Minibus Transfer between Hat Yai and Padang Besar Stations

This is a post on my experience of doing a minibus transfer with SRT between Hat Yai Junction and Padang Besar Station in Malaysia. This had to be done due to a track closure.

[2] As we had bought a through ticket to Padang Besar, SRT were obliged to put on a free bus transfer for us. At Hat Yai station they checked our tickets and then took us to two minibuses waiting outside. There were only 18 of us.

[3] The drive to Padang Besar border checkpoint took 1 hour and 20 minutes. An official from the SRT was waiting for us and directed us into Thai immigration. We had to take our bags with us as there was another driver on the other side. Immigration took literally 3 minutes.

[4] This time we were put in pick-up trucks, four at a time. Malaysian Immigration was only a few minutes away. We had to get out but it only took a few minutes. Then another short drive was customs where we had to get out again to x-ray our bags. In total it took 15 minutes.

[5] There is an entrance to Padang Besar Station right by the checkpoint. But unfortunately it has been closed ever since Covid. It took us ten minutes to drive around the block to reach the station. So not really walkable. Total time between stations was 1 hour and 45 minutes.