One of the most popular routes into Thailand from Georgetown is to travel from Penang to Hatyai in Southern Thailand. You have the option of going by minibus / minivan, commuter train via Padang Besar, then a shuttle service, flying - How long it takes depends on which way..
Best service- I enquired over Whatsapp for cost and availability to get a Cheauffer van service to Malaysia from Singapore and 1.5hrs later we were on our way!! Fariz was very accommodating and helped us with suggestions to eat and visit. The van was luxurious and we were able to bluetooth our own music as loud as we wanted.
Save. Yes its possible to travel by train from Penang to Hatyai. BUT. its not from Penang island nor from Butterworth. You will need to catch the train from Bukit Mertajam (BM) which is like 30 mins away from Penang. The train journey is going to be around 5 hours. There are lots of buses/chartered vans going from Penang to Hatyai.
The earliest is at 8am, arriving in Phuket at 3pm. You could also leave Hat Yai as late 1pm and get to Phuket for 8pm, in time for a late dinner! The biggest drawback with traveling by bus is that they take a long time to get from Hat Yai to Phuket. The scheduled travel time is 7hours for the Express buses, and 8 hours 25 minutes for the VIP 24Submit. There is 18 Seater Van, Mini Bus, 40 Seater Bus or 30 seater VIP Bus is Ready to be Charted for your needs. Call Now to Make your Reservation. 011-1066 5580. The first bus from Hatyai is scheduled at 8:45 am provided by the bus provider Billion stars and the last bus departs from Hatyai at 7 pm provided by CTTS Holidays Sdn Bhd. The bus is the best transportation mode. The bus fare from Hatyai to Penang ranges from RM 40 to RM 50. uF19YZY.