Thailand Train Trips

Taking the sleeper train across Thailand

Thailand rail is run by the State Railway of Thailand. The northern route runs from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and the southern route runs through Surat-Thani and continues through Malaysia all the way down to Singapore. The railway is very busy, but the sleeper trains are surprisingly comfortable. Rail personnel strolled up and down the cart and made sure we had plenty to eat and drink. In fact, when we were playing cards they showed up every ten minutes asking if we could use some more beer.

Experiencing Thailand by Train

Thailand Trains (Railways) are now the largest state enterprise. In 1894, they began as the Royal State Railways of Siam. They are clean and move at a steady pace. They're not as fast as the European trains, but the state definitely invests in them for tourist purposes. Thailand's trains provide an affordable, safe, and environmentally friendly way to experience Thailand.

Thai cities to visit by train

Starting in the center of Thailand, in Bangkok, you can get just about anywhere by train. Trains go north to Chiang Mai, south to the island of Ko Samui (with the addition of a ferry for the seaward portion of the journey), and south to Krabi or Phuket (with the addition of a bus for the remaining portions of these trips). You can even take the train across to Laos, and to Singapor, Kuala Lampur, and Penang. At the time of this writing the journey to Singapore took less than 50 hours and cost less than $60 one-way.