Where To Go For A Weekend Outside Bangkok

[janeweller]

anyone any suggestions of places to visit outside bangkok as i work there but find it to busy ihave weekends off and am new to thailand so would like to see some places i have to use public transport

[phetphet]

Beach or culture?

Koh Samet is a nice weekend break, though this time of year, the weather is a big consideration.

[PattayaPhom]

Yep, bus from Sai Tai or Minibus from Victory Monument, cheap rooms from 250.....Pattaya also.......dont be put off by its reputation, has changed a lot in the past few years..

[impulse]

The 120 Baht weekend only tourist train to the Bridge on the River Kwai is the best tourism deal I have ever experienced anywhere. It leaves Hua Lamphong at 6:30 AM on Saturday and Sunday and gets back about 9:00 PM, same day.

One suggestion- get off the train at the bridge and pick it up again on its way back to Bangkok- The incremental "fun" of the rest of the trip isn't worth the time on the train. The waterfall isn't that spectacular. I'd have rather spent more time at the cemetery and museum- very moving.

Take the train out on Saturday, stay at a hotel near the bridge and take Sunday's train back to town and you've got the makings of a cheap and memorable (in a good way) weekend.

More info:

http://www.seat61.co...-River-Kwai.htm

Not a plug for the travel service- I just bought my ticket at the station an hour beforehand. The train was fun, relatively comfortable and uncrowded.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

The 120 Baht weekend only tourist train to the Bridge on the River Kwai is the best tourism deal I have ever experienced anywhere. It leaves Hua Lamphong at 6:30 AM on Saturday and Sunday and gets back about 9:00 PM, same day.

One suggestion- get off the train at the bridge and pick it up again on its way back to Bangkok- The incremental "fun" of the rest of the trip isn't worth the time on the train. The waterfall isn't that spectacular. I'd have rather spent more time at the cemetery and museum- very moving.

Take the train out on Saturday, stay at a hotel near the bridge and take Sunday's train back to town and you've got the makings of a cheap and memorable (in a good way) weekend.

More info:

http://www.seat61.co...-River-Kwai.htm

Not a plug for the travel service- I just bought my ticket at the station an hour beforehand. The train was fun, relatively comfortable and uncrowded.

This sounds excellent, thanks for the info

[WilliaminBKK]

River Kwai is amazing - I love it and I can't help myself whistling the tune

[smokie36]

Ayutthaya

[ambwi81]

If interested any water sport the try http://www.thaiwakepark.com

[janeweller]

thanks guys for all the suggestions real help cheers

[richard_smith237]

Ayutthaya: Easy bus transport from Bkk, plenty to see with ease of tuk tuks etc.

Kanchanaburi: Easy bus transport from Bkk, plenty to see with ease of tuk tuks etc.

Koh Samet: Easy bus transport from Bkk, ferry across to the island from Ban Pae peer, plent of social activities on the island, good night life.

Koh Chang: A little further, perhaps too far from Bkk for a weekend.

Hua Hin & Cha-am: Easy bus transport from Bkk, local transport available.

Khao Yai: Difficult by public transport, but work a visit - You'd really need to consider hiring a car or driver if you wish to go there.

Also:

Plenty of places are also within reach of a quick hop on a cheap flight:

Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Krabi etc

[sotsira]

The 120 Baht weekend only tourist train to the Bridge on the River Kwai is the best tourism deal I have ever experienced anywhere. It leaves Hua Lamphong at 6:30 AM on Saturday and Sunday and gets back about 9:00 PM, same day.

One suggestion- get off the train at the bridge and pick it up again on its way back to Bangkok- The incremental "fun" of the rest of the trip isn't worth the time on the train. The waterfall isn't that spectacular. I'd have rather spent more time at the cemetery and museum- very moving.

Take the train out on Saturday, stay at a hotel near the bridge and take Sunday's train back to town and you've got the makings of a cheap and memorable (in a good way) weekend.

More info:

http://www.seat61.co...-River-Kwai.htm

Not a plug for the travel service- I just bought my ticket at the station an hour beforehand. The train was fun, relatively comfortable and uncrowded.

The only downside is that this isn't the real bridge over the River Kwai as it was blown up during the war.

I recently saw a documentary on Nat Geo about this and it exposed the whole thing as a scam to lure tourists there,

apparently the bridge that everyone visits isn't even over the river Kwai either it's another river.

The part of the link above subtitled The Bridge over The River Kwai explains more.

[elektrified]

Cha Am is very nice and only 2 hours from BKK. Catch a mini-van at Victory Monument. White sand beaches for what 6? kilometers. Highly recommended.

[Kananga]

The 120 Baht weekend only tourist train to the Bridge on the River Kwai is the best tourism deal I have ever experienced anywhere. It leaves Hua Lamphong at 6:30 AM on Saturday and Sunday and gets back about 9:00 PM, same day.

One suggestion- get off the train at the bridge and pick it up again on its way back to Bangkok- The incremental "fun" of the rest of the trip isn't worth the time on the train. The waterfall isn't that spectacular. I'd have rather spent more time at the cemetery and museum- very moving.

Take the train out on Saturday, stay at a hotel near the bridge and take Sunday's train back to town and you've got the makings of a cheap and memorable (in a good way) weekend.

More info:

http://www.seat61.co...-River-Kwai.htm

Not a plug for the travel service- I just bought my ticket at the station an hour beforehand. The train was fun, relatively comfortable and uncrowded.

The only downside is that this isn't the real bridge over the River Kwai as it was blown up during the war.

I recently saw a documentary on Nat Geo about this and it exposed the whole thing as a scam to lure tourists there,

apparently the bridge that everyone visits isn't even over the river Kwai either it's another river.

The part of the link above subtitled The Bridge over The River Kwai explains more.

Thats not entirely correct. The bridge is the real bridge and only the two central spans were destroyed in 1945 and replaced with spans from Japan. The bridge is 100% original, and whether you feel that is still a scam doesnt take away from the fact that the war was very real, as were the atrocities caused by the Japanese or the sacrifices and hardships by the POW work force. Many tourists come to pay their respect for those who worked on the railway.

The mistake over the name of the river came from the author of the book who just looked at a map without doing any research. The river is actually the Mae Klung, and if the author had got the name correct there wouldnt be any need to change it.

Also note that the train to that area leaves from Thonburi railway terminal, not Hua Lumphong.