Thailand's Trains

[GLCQuantum]

I had never ventured into the fun experience of using Thailand's train system, with the exception of overnight sleeper trains to Laos for visa purposes (been coming here for 20 years, lived here for 11, have Thai family but...yes... I'm still expected to do my 'alien thaang' year by year. My Thai stepmother got a British passport after a few'ish' years of contributing to the economy in the U.K yet, after 20 years, I still have to bloody... hang on, I digress).

Try again...

I had never ventured into the fun experience of using Thailand's train system until recently. I've started using it frequently whether commuting or returning to Hua Hin. I don't have a car - can't afford one. I'm not to keen on using minivans driving hell for leather on the 2nd most dangerous roads in the world and I can neither fly nor teleport.

So the trains it is then.

Oh my frickin' God! Really? Are you 'avin a giraffe? I have never traveled on such an inept, absurd and downright ridiculous form of transport in my (not many... ) years.

Every train I've taken has been at least an hour late. In one case four hours. After, ever so politely, questioning the men at the desks in different stations, I found out that apparently they have a habit of breaking down (the trains, not the men). Today my train was supposed to arrive in Hua Hin at 8:07. It arrived at 9:45. Why? It broke down.

I am thinking about writing a very strongly worded letter to the State Railway of Thailand voicing my outrage and letting them know that I'm considering taking my 30-60 baht somewhere else.

Hit 'em where it hurts.

[JamesWest]

I love the trains. I go to bangkok from HH.

I leave at 4pm and 4.5 hours later I come up out of the subway at soi cowboy Terminal 21. Total cost each way, 2nd class with air con about $12 USD. Much safer than driving.

I did the overnight BKK to CNX Chiang Mai run, only 15 hours for the 12 hour trip.
The view was nice. Good for tourists.

[Gus]

My favourite train was the 1300hrs Bangkok to Sungaikalok train, a proper train of about 17 carriages including sleepers and restaurant car. It is supposed to arrive in Hua Hin about 1710hrs but it is usually nearer to 1800hrs.

I said 'was' that is because you can no longer drink any beer whilst having lunch,on the train I used to have a six course lunch, 5 Large Singhas and a plate of chicken fried rice with egg.

[Bamboo Grove]

I love trains. This is not in Thailand though. The photo was taken during my first trans-Siberia ride to China in 1986. This is somewhere in northern China. However, I've travelled a lot by trains in Thailand, they are very comfortable, particularly the 1st class sleaper, which is still relatively cheap. Yes, they are often late and as said the sad development in Thailand has now taken away the pleasure of beer drinking during the trips.

höyryveturi Kiinassa.jpg (46.93 KiB) Viewed 1392 times

[Ratsima]

In 1977 I did a long trip from Bangkok to Chiangmai by train and then from Chiangmai to Singapore by train, with many stops and side trips along the way. It was wonderful. I continued to use the trains for years. My last enjoyable trip was Bangkok to Nong Khai and return in 2000.

My next trip was the so-called Sprinter from Chiangmai to Bangkok. 15 hours of gut wrenching misery. The seats were not secured to the floor very well and the tray tables opened at many odd angles, none of which were parallel to the floor. I actually had to hand feed the old man sitting next to me because the train pitched and rolled so much he was unable to get food or drink into his mouth unaided. At the end of the trip my step-daughter told her mother, "Next time Loong Mike wants to take the train, we'll fly."

My next attempt at train travel was a trip from Korat to Bangkok in about 2007. I had traveled across southern Isaan by diesel rail car in 1999 and thoroughly enjoyed it. I booked a first class seat and prepared to enjoy the lovely scenery; especially in the vicinity of the Lam Takhong Reservoir. The train route is on the north side of the reservoir and is quite spectacular in some places.

Unfortunately, the windows on the first class compartment were so filthy that I could see nothing. I ended up spending the entire trip in the third class compartment in which the windows were wide open and offered a splendid view.

I'll try the train again when Thailand manages to upgrade the rail system. In other words, not in my lifetime.

[margaretcarnes]

The rail system (or at least the tracks) has undergone some quite extensive upgrading over the years, under the supervision of British engineers. But we have to remember that it is a huge network, with the low fares essential to the majority of its' users. It is transport for the masses, often over very long distances. And as already mentioned earlier it is safer than the buses!
I would love to see the kind of regular track maintenance which we have in the UK, but feel sure that Thailand couldn't afford the investment needed without huge fare increases, which would only see people switch to even worse buses. And with so many night trains running in the LOS it's difficult to see how a lot of that maintenance could be fitted in.
They could also use a lot of better rolling stock, but I guess that as long as many passengers are only able to pay for cattle class, that is all they will get. Even the railway runs on a class system.
Having said that I have never been able to fault the staff, and have never suffered any serious delays in departing from HuaLamphong or other end of line stations. The problem with services from HuaHin, particularly when going north, is that trains have already been travelling for several hours with all the potential for delays which that entails.

[Pleng]

I would love to see the kind of regular track maintenance which we have in the UK

I don't know.... I think I'd be happier with a 5 hour direct train ride than a 3 hour ride which involved 2 trains and a "replacement bus service" half way through my journey...

[Ratsima]

it is safer than the buses!

I looked and looked but couldn't find any stats to back that up. Anyone?

I did find out that in Europe, there are twice as many deaths per kilometer traveled on buses as trains.

[margaretcarnes]

it is safer than the buses!

I looked and looked but couldn't find any stats to back that up. Anyone?

I did find out that in Europe, there are twice as many deaths per kilometer traveled on buses as trains.

You're right - and it wouldn't surprise me at all if their aren't any stats. But I suspect that the main reason for that ratio of deaths in Europe could be due to a proportionately higher volume of road to rail users than in Thailand? Again - a lack of stats won't help.
But what we do see are constant reports of bus and motorbike accidents in Thailand, along with road death figures for peak holiday times such as Songhkran.

[TicTac]

I love the trains. I go to bangkok from HH.

I leave at 4pm and 4.5 hours later I come up out of the subway at soi cowboy Terminal 21. Total cost each way, 2nd class with air con about $12 USD. Much safer than driving.

I did the overnight BKK to CNX Chiang Mai run, only 15 hours for the 12 hour trip.
The view was nice. Good for tourists.

Glad to hear the BKK to Chang Mai train was a good experience as I was thinking of doing the same. I've only done the Hua Hin to Butterworth train and found it to be a great trip with a really comfortable sleeper but bitterly cold with the aircon. Train is always on time within 1/2 hour of departure

[Pleng]

(Butterworth) Train is always on time within 1/2 hour of departure

Not always. I've taken it twice and on both occasions it's been well over an hour late.

[HHTel]

The only time I took the Butterworth train, it arrived in Hua Hin 2 hours early!! A very nice comfortable ride overnight however.

[Pleng]

Do you mean it arrived back in Hua Hin from Butterworth 2 hours early? That would mean it arriving at about 4am!

[Vital Spark]

Having been on a few trains in various countries in the past couple of years, I must say that Thai trains are definitely the worst when it comes to comfort and time-keeping. They are, however, cheap, and if you don't have connections and have all the time in the world they're just about OK.

I agree with a few others in that a few beers to compensate for the above can make the journey a lot more acceptable (and fun). I remember a trip down to Butterworth about 17 years ago when the windows were down in the dining car and smoking and drinking was allowed. Ahh, the good ol' days...

VS