Are The Trains Usually Late?

[PeaceBlondie]

Earlier in October, I took the train to BKK to connect to Ayutthaya. The ticket salesman suggested I take the earlier train, like 3:50, because I wouldn't have enough time to connect to the northbound train in Bangkok. Well, that suggested 'earlier' train arrived in Hua Hin an hour later after the 4:10 train, and arrived in Bangkok almost two hours late. The only way I made my connection was to transfer at Bang Sue station, north of Bangkok, the junction for both northbound and southbound trains.

Then again, trying to connect southbound from Ayutthaya, the train was far too late arriving in Ayutt. to make connections. I took a bus to Don Muang, motosai taxi to Bang Sue, and barely made it. That train south to Hua Hin arrived over an hour late in Hua Hin, also.

So, next week, I'm going all the way to Butterworth and return. Question: will it arrive in Hua Hin from Bangkok late? Will it get to Butterworth much, much later than scheduled? And when I return, if the arrival time is 5:40 am in Hua Hin, can I expect to get home shortly before noon?

Thanks. I'm still new in Hua Hin, and am trying to figure out what modes of transport actually work.

Edited October 30, 2005 by PeaceBlondie

[troopie]

Local trains (as opposed to long-distance) are uniformly late. However, this only seems to happen as the trip progresses. The one time I mistakenly travelled from HH to BKK by train, we left dead on time but got there well over 90 minutes late. On the other hand, when I caught the train from HH to Butterworth, it left dead on time & arrived reasonably close to the scheduled time. So you seem to get what you pay for.

I suppose the moral of all this is -- make sure that you only catch the international trains, not the crowded, airless little locals! I haven't tried catching an international from here to BKK but it might be worth arranging your schedule to do so.

Earlier in October, I took the train to BKK to connect to Ayutthaya.  The ticket salesman suggested I take the earlier train, like 3:50, because I wouldn't have enough time to connect to the northbound train in Bangkok.  Well, that suggested 'earlier' train arrived in Hua Hin an hour later after the 4:10 train, and arrived in Bangkok almost two hours late.  The only way I made my connection was to transfer at Bang Sue station, north of Bangkok, the junction for both northbound and southbound trains.

Then again, trying to connect southbound from Ayutthaya, the train was far too late arriving in Ayutt.  to make connections.  I took a bus to Don Muang, motosai taxi to Bang Sue, and barely made it.  That train south to Hua Hin arrived over an hour late in Hua Hin, also.

So, next week, I'm going all the way to Butterworth and return.  Question: will it arrive in Hua Hin from Bangkok late?  Will it get to Butterworth much, much later than scheduled?  And when I return, if the arrival time is 5:40 am in Hua Hin, can I expect to get home shortly before noon?

Thanks.  I'm still new in Hua Hin, and am trying to figure out what modes of transport actually work.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>