Train travel is my favorite mode of travel- if I could afford to travel the world by train that's what I'd be doing! The rocking motion, the constantly changing scenery, the stopping at different stations but especially the toot toot of the horn all make me inexplicably happy!
After reading about the scenic train journey from Bangkok to Chiang Mai I knew it was something I wanted to do so when my grown kids came to visit I persuaded them to join me for this ride.
The Details
There are 2 basic options: an overnight train or a day train.
The overnight train starts around 6:10 pm in Bangkok and arrives at Chiang Mai around 7:15 am the next morning- perfect if you want to save on a nights hotel room charge. They have options of sleeper coaches at various prices depending on the class and comfort of travel.
The day train was what I was after though as I wanted to enjoy the views during the day. This train starts in Bangkok at 8:30 am and arrives in Chiang Mai by 7:30 pm- a really long trip for sure especially when the flight is a mere 55 minutes!
The tickets sell out REALLY fast as the train only has 3 coaches so book well ahead if you can. Booking is also best done at the station as online booking costs more for the same ticket. You do need a form of ID to book and your passport is the best option.
Our tickets by AC coach cost Thb 820 each and included 2 tea break snacks and a lunch.
The Journey
The Hua Lampong station in Bangkok was the train's and our station of origin (you can choose others to board at) and we were there well in time. Note that there are only a couple of local bake/coffee stalls at the station so you may want to plan ahead and make a pit stop before arriving for your caffeine fix and breakfast.
The station was easy to navigate with signages and update boards in both Thai and English.
Our train was 30 minutes delayed so we bought pastry puffs from the local store there (edible and filled us up but that's all I can say about it!) for breakfast.
Having had a really early start from our accommodation, the kids were overjoyed to eventually board the train at 9 am and fell asleep almost immediately.
The interiors of the train were average- seats were very close together with no hand rests between to add distance from your neighbor- its was ok for us but 12 hours that close to a stranger would not have been ideal for most! Seats were also basic and not the most comfortable for such a long trip. Leg room wise it was manageable- like being on a flight in economy!
There were many stops along the way but most were less than a minute- just enough for people to board and get off.
We were served tea/coffee/juice and a pack of biscuits about an hour into our journey followed by lunch a couple of hours after that. Lunch was very basic and handed to us - no choice as to what we wanted. 2 of us ended up with pre- packaged Thai rice and fish curry packages while 1 of us got fish curry and boiled chicken- no idea how its decided but I think its whatever comes to hand first!!!! The meal was like with the pastries from the station- edible but nothing to write home about. As we hadn't carried food with us and there was no pantry car we ate to mainly because we were hungry!
We got a 2nd cup of tea/coffee/juice with a snack pack a couple of hours later and that was all the food.
Conclusion
This was a great trip to take especially if you love train travel. The lush green landscapes of fields, mountains, villages, temples all around was beautiful and very peaceful. Our whole trip was overcast and we had rain often but this just made it better- nature at its best really. Splendid views with the most gorgeous sunset I've seen in a while- if only the time taken was closer to 7-8 hours rather than a long 12 hours I would not hesitate to do it again.
Great to experience once but, as it stands, it's the flight for me next time!
Useful Info
Valid on 03/07/2019 but please confirm yourself as schedules and pricing may change without notification - this is only a reference guide.
Link To Train Booking Site