How to get to Langkawi from Padang Besar Border Thailand / Malaysia
If you want to travel from Thailand to Langkawi via the border at Padang Besar, you will have to travel from the border to the nearest ferry port at Kuala Perlis.
You can get to the port / jetty by either taking a couple of local buses, a train then a taxi via Arau or a direct taxi from Padang Besar to Kuala Perlis Jetty.
Padang Besar to Langkawi by Train
If you are arriving at Padang Besar Railway Station in Malaysia by train, the easiest option is to continue your journey by cheap commuter train (Komuter) to Arau.
KTM Komuter trains leave P. Besar every one or two hours and take just under twenty minutes to get to Arau Railway Station.
Tickets for these services are very cheap, costing just 3.20 MYR to Arau.
For the latest KTM Komuter timetable from P. Besar to Arau click here >
The next part of the journey you will have to do by taxi or take a couple of local cheap buses.
The distance from Arau to the Kuala Perlis Jetty is around 18 kilometres and a taxi will cost about 26 MYR.
There are many waiting taxis at the station (on the right-hand side as you exit) and a fares board listing all taxi prices is posted just outside the main entrance of the station - so check that before talking to the taxi drivers.
If you want to go by bus from Arau to Kuala Perlis, the bus stop is located on the right-hand side as you exit the station.
MyBas Perlis operate buses (bus number T10) from Arau to Kangar bus terminal (Terminal Bukit Lagi).
From Kangar, you can then connect to another bus to Kuala Perlis Bus Terminal (bus number T12) >
If you do want to take the cheap bus from Arau train station, you would be better off not going to Arau at all and just taking the bus from Padang Besar to Kangar (see below).
How to get to Langkawi from Padang Besar by Bus
If you want the cheapest way to get from Padang Besar to Langkawi, the bus is the way to travel.
It is certainly not the quickest way, but for less than 10 MYR, you can be at the jetty in Kuala Perlis.
The first part of the journey is to take a bus from Padang Besar to Kangar (around 35 kilometres to the south).
For bus departure times from Padang Besar to Kangar click here >
From Kangar, you can then take another short 11 kilometre bus ride to the jetty.
For departure times from Kangar to Kuala Perlis click here >
The bus stop in Padang Besar Malaysia is just a couple of minutes walk south of the main land border crossing (it is just a small shack with four poles and a tin roof on your left-hand side as you walk down the hill).
Once you arrive at the Kuala Perlis Bus Terminal, to get to the ferry terminal you will have to walk to the end of the bus parking area (away from the ticket counters) and follow the walkway which comes out onto the main road in front of the ferry terminal building.
Kuala Perlis bus station mapFrom Padang Besar to Langkawi by Taxi
(Dari Padang Besar ke Langkawi dengan Teksi)
The quickest way to get to the ferry jetty is to take a taxi.
A taxi is certainly not the cheapest way to travel, but if there are a few of you, it can be quite a good option and not too expensive.
The trip distance by taxi from Padang Besar to the jetty at Kuala Perlis (jarak Padang Besar ke Kuala Perlis Jeti) is about 45 kilometres and the fare (tambang) should cost about 50 MYR.
It is best to avoid the taxi drivers at the station exits and go to the official taxi stand in town.
The taxi stand is located up some concrete stairs after the first roundabout exit to your left, as you come out of the main land border crossing.
Here there is a fares board posted, with taxi fares to all destinations, both short and long distance.
For a list of taxi fares you can see the photo of the fares board we took in Padang Besar at the bottom of the:
Padang Besar Train Station page >
For boats departure times and fares from Kuala Perlis click here >
Related pages:
Kuala Perlis Bus Terminal (Terminal Bas Kuala Perlis) >
How to get from Bangkok to Langkawi by train >