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Itineraries · Singapore

Singapore to Bangkok in 9 days: by train to Penang, then fly

There is no through train from Singapore to Bangkok, but most of the way is easy by rail: the Shuttle Tebrau across the Causeway to Johor Bahru, Malaysia's fast ETS trains to Kuala Lumpur and Butterworth, and the ferry to George Town on Penang. The last part, the line from Padang Besar on the border through Hat Yai, crosses provinces where the UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel, so this plan flies from Penang to Bangkok instead. Nine days give two nights each in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, George Town and Bangkok.

AsiaVela editorial teamUpdated 8 min read
Office towers of Singapore's Central Business District rising behind the Singapore River
Start in Singapore: the river and the business district, two nights before the train north.
Suggested time
9 days / 8 nights
Where to stay
Singapore for 2 nights; Kuala Lumpur for 2; George Town (Penang) for 2; Bangkok for 2
Season and timing
Penang and the northwest of the peninsula are driest in January and February; October and November bring the heaviest rain on most of the west coast.

The short answer

Plan 9 days and 8 nights: Singapore 2, Kuala Lumpur 2, George Town 2 and Bangkok 2. Take the Shuttle Tebrau from Woodlands to JB Sentral and the ETS on to Kuala Lumpur on day 3, the ETS to Butterworth and the ferry to George Town on day 5, and fly from Penang to Bangkok on day 7: the UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel on the Hat Yai to Padang Besar line. Two key prices, checked on 21 October 2026: the Shuttle Tebrau costs SGD 5 for non-Malaysians, and the Penang ferry RM 2 each way. All in, with rooms, meals, trains, the flight, tickets and SIM cards, the trip costs about USD 1,050 per person for two sharing a room.

Route map: Singapore → Kuala Lumpur → George Town → Bangkok1234WoodlandsButterworthDon Mueang AirportSingapore2 nightsKuala Lumpur2 nightsGeorge Town2 nightsBangkok2 nightsTrainFlight
The route at a glance. Positions are approximate: lines show the order and the type of transport, not the exact road or railway. Map data: Natural Earth.

Four cities, two trains, one flight

The route runs north up the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Each border and each change of train is a separate ticket: KTMB sells the Shuttle Tebrau and the ETS trains, Penang Port the ferry, and an airline the flight to Bangkok. Book the Shuttle Tebrau and the two ETS trains as soon as your dates are fixed; the shuttle has 320 seats, and the Woodlands gate closes 20 minutes before departure.

The full rail route would go on from Butterworth to Padang Besar, cross into Thailand there and take a sleeper from Hat Yai to Bangkok. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel on the Hat Yai to Padang Besar train line, and France advises against Songkhla province, so this guide does not recommend it and flies from Penang instead.

  • Days 1–2: Singapore, Marina Bay, Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Gelam.
  • Day 3: Shuttle Tebrau to Johor Bahru, ETS to Kuala Lumpur.
  • Day 4: Kuala Lumpur, Merdeka Square, Central Market and the Islamic Arts Museum.
  • Days 5–6: ETS to Butterworth, the ferry to George Town; the heritage streets and Penang Hill.
  • Days 7–8: fly from Penang to Bangkok; the Grand Palace and Wat Pho.
  • Day 9: fly home from Bangkok.

Days 1–2: Singapore

Fill in the free SG Arrival Card within three days before you land, and stay near Orchard Road or the centre. On day 1, walk Marina Bay in the evening and eat at Makansutra Gluttons Bay beside the Esplanade. On day 2, see Chinatown, with the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and the Sri Mariamman Temple, then Little India and the Sultan Mosque in Kampong Gelam; pick one paid sight rather than all of them. Our Singapore in 3 days has the details.

The Petronas Twin Towers above the Kuala Lumpur skyline
Kuala Lumpur, two nights after the ETS train from Johor Bahru.

Day 3: across the Causeway to Kuala Lumpur

Go to Woodlands Train Checkpoint, not Woodlands MRT station; SBS Transit bus 170 from Queen Street stops there. Both Singapore's and Malaysia's border checks are in this one building, so you leave Singapore and enter Malaysia before you board. The gate opens 40 minutes and closes 20 minutes before departure, your passport is your boarding pass, and the five-minute ride to JB Sentral costs SGD 5 for non-Malaysians. Fill in the free Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) within three days before arrival.

At JB Sentral, change to the ETS for KL Sentral, booked as a separate ticket on KTMB's own site. Leave at least an hour between the two trains: the shuttle and the ETS are not a protected connection. Stay near KL Sentral or in Brickfields, a walk from the station.

Day 4: Kuala Lumpur

Start at Merdeka Square, where the flag of independence was raised in August 1957, beside the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Walk to Central Market, the 1888 wet market that is now a crafts centre with a food court upstairs, and Petaling Street in Chinatown. Spend the afternoon at the Islamic Arts Museum, beside the National Mosque. Batu Caves, with its 272 steps, is a KTM Komuter ride north if you would rather go there instead of the museum.

The colonial-era George Town Dispensary building on a George Town corner
George Town's heritage streets: two nights before the flight to Bangkok.

Days 5–6: Penang

Take the ETS from KL Sentral to Butterworth, which is on the mainland; the train does not go to the island. Walk through Penang Sentral to the ferry terminal: the crossing to George Town takes about 15 minutes and costs RM 2 each way, paid cashless. Stay in the George Town heritage zone and eat on New Lane in the evening.

On day 6, walk the heritage streets and the Clan Jetties, and book a guided tour of the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion (11:00 or 15:30, RM 25; tours often sell out). In the afternoon, go to Air Itam for Kek Lok Si, one of the largest temple complexes in Southeast Asia, and take the funicular up Penang Hill, which runs from 06:30 to 23:00.

Days 7–9: fly to Bangkok

On day 7, take a taxi or Rapid Penang bus 401E to Penang International Airport and fly to Bangkok. AirAsia flies between Penang and Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK); check the flight times, the airport and the baggage for your date on the airline's own site, and do not mix up DMK and Suvarnabhumi. Thailand lets many European passports in visa-free for up to 30 days. Sleep in Bang Lamphu, the old quarter by the river.

On day 8, see the Grand Palace (THB 500 for foreign visitors, shoulders and knees covered) and Wat Pho with its reclining Buddha (THB 300). On day 9, fly home; our Thailand in 7 days has more of Bangkok if you can stay.

A green-and-yellow Penang ferry crossing from Butterworth toward George Town
The short ferry from Butterworth station to George Town on Penang Island.

What nine days cost, all in

For two adults sharing a room, checked on 21 October 2026, the whole trip costs about USD 1,050 per person, everything on the ground included. Prices are converted at round planning rates of USD 1 = SGD 1.35 = RM 4.50 = THB 35.

  • Rooms, about USD 325. Half of a Superior room at YMCA One Orchard in Singapore (SGD 230 a night before service and tax), a double at YMCA KL in Brickfields (RM 98 plus the RM 10 tourism tax), a Superior King at Sunway Hotel Georgetown (RM 198.75 plus service, tax and fees) and a Standard room at Lamphu Tree House in Bangkok (THB 1,450 for two with breakfast).
  • Trains and the ferry, about USD 55. The Shuttle Tebrau (SGD 5), the two ETS trains (about RM 110 each, an estimate; 2027 fares were not on sale) and two ferry rides.
  • The flight to Bangkok, about USD 150. An estimate with a checked bag; search the date on the airline's site.
  • Food, about USD 225. About USD 25 a day each for three meals and drinks.
  • City transport and transfers, about USD 100. Trains, buses and taxis in four cities and to three airports.
  • Tickets, about USD 80. The Blue Mansion, Penang Hill, the Islamic Arts Museum, one Singapore sight, the Grand Palace and Wat Pho.
  • SIM cards, about USD 30, one in each country.
  • Buffer, about USD 95. About 10% for price changes and extra rides.

Make time for the local food

What to eat and where to look

01

Chilli crab

Crab in a sweet, spicy tomato-and-chilli gravy thickened with egg, mopped up with fried buns; it is priced by weight.

Where to look
Hong Kong Street Old Chun Kee at Makansutra Gluttons Bay, next to the Esplanade, Singapore.
Fit it into your day
Dinner on day 1, after Marina Bay.
02

Satay

Skewers of marinated chicken or beef grilled over charcoal, with a spicy peanut sauce, cucumber and onion.

Where to look
The upstairs food court of Central Market (Pasar Seni), Kuala Lumpur, which Warisan KL names for satay and laksa.
Fit it into your day
Lunch on day 4.
03

Char koay teow

Flat rice noodles fried over high heat with prawns, cockles, egg, bean sprouts and chives, one of Penang's signature dishes.

Where to look
New Lane (Lorong Baru) in George Town, one of the hawker streets Penang Global Tourism names.
Fit it into your day
Dinner on day 5.
04

Penang assam laksa

Rice noodles in a sour, spicy fish broth sharpened with tamarind, with herbs, cucumber, onion and pineapple.

Where to look
Air Itam, at the foot of Kek Lok Si and the Penang Hill road.
Fit it into your day
Lunch on day 6, between the temple and the funicular.
05

Pad thai goong

Stir-fried rice noodles with prawns, sweet, sour and salty.

Where to look
Samsen Street Hotel, 66 Soi Woraphong, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, a walk from Bang Lamphu.
Fit it into your day
Lunch on day 8, after the Grand Palace.

Borders, arrival cards and the season

No visa is needed for a short tourist visit to Singapore, Malaysia or Thailand on most European passports; Malaysia and Singapore want six months' passport validity. The arrival cards are free and online: the SG Arrival Card for Singapore, the MDAC for Malaysia and Thailand's digital arrival card for the flight to Bangkok. KTMB's rule that your passport must be valid for 30 days after travel does not replace Malaysia's six-month rule.

The RTS Link, a new train between Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru, is targeted to open in February 2027, subject to safety certification and both governments' approval; until it opens, use the Shuttle Tebrau. January and February are the driest months in Penang; on most of the west coast the heaviest rain falls in October and November, with a second peak in April and May.

Practical questions

Is there a train from Singapore to Bangkok?

Not a through train. You can go by rail from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur and Butterworth on separate tickets, and Thai trains run from Padang Besar and Hat Yai to Bangkok, but the UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel on the Hat Yai to Padang Besar line. This guide therefore flies the last part, from Penang to Bangkok.

How do I take the train from Singapore to Malaysia?

Take the KTMB Shuttle Tebrau from Woodlands Train Checkpoint to JB Sentral (SGD 5 for non-Malaysians, five minutes). Both countries' checks are at Woodlands before you board, and the gate closes 20 minutes before departure. Then take an ETS from JB Sentral to Kuala Lumpur on a separate ticket.

How do I get from Butterworth to George Town?

Walk from Butterworth station through Penang Sentral to the Penang Port ferry. The crossing takes about 15 minutes and costs RM 2 each way, cashless.

Do I need visas for Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand?

Most European passports need no visa for a short tourist visit to any of the three. Fill in the free online arrival cards (SG Arrival Card, MDAC and Thailand's digital arrival card) and check the passport validity each country asks for.

How much does this trip cost?

About USD 1,050 per person for two sharing a room, all in: eight nights' rooms, meals, the trains and ferry, the flight from Penang to Bangkok, city transport, tickets, SIM cards and a 10% buffer.

Sources and checks before you travel

Reference sources for the version dated 23 October 2026. Confirm opening times, access, transport and conditions for your travel dates.

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Photo credits

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