Bangkok To Singapore By Train.

[roamer]

This thread has given me something to look forward too when I get back to Thailand, might try the Bangkok to Saigon route though. Thanks Sent from my LT26i using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Me too, but I might wait for them to build it yet

Joking, I presume your talking about the overland trip, thinking about it myself.

[ChinChanGamble]

This thread has given me something to look forward too when I get back to Thailand, might try the Bangkok to Saigon route though. Thanks Sent from my LT26i using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Me too, but I might wait for them to build it yet

Joking, I presume your talking about the overland trip, thinking about it myself.

Yeah going through Cambodia, want to visit Vietnam again and haven't been to Cambodia yet so to me this would be a great trip.

Sent from my LT26i using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Joe Mamma]

A lovely little scale train with box lunches and a great rolling view.

You can trace the path the Japanese took during WW2 on their bicycle sortie thru the Malay peninsula to capture Singapore, where the British had the big guns facing the sea, the expected direction of attack!

[my friend I]

I remember crossing at Sungai Kolok in the past but long way back now. We didn't change, filtered out the train, stamped passport and all back on again.

That's odd, as Sungai Kolok isnt a station, its a terminal. Its the end of the line. There is no railway track across the border to Malaysia from there. You have to pick up a completely different line in Malaysia several kilometers away.

Sungai Kolok used to be a border station ^^ " long way back now" as Padang Basar is on the west coast. Too much onion, palm oil and cookie smuggling. The station was then moved about 1/2 a mile to the north.

[johnmtjames]

Great trip, I have done both the inland train, which is slow, and the KL route from Johor Malaysia just across the causeway from Singa as another post mentioned it is far cheaper. Went KL, changed train, Butterworth, went to Penang, catch train Thai railways at Butterworth next morning Bangkok, Caught another train and next morning Chiang Mai ! Loved ever minute of it. 2nd class all the way

Have a good trip

[Razzler1973]

I remember crossing at Sungai Kolok in the past but long way back now. We didn't change, filtered out the train, stamped passport and all back on again.

That's odd, as Sungai Kolok isnt a station, its a terminal. Its the end of the line. There is no railway track across the border to Malaysia from there. You have to pick up a completely different line in Malaysia several kilometers away.

That's then, not sure we changed trains at the border, specifically remember leaving heavy baggage on the train as we went for stamping and then getting back on. We crossed at Sungai Kolok but maybe not that 'station' then but can't remember which one it was

Was only going Penang at that time and don't remember switching. On the way back too, similar thing

[harrry]

I remember crossing at Sungai Kolok in the past but long way back now. We didn't change, filtered out the train, stamped passport and all back on again.

That's odd, as Sungai Kolok isnt a station, its a terminal. Its the end of the line. There is no railway track across the border to Malaysia from there. You have to pick up a completely different line in Malaysia several kilometers away.

That's then, not sure we changed trains at the border, specifically remember leaving heavy baggage on the train as we went for stamping and then getting back on. We crossed at Sungai Kolok but maybe not that 'station' then but can't remember which one it was

Was only going Penang at that time and don't remember switching. On the way back too, similar thing

THat would be going via HatYai and PadangBesar not the East Coast line.

[harrry]

I remember crossing at Sungai Kolok in the past but long way back now. We didn't change, filtered out the train, stamped passport and all back on again.

40 years ago Sungia Kolok was a terminal.

The malasian train started at Kota Baru.

[Phronesis]

Why would anyone except a masochist or perhaps a sadomasochist with way too much time on his hands want to do that? Oh wait, this is Thailand.

The same reason my wife and I plan on travelling from London to Vladivostok by train, and then through Japan - Vietnam, and

back to Thailand. Train travel is a wonderful way to see a country - a continent. All you need is money, time and a sense of adventure.

Good Lord...what (other than the food and toilets) is adventurous about travel by rail?

I rode from Butterworth to BKK by rail 28 years ago and made the near fatal mistake of eating food from the dining car.

Shortly after my arrival in BKK I was hospitalised for two weeks with acute giardiasis.

[harrry]

Why would anyone except a masochist or perhaps a sadomasochist with way too much time on his hands want to do that? Oh wait, this is Thailand.

The same reason my wife and I plan on travelling from London to Vladivostok by train, and then through Japan - Vietnam, and
back to Thailand. Train travel is a wonderful way to see a country - a continent. All you need is money, time and a sense of adventure.

Good Lord...what (other than the food and toilets) is adventurous about travel by rail?

I rode from Butterworth to BKK by rail 28 years ago and made the near fatal mistake of eating food from the dining car.

Shortly after my arrival in BKK I was hospitalised for two weeks with acute giardiasis.

Look at the bright side. All those loverly nurses.

[itchybum]

Do they have 4 berth bunks, for families.

Would be a nice trip to Singapore stopping along the way for a day or three.

[HeavyDrinker]

Kananga's suggestion is a good one and a nice alternative from the usual Sing/KL/Butterworth/BKK route.

The only snag is that the KTM are considering closing the 'jungle railway' so do it while you can!

The train line indeed once linked Sungai Kolok to Tumpat however the Japanese ripped it up in WWII so unless you are really old I doubt anyone has traveled that route...

[lujanit]

This topic has had a few days to run, yet I am not sure what the recommendations are? Thanks to all the positive respondents. The jungle route is interesting notwithstanding potential terrorists. Anyone has actually completed this trip? Some first hand experience would be helpful. Thank-you. BTW I am not travelling until June. Some research is necessary from my point of view. I want to make it an enjoyable trip and I hope my feedback will help others considering the same adventure

[Kananga]

This topic has had a few days to run, yet I am not sure what the recommendations are? Thanks to all the positive respondents. The jungle route is interesting notwithstanding potential terrorists. Anyone has actually completed this trip? Some first hand experience would be helpful. Thank-you. BTW I am not travelling until June. Some research is necessary from my point of view. I want to make it an enjoyable trip and I hope my feedback will help others considering the same adventure

Yes I have done it. Although the other way round from Singapore to Bangkok. Its a nice trip. Its more the palm oil plantation line now as much of the jungle has been cleared. The afternoon train departing Sungai Kolok to Bangkok has some wonderful scenery.

[Lakegeneve]

This topic has had a few days to run, yet I am not sure what the recommendations are? Thanks to all the positive respondents. The jungle route is interesting notwithstanding potential terrorists. Anyone has actually completed this trip? Some first hand experience would be helpful. Thank-you. BTW I am not travelling until June. Some research is necessary from my point of view. I want to make it an enjoyable trip and I hope my feedback will help others considering the same adventure

Seems that you have many recommendations.

I'd give the Hat Yai to SK line a miss. The last bombing incident on 18 Nov 2012 killed 3 and injured 35 - wanted to post you a pic but this thread won't allow. The line does have heavy security, track is checked daily and the majority of services run without incident, however it is a risk best to be avoided when you have a better option.

The SRT dep director stated last year that there has been over 100 incidents - bombings and shootings - in the last 6/7 years on this line. Why take the risk?

As a basic plan I'd break the journey up as the scheduling basically dictates. Stick to the International Express, BKK to Butterworth. Ferry across to Penang and check out the Penang Hillside Railway for the afternoon. O/N in Penang then take the afternoon service to Ipoh which has a beautiful station and is worth a look. (From Ipoh you can bus up to the Highlands). Ipoh to KL now has numerous Express services since the line was upgraded last year. Stay in KL a night or two and explore then take the O/N service to Singers (Woodlands).

[Kananga]

This topic has had a few days to run, yet I am not sure what the recommendations are? Thanks to all the positive respondents. The jungle route is interesting notwithstanding potential terrorists. Anyone has actually completed this trip? Some first hand experience would be helpful. Thank-you. BTW I am not travelling until June. Some research is necessary from my point of view. I want to make it an enjoyable trip and I hope my feedback will help others considering the same adventure

I'd give the Hat Yai to SK line a miss. The last bombing incident on 18 Nov 2012 killed 3 and injured 35 - wanted to post you a pic but this thread won't allow. The line does have heavy security, track is checked daily and the majority of services run without incident, however it is a risk best to be avoided when you have a better option.

Still statistically far safer than spending the same amount of time in a minibus on any of Thailand's roads...

[Razzler1973]

THat would be going via HatYai and PadangBesar not the East Coast line.

You may be right there, sir

Anyway, point was we didn't change and filtered off the train for stamping and then back on and it was all easy. That much is true

[Lakegeneve]

This topic has had a few days to run, yet I am not sure what the recommendations are? Thanks to all the positive respondents. The jungle route is interesting notwithstanding potential terrorists. Anyone has actually completed this trip? Some first hand experience would be helpful. Thank-you. BTW I am not travelling until June. Some research is necessary from my point of view. I want to make it an enjoyable trip and I hope my feedback will help others considering the same adventure

I'd give the Hat Yai to SK line a miss. The last bombing incident on 18 Nov 2012 killed 3 and injured 35 - wanted to post you a pic but this thread won't allow. The line does have heavy security, track is checked daily and the majority of services run without incident, however it is a risk best to be avoided when you have a better option.

Still statistically far safer than spending the same amount of time in a minibus on any of Thailand's roads...

Unfortunately, I honestly doubt that as much as I would agree with the sentiment on the dangers of vans.

I'd love to think that is the case but if you statistically compared the number of derailments/accidents per trip compared to either vans or buses I really think that trains would most likely figure much worse in thailand. Think about the number of vans trips daily which number into the many thousands and compare that to SRT trips which number in the dozens. A pax per km comparison would probably fare far worse for trains.

I bet you didn't know that there have been a reported 887 accidents at railway crossings in the last 6 years which have killed 297 and injured 979. This is just railway crossing incidents and excludes the major accidents on the network nor incidents on the HY to SK, both of which get the headlines. Every week there is a derailment somewhere on the network - the Nam Tok line is so bad that trains basically derail a couple of times a month.

The network has been degraded and allowed to run down without significant investment for the last 5 decades. Belatedly, and finally it is being upgraded but that will take time. However, no matter how much romantic love one has for the railways we should not be wear rose coloured glasses about the reality of the state of the network nor its safety record. It is appalling!

[HeavyDrinker]

I'd rather be on several hundred tons of train rattling gently through the country than a minivan driven by a M150 fueled bloke, picking his nose/testicles every 10 minutes along the way...

[Razzler1973]

I LOVE the train, just like being able to sit down and also be able to move about, toilet is there, no endless stops for food and toilet breaks. I can brush my teeth by the sink. There is tons of food and drinks available at every station and the seats are actually pretty large. Got my own window too

Love it!

[masuk]

A lovely little scale train with box lunches and a great rolling view.

You can trace the path the Japanese took during WW2 on their bicycle sortie thru the Malay peninsula to capture Singapore, where the British had the big guns facing the sea, the expected direction of attack!

Those big guns did actually rotate, and fired at the Japanese coming in from the north, but anti-ship armour piercing shells which buried deep into the ground before exploding were not a lot of use.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. This isn't about the train line in Cambodia.

[Lakegeneve]

This thread has given me something to look forward too when I get back to Thailand, might try the Bangkok to Saigon route though. Thanks Sent from my LT26i using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Me too, but I might wait for them to build it yet

Joking, I presume your talking about the overland trip, thinking about it myself.

Yeah going through Cambodia, want to visit Vietnam again and haven't been to Cambodia yet so to me this would be a great trip.

Sent from my LT26i using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

As was previously stated, you can take a train from Singapore to KL, then to BKK via Butterworth. Then you can train to Aranyaprathet 6km, from the Cambodia border but that is as far as you can go. (Tender has just been awarded to rebuilt the section to the border by 2016)

However, the cambodia line is currently being rehabilitated probably to be finished in 2014/15. A new line between PP and HCM will be built probably in around 7-8 yrs.

So you are a good 10 years away from being able to do the the SE section of the TAR (Trans Asia Railway) which will mean that you can eventually travel from Singapore to Northern Vietnam and then onwards to China.

[gan]

Hi Lujanit and the rest,

How was your trip ?. I am also having the same intention of travelling first class to HatYai from Bangkok and then hop over to the seated cabin to Arau where Ill head to Langkawi. I am wondering do I have to pay twice or is there a way to buy first class to hatyai and then pay for the seated portion to Arau.

Read the seat61, awesome site helped me decide many things. Also the online service for thai rail is down/delayed/etc. So I just dropped an enquiry to thailandtrainticket.com. I also dropping a query here for the people's experience and to share.

This is my first post here as this is my first trip what involves Thailand. Ill be travelling with my wife and our 3yr old. She tends to get cranky and thus the privacy. Im not looking into Oriental Express or buses or flights.

Hope to get some informational replies.

Cheers all,

Gan