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Luggage for travelling efficiently. Today we're embarking on an 1500km, 27 hour voyage
across 2 countries, from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok. Come along and let me show you how fun, easy and
beautiful this trip is, and all for less than €60! Hello & welcome to Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia's bustling metropolitan capital, and one of my absolute
favourite cities in the world! For me, KL has the perfect mix of modernity,
history, value for money, connectivity and things to do. If I could choose somewhere to live
in Southeast Asia, it would definitely be here! OK, let's head to KL Sentral Station to get
this trip started. It involves an excellent Business Class day train through Malaysia, a
quick and easy, all-in-one border crossing, and then a comfortable 19 hour sleeper
train across Thailand, up to Bangkok. This station is a major transport hub,
being served by all long-distance, commuter and KL airport trains, along with
the Kelana Jaya LRT line, and the KL Monorail. The whole station is step-free and accessible by
lift to every level, and platform if required. There are a multitude of shops and
food outlets on the main concourse, along with a staffed ticket office, ticket
machines, ATMs, and even a Hilton Hotel. As we're travelling in Business
Class for the first leg of the trip, we get complimentary access to the
KTM Ruby Lounge, located on level 3. It's not particularly well signposted,
but if you find the 7eleven on level 1, go past it and turn left down this corridor,
you'll find a lift which heads straight there. It is open for approximately 1 hour
before each ETS Platinum departure, which are the only ETS services
which have a Business Class coach. There is a comfortable, air conditioned
waiting area, with tables and power sockets. There are also complimentary hot
drinks, water and toilets available. Normally, you can board directly from a
lift in the lounge to Platform 1. However, due to unknown reasons, we aren't today,
so head downstairs into this 'holding pen'. While we wait, here's a quick word
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this woman with a sign down to platform 3. This is normally where
commuter trains departs from, but we are ushered through the gate line
and down the escalator to our waiting train. The first leg of today's trip is onboard this
6-car ETS Class 93 EMU. KTM have 19 of these sets which were built by CRRC in China,
and entered service from 2016 onwards. This is one of the later versions,
which has five Second Class coaches, and a single Business Class coach
where we'll be travelling today. Boarding is basically level with the platform,
but there's a slight incline and gap to negotiate. The Business Class coach is
laid out in a 2+1 configuration, and at first glances, looks fantastic! Luggage can be stored on these
stacks at the end of the coaches, or on the overhead racks above the seats. We'll check out the seats in
more detail once we get going. These Class 93 EMUs have a top speed of
180km/h (112mph), but only run in service at up to 140km/h (87mph) currently. This is
fast enough on narrow gauge tracks, believe me. I also think they look great and definitely
suit their nickname of 'Baby Bullet Train'. Here's a look at our route to the top of Malaysia,
across the border and onwards into Thailand. We depart on-time at 9:50am. This trip from Kuala
Lumpur to Bangkok is 1510km (938mi) in distance, and is scheduled to take 27 hours and
15 minutes in total. Since filming, this has been sped up by around
3 hours, but more on that later. The first leg of the trip onboard
this ETS Platinum 9274 service covers 525km (326mi) and takes 5 hours
and 33 minutes of travel time. This costs 172 Malaysian Ringgit (£28.81, €33.44, $36.31) in Business Class or 99 Ringgit
(£16.58, €19.25, $20.90) in Second Class. These can easily be booked
on the KTM website and app, you can select specific seats and they
accept international credit and debit cards. I'll give the total price for the
whole trip at the end of the video. Our first stop is at Kuala Lumpur's
magnificent old station. If you're in the city you should really make time
to come and appreciate this stunning building from the outside. It's an absolute gem. If you want AD-FREE early access to every
video, great perks and to help me to do BIGGER & BETTER reviews, then become a
Channel Member from just £1.99 per month. Just click the link above now, or the
JOIN button in every video. Thank you! Now let's check out the interior
of these Chinese built trains. There is a digital display at each end
of every coach showing route information, along with the coach number, time, external
temperature and if the toilets are occupied. I find the seats very comfy,
with excellent padding, and a good shape. There is also
an adjustable, padded headrest. They can also be reclined a good amount,
using this button just under the armrest. Legroom is plentiful, and there's an adjustable footrest and storage pocket too,
which includes the safety card. There is also a coat hook,
and another small pocket, which I'm going to call a sunglasses holder. Each seat has access to a UK-style
3-pin power socket, and 2 USB-A ports. In the left armrest, there is an entertainment
screen. You can browse the internet on here, order food and drinks to your seat or
even catch up on your favourite YouTube videos :-) Headphones are provided,
or you can use your own wired set. In the right armrest, you'll find the tray
table, which is quite small, but is sturdy. Finally, up above there are more coat hooks, personal reading lights and
sun blinds on the windows. Overall, these trains provide an excellent
premium product. They are pretty new, very clean and comfortable and
come with all the amenities you could need to enjoy this 5 and a half
hour trip. Great job KTM, I love them! Also included in the Business Class ticket price,
are complimentary drinks, snacks and a meal. These are served to your seat
by the friendly onboard hosts. I had a chicken lasagne, a bottle of water, and a snack box which consisted of some
biscuits and a mixed berry juice carton. The headphones for the entertainment
system were also delivered on my tray. All of Malaysia's mainline network runs
on 1000mm (3ft3in) narrow gauge track. This is the same as Thailand uses, so there
are no compatibility issues at the border. In fact KTM do run some special 'MySawasdee'
direct sleeper trains from KL to Hat Yai in Thailand on long weekends in Malaysia. These
are super popular and sell out very fast. Let's have a quick check on the toilets, of which there is one in every
coach. These are all western style. They were clean. The water worked and there was
soap and toilet paper present. No complaints! There is also the bonus feature of an
opening window that was *just* large enough for me to squeeze my GoPro
out and get shots like this :-) The train also has 2 wheelchair spaces, with
an accessible toilet located next to them. Second Class is in a 2+2 configuration.
These are mostly airline style, but with table seating in the middle of the coach. While there is no entertainment
screen or complimentary food, and the seat width and legroom are reduced,
they are still perfectly comfortable, all recline, and have power
sockets and tray tables. And at nearly half the price of Business
Class, I'd say it a great option. Lastly, there is a café counter
selling microwave meals, snacks and drinks at very reasonable
prices, and also an onboard prayer room. As you saw in the walkthrough, it also gets
pretty busy, and services frequently sell out, especially on weekends and holidays.
I'd advise to book online as early as possible to secure your preferred train
and and seat, and to avoid disappointment. The further north we go, the Train
Window Views are also excellent, with large rock formations and
jungles dominating the landscape. Before long, we are on the approach to Padang
Besar. There is a large freight yard here, with lots of cross border goods traffic
operating between Malaysia and Thailand, and onwards to China, and vice versa. Anyway, we pull in to the station right on-time. We now have around 2 hours before
our Thai sleeper train arrives. There is a ticket office here for the
twice-daily shuttle train from Padang Besar to Hat Yai in Southern Thailand
which departs at 11:15am and 4:40pm. This takes 1 hour and you can pay in either
currency. It costs 7 Malaysian Ringgit or 50 Thai Baht (£1.09, €1.27, $1.38). The coaches
are 3rd Class non-AC only. There is also one attached to our sleeper train for
people wishing to make this trip. There is plenty of time to exit the station, have a wander around, grab some food or
a Thai SIM card from the nearby shops. Around 45-60 minutes before departure, I'd advise
heading down through the immigration checks, which are both carried out on this side
of the border. First Malaysian exit, and then Thai entry, where you have to fill
out and hand in a basic paper arrivals form. Then, you are legally, although
not geographically in Thailand, and you just wait on the platform
or in the waiting room until the train arrives. Toilets are available
down here, but there are no shops. And here comes our train, reversing in
around 20 minutes before scheduled departure. There is one Third Class seated coach, which
will be detached at Hat Yai, when our two Second Class sleeper coaches are combined with another
train for the rest of the journey to Bangkok. Haulage is provided by one of these new Chinese
built CRRC 'Ultraman' diesel locomotives. 50 of these have now been delivered to SRT, or
Thai Railways. They are replacing the unreliable 1970s and 80s locomotives which have operated
Thai mainline services for the past 50 years. Let's take a quick peek inside the Third
Class coach. This is effectively just another shuttle service from Padang Besar
to Hat Yai. The 2+2 padded bench seating isn't going to win any awards for comfort,
but is fine for just the hour long trip. To board the sleeper coach, you must
check-in with the carriage attendant. Boarding is level with the platform, with
an extendable foot plate bridging the gap. All Second Class sleeper coaches
in Thailand are in dormitory-style, with the beds one above the
other, in a longitudinal layout. This coach has had a recent refurbishment,
along with with luggage racks being added in the corridors. Many of coaches that are
still to be updated, don't have these, yet. In 'day mode' the bottom bunk
is converted into two seats, which you share with your upstairs neighbour. They
are pretty wide, comfy and have padded armrests. Coat hooks and power sockets are
also available throughout the coach. We depart on-time at 6pm,
Malaysian time, 5pm Thai Time. The second leg of the trip onboard this Special
Express 46 service from Padang Besar to Bangkok, covers the remaining 985km (612mi) of
the route, and is scheduled to take us 19 hours and 5 minutes of travel time
tonight, arriving at 12.05pm tomorrow. A large new section of double track has since
opened on this route, and with the new time table that came in to effect with this change,
this train now departs at 5.40pm Malaysian Time, which is 4.40pm Thai time, taking
a total of 15 hours & 55 minutes, arriving at 8.35am, some 3 and a
half hours earlier than before. Immediately after leaving the station,
we enter the border control zone, and just 30 seconds later, welcome to Thailand! All sleeper accommodation on the train is Second
Class, like mine. A lower bunk costs 960 Thai Baht (£20.98, €24.40, $26.40) and an upper
bunk, 870 Thai Baht (£19.00, €22.14, $23.93). The price is higher for the lower bunks, and
these always sell out faster. They are more desirable because they have easier access,
and a window, whereas the upper ones do not. I have previously made a video
on the trip between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur by Train. I've linked
that in the video description below. However, if you want a detailed eGuide of
the full route, from Singapore to Bangkok. Then check out this amazing guidebook by my
friend Richard Barrow of the Thai Train Guide. We have also recently started a collaboration
on the Asian Train Guide website, Twitter and YouTube Channel. Subscribe to that now
for exciting content... coming soon! OK, let's check out the toilet
facilities on this train. Each coach is equipped with two toilets,
the first of which is western style. As far as Thai train toilets go, these
were excellent. Pretty clean and all working. There was no soap, but the toilet
roll was stocked up, which was a rarity. They do dump the waste on to the tracks though,
so you're not allowed to use them in stations. The second toilet is a squatty
potty. This was also clean, working and had plenty of toilet roll available. The doors don't lock on this train, so you can
get some amazing shots, like this. But be careful! It's not long before we are on the approach to Hat
Yai, the Business Capital of Songkhla province, and Thailand's 5th biggest city with a population
of 400,000. Combined with Songkhla city itself, this is the largest urban
area in Southern Thailand. It is here that the Third Class seated
coach will be detached from our consist, and we will combine with Special Express 34
for the rest of the journey through to Bangkok. There's a 30 minute scheduled stop
here to allow the shunting to occur. Time to stretch your legs and grab some
snacks from the many platform vendors. I just got some fried chicken, one of the
specialities of the region apparently. It was very nice and cost just 50 Baht
(£1.09, €1.27, $1.37) for 3 pieces! Before long, we are on the move again.
Let's go and check out the new coaches we have acquired. Along with some
more Second Class sleeper coaches, there are now Third and Second
Class seated coaches. Normally, Second Class coaches in Thailand have AC, but they
don't on this service due to a shortage of stock. There is also a dining car now, yay! It serves hot & cold drinks, snacks and
even full meals in a sit-down restaurant. I grabbed a sandwich, chips
and some pineapple, with an orange juice. The total price was 160 Baht
(£3.49, €4.07, $4.40) and it was not bad! Dinner done, and now there's very
little to show you out the window, so let's heads back to my coach. The carriage attendant makes up everyone's
bed. You can request them to do this at your convenience, otherwise they will pass
through between 7 and 8pm doing them all. They will convert the seats into the lower
bunk, add a mattress pad, make the bed and hang the curtains. It's really great that they
do it all for you, this is amazing service. Here's my bed all made up. It's
really comfy and cosy. Good night! Good Morning! I slept very well, and
only woke up once. Despite it being a communal sleeping area, there
was no real noise to speak of and the corridor lights didn't bother me.
The ride quality is also pretty good. We're running nearly to time also,
around 10 minutes late at this point. Around 8am, the carriage attendant will come back through converting the
bottom bunks back into day mode. I suppose the one advantage of having the top
bunk is that you can have a lie in if you want :-) As I mentioned before, a lot of work
has been going on in Southern Thailand to fully double track the mainline, and
improve the infrastructure in general. This includes new, high platforms at
stations, as can be seen here at Phetchaburi. It is here that the morning food 'service' starts, with both on and off train
vendors passing through the train. I got a few bits to try out for
breakfast including a hot chocolate... ... a chocolate milkshake and a noodle dish. Recently, all long-distance trains in
Thailand have started using the new Krung Thep Aphiwat Station
in the Bang Sue district, as their Bangkok Terminus, as opposed to
the old central station at Hua Lamphong. This new 26 platform mega-station opened in
2021, and is the largest in Southeast Asia. It was designed very much with the
future of Thai Railways in mind, able to accommodate all existing domestic traffic, along with the planned nationwide high-speed
network, of which the first phase is due to open in 2026. Although that remains to be seen
as it is facing ongoing issues currently. To reach the new station, we climb up on to a
viaduct, and cross the old line to Hua Lamphong. This is shared with the new Red Line MRT electric
trains, which started operation also in 2021. Bangkok has a great public transport
system comprising a total of 10 metro, MRT, BRT and monorail services, which includes rail
links to both of the main airports. They are in the process of integrating fares and rolling out
contactless payments across the various systems. We arrive at Krung Thep Aphiwat Central
Terminal 18 minutes late, at 12:23pm. In summary, I had an excellent trip from
Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok with KTM and SRT. Both services are great and are timed to
connect well at the border. They are clean, comfortable and a great environmentally
friendly way to travel between two of Southeast Asia's great capitals,
and see the sights along the way. The total price for my Business Class + Lower
Bunk Sleeper trip was €58.05 (£49.79, $62.81). Not bad for 1500km, and 27 hours of travel
including some food and a bed, right? Have you been on any trains in Southeast
Asia before? Which ones did you ride, and on which route? How did you find
them? Let me know in the comments below! By the way, I'm always open to new
video ideas, so send me a DM on Instagram or Twitter if there's anything
you really want to see on the channel... Don't forget to subscribe as I
publish a new review every Friday, thanks for watching and I'll see you next week!
