Express Train From Bkk To Chiang Mai - Need To Book?

[healthcaretaker]

I cannot recall a single crash of a plane or train in the past decade here.

Plane Crash in Thailand Leaves 89 Dead: http://www.foxnews.c...,296946,00.html

Pilot killed in Thai plane crash: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8182962.stm

and don't forget (though not in last decade)

100 die in Thailand plane crash: http://www.cbc.ca/ne...rash981211.html

Thank you for the reply.

[soblue2001]

I must admit when I saw the suggestions for a bus, my 1st thought was about the crashes I've read about, mainly on here and other forums.

A bigger factor though was sadly I'm a smoker, and I know I can jump out between carriages for a quick fix.

Relieved I got it all booked now anyway.

[skills32]

You want to play golf?

The Chiang Mai social golfers club play every Mon at Lanna. Just google them and find all the details.

Just rock up to Lanna Golf Cuub on a Mon before 8 am and look for the expats.

Usually 30 t or hit off each week in allotted groups..

[soblue2001]

You want to play golf?

The Chiang Mai social golfers club play every Mon at Lanna. Just google them and find all the details.

Just rock up to Lanna Golf Cuub on a Mon before 8 am and look for the expats.

Usually 30 t or hit off each week in allotted groups..

thanks Skills32 - very kind of you. Bookmarked in my head and will check it out.

I'm known as the worst 12 handicap in Scotland. Look forward to being worst 12 handicap in Asia!!

[millwall_fan]

Thanks for all responses - plenty of good advice ta.

My plane arrives BKK from Dubai 6-40 pm, hence wanting / being stuck with the last train. Didnt think I'd make it to train station to get the 7.35pm one.

I'm prob 30 kilos luggage and golf clubs (if anyone fancies a game??), hence much cheaper to get on a train.

Nancy L - I did try google prior to posting question and the train site poorly translated from Thai to English - couldn't get my head around it. One train station was called Dutch Cigarettes and another was called I punched her!!!!

I have a contact in CM and I've asked them to try to book the last train.

I'll have a look at Orient Thai -ta -the others were no use, and Chris - I'm hoping you are right - thats prob what I'll go for.

How booked can the last train be on a Tuesday nite? Worst comes to worst I'll just grab a seat.

Thanks all.

Hi Soblue,

I run a pub and many recently arriving travellers have told me that the trains are often 4 or 5 hours late on arrival in Chiang Mai due to having to move at snails pace over track patched together after the flooding last year. So bring a good book! If you want to play golf, call in at The Olde Bell British Pub on Loi kroh Rd and I should be able to fix you up with some golfing partners!

Hope you enjoy your time in Chiang Mai.

[NancyL]

Gosh, Pedr, they're only 4 or 5 hrs late now? They were routinely that late before the flooding.

As mentioned, it's definitely not a good way to travel if you're in a hurry and/or trying to keep an appointment on the other end. However, they do seem to leave the first station on time.

We just took the 3rd class "milk run" last weekend to and from Lampang. They managed to turn what was "advertised" as a 2 hr trip into 4.5 hrs. Part of the problem was that the train going down to Lampang couldn't "going over the hump" at the tunnel and we had to wait for a locomotive to come from the south to pull us over the ridge. The return train was more than adequately powered and really sailed along, even going up to the tunnel. I was actually concerned that it may have been going too fast. But, it had to pull over three times into a siding to wait for a higher-class express train to pass since most of the route is a single track.

We had a nice weekend in Lampang and L-O-T-S of time to look at the countryside during the daytime train trips.

[uptheos]

We had a nice weekend in Lampang and L-O-T-S of time to look at the countryside during the daytime train trips.

Are those horse and carriages still operating there?

[NancyL]

We had a nice weekend in Lampang and L-O-T-S of time to look at the countryside during the daytime train trips.

Are those horse and carriages still operating there?

Yup! Nice little town. Rode bicycles all around. Hubby said something about "gee, maybe I'll get a bicycle in Chiang Mai." He changed his mind in the song thaew on the way back home from the train station! Bumper-to-bumper on a Sunday afternoon.

[soblue2001]

Thanks for all responses - plenty of good advice ta.

My plane arrives BKK from Dubai 6-40 pm, hence wanting / being stuck with the last train. Didnt think I'd make it to train station to get the 7.35pm one.

I'm prob 30 kilos luggage and golf clubs (if anyone fancies a game??), hence much cheaper to get on a train.

Nancy L - I did try google prior to posting question and the train site poorly translated from Thai to English - couldn't get my head around it. One train station was called Dutch Cigarettes and another was called I punched her!!!!

I have a contact in CM and I've asked them to try to book the last train.

I'll have a look at Orient Thai -ta -the others were no use, and Chris - I'm hoping you are right - thats prob what I'll go for.

How booked can the last train be on a Tuesday nite? Worst comes to worst I'll just grab a seat.

Thanks all.

Hi Soblue,

I run a pub and many recently arriving travellers have told me that the trains are often 4 or 5 hours late on arrival in Chiang Mai due to having to move at snails pace over track patched together after the flooding last year. So bring a good book! If you want to play golf, call in at The Olde Bell British Pub on Loi kroh Rd and I should be able to fix you up with some golfing partners!

Hope you enjoy your time in Chiang Mai.

Hi - yeah, I know your pub, and met you a few times last year. Gave you a good review on tripadvisor!! My brother sometimes frequents your pub as well...Southampton fan? Sure you know him.

Cheers for heads up about slow train.

Thanks for all advice.

[millwall_fan]

Thanks for all responses - plenty of good advice ta.

My plane arrives BKK from Dubai 6-40 pm, hence wanting / being stuck with the last train. Didnt think I'd make it to train station to get the 7.35pm one.

I'm prob 30 kilos luggage and golf clubs (if anyone fancies a game??), hence much cheaper to get on a train.

Nancy L - I did try google prior to posting question and the train site poorly translated from Thai to English - couldn't get my head around it. One train station was called Dutch Cigarettes and another was called I punched her!!!!

I have a contact in CM and I've asked them to try to book the last train.

I'll have a look at Orient Thai -ta -the others were no use, and Chris - I'm hoping you are right - thats prob what I'll go for.

How booked can the last train be on a Tuesday nite? Worst comes to worst I'll just grab a seat.

Thanks all.

Hi Soblue,

I run a pub and many recently arriving travellers have told me that the trains are often 4 or 5 hours late on arrival in Chiang Mai due to having to move at snails pace over track patched together after the flooding last year. So bring a good book! If you want to play golf, call in at The Olde Bell British Pub on Loi kroh Rd and I should be able to fix you up with some golfing partners!

Hope you enjoy your time in Chiang Mai.

Hi - yeah, I know your pub, and met you a few times last year. Gave you a good review on tripadvisor!! My brother sometimes frequents your pub as well...Southampton fan? Sure you know him.

Cheers for heads up about slow train.

Thanks for all advice.

Hi soblue,

I remember meeting you now! - I haven't seen David for a week or two - I put that down to Millwall beating Southampton in the cup and him not wanting me to pay him back for gloating over Saints victories over us last season!!

I can put you in touch with some golfers or as Skills32 says there's always Chiang Mai Social Golfers. Good bunch of guys. Hope to see you when you (eventually) get here!

[daoyai]

Has anyone taken the BKK-CM train lately... is it really arriving 4-5 hours late?

Edited February 19, 2012 by daoyai

[NancyL]

Has anyone taken the BKK-CM train lately... is it really arriving 4-5 hours late?

That's kind of "the norm", although I must admit I haven't taken the entire route lately. I doubt it's gotten any better in the past few months. I L-O-V-E the train and always take it in going to Bangkok, to the puzzlement of many of my friends. It's an instant in-country vacation; something I don't experience in my nomal everyday expat Chiang Mai retiree life. Plus, I get caught up on magazines! Just sit back and enjoy. Nice people bring you ice cold beer! The food is OK. The light is good enough for reading. The sheets are clean and (so far) I haven't gotten bedbugs. It's cheaper than a night in a Bangkok hotel. What more would you like? Life is good.

[hml367]

Like most other things in Thailand, try it first before making a long term commitment. Of course with a train/airplane/bus trip, you don't really have to make a long term commitment.

I don't think I would ever ride the train to Bangkok again. I don't go that often so it is economical enough for me to fly if I ever have to go.

MSPain

[Ricardo]

I took it CM-Bangkok about a year ago, and it was 2 hours late into Hualumpong, but who's in any rush ?

Given the recent floods, and likely-damage to the line, I can quite believe that delays may currently be worse than normal !

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Has anyone taken the BKK-CM train lately... is it really arriving 4-5 hours late?

No. Especially not the special express trains. Those only arrive 1-2 hours late. Not that it matters much; if speed is a concern then fly.

[OldeBellPedr]

You guys have about summed it up: If you want a relaxing amble through the countryside with a good book and a few magazines helped along with a few beers and have no pressing engagements in Bangkok, or if you have lots of heavy baggage, then the train is definitely the way to go. If you have a pressing need to get to Bangers, then as Winnie say: fly!

[healthcaretaker]

Just curious, travelling between BKK - CM, more people fly, train or bus ? From this thread's forumers, bus will be the least but how about generally overall ? I see so many buses going this route at the bus stations departing throughout the day till night. Are they used mostly by locals ?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Just curious, travelling between BKK - CM, more people fly, train or bus ? From this thread's forumers, bus will be the least but how about generally overall ? I see so many buses going this route at the bus stations departing throughout the day till night. Are they used mostly by locals ?

Most resident expats would fly. However when you're travelling in Thailand or fairly recently here and you still want to see something of the country and experience it with your feet on the ground, then going by rail at least once is a good experience. Also because of the nice views in between Lamphun and Lampang, if you plan it so that you will pass that area by daylight.

Many locals also fly of course, especially with the price of air travel coming down so strongly with increased competition through budget airlines. I mean, look around any plane, and notice that locals outnumber tourists or expats by vast numbers, probably by a bigger margin than on special express trains!

Buses... some foreigners take them, but to be honest air-travel is so cheap these days that it's hardly worth it.