We arrived in Malacca, Malaysia, with the Indomal Fast Ferry from Dumai. We had decided to move rather quickly through Malaysia and only spent 4 days travelling south to north across the country, stopping briefly in Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
This post provides information on the very smooth and modern public transport modes that took us from Malacca to the Thaï border, with a stop in Penang.
Visa
As French citizens and travelling through for only a few days, we didn’t need any visa, nor any proof of onward travel. The immigration process in and out of Malaysia was very smooth.
Travel
Getting from Malacca to Kuala Lumpur by bus
After wandering in the quiet backstreets of old town Malacca, lined with exquisite old Chinese houses, we used Grab to order a cheap taxi to Malacca Sentral bus station.
Wanting to get to Kuala Lumpur that evening, we were able to check bus schedules on Google Maps, and once at the station we easily found the ticket counter and purchased a ticket on the next available bus for 16 ringgits each. Busses for KL leave around every 15 minutes and the public ticket counter sells tickets for all bus companies.
It was a 2-hour smooth ride in a very modern bus, zooming on an impeccable highway towards gigantic KL. Quite a change from our hectic last journey across Sumatra earlier that same morning!
Getting from Kuala Lumpur to Penang by train
After two days in KL, which could have its own blog post for how to navigate its endless overpassess and large roads, we made our way towards the UNESCO listed old town of George Town, on the island of Penang.
After a delicious té Tarik (milky sweet tea) and Nasi Lemak breakfast, we caught a train to Butterworth (you gotta love that name!) from the beautiful old Kuala Lumpur train station. This is not the modern main station, but trains going north pass through here after beginning their journey at KL Sentral, and despite having a ticket from KL Sentral we wanted to see the magnificent moorish architecture of the old station so boarded our train here without issue.
We booked tickets using the Baulau website and it cost 86 Ringgit per person plus a service fee (you can probably book directly through the KTMB website to avoid the service fee, or buy tickets at a station). Beware, express trains definitely do sell out, if you want a specific train we recommend booking at least a few days in advance.
The train was very modern and comfortable and 4 hours later we arrived in Butterworth, where we caught the ferry across to Penang. It takes roughly 30 minutes to get across the straight, and a one way ticket only cost 4 ringgit each.
Getting from from Malaysia to Thailand by train
Two days later, still elated by the charm of old Penang, it was time to make our way towards the Thaï border.
Back on the mainland, we caught a commuter train from Butterworth to Padang Besar, the Malaysian town bordering Thailand. We checked the schedule on Google Maps and just bought tickets at the station the same morning for 12 Ringgit per person (you can’t book commuter trains online, and tickets don’t sell out). Beware the air conditioning is very strong and we were so cold in this train that we pulled out the sleeping bag! 2 hours in this freezing cold and spotlessly clean train, with a rather unfriendly yelling train officer, and we arrived in Padang Besar.
Crossing the border between Thailand and Malaysia
While some government websites might indicate security concerns for crossing this border, we did not encounter any issues nor did we feel unsafe at any point.
We got off the Malaysian train in Padang Besar, went through immigration on both sides very easily, and jumped straight back on a train on the Thaï side, all within Padang Besar station. The Thai commuter train took us directly to Hat Yai.
For more details on our travels in Malaysia, our observations and reflections, head over to our Journal Page
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