Train travel in Thailand | Train times & tickets

The best way to travel around Thailand

Thailand has one of the best metre-gauge rail systems in the world and the best way to get around & see the country is by train. It’s comfortable, safe, cheap, environmentally friendly and unlike flying it’s a genuine Thai experience. Ride the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai or take train+ferry or train+bus from Bangkok to Ko Samui, Phuket or Krabi. You can travel Bangkok-Vientiane, Bangkok-Cambodia or Bangkok-Penang-Kuala Lumpur-Singapore by train, too. The 1,200-mile journey from Bangkok to Singapore takes 48 hours & costs only $80/£55. This page has schedules & fares for key train routes in Thailand and explains how to buy tickets.

Bangkok Krung Thep Aphiwat Central station now open! The new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station (KTW) opened on 19 January 2023 and all long-distance trains now start/terminate there instead of Bangkok’s original Hualamphong station.

• How to buy train tickets online
• How to buy tickets at the station
• Which station in Bangkok?
• Bangkok’s new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central station
• Bangkok’s original Hualamphong station
• Luggage, left luggage, taking bikes & motorbikes
• What are Thai trains like?
• Food on Thai trains
• Map of train routes in Southeast Asia

The Bangkok to Chiang Mai sleeper is a classic Thai experience

Buy tickets

Times & fares for popular routes

• Bangkok to Chiang Mai
• Bangkok to Nong Khai for Laos
• Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani
• Bangkok to Aranyaprathet & Cambodian border
• Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, River Kwai & Nam Tok
• Bangkok to Ayutthaya
• Bangkok to Samut Songkhram – the Market train
• Bangkok to Pattaya
• Bangkok to Hua Hin, Surat Thani, Hat Yai & S.Kolok

Bus & ferry links

• Bangkok to Koh Tao by train+ferry
• Bangkok to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan by train+ferry
• Bangkok to Phuket by train+bus
• Từ Bangkok đến Krabi bằng tàu hỏa + xe buýt
• Bangkok to the Phi Phi islands
• Bangkok to Sukhothai by train+bus
• Bangkok to Chiang Rai by train+bus
• Koh Samui – Phuket by ferry+bus
• Singapore, Kuala Lumpur & Penang to Ko Samui
• Singapore, Kuala Lumpur & Penang to Phuket
• Singapore, Kuala Lumpur & Penang to Krabi🚆🚌⛴️

International trains & buses

• Bangkok to Penang, KL & Singapore by train
• Bangkok to Singapore by Eastern & Oriental Express
• Bangkok to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh & Cambodia
• Bangkok to Vientiane & Laos by train
• Bangkok to Moulmein, Yangon & Burma
• Bangkok to Saigon & Vietnam by train & bus
• Saigon to Hanoi & Hanoi to Beijing by train
• Train travel in Singapore & Malaysia
• Singapore to Jakarta by ferry
• Europe to Thailand by Trans-Siberian Railway 🚆🌏

Other useful information

• Online bus & ferry tickets
• Train route map
• Useful country information: visas, time zone…
• Flights to Thailand
• Hotels in Bangkok & Chiang Mai
• Travel insurance, mobile data, VPN & other tips ✈️🚆

Useful country information

General train travel information:

How to check train times & fares

• Check train times at the official State Railways of Thailand website, www.railway.co.th. Click Enter website to enter the English version and click Timetables. Or use the booking systems explained here.
• I also highly recommend Richard Burrow’s Thai Train Guide, www.thaitrainguide.com.
• It helps to know the line names: Northern Line = Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Southern Line = Bangkok to Hua Hin, Surat Thani & Hat Yai and the line to Kanchanaburi & River Kwai. Northeastern line = Bangkok to Udon Thani. Eastern line = Bangkok to the Cambodian border.
• To buy tickets online see here.

Map of the Thai train network

• See an interactive route map showing trains & connecting buses & ferries across Southeast Asia.

Are the trains on time?

Check real-time train running information online (including on your phone when in Thailand) at ttsview.railway.co.th.

Buses

You’ll need to use buses where there are no trains, for example Phuket to Koh Samui. There are many bus operators in Thailand, check times & you can buy tickets for bus, train & ferry routes throughout Thailand using:

• Etrip Bookings
• 12Go Asia
• Baolau

Bangkok Airport rail link

Suvarnabhumi airport

Suvarnabhumi Airport has the modern Airport Rail Link that connects the airport with central Bangkok. The line opened in 2010.

Trains run approximately every 15 minutes from 06:00 – 24:00.

• From the airport to Makkasan Station: 22 minutes (~35 baht)
• From the airport to Phaya Thai Station: 26 minutes (~45 baht)

Connections:

• MRT (subway) at Phetchaburi MRT Station
• BTS Skytrain at Phaya Thai Station 🚆

It does not directly serve Bangkok’s main Hualamphong station.

Don Muang airport

Don Mueang International Airport has Don Muang railway station located right next to Bangkok’s old airport, about 50 minutes (22 km) from central Bangkok.

State Railway of Thailand trains running between Bangkok and:

• Ayutthaya
• Chiang Mai
• Nong Khai (for onward travel to Vientiane)

all stop at this station.

However, most long-haul international flights were moved from Don Muang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2006. ✈️🚆

How to buy train tickets online

Do you need to buy in advance?

• No, if all you want is a local ticket such as Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya, Hua Hin or Aranyaprathet as these are only sold at the station on the day. They cannot sell out!
• No, even for longer distance trains if you want to stay flexible and are prepared to risk the specific train or class you want being fully-booked. There are often places available even on the day or a few days before, at least outside peak periods, as long as you’re prepared to take an alternative train, class or date if your first choice is full.
• However, sleepers on the best trains often sell out weeks ahead, especially at the Thai holiday periods such as New Year (30 December to 3 January) & Songkran (Thai New Year, usually 11-16 April). To be sure of a place, book ahead if you can.
• 1st class sleepers usually sell out very quickly as there’s only one 1st class sleeping-car on the few trains which have them. The trains with the newest Chinese-built sleeping-cars are the most popular, especially on the Bangkok-Chiang Mai route, those should be booked as far ahead as possible.
• Yes, always book ahead if you want to be sure of a ticket in a specific class on a specific train & date for a long distance journey as Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Booking in advance is essential at peak periods. To buy tickets online, read the section below.
• To buy tickets all the way to Penang, Kuala Lumpur & Singapore, see the Bangkok to Singapore page.

When does booking open?

• Booking horizons changed again in mid-2024:
• Booking for most long distance journeys such as Bangkok to Chiang Mai opens up to 6 months ahead.
• Booking for trips of between 25% & 59% of a long-distance train’s journey opens 30 days ahead.
• Booking for trips of less than 25% of a long-distance train’s journey only opens 1 day ahead.

Option 1, buy online at Etripbookings.com

You can order Thai train tickets online from reliable agency etripbookings.

When to book

• You must book at least 3 days ahead. Their system shows current seat & berth availability, although they don’t offer real-time online booking, their staff procure the ticket for you manually.
• etripbookings.com will take bookings months ahead but remember they can only buy your tickets when State Railways of Thailand open reservations.

Ticket delivery

• If etripbookings.com can source your tickets from SRT’s online system, this produces an e-ticket which they can email you and you can board the train with it.
• However, only a % of places are allocated to SRT’s online system. When these sell out 12go use the regular SRT booking system and hard-copy tickets then need to be collected. You can choose to collect from one of several possible collection points, at least 60 minutes before your train leaves:
• (1) Bangkok: etripbookings.com collection counter is in Metro Mall, a shopping centre at MRT Chatuchak station, which is two stops from Bang Sue station on the MRT Blue Line. Open 09:00-20:00 every day. There’s no added fee for collecting here.
• (2) Chiang Mai: You can collect tickets from the 24h Bossotel hotel reception across the road from Chiang Mai station, 70 baht fee, or from the station baggage room for 150 baht fee.
• (3) Surat Thani: You can collect tickets from the station parcels office, open 24h.
• (4) Don Muang airport: You can collect here if heading north, open 09:00-20:30.
• (5) Nong Khai: You can collect from the station baggage office, for a 150 baht fee.
• (6) Ayutthaya: You can collect from the parcels office.
• (7) Bang Sue: You can collect from the parcels office for 100 baht fee, open daily 08:00-17:00. Bang Sue junction station is adjacent to the new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central station.
• Alternatively, you can choose to have tickets sent by express post to an address in Thailand (although they won’t send to Thai islands after many lost tickets). This option costs an extra 100 baht ($3).

Payment & booking fee

• etripbookings.com charge the regular Thai Railways fare plus a reasonable 250 baht ($7.50) booking fee and a small PayPal payment fee (3.4% + 11 baht). The price they show for each train includes the 250 baht fee but not the PayPal fee. You pay securely via PayPal, either using a credit card or your own PayPal account, or you can choose their Visa or MasterCard payment channel provided by Omise which is a bit cheaper. There’s no additional delivery fee if you collect tickets in Bangkok or Chiang Mai, and just a small ($4) fee for collection at Surat Thani.

Which trains & routes can etripbookings.com sell?

• Most State Railways of Thailand routes, trains & classes are loaded on the etripbookings.com system, but not every class on every route between every station, so bear that in mind. It won’t sell tickets for local trains such as Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, Hua Hin or Aranyaprathet as you need to buy these on the day at the station. But the most popular longer-distance trains, routes & classes are bookable online. They can even sell the combined train+bus/ferry tickets from Bangkok to Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan & Koh Tao (although only in the outward direction in the case of Phuket & Krabi), and they can book the International Express between Bangkok and Butterworth in either direction. etripbookings.com can also book buses & ferries around Thailand, and now it can also book Malaysian KTM trains too.
• Tip: If you want one whole 1st class 2-berth compartment for two people, buy two 1st class tickets, selecting one upper and one lower berth, they will then book you together in one compartment. Make sure you select the option to book 2nd class if 1st class sleepers are full, see my advice on this here!
• Feedback is always appreciated. So far, etripbookings.com correspondents report good & helpful service.

Option 2, buy at www.baolau.com

• Reliable Asian train & bus ticketing agency www.baolau.com also sells Thai train tickets through a direct connection to State Railways of Thailand’s own online sales system. A big plus is that www.baolau.com allows you to select an exact seat choice from a numbered seating plan.
• You print your own ticket, so ticket delivery is simplified, just be aware that only a certain percentage of all the berths or seats on each train is made available through SRT’s online system. That means that trains or classes may be shown as sold out when in fact some seats or berths remain available, so it’s worth checking etripbookings.com as they can access all the seats and berths.

Option 3, order from a Thai travel agency

• Alternatively, you can arrange Thai train tickets with various Thai travel agencies including www.travelconnecxion.com. They can have tickets waiting for you at your hotel in Bangkok for a small fee. Remember that you can’t book before reservations open.

Option 4, buy from State Railways of Thailand

• State Railways of Thailand has its own online booking system. It’s had a chequered history, but the current system can be found at www.dticket.railway.co.th. It’s slow to open, but it has an English version and it will accept most overseas credit cards, so you can use it to book tickets if you like.
• For Bangkok, you should enter Krung Thep Aphiwat Central as your origin or destination rather than plain Bangkok if your train starts/terminates there (as most long-distance trains now do). Trains with the latest Chinese-built sleepers are shown as Special Express CNR.
• If you have any problems using SRT’s D-ticket system, or if it won’t accept your credit card, use www.baolau.com or 12go.asia instead. These are quicker and easier to use, being designed for western visitors.

How to buy tickets at the station

It’s easy to buy tickets at the station when you get to Thailand, but remember to take your passport, as it may now be required to buy a ticket. All long-distance express trains require a reservation. Reservations are computerised, and the booking office at any main station can reserve seats or berths for any journey in Thailand. Your ticket will have the train time and your seat or berth number printed on it. 3rd class local trains such as Bangkok-Ayutthaya or Bangkok-Kanchanaburi don’t require a reservation, you just turn up, buy a ticket from the ticket office and hop on.

Buying tickets at Hualamphong

Even though all long-distance trains now leave from the new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central (KTW) station 11 km out of town, you can still buy tickets at the more centrally-located Hualamphong station, worth a visit in its own right.

The main ticket office are on the concourse and well organised. TV screens above each window show what tickets each window sells.

Ticket scalping by agencies? I’ve had at least one report that trains to Chiang Mai were ‘full’ when the traveller asked at the official booking office for a train in two days’ time, but they were later directed to a travel agency on one of the upper levels inside Hualamphong station who sold them first class sleeper tickets on the train they wanted for an extra 700 baht each. Agencies sometimes buy up blocks of tickets to re-sell, a practice known as scalping. SRT should stop this, but in the meantime, if you find a train full it’s worth asking a travel agency inside the station, if you’re willing to pay the extra! Feedback appreciated.

Busy periods

New Year (30 December to 3 January) & Songkran (Thai New Year, usually 11-16 April). Normally there’s no problem buying tickets when you get to Thailand, if you are flexible as to the exact day, train and class, although obviously if it’s mission-critical that you travel on a particular train in a particular class on a particular date, you should pre-book online. However, there are a few holiday periods when booking ahead is strongly recommended under all circumstances. The two biggest are New Year (30 December to 3 January) and Songkran (Thai New Year, usually 11-16 April). If you want to travel at these periods you should definitely pre-book, preferably on the very day booking opens.

Buy by phone on 1690

When in Thailand you can call State Railways of Thailand by dialling 1690 – there now seems to be no phone number accessible from outside Thailand. It’s reported that they are very helpful and are comfortable speaking English. You’ll need to give your name, passport number and contact number. They’ll give you a 10-digit reference number to collect your ticket at the ticket office, so have pen & paper handy. However, you must book by phone at least 5 days before travel and you have to pick up and pay for the tickets at the station within 24 hours. Feedback appreciated.

Which station in Bangkok? See map

• Krung Thep Aphiwat Central station: Since 19 January 2023, all long distance trains leave from the impressive new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central station, some 7 km north of Bangkok Hualamphong. Normally abbreviated to KTW, this modern out-of-town airport terminal for trains can be reached from downtown Bangkok by metro or local train. More about KTW and how to reach it.
• Bangkok Hualamphong station: This is Bangkok’s original station opened in 1916, located in the city centre. Even after 19 January, some 13 local trains will continue to leave Hualamphong station. This includes some local trains to Ayutthaya, the two daily trains to the Cambodian border at Ban Klong Luk, the trains to Pattaya and the weekend excursion train to the Bridge on the River Kwai and Nam Tok waterfall.
• Thonburi station: The two daily local trains to Kanchanaburi, the Bridge on the River Kwai & Nam Tok use the much smaller Thonburi station on the far bank of the river, also known as Bangkok Noi. Map of Bangkok showing Hualamphong station & Thonburi (Noi) station. Thonburi station is a 9-minute 750m walk from Bang Khun Non station on the MRT metro blue line, see walking map. Thonburi station was formerly known as Bangkok Noi, it was the original terminus for trains to Hat Yai & Malaysia until the Rama VI Bridge opened in 1926, allowing express trains into Bangkok Hualamphong.
• Wong Wian Yai station: This is the station for local trains to Samut Sakhon, better known as the Mae Khlong Market Train.

Krung Thep Aphiwat Central station (KTW)

The new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central station opened on 19 January 2023 and all long-distance expresses now use it instead of Hualamphong. Officially abbreviated as KTW, this vast new transport hub is located alongside Bang Sue junction station on the old line, 7 km north of Hualamphong station, see location map. Krung Thep simply means Bangkok in Thai.

• Overview & platforms: The street entrance is at ground level (Level 1), use entrance gate 4 for State Railways of Thailand long-distance trains. The trains leave from the 1st floor (Level 2), follow signs to Long distance trains. Access to the platforms is only allowed when the train becomes ready for boarding, around 20 minutes before departure. You’ll need to listen for announcements, the departure screens show scheduled departures, but not platform numbers.
• Northern & Northeastern line trains to Chiang Mai & Nong Khai leave from platforms 1 & 2 and arrive on platforms 5 & 6. Southern line trains to Hua Hin, Surat Thani, Hat Yai & Padang Besar leave from platforms 7 & 8 and arrive on platforms 11 & 12. The trains exit the station on a new section of elevated railway with views over the city.
• Ticket office: The station has plenty of ticket counters for State Railways of Thailand ticket sales. You can still buy tickets at the more centrally-located Hualamphong station if you find that more convenient.
• Luggage lockers: There are left luggage lockers near the ticket office, operated using a touch screen with English language facility. You can pay per hour or per 24 hours, reckon on around 230 baht per 24h.
• Food & drink: There are various food outlets, including burger outlets.
• Toilets & showers: There are toilets which are free to use, with baby-changing facilities. There are also several showers which are also free to use, but you need to ask the toilet attendant to unlock one for you, you’ll also need your own soap & towel.
• Metro (MRT): The red line & blue line metro (MRT) platforms are in the basement.

How to reach KTW

By free shuttle bus: This ran for a year but has now been discontinued. Local bus 49 links KTW with Hualamphong every 15-20 minutes 05:00-21:00, taking between 30 & 60 minutes. The cheapest but slowest option.

By metro (MRT): Metro trains run from Hualamphong & various other downtown MRT station to Bang Sue MRT station. From Hualamphong, take the Blue Line to Tha Phra and change onto another Blue Line train to Bang Sue. Trains run every few minutes, metro journey time 31 minutes, so around 50 minutes in total including walking and waiting. Fare 43 baht. The metro accept contactless MasterCard & Visa cards, just touch in and out at the ticket gates with a contactless card.

For Bangkok metro information see metro.bemplc.co.th

By local train from Hualamphong: You may still want to experience a departure (or arrival) in Bangkok’s classic central Hualamphong station. Some 13 trains per day will still run the 7 km from Hualamphong to Bang Sue junction station on the original line, even after KTW opens. The line takes you over many busy level crossings (a key reason the long-distance trains were moved out to KTW) and through the station serving Bangkok’s royal palace.

Check train times from Bangkok to Bang Sue Junction at www.railway.co.th/Station/StationList. Fare 2 baht, buy at the station on the day, no reservation necessary.

Bang Sue junction station is across the road from the new KTW station. On arrival at Bang Sue, walk towards the rear of the train and over the crossing at the southern end of the platform, cross the road on the nearby pedestrian crossing and you’re there. Just don’t cut it fine if catching a long-distance train, these local trains can be delayed.

By taxi: From downtown Bangkok it takes about 25 minutes and costs around 130 baht. Ask to be dropped at Gate 4, which is the main entrance for the long distance ticket office, waiting area and food court. Taxi fare calulator: www.worldtaximeter.com/bangkok.

Bangkok Hualamphong station

Bangkok Hualamphong is Bangkok’s original central station, opened in 1916 in downtown Bangkok. It still handles local trains to Ayutthaya, the trains to Aranyaprathet and Ban Klong Luk on the Cambodian border, and the weekend excursion train to Kanchanaburi, Bridge on the River Kwai and Nam Tok waterfall. There are regular (roughly hourly) departures to Ban Sue junction station, adjacent to the new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central station.

Train information counter: In the photo above, it’s on the far right-hand side of the concourse, with the white lightbox visible above it. They can give you a simple pocket timetable in English for any of the main Thai rail lines.

Tickets for travel today: To buy tickets for immediate travel, go to any of the ticket windows to the left of the King’s picture in the concourse photo below. In theory, the TV screens above each window say for which trains that window is selling tickets, but most screens merely say ‘All trains’.

Left luggage office: This closed during the pandemic but has now reopened. It’s in the corner of the main hall, leaving a bag costs 20 baht. Feedback appreciated.

Food & drink: There are several food outlets and a cafe on the station, but much fewer than there were now the new KTW station has opened. To buy supplies of drinks and snacks for the journey, there’s a ‘Tiffy Mart’ in the far left-hand corner of the concourse towards the taxi rank.

Taxis: The taxi rank is on the left-hand side of the station. In the photo above, you’d head towards the King’s picture then turn left. Expect a taxi to any city centre hotel to cost around 50 baht (£1 or $1.50). Taxi fare calculator for Bangkok.

Toilets: The toilets are beyond the information counter in the far right-hand corner of the concourse. They are of a reasonable standard, now free.

Luggage on Thai trains

Luggage arrangements are really simple. You take your own luggage onto the train with you, and put it on any suitable luggage rack next to your seat or berth or inside your 1st class sleeper compartment. It will be quite safe, although some travellers take a bike lock with them to padlock it to the rack at night, just for peace of mind. You can put your daypack with camera, passport, and so on, in the berth alongside you at night. A very large suitcase would simply go on the floor alongside your seat.

Luggage limits: Officially, every passenger is allowed one big suitcase and one smaller item although this is not rigorously enforced. Your bags won’t be weighed, but in principle baggage limits are a generous 60 Kg (110 lbs) for 1st class passengers, 40 Kg (88 lbs) for 2nd class passengers and 30 Kg (66 lbs) for 3rd class passengers.

Excess baggage: Large items in excess of the allowance such as golf clubs or additional suitcases can be carried in the baggage car if you buy a cargo ticket. You follow exactly the same procedure as for taking a bike, see the paragraph below.

Left luggage at stations

There are left luggage offices at Bangkok Hualamphong station (see above), Chiang Mai, Surat Thani, Ayutthaya and most other major Thai stations where you can leave your luggage for a small fee whilst you explore the town. The new Krung Thep Aphiwat station has left luggage lockers, see above.

Taking a bicycle or motorbike

You can take a bicycle or motorbike on most Thai trains for a small fee. The new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central station handles bicycles, but not motorbikes.

You can’t take bikes on the diesel railcar (DRC) trains, or the Chinese-built (CNR) sleeper trains which have no baggage car, or the sleeper to/from Padang Besar in Malaysia which also has no baggage car. Nor on the on the Bangkok airport rail link. But other Thai express trains usually have a baggage car.

First, buy your passenger ticket, either in advance or at the station on the day. You cannot pre-book your bike, even if you pre-book your passenger ticket.

On the day of travel, go to the station with your passenger ticket, find the cargo desk and buy a cargo ticket for your bike. The cargo desk will be a chair, a desk and a set of scales on or near the platform, the location varies and some smaller stations don’t have a cargo desk. A cargo ticket costs around 90 to 130 baht (£2.00-£2.70 or $3-$5) for a bike, but can be up to 1230 baht for a motorbike. It’s a flat fee based on where the train is going, not on where you’re going, so on a train going from Bangkok to Hat Yai, the cargo price is the same to Hua Hin as to Hat Yai. Part of the cargo ticket will be attached to your bike, the other part to your passenger ticket. If you arrive immediately before the train departs or if there isn’t a cargo desk at that station, you may be told to pay on the train.

When the train is ready for boarding, you take you bike to the baggage car for loading. It’s a good idea to provide something to secure your bike, a couple of luggage elastics or even just some plastic string picked up from one of the vendors on the platform, don’t rely on this being provided. Ask if you can secure your bike to the inside of the baggage car yourself, which they usually allow, as otherwise they may just lean it against other cargo and it could be damaged when the train is in motion. Some 3rd class trains don’t have a baggage car, so on these you’ll have to manhandle your bike into a passenger carriage and stash it in the corridor next to one of the washrooms. Now take your seat in the train. At your destination, go to the baggage car, show your cargo ticket and collect your bike. There is nothing further to pay when you arrive.

Traveller David Mitchell reports on taking a bike on a train in Thailand: “I can confirm that it is indeed possible to take bicycles on Thai trains, or at least the Bangkok to Chiang Mai route, though I’m sure it is similar for the others. You have to send the bike as cargo and it travels in the cargo/guards van. The procedure is to buy your ticket, then locate the cargo office where they will fill out a cargo ticket. They will attach part of the cargo ticket to the bike and part to your passenger ticket – the cost for a bike was 90 baht each way. You then have to drop off the bike in the cargo car yourself before taking your seat. At your destination you go to the cargo car and collect the bike – you will have to show your ticket & cargo ticket before they will release it. The cargo car sometimes gets full so it is worth turning up early to make sure that there is enough space in it to accommodate your bike.”

Traveller Saibal Chatterjee took a bike from Thailand to Singapore by train: “In April 2012 I set out to ride my bike from Chang Mai to Singapore. I managed to bike as far as Surat Thani but then fell sick due to heat & exhaustion. So I carried on my journey towards Singapore by train. I took the overnight Thai Railways train to Hat Yai with my bike safe in the luggage compartment. From Hat Yai I took the Malaysian Railway train to Padang Besar and on to Kuala Lumpur (same train). I was allowed to take my bike on the Malaysian Railway train (at no extra charge). Initially I parked the bike between the space between the two toilets but the train conductor asked me to put it in the lockable luggage space on the other side of the compartment. I arrived at Kuala Lumpur station no problems. At Kuala Lumpur station I had to talk with the station manager to be able to take my bike on the train to Singapore. After a bit of sweet talk he allowed me to take my bike on the day (chair car) train to Singapore only if I bought a first class ticket (no extra charge for bike). I boarded the train and placed my bike between the last and the second last chairs. Later the ticket checker asked me to place the bike in the generator car so that it did not cause problems for other passengers. I did place my bike in the generator car and chained it with the door handle and reached Singapore without problems.

What are Thai trains like?

Which class?

Thai trains have 3 classes, 1st, 2nd & 3rd. 1st class only exists as modern air-conditioned sleeping-cars on overnight trains. 2nd class comes in seat and sleeper versions, in air-conditioned and non-air-con varieties, and is very comfortable especially on sleeper trains and the air-conditioned express railcars. Indeed, many experienced travellers including me actually prefer a cosy & sociable 2nd class sleeper to a 1st class one. Even 3rd class is surprisingly clean and acceptable by European standards, and local trains are an enjoyable way to make shorter trips. The photos below will help you decide class to use. The sitting and sleeper areas of all trains are non-smoking.

Quick links: 1st class sleepers 2nd class sleepers Restaurant cars 2nd class express railcars (DRC) 2nd class seats 3rd class seats

Alcohol ban since 2014: The sale & consumption of alcohol has unfortunately been banned on SRT stations since July 2014, a knee-jerk reaction to a specific incident. You can no longer buy beer from a vendor or in the restaurant car (unless it’s alcohol-free!). So far most reports suggest that the ban is not being enforced for passengers who bring their own. If you keep your beer out of sight in your baggage there usually seems little problem drinking it in the privacy of your own sleeper, although one traveller experienced a bag search and his cans of beer were confiscated. Feedback appreciated.

1st class sleepers

1st class sleeping-cars are air-conditioned with 9 lockable 2-berth compartments with washbasin opening off a side-corridor. Clean sheets, blankets, soap & towels are provided. There’s a western-style toilet at the end of the corridor and even a shower, with hot water in the new Chinese-built cars but luke warm water in the older cars.

Berths are sold individually, one ticket buys one bed. Solo travellers will share with another passenger of the same gender unless they pay the sole occupancy rate or buy two tickets. The berths convert to a sofa for evening & morning use. If there are 3 or 4 of you, you can book two adjacent 2-berth sleepers with an inter-connecting door (berths 1 & 2 connect with berths 3 & 4, berths 5 & 6 connect with 7 & 8, and so on).

On key routes such as Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Bangkok-Nong Khai or Bangkok-Surat Thani-Hat Yai, a steward from the restaurant car may come round and take your food & drink order, offering you a set menu with several choices, around 200 baht for dinner and 120 baht for breakfast. The meal will be delivered to your sleeper and if that suits you that’s great, but it can be more fun and more social to go along to the restaurant car, where you’ll get a wider choice – just be warned that as the attendants get commission, they have been known to deny that there’s a restaurant car on the train when there is and you’re free to go there if you want!

The Man in Seat 61 says: “There’s usually just one 1st class sleeping-car per train, so book early as the 1st class car gets fully-booked soon after booking opens. If there are two of you, select one upper berth & one lower berth when booking online to get a whole compartment to yourselves. First-time visitors often obsess about 1st class, but like many experienced travellers I actually prefer the more sociable open-plan 2nd class sleepers to rattling round on my own in a 1st class compartment. The 2nd class bunks have curtains for privacy at night and are fine even for families with children. Don’t feel you have to go 1st class, you really don’t!”

High-quality 1st class sleepers on trains 9, 10, 23, 24, 25, 26, 31, 32

High-quality 1st class sleeping-cars built in China entered service in 2016 between Bangkok & Chiang Mai (trains 9 & 10), Bangkok & Ubon Ratchathani (trains 23 & 24), Bangkok & Nong Khai (trains 25 & 26) and Bangkok & Hat Yai (trains 31 & 32). Their layout is similar to the older type, nine 2-berth compartments with washbasin opening off a side corridor. They have TV information screens and power sockets for laptops & mobiles. There are toilets and a hot shower at the end of the corridor. A slightly higher fare is charged for travel in these new cars. See the video here or this article here.

A 1st class sleeping-car boarding at Ubon Ratchathani, note the monk in his orange robes. These new Chinese-built 1st & 2nd class sleeping-cars first entered service in November 2016 on trains 9 & 10 between Bangkok & Chiang Mai & trains 23 & 24 between Bangkok & Ubon Ratchathani. Photos courtesy of Miriam Laffi & Andy & Fiona.

1st class sleepers other trains

If your train has a 1st class sleeper, it will be of this regular Thai type, unless it one of the trains which have been equipped with new Chinese-built sleepers (trains 9, 10, 23, 24, 25, 26, 31, 32), or trains 51 & 52 which use a second-hand Japanese sleeping-car as shown in the next section. These cars have nine lockable 2-berth compartments opening off a side corridor. There are toilets are at the end of the corridor, along with a cold but still very welcome shower.

Japanese 1st class sleeper on trains 51, 52.

Train 51/52 between Bangkok & Chiang Mai is an exception. It has an ex-Japanese 1st class sleeper, which uniquely for Thailand has single-berth compartments, see the photos below. There are no 2-berth compartments on this train, but pairs of adjacent single-berth compartments have a connecting door, so berth 1 can be connected to berth 2, berth 3 to berth 4, and so on. Incidentally, until 10 November 2016, these cars were used on train 13/14, but from 11 November 2016 they are reassigned to train 51/52.

Train 51/52 has an ex-Japanese sleeping-car: Unlike all the other trains, trains 51 & 52 between Bangkok and Chiang Mai have an ex-Japanese Railways first class sleeping-car, which has 10 single-berth compartments. So if you book first class as a couple on this particular train, you’ll get two separate single-bed compartments, there are no 2-berth compartments. The attendant will make up a mattress & bedding on the flat bed you see here.

2nd class sleepers

Most western visitors use 2nd class sleepers, which are comfortable, safe and fun. Berths are arranged open plan either side of a central aisle. During the evening and morning part of the journey, there are cosy face-to-face pairs of seats on each side of the aisle, see the photos below. At night, the attendant makes up the sleeping berths by pulling together each pair of seats to form a lower berth, and folding an upper berth out from the wall. He then arranges a mattress, pillow and fresh clean bedding on each berth, and hooks up the curtains on each bunk for privacy – see him do this in the video below!

Luggage goes on the overhead racks or under the seats, or on the floor next to your seats. Some people bring a bike lock to chain it up for peace of mind, but you’d normally take daypacks with any valuables into the berth with you.

2nd class sleepers come in air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned varieties, the air-con ones are cleaner and more modern, but the non-a/c ones have windows which open, better for taking photographs of the scenery. The fare for an upper berth is a fraction cheaper, but the upper bunks are narrower. Security is not a problem, it’s a great way to travel which saves time even compared to flying, and saves a hotel bill too.

Upper berths are fine for anyone up to 6′ 2″ tall, if you’re taller than that you should choose a lower berth as these are significantly wider, allowing tall people to sleep comfortably on the diagonal. On key routes such as Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Bangkok-Nong Khai or Bangkok-Surat Thani-Hat Yai, a steward from the restaurant car may take your food or drink order, offering a set menu with several choices, around 200 baht for dinner and 120 baht for breakfast, delivered to your seat. If that suits you, great, but it can be more fun to go along to the restaurant car, where you have a wider choice – just be warned that as the attendants get commission, they’ve been known to deny that there’s a restaurant car!

The Man in Seat 61 says: “The 2nd class sleepers are the best choice for most western travellers, I actually prefer them to the first class variety, especially if I’m solo – and I’m not the only one who does! The air-conditioned sleepers are more comfortable and usually cleaner, non-air-con ones are getting rare now, but they have windows which open, better for viewing the countryside and taking photographs on the daylight parts of the trip.”

High-quality 2nd class sleepers on trains 9, 10, 23, 24, 25, 26, 31, 32

New high-quality Chinese-built sleepers entered service in 2016 between Bangkok & Chiang Mai (trains 9 & 10), Bangkok & Ubon Ratchathani (trains 23 & 24), Bangkok & Nong Khai (trains 25 & 26) and Bangkok & Hat Yai (trains 31 & 32), see the video here. These modern sleepers are popular, so if you want one you should book as far ahead as possible, especially on the Bangkok-Chiang Mai route.

Modern air-con 2nd class sleepers
These modern air-conditioned sleepers now operate on trains 13/14 between Bangkok & Chiang Mai and trains 45/46, amongst others. There is a washing area with two sinks and western & squat toilets at the end of the coach. Soap & toilet paper are provided. At night, upper & lower berths fold out, each with curtains for privacy.

Watch the video: Making up the beds

Older air-con sleepers

These older air-conditioned sleepers operate on train 69/70 between Bangkok & Nong Khai, and on many other overnight express trains in Thailand. You may also find them between Bangkok and Padang Besar. The layout is the same as the newer types shown above.

Non-air-con 2nd class sleepers

These are older and a bit grubbier, but the fare is a fraction cheaper and some people prefer the ability to open a window, for example to take photographs. There are fans on the ceiling, and window shutters to keep out the sun as well as glass panes. Not sure about that green, though.

Restaurant cars

All the most important trains have a restaurant car, including trains 9, 10, 13, 14 Bangkok-Chiang Mai, trains 35 & 36 Bangkok-Hat Yai, trains 84 & 85 Bangkok-Surat Thani, trains 69 & 70 Bangkok-Nong Khai. Some restaurant cars are air-conditioned like the one shown below, including those on all the Chinese-built sleeper trains. Others are non-air-con, with opening windows such as the restaurant car on Bangkok-Chiang Mai sleeper train 13/14.

The food is remarkably cheap and good, a set meal costs around 150-200 baht (£3-£4 or $5-$6) and you choose from a leaflet with pictures & English captions. Beer is unfortunately no longer available since 2014.

A restaurant car attendant usually walks through the train with a menu card showing pictures & English captions. They will take meal orders and serve you at you seat if you prefer. You may find this more convenient, but its more fun & sociable to go to the restaurant car.

One traveller reports “We particularly enjoyed the restaurant car, the food was better than expected and they switched on the disco lights and 70’s bogie music after the sun went down!”

Food & drink vendors: On almost all Thai trains, even 3rd class ones, you’ll find vendors selling fruit & soft drinks. Obviously, you can bring your own food and drink if you like, bought at the station or nearby supermarket.

Alcohol: Sipping a beer on a Thai train has always been one of the pleasures of train travel, but sale and consumption of alcohol has been banned from July 2014 as a knee-jerk reaction to a specific incident. Restaurant cars therefore no longer sell beer, other than the alcohol-free variety.

A set meal in one of the new Chinese-built air-con restaurant cars used on trains 9 & 10 Bangkok-Chiang Mai, trains 23 & 24 Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani, train 25 & 26 Bangkok-Nong Khai, train 31 & 32 Bangkok-Hat Yai. There a several choices of set meal costing about 210 baht. Courtesy of www.DiscoverbyRail.com

2nd class seats

Special Express DRC (Diesel Rail Car)

The air-conditioned express diesel railcars (DRC) are an excellent option for daytime travel on routes such as Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Bangkok to Hua Hin, Chumphon & Surat Thani. These air-conditioned trains were built by Daewoo in the mid 1990s and have comfortable 2nd class reclining seats, half of the seats in a car facing forwards and the other half backwards. There used to be a hostess service of a light meal, coffee & soft drinks included in the fare, however the end of SRT’s supplier contract in 2024 means you have to buy food & drink until a new contractor can be found. The pre-packed rice-based lunch isn’t hugely substantial, so feel free to take some other supplies with you if you’re hungry. Relax and enjoy the journey as the scenery rolls by.

2nd class seats on express trains

A pleasant and comfortable way to travel for long-distance daytime journeys, although slower than the express railcars. There are both air-conditioned and non-air-con varieties. The advantage of the non-air-con coaches is the open windows and unrestricted views, a breeze wafting in as the train clickety-clacks through the Thai countryside. Each pair of seats can be rotated, seats are normally turned to face forwards. Photos courtesy of Graeme Thorley.

3rd class seats

In spite of its name, 3rd class is a perfectly good option for short trips such as Bangkok to Kanchanaburi or Ayutthaya, as it’s generally clean, not usually crowded outside the commuter peaks, unbelievably cheap, and sitting next to an open window as the train clickety-clacks through the countryside is a very pleasant experience. Although, 2nd class would be better for long trips such as Bangkok to Nong Khai or Chiang Mai. 3rd class usually has padded seats, but some older carriages have wooden seats. It’s normally non-air-con, but air-con 3rd class exists on a few long distance routes.

Source: www.seat61.com