All the information you’ll need if you’re planning to travel overland from Singapore to China. Or beyond.
Overland travel can be long and tiring, but also interesting and fulfilling. In May 2015, i did an choverland trip from Singapore to Moscow, taking buses and trains all the way. Here’s the first leg of my journey, a quick (but not that quick) one from Singapore to Kunming, in Southern China, with overnight stops at Bangkok and Chiang Rai. This overland itinerary can easily be part of an Asia/ Southeast Asia overland, London to Singapore overland, or simply, a Singapore to Bangkok overland adventure.
Singapore – Hat Yai (Thailand) – Bangkok (Thailand) – Chiang Khong (Thailand) – Huay Xai (Laos) – Kunming (China)
Travelling Overland from Singapore to China in numbers:
- Countries passed: 5 – Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, China
- Borders crossed: 4
- How long does it take? 88 hours (3.5 days)*
- How much does it cost? 217 (Singapore) dollars*
- What is the distance covered? 3,610 kilometres*
*Approximate
1. Singapore to Hat Yai (Thailand)
Bought tickets for the bus from Golden Mile Complex in Singapore to Hat Yai in Thailand online (~S$42). The first ticket was the only pre-booked one of this trip. The bus departed from Golden Mile Complex (an attraction in itself) rather uneventfully and passed the customs smoothly. It was a Sunday evening and traffic across the causeway was minimal. The bus arrived in Hat Yai (Thailand) the next morning (~14 hours).
Finding the bus to Bangkok
The bus from Hat Yai to Bangkok was from the bus station, a short transfer away by songthaew from where the bus from Singapore stops (I think each operator stops where their shop is). It should have been a straightforward matter, but early in the morning, without sufficient rest to make proper judgement, I took a motorbike taxi which brought me instead to the driver’s friend’s shop, which sold the same/ at least similar bus tickets at ridiculously inflated prices, explaining with a different excuse each time (no such bus/ tickets sold out/ bus has left/ etc).
Was much more sober by the time I alighted (less than 5 mins later), and after being ripped off (solely through my own fault of taking a dodgy motorbike taxi- regulated motorbike taxi drivers in Bangkok seem much more ethical), I finally made my first sound judgement of the morning by seeking help from the nearby train station. Since the train was not leaving till much later in the day, and it would be much slower than by bus, I got directions from the ticket counter to the actual Hat Yai bus station, found the right songthaew a short walk away and soon I was back on track.
2. Hat Yai to Bangkok
Despite that unfortunate detour, I managed to make it just in time to catch the morning bus to Bangkok. Got the tickets to Bangkok over the counter at the Hat Yai Bus Station (832 THB). Comfortable ride with a decent lunch included (I nearly missed it because I didn’t know about it, and was wondering where everyone went at that rest stop), and arrived at Mo Chit Bus Terminal (near Chatuchak) in about 13 hours.
If you intend to travel overland from Singapore to Bangkok, this is it. About 30 hours and S$80 later. Doesn’t cost much more to fly, and about 10% of the time required. Really doesn’t make any sense, but that’s not too far from how I make many important decisions. Turns out quite well … sometimes.
Anyway, after purchasing bus tickets for the next day (couple of counters selling the tickets but they appeared to be similar, 655 THB), I made my way to the hostel for the night. At the bus station, couple of taxi drivers wait for passengers outside of the official queue and they appear to quote prices way beyond the meter fares (I asked two of these drivers for a quote and decided to go to the official queue a short walk away- if was wayyy cheaper in the end than any of the earlier quote prices).
Stopover in Bangkok
It was good to be back in Bangkok, especially after my extended trip less than half a year back. Was glad to have a nice warm bed after over a day on the road (or rather, on the bus). Checked in and headed out for dinner at one of the friendly roadside stalls.
I randomly bought something (as I always do when I can’t speak the country’s language), and it turned out to be fried rice this time. Spent the night at a clean and modern hostel (360 THB) in a quiet neighbourhood (maybe a little too quiet). Not much of an atmosphere but great for a good rest near Mo Chit Bus Terminal or Chatuchak Weekend Market.
3. Bangkok to Chiang Khong
After a simple breakfast that was provided, and armed with tickets that I got the previous night, I left the hostel to catch the bus to Chiang Khong, a quiet town at the Thai-Laos border in northern Thailand.
The bus to Chiang Khong was similar to the one on the previous day from Hat Yai to Bangkok, where seats were comfortable, snacks were served, and bus attendants spoke little English. Lunch was included too, much less fancy than the one the day before but still decent.
Stopover in Chiang Khong
Chiang Khong was deserted by the time I arrived. Got a little lost as directions provided by the site I booked the hostel from were off, but the bus attendant as well as the hostel owner were really nice and got me to the hostel. I was famished and the hostel owner looked ready to turn in but she was very hospitable and made me dinner. 🙂
I spent less than a couple of hours in Chiang Khong but it definitely left an impression and I would love to make a trip back. Seemed like a nice place to relax.
Northern Thailand is a beautiful region encompassing so much art, culture, nature and history and definitely worth a visit for anyone exploring Southeast Asia. A trip to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and the surrounding areas can easily be included into such a trip as there are numerous buses, trains and flights from Bangkok (Pictures from my previous trip to Thailand exploring places such as Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai/ Pai, Chiang Rai, and other regions here). I wasn’t able to visit Chiang Khong (somewhat near Chiang Rai) during my previous trip and was glad to catch a tiny, tiny glimpse of it on this trip.
4. Chiang Khong to Huay Xai (Laos)
The accommodation (100 THB), which was more like a series of wooden huts beside the river, was a lovely place with an amazing view and very affordable price (though a little rundown- or should I say, rustic). Click on the photo below for a short clip from the patio.
After taking in the views from the dining area while enjoying a hearty breakfast, the hostel owner arranged transport for the few of us who were heading towards the Laos border (50 THB). Shout out to friends I met here, hope you’re all doing well!
Crossing the Thailand-Laos Border
It was a short ride to the customs on the Thai side. Relatively smooth queues, especially for Southeast Asian passports. Tickets for the bus across the bridge to Laos are 25 THB.
Made full use of my passport to bypass all the lengthy visa stuff at the Laos customs. Outside the customs, some sort of songthaews were waiting for customers. It was 100 THB (baht still useful here, I didn’t have to use any Kip during my few hours in Laos) to get to the boarding point for the daily bus to Kunming. Not too sure about pricing to other destinations such as the town center.
Arrived at a hotel somewhere in Huay Xai to buy tickets and board the 10am bus to Kunming in China (320 CNY). Looked a little dubious at first (wasn’t a proper bus station) but turned out to be fine.
5. Huay Xai to Kunming (Yunnan, China)
The sleeper bus was slightly cramped, but sufficient. Probably the most unbearable part of the trip was the non stop playing of variety shows from China, but very much understandable, as there were only 3 passengers that were not from China (including me).
As the bus set off, it appeared that the scenery along the highways was going to be similar to that of Thailand/ Malaysia, but not too long after we began, the bus entered the mountains and the next shot near the start of the mountain road was probably a good indication of the road conditions to come.
Compiled clips along the way as the bus weaved through Laos, check it out here.
Crossing the Laos-China Border
Later in the afternoon, the bus arrived at the borders. Second new country in a day.
There were some people standing outside the Chinese customs exchanging stacks of cash with people streaming out of the customs. Looked somewhat suspicious so I kept my distance. #scaredofeverything
Finally in Yunnan! Had a long break in the evening just after the Chinese border, in Mohan. Had sufficient time for dinner and some leg stretching before the final stretch towards Kunming.
After dinner, back on the bus, back into the mountains, with the sun fast fading away.
If you’re interested in completing the overland trip from Singapore/ Southeast Asia to Moscow/ Europe / London in a more direct route, there are many trains from Kunming to Beijing daily, where the Trans Siberian Railway begins. I took a detour on this trip, exploring the mountains and ancient cities in Yunnan.
Travelling Overland from Singapore to China: Summary
A little tired, a little excited as I got off the bus – 88 hours after the first bus I took left Golden Mile Complex. It had been a long way up, but there was a longer way ahead, and definitely more excitement in store. The next 3 weeks were to be more straightforward, with lesser travelling and more sightseeing, but things seldom go as smoothly as planned …
i like ur story … i’ll be 78yo(m) early next year … after tis c19 i intent to make a “1st time” travel overland from Singapore to fuqing china (probably going solo)… do u think i can make it at my age … i wish u could help schedule out a more detailed route including procedures arriving at a country … what to look for … what/how much money should be prepared etc … 10q sir (04/08/2020sg)
Hi Vincent, thank you for your kind words. I think it’s fantastic that you intend to embark on this trip. However, I think it can be slightly overwhelming if it is the first long trip like that.
Possible challenges:
– The long bus rides can get quite uncomfortable.
– It can be difficult to find the right bus when transiting through cities.
– Unofficial transport means (short rides within cities) tend to be abit shady in Southeast Asia, good to know the rough prices and general direction to avoid getting ripped off/ brought to the wrong place
On the bright side:
– Border crossings should be manageable especially with the Singapore passport, no need to obtain additional visas unless intending to stay at any of the countries for a long time.
– Costs shouldn’t be much
– People are generally friendly and helpful (though some of these ‘helpful’ people do not have helpful intentions)
– Once within China I think getting around is likely to be much easier
Unfortunately, it has been quite awhile since my trip so I won’t be able to provide accurate details on the current costs and procedures, beyond the details from my trip back then (in the post). If you’ve done some traveling recently I think you should be able to manage it, but may be better to go with someone else, and maybe go at a slower pace than I did (it was tiring).
Have a great trip!
Hi Aaron,
Interesting post. Just wondering, how did you find the hostels / accommodation for the night? Was it that upon arrival at the long distance bus terminals, there will be a lot of touts that be crowding around, showing you their brochures of accommodations? I backpack before 20 years ago but I don’t know what’s the situation now.
Hope to do such a trip soon in my life time.
Hi Qing Hui, for that trip I had booked my accommodation for each night online some days before arrival. So far have not tried the touts except once in Lijiang, turned out to be okay but I still prefer to look up accommodation beforehand and make some arrangements beforehand either through online booking platforms or directly contacting the accommodation (email/ Facebook) if they feel trustworthy. Hope you can try that soon!
Hi Aaron
Is it possible to travel by high speed rail (HSR) from Bangkok to Laos to China? Wouldn’t a HSR journey be faster, safer and more comfortable?
Hi Teck Tian, yes a HSR journey should be much faster and comfortable when available. According to information I can find, the railway has just been completed but there is still no date as to when passenger service will begin. Unfortunately I am unable to provide first hand information on this as this was not yet constructed at the time of my trip. Thanks for dropping by!
Good Day Aaron,
I was looking to travel from Singapore to China by Train and came across your website. Are you use to travel alone and what about your overland trip to Moscow. I would like to read about it and gain some tips from your experience. I also use to travel alone for photography to China and other country in Asia and Europe but never do a overland trip. Like to do one before my leg give way. Do you has any facts and data regarding this overland trip from Singapore to Yunnan by train. I did my research but would like to hear from a other traveler. Thank and best regards.
Hi Wantalk, thanks for dropping by. Here are the links to my overland trip to Moscow: Trans-Siberian Railway, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Yekaterinburg, St Petersburg and Moscow.
Unfortunately I have not tried traveling from Singapore to Yunnan by train so I can’t advise, but that does sound like a fun adventure! Hope you’ll get to do it soon when borders reopen.