Train Travel in Thailand and Vietnam

hibtastic · 14 Jan 2015

Hi all

Im just wondering if anyone has done any rail travel in Thailand and Vietnam. Planning on going there in May and want to use the train to at least travel through Vietnam and perhaps using the train from Bangkok to reach the ferries to either Koh Samui or Koh Phi Phi.

If anyone has any tips or recommendations they would be much appreciated.

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jamesontheroad · 14 Jan 2015

Your first point of call should be Seat61.com, and the pages for Thailand and Vietnam. While in Thailand you should of course try and catch a ride on a familiar looking DMU.

I have no personal experience of train travel in either country. I was part of a group of friends who traveled from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok about five years ago, but we encountered some (ahem) problems at the border, and I had to abandon the overnight Butterworth (Malaysia) to Bangkok train with my Slovakian friend. Apparently not every border crossing yet recognises Slovakia as a country, so after exiting Malaysia she was denied entry to Thailand. As the Malaysian border agents had left by that point, we had to grab our bags, watch the train leave and find a railway employee to walk us over to a nearby road checkpoint and get us back into Malaysia. What followed was an 18 hour adventure of taxis, buses, hitchhiking, and an elephant. We made it Bangkok the following night, but without a single mile on Thai rails. :cry:

embers25 · 14 Jan 2015

hibtastic said:
Hi all

Im just wondering if anyone has done any rail travel in Thailand and Vietnam. Planning on going there in May and want to use the train to at least travel through Vietnam and perhaps using the train from Bangkok to reach the ferries to either Koh Samui or Koh Phi Phi.

If anyone has any tips or recommendations they would be much appreciated.

I travelled from Da Nang to Hue and it was 3 hours of mainly very slow running but spectacular scenery. Train was perfectly on time too. Da Nang station had a large air conditioned waiting area with a couple of shops and some dodgy toilets. The staff almost all spoke english too. Train was a bit dirty but nothing major and locals all close curtains so it restricts view. The toilets were hole in the floor but they did have toilet paper and it was refreshed by the car attendant. Not luxury by any means but not bd at all and certainly better than the crazy buses. Then again buses seem to run every few minutes all the way from Saigon to Hue (we passed 40 in an hour when returning by road!)

You can book at the station and should have no trouble getting a seat but I used vietnamimpressive, as advised by seat61, and they met me at the airport off my Etihad flight (somehow airside before we'd even gone thru passport control!!) with the tickets for a small extra fee and were very impressive!

Bletchleyite · 14 Jan 2015

jamesontheroad said:
Your first point of call should be Seat61.com, and the pages for Thailand and Vietnam. While in Thailand you should of course try and catch a ride on a familiar looking DMU.

I see they've repainted them - it was better when they were in Regional Railways Express livery as delivered!

As for Thai trains, I did a holiday by train there a good while ago, and while very unpunctual and sometimes basic they were an enjoyable experience.

If you ride on the Bangkok Airport Express you can also enjoy a ride on a Class 350, with almost identical interiors to the WCML 350/1s!

Neil

Chapeltom · 15 Jan 2015

I currently live in Thailand, and whilst I have not traveled on Thai trains too much, I do know a little bit about them! The Airport Rail Link is now my local line, and when I first flew into the country, using a '350' to get from the Airport was interesting as it had the interior Neil talks about above! Having used the City Line to get to work a few times, the trains I have used have had bench seats inside what was basically a 3 car 350.

Anyway, I lived down in Trang for a few weeks and went first class...
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=108621

Personally, sleeper train wise, a second class sleeper is as good as first and is nowhere near as expensive.

Traveling third class is an experience worth trying, used it for an hour between Phetchaburi and Hua Hin but there are some trains that are only 3rd class and the journeys take 5 hours plus! Bangkok to Aranyaprathet is one such example, I'd happily travel in third for up to a couple of hours.

hibtastic · 16 Jan 2015

Many thanks everyone - I have been reading Seat61 which is a great site.

Train looks like a decent way to get around Vietnam and Thailand. We were going to try and get a train from Hanoi to Hong Kong but it looks like a bit of a challenge.

Chapeltom · 16 Jan 2015

hibtastic said:
Many thanks everyone - I have been reading Seat61 which is a great site.

Train looks like a decent way to get around Vietnam and Thailand. We were going to try and get a train from Hanoi to Hong Kong but it looks like a bit of a challenge.

I did forget to mention, always build a couple of hours extra in particularly in Thailand as trains can be delayed and delays are often severe! Delays of an hour are not uncommon.

I've been on a train running 1hr 50 late, but didn't matter as I was only after the next one for a short journey and another running an hour late (arrived on time). I have to travel to Nong Khai for a border run this weekend, so weighing up whether to get a train scheduled to arrive at 5am or 7:30am!

Stompehh · 16 Jan 2015

If you want to get to Koh Samui, you'll need to book through a TAT (travel agent office) who will give you a price for the through journey. Surat Thani station is not very close to the ferry, but if you book through a TAT then when you arrive there someone will meet you and put a sticky label on you that says where you're going. Through a magical combination of Tuk Tuks, local buses, coaches, ferry and taxis, they will get you where you need to go, all for one price. Now that's integrated transport!

Chapeltom · 21 Jan 2015

Stompehh said:
If you want to get to Koh Samui, you'll need to book through a TAT (travel agent office) who will give you a price for the through journey. Surat Thani station is not very close to the ferry, but if you book through a TAT then when you arrive there someone will meet you and put a sticky label on you that says where you're going. Through a magical combination of Tuk Tuks, local buses, coaches, ferry and taxis, they will get you where you need to go, all for one price. Now that's integrated transport!

Just wish buses, MRT, ARL and BTS were integrated in Bangkok

Stompehh · 21 Jan 2015

Chapeltom said:
Just wish buses, MRT, ARL and BTS were integrated in Bangkok

The "integration" I described is all very informal - e.g. after getting off the coach in Surat Thani we were handed over to a tuk tuk driver to get to the bus station, who then paid the bus conductor our fare and an extra tip to tell us where to get off. All sorted through the original price we paid at the TAT when we booked (not very much!)

TheKnightWho · 21 Jan 2015

Chapeltom said:
I did forget to mention, always build a couple of hours extra in particularly in Thailand as trains can be delayed and delays are often severe! Delays of an hour are not uncommon.

I've been on a train running 1hr 50 late, but didn't matter as I was only after the next one for a short journey and another running an hour late (arrived on time). I have to travel to Nong Khai for a border run this weekend, so weighing up whether to get a train scheduled to arrive at 5am or 7:30am!

Good advice. This is particularly the case in countries where trains are running 20+ hour journeys, and so small delays add up to huge amounts.

DiscoStu · 21 Jan 2015

I travelled from Hanoi to Nha Trang by sleeper train in 2007, which took 30 hours, and was a fantastic experience. No doubt it's more expensive now, but we paid £15 each for the first class sleeper

)

Can't recommend it enough!

dutchflyer · 7 Feb 2015

hibtastic said:
Many thanks everyone - I have been reading Seat61 which is a great site.

Train looks like a decent way to get around Vietnam and Thailand. We were going to try and get a train from Hanoi to Hong Kong but it looks like a bit of a challenge.

Also sawasdee from BKK here now. NO trains are NOT that great a way to travel here, do not believe (or be rather criticle) about what seat61 praises like the sky. In local newspprs here you can read about daily about how bad the service has become. Trains are only recommended for overnite in a sleeper and if arr times do not matter very much. DIStrust any agency with large TAT signs-a near garantee to rip you off. You can simply also pay for bus to ferry etc on arrival. TAT is the tourist office and does NOT sell any tickets or bookings, but all agencies must have a licence from TAT to be able to trade-that only means paying them a yearly sum.
BTW-3d cl seats in local and rapid trains are free for Thai-in practice or anyone who looks Asean and can pronounce ''Krung Thep'' (that is BKK-as you still have to get a ticket for 0 THB. Many of the old red open air buses here in BKK are also free, for anyone-for a while they had a large signs''to help out the poor people'', now its just for the people. Is intended to scrap and dosh out coupons to real poor Thai, but the general (or maybe lieutenant or colonel) who is now minister for transp. has not (yet) come up with a working plan.

Chapeltom · 9 Feb 2015

dutchflyer said:
Also sawasdee from BKK here now. NO trains are NOT that great a way to travel here, do not believe (or be rather criticle) about what seat61 praises like the sky. In local newspprs here you can read about daily about how bad the service has become. Trains are only recommended for overnite in a sleeper and if arr times do not matter very much. DIStrust any agency with large TAT signs-a near garantee to rip you off. You can simply also pay for bus to ferry etc on arrival. TAT is the tourist office and does NOT sell any tickets or bookings, but all agencies must have a licence from TAT to be able to trade-that only means paying them a yearly sum.
BTW-3d cl seats in local and rapid trains are free for Thai-in practice or anyone who looks Asean and can pronounce ''Krung Thep'' (that is BKK-as you still have to get a ticket for 0 THB. Many of the old red open air buses here in BKK are also free, for anyone-for a while they had a large signs''to help out the poor people'', now its just for the people. Is intended to scrap and dosh out coupons to real poor Thai, but the general (or maybe lieutenant or colonel) who is now minister for transp. has not (yet) come up with a working plan.

I use the red buses 5 days a week to get to work, its only a 3 minute journey (or 10 in traffic!). I should in theory pay 65 baht a week for 5 return journeys (6.5 baht x 10) but half of them are free, and many of my journeys (particularly to work!) are often free.

Train Travel in Thailand and Vietnam

hibtastic

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RailUK Forums

jamesontheroad

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embers25

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Bletchleyite

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Chapeltom

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hibtastic

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Chapeltom

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Stompehh

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Chapeltom

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Stompehh

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TheKnightWho

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DiscoStu

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dutchflyer

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Chapeltom

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