mancub Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Simply ... Can I go in person and buy tickets 30 days in advance yet have those tickets issued for collection on the day of departure ?. This would be for friends arriving in Bkk and travelling to Chiang Mai . The reason I ask being, that I would be unable to meet them to give the tickets over to them . Any advice appreciated . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angsta Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 I doubt it. Are you and your friends fluent in Thai? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancub Posted October 21, 2013 Author Share Posted October 21, 2013 I doubt it. Are you and your friends fluent in Thai?Well, I am , but that would hardly help if the "system" doesn't allow for same-day collection. Yes ,I suppose I should try to phone them ,but was hoping to find some concrete info from someone who has actually experienced the practise. Thanks for replying ,anyway . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornishcarlos Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 I need to do exactly the same thing. Lets hope someone can give us a definite answer ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeijoshinCool Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 I can only speak for the train station in near Rhek Thum, as perhaps, like Immigration offices, others might make their own rules. Many people pay for their tickets and leave them at the station for others to collect. I've seen the station guy pull out a banded stack, with yellow notepaper on each ticket, bearing the passenger's name. Your other option is to buy the tickets and mail them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakegeneve Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 Any SRT ticket can be booked up to 60 days in advance. The online booking and system used to make it easy for your exact purpose but that is no more. Remember that the Northern line is currently closed for 45 days repair from Lampang to CM until the end of October which I expect to run into the 2nd week of November. Sometimes it pasy not to book too far ahead. People at smaller stations do pay leaving tickets for others later. However, I'm not sure about the larger stations, let alone Hualamphong! Why not just call the SRT help line 1690 and ask them, usually a little wait but they tend to be helpful. Then post your info here pls. Depending on when your friends plan to travel I'd wait another week before booking to see how the repairs are going. Also, are they not staying in BKK for 1 day or night, arriving at the airport and then straight off to CM on the train? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomatopo Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 (edited) You can purchase SRT tickets up to 60 days prior to departure, and at any station - it doesn't have to be the one you are departing from. Can you mail the tickets to your friends? Leave them at their hotel? Arrange to have them delivered to their hotel? I do not believe there is any formal mechanism in place to leave purchased tickets for a third party. As mentioned the tracks are being repaired, and some say this repair might take a lot longer than forecast, maybe even to the end of December, and as a bus is required to complete the journey between Uttaradit and Chiang Mai, very few people are taking the train. SO it may be relatively easy for your friends to purchase tickets themselves on the day of travel. A lot of the VIP bus services are running at capacity, and they are even adding capacity to cover this short-term demand. It might be best for your friends to arrange their own air travel given the relative price/performance factor? BKK-CNX on PG (Bangkok Airways) is 2,250 baht all in (Web Saver: one-way). (Train is ~ 850 baht, 2nd class air con, VIP/999 bus is ~ 880 baht). Thai Airways and Air Asia also service BKK/DMK-CNX. Edited October 22, 2013 by lomatopo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalangBaa Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 Are your friends masochists? Why would they want to do that when flying is so cheap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornishcarlos Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Are your friends masochists? Why would they want to do that when flying is so cheap? Because they are coming here for a good time, not a boring time... Some people enjoy a bit of adventure and uncertainty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomatopo Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 (edited) Some people enjoy a bit of adventure and uncertainty Are they flying to Thailand? If so, why? Sounds "boring". So walk to Chiang Mai? Now that would be adventurous and filled with uncertainty. Seriously, save the 12+ hours and utilize that time with an adventure in/near/around Chiang Mai. The trains to the north have derailed dozens of times, and while the SRT trains go so slowly - it is not unusual for the train to be 6+ hours late - they just flop over when they derail with no deaths. No one who has experienced a derailment considers it to be an adventure. http://thatbackpacker.com/2013/08/04/bangkok-chiang-mai-train-derailed-august-3/ Edited October 24, 2013 by lomatopo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my friend I Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 To buy a train ticket you need to show I.D. which is entered on the ticket so unlikely you could buy, or more than one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomatopo Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 (edited) To buy a train ticket you need to show I.D. which is entered on the ticket so unlikely you could buy, or more than one. Is this a new rule? Where, and when, have you encountered this requirement? I have purchased dozens of tickets, and witnessed travel agents purchasing thousands of tickets, for third parties without the need for an individual ID to be associated with each one. Edited October 25, 2013 by lomatopo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Like Thai Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Are your friends masochists? Why would they want to do that when flying is so cheap? Because they are coming here for a good time, not a boring time... Some people enjoy a bit of adventure and uncertainty But they can't buy their own train tickets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornishcarlos Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Are your friends masochists? Why would they want to do that when flying is so cheap?Because they are coming here for a good time, not a boring time... Some people enjoy a bit of adventure and uncertainty But they can't buy their own train tickets No smart ass, they can't... They arrive in the afternoon and want to get the train in the evening. Sleeper berths sell out well in advance, so the have to be purchased before hand. Any other pearls of wisdom from you ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomatopo Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 No smart ass, they can't... They arrive in the afternoon and want to get the train in the evening. They could connect to a flight at SBIA/BKK directly to CNX (on TG or PG), and essentially save 24 hours vs. schlepping into town to catch a train, and possibly bus, to Chiang Mai. For an adventure, they could take the bus/train back to Bangkok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my friend I Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 To buy a train ticket you need to show I.D. which is entered on the ticket so unlikely you could buy, or more than one. Is this a new rule? Where, and when, have you encountered this requirement? I have purchased dozens of tickets, and witnessed travel agents purchasing thousands of tickets, for third parties without the need for an individual ID to be associated with each one. Yes its a new rule this year. The first time was in Had Yai buying an advance sleeper ticket from BKK to Den Chai. When I asked about why the I.D. she showed me a notice in English. That was May. Also when I bought a ticket for the day express from P'lok to Ayudya. I bought the ticket the night before. That was in July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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