New Bangkok-Pattaya-Sattahib tourist train service to kick off Saturday

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

A new air-conditioned train service to promote tourism, linking Bangkok to Pattaya and Sattahib, will kick off on Saturday.

 

Thanongsak Pongprasert, deputy governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said on Tuesday that the Bangkok-Pattaya-Plu Ta Luang train route will start running as a pilot tourism route for six months from March 17 to September 30. Ban Plu Ta Luang is a tambon in Chon Buri's Sattahib district.

 

The new route will run only Saturdays and Sundays and will stop at six major tourist destinations - Sri Racha, North Pattaya, Pattaya Floating Market, Nongnuch Garden, Wat Yan Sangwararam and Ban Plu Ta Luang.

 

Thanongsak said the SRT expected that 80 to 90 per cent of seats would be sold.

 

The one-way trip would cost Bt170.

 

The train will leave Bangkok station at 6.45am and and will reach the Ban Plu Ta Luang station at 9.50am.

 

The return train will leave Ban Plu Ta Luang station at 3.50pm and will reach Bangkok at 6.55pm.

 

Public transport will be available at each station to take tourists to nearby attractions.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30340811

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-13

Nice.

Ban Plu Ta Luang station seems a long way from pattaya tourist strip

great payday for PATTAYA mafia taxis, laying in wait for unsuspecting tourists.

48 minutes ago, InMyShadow said:

Ban Plu Ta Luang station seems a long way from pattaya tourist strip

 

There are 2 stops near the tourist strip    "North Pattaya, Pattaya Floating Market"

of course the train doesn't  go to to Soi BuaKhow or Walking street. 

Looks like they have fixed up a set of the class 158 "Sprinters" they bought from the UK 25 years ago...

Most of them have been parked up broken (sorry, undergoing maintenance) for several years now.

 

Must get a new lightweight anorak for the hot season...

Edited March 13, 20188 yr by JAG
Insert self deprecating joke about train spotting!

1 minute ago, johng said:

 

There are 2 stops near the tourist strip    "North Pattaya, Pattaya Floating Market"

of course the train doesn't  go to to Soi BuaKhow or Walking street. 

Nice! Im going in a few weeks so will give it a try.

Three hours each way. That's something like the normal slow train takes.

 

Just tried to check the SRT website, I see they've removed the timetable and only have this weekend service listed.

IIRC the old service was about 30-50 Baht? So you're paying well over 100 Baht more per person for the aircon.

 

It does seem pretty pointless (no pun intended) unless you're deliberately trying to waste a day.

 

14 minutes ago, mercman24 said:

great payday for PATTAYA mafia taxis, laying in wait for unsuspecting tourists.

Unsuspecting tourists who paid $70 for a 30 minute trip from there home town to their airport are not even going to blink at a $7 CAB FAR INTO PATTAYA. Why do busted arsed expats seem to think tourists are in the same financial boat?

I would consider taking this train if it ran several times a day, thus allowing a day return trip to central Bangkok to made from here.

However the air-con North Road<>Ekamai bus is both cheaper (108B) and faster (2-2.5hrs) than this train service, which is ridiculous. It is also much more frequent. Even getting off at the first BTS station on the route and then taking the BTS to central Bangkok works out cheaper than this train, and faster.

There are  trains to from BKK every day  more stops takes longer is cheaper. 

( think its still 7 baht for Thais)

 

 

29 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

I would consider taking this train if it ran several times a day, thus allowing a day return trip to central Bangkok to made from here.

However the air-con North Road<>Ekamai bus is both cheaper (108B) and faster (2-2.5hrs) than this train service, which is ridiculous. It is also much more frequent. Even getting off at the first BTS station on the route and then taking the BTS to central Bangkok works out cheaper than this train, and faster.

Even adding a Friday night train would be a big boost.  Most Bangkokians would not want to miss the Friday night fun in Pattaya, so the bus or private car will still be the best option for the weekend escape.

That'll explain the dire wooden steps that have sprouted adjacent to the floating market. At an angle that would need ropes and belays it disgorges passengers presumably into the manic outside lane of traffic.

Impecable planning as always.

4 hours ago, InMyShadow said:

Unsuspecting tourists who paid $70 for a 30 minute trip from there home town to their airport are not even going to blink at a $7 CAB FAR INTO PATTAYA. Why do busted arsed expats seem to think tourists are in the same financial boat?

It isn't about being in the same financial boat, it is about overcharging!

But it seems this is far out of your sphere of comprehension.

4 hours ago, zaphod reborn said:

Even adding a Friday night train would be a big boost.  Most Bangkokians would not want to miss the Friday night fun in Pattaya, so the bus or private car will still be the best option for the weekend escape.

It might be so this new train service might be a tryout for just that.

Driver will be nervous for this trip with all its rail crossings ! Better get that amulet polished mate.

7 hours ago, JAG said:

Looks like they have fixed up a set of the class 158 "Sprinters" they bought from the UK 25 years ago...

Most of them have been parked up broken (sorry, undergoing maintenance) for several years now.

 

Must get a new lightweight anorak for the hot season...

You are correct mate. see at 1:23. Anorak for rainy season surely?

http://enacademic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/509255#Overseas_sales

 

 

Edited March 13, 20188 yr by ratcatcher

That's really good - exactly what I want to do on a Saturday after a hard week's work: get up at 5am to catch the only train to Pattaya, then relax while it wings its way at a plasma-bending 42 km per hour to my destination.  

If it was from Bangkok18.00 Friday and return 18.00 Sunday from Plutaluang it might encourage people who travel to Bangkok from the Sattahip area to leave their cars at home and use the train. It might also be an alternative to the Looney Toons van ride which many locals are forced to use, and save a few lives.

10 hours ago, mercman24 said:

great payday for PATTAYA mafia taxis, laying in wait for unsuspecting tourists.

 

Did that trip 20 years ago, dozens of unpleasant song tao drivers all openly trying to rip off the train passengers with exorbitant prices, and many of the passengers lost, confused, and worried, not sure if they were already inside Pattaya city etc. 

 

 

 

18 hours ago, bluesofa said:

It does seem pretty pointless (no pun intended) unless you're deliberately trying to waste a day.

I think travelling by train will be interesting for tourists, a day out is possible, albeit with a rather early start.

I was hoping for a service that would enable me to get to Bangkok and back for the odd trip, with secure parking for the the bike at the Pattaya North Station. The bus can sometimes take as long depending on who wants dropping off where however much it takes one off the route.

19 hours ago, InMyShadow said:

Unsuspecting tourists who paid $70 for a 30 minute trip from there home town to their airport are not even going to blink at a $7 CAB FAR INTO PATTAYA. Why do busted arsed expats seem to think tourists are in the same financial boat?

Who are these "busted arse expats" being refered to? Without names or specific examples, this appears only to be a rudely worded opinion. 

 

I have no idea what people pay for trips to the airport, unless it is a specific and verified example. Otherwise, blanket statements concerning such things are without merit.

 

By the way, CAPS denotes shouting in forums such as this. 

You can pay 170 baht to ride the train and 200 baht to enter the floating market...Unless your Thai then you get into the floating market free...

23 hours ago, webfact said:

Thanongsak said the SRT expected that 80 to 90 per cent of seats would be sold.

Well I hope it get's more ridership than the current daily train to and from Rayong;  that has no passengers

 

I see it twice a day going and return and have yet to see any passengers 

18 hours ago, hansnl said:

It isn't about being in the same financial boat, it is about overcharging!

But it seems this is far out of your sphere of comprehension.

some people don't care cause whatever thai people charge it is probably considered reasonable or a bargain in their home country.

 

taxi service is at least 300 baht and up converted from US dollars in the US... not to mention when some people travel on vacation they are way more liberal when spending money because they are in Thailand to have fun not pinch a penny.  

 

massage parlors could probably charge up to 500 baht an hour to a tourist and they wont care... while you think this might be a rip off in the US it would easily cost double that.

 

I have a few friends who visit Bangkok twice a year and they tip 100 baht I keep telling them that's allot but they just shrug off my advice.

 

IE tourist is partially to blame for the double pricing.

 

Edited March 14, 20188 yr by speckio

Well I hope it get's more ridership than the current daily train to and from Rayong;  that has no passengers
 
I see it twice a day going and return and have yet to see any passengers 

I see it too but it does occasionally have a (very) few passengers.

On ‎13‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 12:08 PM, johng said:

 

There are 2 stops near the tourist strip    "North Pattaya, Pattaya Floating Market"

of course the train doesn't  go to to Soi BuaKhow or Walking street. 

See Prayut have it changed under section 44 it states  and I quote: Under section 44 rule 44 and subsection 44  admendment 69  This act includes diversion of railway network for the convience of patrons, pisspots and sex maniac's.......................................

Edited March 14, 20188 yr by chainarong

With his article 44 he could/can do anything he wishes...in effect he granted himself absolute power !

23 hours ago, zaphod reborn said:

Even adding a Friday night train would be a big boost.  Most Bangkokians would not want to miss the Friday night fun in Pattaya, so the bus or private car will still be the best option for the weekend escape.

Or MRT to Airport then express bus Pattaya near. Theppasit. 

17 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

You are correct mate. see at 1:23. Anorak for rainy season surely?

http://enacademic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/509255#Overseas_sales

 

 

By the sound of the track in that portion anyway, they don't use welded rail