Train To Lamphun/Lampang

[WinnieTheKhwai]

My kids have never been in a train before, so with the temperatures very nice now I thought it nice as a day trip experience to take a local train to Lamphun (Kun Tan) or Lampang, then walk around there a bit and then grab a train back.

But I'm not sure if trains are running yet, as there is still some flooding around Bangkok? Does anyone know if trains are running at least Chiang Mai to Lampang or Den Chai / Phitsanulok?

[Lifer]

Believe their is only one local train leaving CM in morning at about 9:20 making a stop in Lamphun, then to Lampang making a stop at a station or two along the way. The return is around 1 to 1:30. My Thai Niece, living with us, and wife's mother take it back and forth. It has been running for some time now. Best to check with the train station for exact schedule in case it changes without notice.

The express trains do not stop at these stations, so I'm told. Hope this helps.

[kennkate]

I can recomend the trip. My wife is from Lamphun. We did the trip for the same reason kids had not been on the train.

Goes thru a tunnel and it's nice seneary We got the normal Slow train there and the Express back.

The Station just before the tunnel is pretty.

The slow train is Slow. I wont forget asking my wife what time it got to Lampang, her reply "Tomorow"

Depends what time you can start but you wount have a lot of time in Lampang. Enjoy your trip

[asanee]

The express trains do not stop at these stations, so I'm told. Hope this helps.

Not true-Lamphun maybe not, but LPng is a stop for each and every train. The expresses get an extra car and loco added there-for the mountian ride=south of Lampang

Currently-indeed due to floods, many trains are either cancelled (mainly the BKK expresses) or shortened in route=the local all stops only 3d class (free for Thai-but still not overcrwded-due to their extremely slow and uncomfy rides). On railway.co.th there are times and notes/updates-only in Thai. FROM Lampang do not trust any timings-all heavily delayed.

That 9.20/.30 or so is the BKK-bound sprinter= a bus on rails, with a very high surcharge for short distance.

Of course you can always come back by bus-ev 10 mins Lamphun,ev 30 mins or more Lampang, the road from Lampang is quite nice too.

[Ricardo]

We've done this as a day-trip, 3rd-class rail-car both ways gives you a look at real life for normal people, and is fun IMO. But I like trains !

If only there was a steam-hauled tourist-train, doing this route with a leisurely breakfast on the way down & cream-tea on the return, as it snorts its way up the mountain-side & through the tunnel !

We found the horse/carriage tour of Lampang fun too, your kids might enjoy it, mine did, and there's a nice museum in an old Thai wooden-house by the river !

Perhaps wiser to wait a month or two, until full-service has been resumed, though.

[trainman34014]

We've done this as a day-trip, 3rd-class rail-car both ways gives you a look at real life for normal people, and is fun IMO. But I like trains !

If only there was a steam-hauled tourist-train, doing this route with a leisurely breakfast on the way down & cream-tea on the return, as it snorts its way up the mountain-side & through the tunnel !

We found the horse/carriage tour of Lampang fun too, your kids might enjoy it, mine did, and there's a nice museum in an old Thai wooden-house by the river !

Perhaps wiser to wait a month or two, until full-service has been resumed, though.

Now you're talking good stuff ! Bring back live steam !!

[Lifer]

The express trains do not stop at these stations, so I'm told. Hope this helps.

Not true-Lamphun maybe not, but LPng is a stop for each and every train. The expresses get an extra car and loco added there-for the mountian ride=south of Lampang

Currently-indeed due to floods, many trains are either cancelled (mainly the BKK expresses) or shortened in route=the local all stops only 3d class (free for Thai-but still not overcrwded-due to their extremely slow and uncomfy rides). On railway.co.th there are times and notes/updates-only in Thai. FROM Lampang do not trust any timings-all heavily delayed.

That 9.20/.30 or so is the BKK-bound sprinter= a bus on rails, with a very high surcharge for short distance.

Of course you can always come back by bus-ev 10 mins Lamphun,ev 30 mins or more Lampang, the road from Lampang is quite nice too.

All of this unnecessary. Poster was talking about a day trip between CM and Lampang. My post addressed the day time train to Lampang and back. My post was information for that daytime trip. I have family members who take this train all the time. My wife and I also take this train occasionally.

[sfokevin]

I just got back from an overnight weekend in Lampang. We took the train. We took the morning express at 8:45 (There are two types of trains the local & express.... The local(9:20) is basic an free to Thai/20 baht farrang...It is slower as it makes stops and has no assigned seats, no AC and most importantly the seats are made for Thai sized bodies ;-)...) We opted for the earlier 2nd class Express which was 50 baht with AC, assigned seats with reclining seats with padding!...

We arrived at Lampang at just after 11am... There are a bunch of songtows just outside the train station who all charge 20baht a person to go within the city... We went to a wonderful guesthouse right on the river in the Suan Dok area (500 baht a night - Google "riverside guesthouse lampang" make sure to get a room that has a balcony that faces the river)... On Saturday and Sunday nights there is a typical Thai walking street on the street that runs parallel to the river (Thannon Mit Kasem... We had diner at a wonderful Thai place called "Aroy One Baht" which is one block up on the corner of the one way street called Tichang and Mit Kasem (Sit upstairs ;-))... After diner continue away from the river on Mit Kasem and the Horse drawn carriages hang out - 200 baht for a nice 1 hour loop. The hotel also gave us a great map of the city that showed the places to visit - Old Thai styles house across the river and we rented a motorbike and went to a couple Wats too... We returned the next day Sunday on the 6:08 evening train and was back in Chiang Mai at 8:30...

We did it as an overnight but a day trip is very doable.... 8:45 depart & 6:08 return... Songtow to Thannon Mit Kasem, walk down the street cross the river to the UNESCO Wat & Old Thai House come back across the river for late lunch at Aroy One Baht and then a carriage ride...

[trainman34014]

I just got back from an overnight weekend in Lampang. We took the train. We took the morning express at 8:45 (There are two types of trains the local & express.... The local(9:20) is basic an free to Thai/20 baht farrang...It is slower as it makes stops and has no assigned seats, no AC and most importantly the seats are made for Thai sized bodies ;-)...) We opted for the earlier 2nd class Express which was 50 baht with AC, assigned seats with reclining seats with padding!...

We arrived at Lampang at just after 11am... There are a bunch of songtows just outside the train station who all charge 20baht a person to go within the city... We went to a wonderful guesthouse right on the river in the Suan Dok area (500 baht a night - Google "riverside guesthouse lampang" make sure to get a room that has a balcony that faces the river)... On Saturday and Sunday nights there is a typical Thai walking street on the street that runs parallel to the river (Thannon Mit Kasem... We had diner at a wonderful Thai place called "Aroy One Baht" which is one block up on the corner of the one way street called Tichang and Mit Kasem (Sit upstairs ;-))... After diner continue away from the river on Mit Kasem and the Horse drawn carriages hang out - 200 baht for a nice 1 hour loop. The hotel also gave us a great map of the city that showed the places to visit - Old Thai styles house across the river and we rented a motorbike and went to a couple Wats too... We returned the next day Sunday on the 6:08 evening train and was back in Chiang Mai at 8:30...

We did it as an overnight but a day trip is very doable.... 8:45 depart & 6:08 return... Songtow to Thannon Mit Kasem, walk down the street cross the river to the UNESCO Wat & Old Thai House come back across the river for late lunch at Aroy One Baht and then a carriage ride...

Thanks for the heads-up stokevin, that's a nice sounding couple of days. We will certainly give that a go.

[jingjoke]

^^ Thank you for your insight on a Lampang trip which I will use shortly for visiting family, and for myself too. It sounds great. Cheers