How full are sleeper trains?...Not online?....Where?

[daoyai]

The night train isn't the rolling party it used to be, No BEER? in the party/food/disco car? Diazapam no longer available (that I know of) to handle the rockin rollin roling noisy berths. Segragated cars?? bah...the parties over.

[Tywais]

Upper berth isn't so bad. I take it pretty much every time.

Same here, mainly because I find it a bit more private and gets away from the foot traffic.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

^ No window though. The main reason why I prefer lower is because you get a better sense of what's going on, if there's daylight yet, etc.

Also the lower berth person gets to decide when to convert back to chairs.. If you have someone below you who keeps on sleeping then you're stuck up there in that windowless cocoon.

Edited January 31, 2016 by WinnieTheKhwai

[SoiBiker]

Lower is better for sure. Just saying that upper is ok if that's all there is.

[Dante99]

Ps missus just called CM station number provided kindly by Tywais and they say one can indeed book by phone if 5 days previous and pay outside.

Problem solved....except they're fairly booked up lower berths nearly all gone for some days.

btW best to book lower berth and AWAY FROM DOORS.

Google search courtesy of Tywais.

Phone call courtesy of missus.

Another tough problem solved. Congratulations.

[cheeryble]

Ps missus just called CM station number provided kindly by Tywais and they say one can indeed book by phone if 5 days previous and pay outside.

Problem solved....except they're fairly booked up lower berths nearly all gone for some days.

btW best to book lower berth and AWAY FROM DOORS.

Google search courtesy of Tywais.

Phone call courtesy of missus.

Another tough problem solved. Congratulations.

The Bulldog Breed y'know!

As a matter of interest I always try to get the missus to book Green Buses CM to CR if the car's not going.

She poo-poos this regularly "Why you make complicated. No need to use the phone can just go"

Well yesterday she took Mum from Saraphi to the Arcade (funeral in Paan) then I got the call

"No seats I've gotta bring Mum home again"

Still only about an hour or so wasted and luckily I like Mum.....and her cooking....who will now be here.

[HerbalEd]

They are full. Full of people, whose cost will be more than an advance plane ticket, with a high likelihood of a delay being longer than the actual plane ride,,,a derailment is overdue, as well...........

You can fly from Chiang Mai to Bangkok for less than a thousand baht?

Do you live in a cave?

You appear to be the caveman here.

[HerbalEd]

Although I have never taken a train in Thailand, everywhere else I always get the upper berth. If you have a lower berth and want to relax, at any time -- lie down -- you can't. It's as simple as that.

Also, you can keep your belongings a bit safer since they are out of easy reach of thieves in the night.

Yeah ... I always choose the upper berth also. Somehow I feel a bit safer up there. Plus if I'm not in lower berth I don't have someone crawling past me to get to/fro the upper berth.

[Gillyflower]

I have travelled a lot on the CM-B'kok trains. It's necessary to book well ahead. The bookings used to be open only 30 days ahead.

The people who advise you to get a lower berth are quite right..First you have a light (not always in the top), you have the window for during the night and early morning. And the most important of all, you can arrange it so that the curtain from the upper berth comes over yours and blocks out the light. In the upper the light comes right in on you.

If you don't want to go to the station, go to any travel/tour place and they will do it for you. It used to be 100 baht per ticket, but probably more now.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Gillyflower

[SoiBiker]

I've never had an upper berth without a light.

[mwbrown]

Can try this site for availability - https://12go.asia/en/travel/chiang-mai/bangkok?date=2016-02-08

Guess it is an agency site as it shows you can buy online.

This site has a list of phone numbers - http://www.railway.co.th/home/contactus.aspx

And schedule/fares - http://www.railway.co.th/checktime/checktime.asp?lenguage=Eng

Since I won't be back in LOS for a month and a half I tried the 12go web site. I looked at their online view of available space and put in my request for a 1st class cabin sleeper Bangkok to Chiang Mai, 4 weeks in advance. They wrote back the next morning saying sorry train full, and gave me an immediate refund of charge on my credit card. If you can't get to a train station in person, I think this is the way to go.

[wpcoe]

I'm going to kick the bias for Second Class sleeper. I will only do First Class sleepers now.

Why? I used to travel Second Class sleepers and was quite content until the advent of ... the mobile phone age. It is difficult for me to sleep when phones ring all night long and the folks attached to such phones feel free to engage in long and splendid conversations. All. Through. The. Night.

Most of my train rides now are short haul, i.e. no sleeper, but the past couple where I took overnight trains, I booked into the relative quite of a First Class cabin. That was even before I learned you can reserve both bunks for a single person for a small surcharge (B500?)

[ChrisKC]

No longer anything online about the railways from Thai Railways system. I can recommend 100% seat61 but you can't book there.

Sleepers are booked very heavily at Loi Krathong and Songkran and a few other holiday times. My experience is that a few days in advance will see you getting a ticket with little problem. The stations are not damned! They (especially the rural stations) are quaint and often very well looked after. The service at all stations I have been to has been excellent

Remember to take your passport: they aren't happy at major terminals to issue tickets without one.

[laubau]

Wow, someone came to Thailand for its speed, efficiency and highly developed internet.

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit....

And I gotta say ?Bill in many instances things get done fast and efficiently.

When I went to that ortho pod yesterday I got an estimate of when I'd be seen.....40 minutes.

I whizzed down the road to the terrifically efficient Dang Som Pratu and got an estimate for a windshield and they would have the order in by Monday.

I then whizzed to Denso and had a little team checking my car out in minutes after an immediate response from the cute knowledgable manager who spoke perfect English.

I returned to the doc and was seen fast.

Within another 15 minutes four X-rays were ready for examination.

Within another short time I had a first class consultation and injections in both shoulders and a MRI request pre filled ready in case I had a relapse fast.....thus saving a trip back to the ortho without MRI in hand.

For many things there's a get it done attitude missing at home.

This is definitely not the case in my home country where everything is much faster and easier! ...or are you being sarcastic, you sly devil?

[johnbexley]

I used the sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in December.

You can book online using a ticket middle man. I used Go12 Asia.

https://12go.asia/en

Their offices are opposite Hua Lamphong Station.

You book and pay online (PayPal), they go to the station and get your ticket, they confirm all is well with your booking, they send you a collection voucher to print, you collect from their offices before travel.

I found it to work well.

I booked a 2nd class lower berth 2 months in advance on Train #1.

Very happy with the service and would recommend it.

Cheers

John B

[thrilled]

Train is not A fantastic mode of travel in Thailand.If you want A 1st or 2nd class sleeper you need to book well in advance.

I went with the 1st class sleeper was dead tired.I rented bottom and top.I slept going form Bangkok to Udonthani but I was dead

Tired.Good luck.

[TheKnave]

When you're 6ft 3 1/2in you need the bottom berth and can go diagonal and fit missus in for a while if necessary.

Interesting you like going on top Soibiker.

Haven't been on top for years!

The worst part of the top berth is that the lights are on all night. Enables you to see the cockroaches that love to snuggle with you...

As a kid, it was grand, but, as stated by another poster, advance-purchase air tickets aren't much more expensive, and, even with the ever-increasing airport hassles, are still quicker than the train, and arguably safer.

[cheeryble]

Discovered from 12goasia website.....whcih does work well......that the first berth .....two seats left!! it says....is 11th Feb.

The Ladies only always has free seats so that may be screwing things up for the others.

They indeed pick up the tickets or make the booking manually.

This is far too late for this trip but wondering but guessing they will send ticket to CM.

Will call past station after all and check for any cancellations or free berths in the next five days which don't appear on the 12goasia site or anywhere I think.

BTW another bit of useful info:

Train #2 has electric power outlets (220V) on seats 17, 18, 21 and 22.

So if u can't get those seats bring an extension lead or in my case pinch the wife's power bank.

[sandyf]

I used the sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in December.

You can book online using a ticket middle man. I used Go12 Asia.

https://12go.asia/en

Their offices are opposite Hua Lamphong Station.

You book and pay online (PayPal), they go to the station and get your ticket, they confirm all is well with your booking, they send you a collection voucher to print, you collect from their offices before travel.

I found it to work well.

I booked a 2nd class lower berth 2 months in advance on Train #1.

Very happy with the service and would recommend it.

Cheers

John B

Tickets only become available 60 days in advance so one of the advantages of the 12go service is that you can make the booking before the 60 days and as soon as the tickets are available they will go and get them for you. they will also post them.

I normally go to the station but have used 12go when inconvenient.

I have done several routes and the second class sleepers come in various configurations, I have seen 3 different layouts and it really is pot luck. Since the alcohol ban I only do first class now, the privacy is a bonus.

[Paul Catton]

I used the services of Thailand Train Ticket last March for return tickets Bangkok - Surat Thani. http://www.thailandtrainticket.com/

The booking and payment was made via the internet while we were still in New Zealand, tickets were waiting at reception of our nominated hotel upon arrival in Thailand.

Both communication and their service were satisfactory.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I'm going to kick the bias for Second Class sleeper. I will only do First Class sleepers now.

Why? I used to travel Second Class sleepers and was quite content until the advent of ... the mobile phone age. It is difficult for me to sleep when phones ring all night long and the folks attached to such phones feel free to engage in long and splendid conversations. All. Through. The. Night.

Most of my train rides now are short haul, i.e. no sleeper, but the past couple where I took overnight trains, I booked into the relative quite of a First Class cabin. That was even before I learned you can reserve both bunks for a single person for a small surcharge (B500?)

One of the Special Express trains (#13/#14?) have the old Japanese model first class sleepers which already have just one bed I think?

[cheeryble]

Went to CM station yesterday they're booked up man-days ahead.

She said they get quite a lot of cancellations I can check if I like each lunchtime.

Trouble is I need to coordinate the return plane flight and accommodation which would be real iffy at short notice.

[sandyf]

I'm going to kick the bias for Second Class sleeper. I will only do First Class sleepers now.

Why? I used to travel Second Class sleepers and was quite content until the advent of ... the mobile phone age. It is difficult for me to sleep when phones ring all night long and the folks attached to such phones feel free to engage in long and splendid conversations. All. Through. The. Night.

Most of my train rides now are short haul, i.e. no sleeper, but the past couple where I took overnight trains, I booked into the relative quite of a First Class cabin. That was even before I learned you can reserve both bunks for a single person for a small surcharge (B500?)

One of the Special Express trains (#13/#14?) have the old Japanese model first class sleepers which already have just one bed I think?

That's right and they are the best of the first class carriages. The price is the same as single occupancy of a double berth.

[cheeryble]

I told the tale at a weekly dinner meeting last evening and was told there's a carriage or carriages with the corridor down on side and non-doored compartment with four berths.....two either side....running along the corridor,.and that they're second class sleeper......and that these are really good, and long, better than the regular ones.

Never seen it......anyone else?

I asked about a table for dinner and was told there wasn't one.

Hmmm.......

Edited February 6, 2016 by cheeryble

[FolkGuitar]

I've never seen one like this in 25 years traveling by train in Thailand. But then, I've only ridden the route from Surat Thani to Bangkok, and Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

I wonder if it's available for our routes?

[hml367]

I told the tale at a weekly dinner meeting last evening and was told there's a carriage or carriages with the corridor down on side and non-doored compartment with four berths.....two either side....running along the corridor,.and that they're second class sleeper......and that these are really good, and long, better than the regular ones.

Never seen it......anyone else?

I asked about a table for dinner and was told there wasn't one.

Hmmm.......

Does this look like what someone explained to you?

Edited February 6, 2016 by hml367

[daoyai]

I told the tale at a weekly dinner meeting last evening and was told there's a carriage or carriages with the corridor down on side and non-doored compartment with four berths.....two either side....running along the corridor,.and that they're second class sleeper......and that these are really good, and long, better than the regular ones.

Never seen it......anyone else?

I asked about a table for dinner and was told there wasn't one.

Hmmm.......

I have ridden that one, it is the best for sure, you don't need to wait for the beds to come down, you just climb in whenever you want and people moving about the train are in the passageway less disturbance., you can eat in the food car.

[cheeryble]

Good detective work!

Yes it looks like what was described......question is when/where does it run, what's it called, how does one book?
Could be worthwhile if, as I was two days ago, told no berths until the 14th, then all upper.
I.e. If I had to have an upper I'd choose this Japanese (apparently) carriage.
Though must say I like the extra width of the regular lower berths even they're a bit short for me at 191cm.

Edit just saw Daoyai's strong recommendation.

Got to identify that beast now.

Edited February 6, 2016 by cheeryble

[Rob13]

Lunar New Year coming up, better get your ticket ASAP if you're planning on travelling soon.

[SoiBiker]

I told the tale at a weekly dinner meeting last evening and was told there's a carriage or carriages with the corridor down on side and non-doored compartment with four berths.....two either side....running along the corridor,.and that they're second class sleeper......and that these are really good, and long, better than the regular ones.

Never seen it......anyone else?

I asked about a table for dinner and was told there wasn't one.

Hmmm.......

I've been on one of these. Prefer the regular kind. Mainly because I'd rather not share a compartment with strangers, but also because the rocking motion is more annoying when you're lying across the tracks.