the fast link
to Butterworth on this occasion, there was a delay and the train didn't leave until 10-25 am.
I think if they can maintain their pricing for this journey at 11.5 Ringgits it will become more
                                    difficult for bus services to compete

Unfortunately, as part of the modernization plan  the Money Exchange Shop at  Butterworth station
has been removed on my return journey I had hoped to exchange all my Ringgits to Thai Baht,once
you get back to BKK its not easy to find anyone interested in exchanging certain currencies,and
             lower denominations of that currency and it appears Ringgits is one of them

                                                    Fast Train Link +

                                                                   Butterworth Station

The shorter journey......

It was over 12months since I last made this journey by train leaving Bangkok at 2.45pm

and arriving in Butterworth at 1pm the following day from there it is just a 20minute ferry 

                                                 crossing to Penang.

The journey can be quite enjoyable really especially if you use the 1st class sleeping option

However, I decided to try something different I took a domestic flight from Don Muang 

airport Bangkok to Had Yai this was very easy to organize and on arriving in Had Yai

the clearance was so quick it was just like getting off a bus .I then made a 30-minute 

journey into Had Yai  and took a bus to the border which took another hour.
                                     

I then took a taxi to the nearest bus station where I managed to get a connection to 

Butterworth The bus service in Malaysia is very reasonably priced but the taxi is 

slightly more expensive than Thailand but still a lot cheaper than in Europe or the UK

My different travel plans meant I could complete my journey the same day and as a

result of a low-cost flight the total cost was only slightly higher.

I like Penang the air is so invigorating,there is a friendly atmosphere and the English

                   language is spoken and understood .

While I was there I decided or was coerced into taking a ride and tour of Penang in

a rickshaw it took 2hrs but was very enjoyable and informative in spite of the rain.

There is picture of the rickshaw and the driver he was based outside the Hotel where

I stayed, the friendly atmosphere of Penang tended to proceed into the early hours .

There was a balcony in the hotel so you could see all the hustle and bustle and where 

the noise was coming from the ones that thought they were in some talent contest

and at 2am in the morning when you were trying to sleep the singing became less in 

tune but it was all good spirited I was surprised to see the rickshaw drivers sleeping 

             inside their vehicles, the temperatures remain warm at night.

The Visa process is good here drop off completed forms with any additional documents
before 12 mid-day and collect Visa the following afternoon 2pm.

There is a flight leaving Penang at 5.30pm  to Bangkok you can  make the connection
               If you take a Taxi direct from the Embassy.to the airport-45 Ringgits

    The sleeper train to Bangkok leaves Butterworth station at 13.15 and arrives in
                                  Bangkok at 10.30 the following day.
There is also a  Van leaving the Thai Embassy to Had Yai after you collect your Visa
    to arrange, check in with the guy with the photocopier outside the Embassy.