You can't do KL to Hat Yai by car in a Grandpride rental. The cars stay in Peninsular Malaysia, so Thailand is off the map, the same as Singapore. What you can do is drive the Malaysian part, which is most of the distance, and cross the border on foot or by train. Hat Yai is a short hop beyond the border, so a rental car still covers the long, boring part of the trip.
The distance
The North–South Expressway runs about 460 km from Bukit Lanjan, on the edge of PJ, to Bukit Kayu Hitam at the Thai border. From the Grandpride showroom in Section 13, call it about 470 km and five hours of driving before stops. Hat Yai is on the Thai side, beyond the checkpoint.
The rail border is at Padang Besar in Perlis, a little west of Bukit Kayu Hitam. That's where the train options below come in.
Three ways to plan it
Drive north, take the train across
This is the plan that uses a rental car best. Drive the expressway to Alor Setar (our KL to Alor Setar guide covers the road and the stops), stay a night, and take the ETS train from Alor Setar to Padang Besar. At Padang Besar station both countries' immigration checks happen in the same building, and a Thai shuttle train runs from there to Hat Yai Junction.
Two things to know about the Thai shuttle. There are only a couple of departures a day, so match your ETS to them. And Thai immigration at the station only opens around train times. If the connection is bad, you can walk across the road border at Padang Besar in about 5 to 10 minutes and take a bus, minivan or taxi to Hat Yai.
The catch is where the car waits. Leaving a rental parked in Alor Setar for the days you're in Thailand needs Grandpride's agreement and a safe place to leave it CHECK: can a renter leave the car parked in Malaysia, e.g. at a hotel in Alor Setar, while they cross into Thailand, and does protection still apply. If not, plan Alor Setar as the end of the road trip and return the car before you cross, which means asking about collection there CHECK: can a rental be collected or returned outside the Klang Valley, e.g. in Alor Setar, and at what fee.
Skip the car and take the ETS all the way
The ETS runs from KL Sentral to Padang Besar, then you change to the Thai shuttle as above. The old direct train to Hat Yai no longer runs, so the change at Padang Besar is part of every rail trip now. If you're only going to Hat Yai and back, this is simpler than renting, and a car would spend most of the trip parked.
Have someone drive you to the border
A Grandpride chauffeur can take you anywhere in Malaysia, priced on distance, and you'd see the full price when you book a chauffeur online. Whether a chauffeur can drop you at the Bukit Kayu Hitam or Padang Besar crossing is CHECK: will a chauffeur do a one-way drop at the Thai border, and the waiting and return-trip charge. It costs more than the train, but a family with luggage goes door to border without changing trains.
If you drive as far as you can
Every Grandpride rental includes 120 km a day. A drive to Alor Setar and back is about 860 km before you've driven around up there, so unlimited mileage is the obvious add-on; it costs less per kilometre than paying the car's rate after the trip. Take a Touch 'n Go card with the keys for the expressway, loaded with any amount from RM 50 to RM 500. The car goes back with the same fuel level it had at collection.
Only the named renter may drive. On a 470 km run, that's a long day for one person, so stop every two hours or so; the expressway has rest areas at Tapah, Sungai Perak, Gunung Semanggol and Gurun on the way up. A comfortable SUV such as the Toyota Harrier, at RM 600 a day, is a sensible car for it; the full vehicle list has the rest.
Things people ask
Can I drive a Malaysian rental car into Thailand?
Not a Grandpride car. Other companies set their own rules, and Thailand has its own entry requirements for foreign-registered vehicles. Our guide to driving a Malaysian rental car to Singapore explains why cross-border trips are restricted.
What do I need at the border?
Your passport and whatever entry permission Thailand requires for your nationality. Check the Thai embassy or consulate's current rules close to your travel date, because they change.
Is Penang a better stopover than Alor Setar?
Penang has more places to eat and stay, and it's about 350 km from KL. On a trip to the border it means a detour off the expressway and over the bridge, though. Our KL to Penang guide covers that road if you'd like to split the drive there.
What about Langkawi?
Langkawi is in Kedah too, but it's an island reached by ferry or plane. Read KL to Langkawi by car before you add it to a trip north.
