Singapore to Kanchanaburi - Wee Travel Diaries

Singapore to Butterworth -

Skipped Malaysia in its entirety, on the fact that I am able to visit it anytime I want to due to its close proximity.

VIP Coach from Singapore to Butterworth

A 10-hour VIP coach journey took me from Singapore, all the way across the length, to the northern tip of Malaysia, Butterworth. No sights on the way to boast about really, since the most part of it was spent catching up on sleep.

Didn't stop in Butterworth either but if you have some time to spare, you can, and probably should, stop by culturally-rich Penang, which is just a bus/taxi/boat ride away.

You can get your tickets online via easybook.com
Cost - S$44

Butterworth to Kanchanaburi (through Nakhon Pathom) -

Train 36 | Butterworth to Nakhon Pathom

I bought my ticket prior to arriving at Butterworth, due to my previous experience of tickets being all sold out for the week or so, the last time I was here. You can get your tickets from any KTM train stations throughout Malaysia. I got mine at the train station in Johor Bahru Sentral.

Cost - A little more than RM100 (cannot remember the exact price)

Inside Train 36

The train ride was supposed to be a good 19 hours, so there were plenty of time to sit around, do nothing, maybe make small talks with local/fellow tourists. The train was however, surprisingly clean. The train ride will take you across the Malaysia/Thailand border at Padang Besar, where you'll be able to stock up on snacks and beer, for your long ride to come.

Makeshift bed on the train

There was no calls for worry about sleeping at night, as the seats on the train were converted to bunk beds for a comfortable night's rest. That said, the beds were a little short in length, and I wasn't able to settle in very comfortably (I'm 1.71m or 5'6"). Otherwise, it was pretty alright I guess. At least I got my sleep.

Meal on the train

A little while after clearing the border, there will be some sort of a conductor who would come in and ask if you would like to pre-order the breakfast for the next day. Meals cost around US$ 5-6 depending on what you choose but the variety's pretty limited. The food wasn't particularly tasty either.

Also, there would also be a man who would offer to change MYR (Malaysian Ringgit) into THB (Thai Baht) along the way. The exchange rate's pretty decent but it's definitely lower than what you can get in town.

One thing I can never emphasize enough is how trains in Southeast Asia are much very often delayed. My 19 hour train ride eventually arrived at Nakhon Pathom around 3 hours late.

You can find more information on this blog - http://www.seat61.com/Malaysia.htm#Train_times

Nakhon Pathom Train Station

Arrived in Nakhon Pathom 22 hours later to catch a minivan to Kanchanaburi. I was a little confused as to where this minivan would/could be. My prior research wasn't very clear and I thought it was within walkable distance.

I was wrong.

Turns out it was quite a distance away and it would take quite a while to reach by foot after consulting with locals using my extremely limited knowledge of Thai. I ended up taking a motorcycle taxi which costed me 40 baht to get to the minivan stop.

Minivan stop to Kanchanaburi

Unfortunately I wasn't able to snap a photo inside of the minivan because it's full of people. It was extremely crowded and uncomfortable and the locals were looking at me trying to fit myself and my backpack into whatever seat I was offered. Also, I was under the impression that the bus ride would only take around 2 hours. Turns out no amount of research spoke for what you would experience on the ground. Took me an additional hour to get to Kanchanburi, and I tell you, that extra hour felt like eternity. The ride was a meager 70 baht though, and that was the only takeaway.

Kanchanaburi Bus Terminal

The minivan will drop you off at Kanchanaburi Bus Terminal, where there are plenty of cabs/tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis that are more than willing to earn a quick buck off a tourist.

To be continued.