Penang Hat Yai Bus / Van

About Penang Hat Yai Bus services:

There are no direct public buses from Penang to Hat Yai or Hat Yai to Penang.

In their place, there are plenty of minibus / van operators that run this route 4 or 5 times a day during the daylight hours.

Bus from Penang to Hat Yai

With so many operators running the same route, you can buy a ticket for these minibuses just about anywhere in Penang.

Most of the budget hotels, travel agents and some of the money changers around Chulia Street will sell you a ticket where you have to meet at a certain point, at a certain time, or where you can be picked up from your hotel a little earlier.

Also, you can buy tickets from underneath KOMTAR where you will find many of the bus operators ticketing outlets.

You can now book the Minibus between Penang / Georgetown and Hat Yai online (beli tiket bas Penang ke Hatyai online).

Click here to search for available seats now >

The duration of the trip to Hat Yai by minivan is about 4 hours once all the passengers are on board and you can ask to be dropped off at the Hat Yai bus station or train station if your planning to catch a bus or train north, or at one of the hotels in the centre of Hat Yai town.

Penang to Hat Yai Minibus Schedule (Jadual / 时间表)

The first van leaves Penang for Hat Yai usually at the following times:

The first minibus departs at 05:00, then at 08:30, 12:00 and the last van at 15:30.

During busy periods such as public holidays, extra departures are often added.

Want to book onward travel from Hat Yai?

Visit out Thailand train / bus booking page here >

Bus from Hat Yai to Penang

The minibus offices are scattered all over the centre of Hat Yai city, so it is best to find the closest one to your hotel or arrange a pickup.

If you come in by train you can buy tickets just in front of the Hatyai Junction Railway Station, or if you come into Hat Yai main bus station which is about 5 km outside the town centre, there are many places just outside that will sell you a ticket (usually at inflated prices) and then you will be picked up from there.

Hat Yai to Penang Minibus Schedule (Jadual / 时间表)

The first van leaves Hat Yai at 09:00, again at 12:00 and the last one at 15:30.

The trip to Penang is usually a little longer as it often takes more time going through immigration on the way into Malaysia, especially if you catch the first minibuses that leave Hat Yai around 9:00 am, as the Sadao / Danok border is usually quite busy at this time.

When you arrive in Penang Island, via the Penang Bridge, the minibus can drop you off wherever you want in Georgetown, including most hotels in the centre of town.

If you are staying in the old part of Georgetown, you will usually be the last people off, so you can be driving around for quite a while!

If you a heading for the beach hotels, ask to be dropped off at KOMTAR where you can catch a bus (No 101) to Batu Ferringhi.

If you want to book a hotel or guest house before arriving on the island, you can read 100's of reviews and compare room rates to find the best prices by clicking here.

How much does the Penang Hat Yai Bus cost?

(Harga Tiket Bas Penang Hatyai)

The current fare / ticket price is 40 - 45 RM or 350 - 400 Baht, although you may be quoted more in some places as they will want to take a little more commission.

This is especially true in Hat Yai where some agents will really try to rip you off.

If you are staying the night, ask at your hotel for the nearest reputable agent, or you can use :

our online bus booking search page here >

Cheapest Way to Travel between Penang and Hat Yai

If you want to travel from Hat Yai to Penang cheaply, the best way is to catch a minivan or local bus from Hat Yai to the border at Padang Besar (bus about 44 Baht 1 to 1 1/2 hours - minivan about one hour - 50 baht), then you can walk over the border and catch one of the many KTM Komuter trains which leave every hour or two (11.40 RM).

Another cheap option is to take one of the Shuttle Trains from Hat Yai to Padang Besar (50 Thai Baht), then connect with the Komuter train to Butterworth.

For more information on the trains between Hat Yai and Butterworth Penang click here >

Another alternative is to walk down to the bus stop and catch a bus from Padang Besar to Kangar and then Alor Star, then another from there to Penang or Butterworth. You can also catch a direct bus from Kangar to Penang.

This bus route takes you through some really nice rural scenery in Perlis state and you could stop off for a few hours or the night in either Kangar or Alor Setar.

This is also a great and cheap way to get from Hat Yai to Langkawi Island, as Kangar is just 14km from Kuala Perlis ferry terminal and is served by local buses.

If you are interested in doing this route by bus, click here for details of buses and the routes to take from Padang Besar to Penang or Langkawi.

Minibus from Penang to Hat Yai at Sadao border crossing

Photo of the seats inside a Penang to Hat Yai minibus

Seats inside the minibus

The best way to travel north from Hat Yai to the rest of Thailand is by train.

Hat Yai train station is easy to find in the centre of the city and has many departures every day to Surat Thani and Bangkok and all places in between.

To book your train tickets from Hat Yai click here >

To book minivan or bus tickets in Thailand click here >