The train network in Thailand is operated by the government, and is the best way to get around when you’re there, far better than buses or planes. The only problem is it doesn’t go everywhere in Thailand you might want to go. Windows are large and can be opened, which makes taking pictures easier, and the scenery- farmlands, small villages, temples and rivers- is usually better than what you’d see on the highways.
Thailand’s State Railway lines consist of four main lines; the Northern, North-Eastern, Southern and Eastern Routes, with various side routes. Tickets can be bought for one of three classes, 1st, 2nd or 3rd class. Third class is cheapest and not good for trips longer than a couple of hours, since the seating consists of crowded wooden bench seats. On Express trains, there is no 3rd class seating. Second class seating is about the same as a tour bus, with pairs of padded, forward-facing seats.
Air conditioning is available on some trains for 2nd class, but usually it is without a/c. Sleeping cars are offered in second class as well, and feature privacy curtains, berthing seats, and washrooms at the end of the cars. Private cabins are offered in the first class rail cars; they feature seats which convert into beds, air conditioning, a small table and fold-down washing basin and other amenities.
Stations
The major railway stations are in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phitsanuloke and Hat Yai; each has baggage storage facilities and cafeterias, as do some of the lesser provincial stations. Hualamphong Station, in Bangkok, has it’s own on-site travel agency, there you can book bus or air transport. It also has a Post Office.
Booking for railway travel in Thailand can be tricky, and you should book as far in advance as you can, a week at the least, especially around holiday times. Advance booking can be done at Hualamphong Station or through a travel agency. You can also purchase railway tickets in advance by e-mail.
photo by Shawn Hargreaves- Creative Commons Attribution License
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