Buses in Malaysia

By Charles Smith

May 10, 2008 

Malaysia express buses are nice. Normally with only 21 or 24 large seats, only 3 across, 2 on one side and one on the other side. But Malaysian buses never have toilets because most Malaysians don’t use toilet paper and the copious amounts of water they use to wash their asses would require a huge tank, plus create a terrible mess running out under the door and down the aisle.

If coming from Singapore tickets are much cheaper in Malaysia. So, go to Singapore’s Queen Street bus station and take a city express bus to the long distance bus station in Johore Baru.

In Johore Baru, Kuala Lumpur, and Butterworth there are guys walking around outside the stations with walkie talkies who know which and when the next bus will depart to any destination so you can save some time by buying your ticket from them rather than going inside the station to check schedules at all the various ticket counters. Also there are many independent buses that do not even have a ticket counter inside the station.

If going to Penang you will probably be wanting to go to Georgetown and the Penang bus station is a 45 minute, RM 2.00 city bus ride or RM 25.00 taxi ride to Georgetown. So buy your ticket to Butterworth instead because the ferry terminal is right next to the Butterworth bus station and when you get off the ferry on the Penang side you are just a short walk from Chulia Street, where most of the guest houses are. Also, when you leave Penang there will be more bus choices from Butterworth because the Butterworth bus station is much larger.

If going from Penang to Bangkok the train is more comfortable, with nice beds and decent food. It leaves every day at 2:20 PM. The station is on the Butterworth side but there is also a ticket office at the ferry terminal on the Penang side. To be certain of a seat buy your ticket at least a day early. At busy times, like holidays, you need to buy much earlier. If coming from farther south the Malay trains are very slow so take

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