Konangrit
Joined: 27 Nov 2007
Posts: 62
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 Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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| attitudetravel wrote: |
How much time have you got? How about travelling overland on cheap local transport, from Bangkok, southwards through Thailand and down the Malay Peninsula and then flying to Bangalore from Singapore on Tiger Airways? Even then though, the cheapest flight will still set you back GBP 70. |
It's a bit late for the OP, but there's a lot of unrest in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand. The FCO offer this advice:
| Quote: | | We advise against all but essential travel to, or through, the far southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla. There continue to be frequent attacks, including bombing and shooting, due to insurgency and civil unrest in these areas. On 15 March 2008, two bomb attacks at the CS Pattani Hotel in Pattani killed two people and injured 15 others. See the Terrorism sectionof this advice for more details. |
If that doesn't deter then it's probably best to get the train, it has a high level of security. It can take around 48 hours from Bangkok to Singapore. From Bangkok to Butterworth (Penang) takes 21 hours and a second class sleeper costs something like THB1400 ($40) after supplements.
SRT Timetable (click southern line)
From Butterworth there is a direct train to Singapore which takes 15 hours and costs RMB60 ($20) for a second class seat (no sleepers), but I think it leaves before the Bangkok train arrives, so you can either stay overnight in Penang, or get a train to Kuala Lumpur ($10). From Kuala Lumpur there is a train direct to Singapore ($10).
KTM Website
For more information about this route see here.
It costs around $60 and takes two days, whereas flying with AirAsia or Tiger costs around $60 (if booked far enough in advance) and takes two hours.
It's an interesting way to travel, but it's not going to save any money when you take into account the extra expenses needed for those two days.
Incidentally, the first railway line in Laos opens next month. It's only 3.5km long and crosses the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge near Vientiane across the border from Nong Khai. There will be trains from Bangkok to Laos, and it will be possible to get the train all the way from Singapore to just outside of Vientiane. That would be an interesting trip, but I wouldn't like to do it all in one hit, spending a week or two stopping off for a day or two here and there would seem the best way to do such a trip. |
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