New trains between Bangkok and Chiang Mai

[lj cm]

Does anyone know when the new trains start between Bangkok and Chiang Mai?

I have family visit at the end of the month, and they like to take the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai; but only if it's the new one.

[lj cm]

Never mind. I've been to the Train Station and they (also) don't know.

 

[Asiantravel]

this article just says

 

" To be used on Chiang Mai line in Oct  "

 

So hopefully very soon

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/New-train-carriages-rolled-out-in-Bangkok-30294064.html

[MickeyMaow]

Just curious, why would they want to take the train? That train journey is torture, forget what the time table says it takes 14-16 hour and they get you out of your bunk at 6am like jailers getting you up for the day.

 

Flights from don muang airport to Chiang Mai can be got for less than 1000 baht now.

Edited October 16, 2016 by MickeyMaow

[SoiBiker]

It's run on time whenever I've taken it. Enjoyable way to travel. 

[mmarks]

Horrible way to travel and flying now costs the same, and often less.

[Bill97]

You are talking about the old trains, the new one will be different.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

It's a very nice experience. And 'real' travel to actually see something of the country. 

[anotheruser]

41 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

You are talking about the old trains, the new one will be different.

 

Really? Did they fix the tracks lately? Honest question as the train can only go as fast as the tracks allow. I have taken the train a half dozen times or so on this route and it seems to be a 50/50% proposition of it arriving on time. Never really annoyed me too much when it was late because on schedule it arrives so early anyway. It is annoying they disturb you even if the train isn't getting in for several hours as another poster pointed out. 

 

The deal breaker these days is you can't have a beer on the train. Beer was the only thing that made the train a worthwhile experience and helped to overcome all of it's short comings. It also made it easier to sleep on what is a relatively noisy journey.

 

Also you never really know if it will depart on time and I find the train station a terrible place to have to wait around. Again if they had a bar or something where they made the wait fun or at least half way dignified it would be different.

 

Anyway back on topic no idea when the new trains will run.

 

 

[mmarks]

Hua Lamphong is one of the most terrible places in the country. Avoid at all costs.

[rogeroc]

Out of about 20 rail journeys in Thailand only a handful have been on time and i recall the Bangkok to Chiang Mai service to be particularly poor. Soi Biker has been exceedingly lucky !!

[rogeroc]

1 hour ago, anotheruser said:

The deal breaker these days is you can't have a beer on the train. Beer was the only thing that made the train a worthwhile experience and helped to overcome all of it's short comings. It also made it easier to sleep on what is a relatively noisy journey.

 

 

Agree about the beer, the best part of the long journey BKK to CM was to have a bite to eat and a few beers in the buffet car with Thai music and with the warm night air blowing in through the open windows. Sorry to hear they don't serve alcohol anymore.

Edited October 16, 2016 by rogeroc

[anotheruser]

Just now, rogeroc said:

 

Agree about the beer the best part of the long journey BKK to CM was to have a bite to eat and a few beers in the buffet car with Thai music and with the warm night air blowing in through the open windows. Sorry to hear they don't serve alcohol anymore.

 

Well a member of the train staff got drunk and raped a little girl and threw her out the window killing her. So instead of banning staff from drinking they banned it in all trains and railway stations. 

[moe666]

2 hours ago, anotheruser said:

 

Really? Did they fix the tracks lately? Honest question as the train can only go as fast as the tracks allow. I have taken the train a half dozen times or so on this route and it seems to be a 50/50% proposition of it arriving on time. Never really annoyed me too much when it was late because on schedule it arrives so early anyway. It is annoying they disturb you even if the train isn't getting in for several hours as another poster pointed out. 

 

The deal breaker these days is you can't have a beer on the train. Beer was the only thing that made the train a worthwhile experience and helped to overcome all of it's short comings. It also made it easier to sleep on what is a relatively noisy journey.

 

Also you never really know if it will depart on time and I find the train station a terrible place to have to wait around. Again if they had a bar or something where they made the wait fun or at least half way dignified it would be different.

 

Anyway back on topic no idea when the new trains will run.

 

 

Actually they replaced the tracks a couple of years ago, since youmissed it they shut down the train from Ultaladit  (spelling) to Lampang for over 6 months.

[moe666]

2 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

It's a very nice experience. And 'real' travel to actually see something of the country. 

You are takeing the day train?

[anotheruser]

1 hour ago, moe666 said:

Actually they replaced the tracks a couple of years ago, since youmissed it they shut down the train from Ultaladit  (spelling) to Lampang for over 6 months.

Okay maybe I did miss it. That was an honest question. Since you refreshed my memory didn't the train also derail on it's very first attempt after the repairs with in a few hundred meters of the station?  

[anotheruser]

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/two-trains-derail-may-day/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=two-trains-derail-may-day

[lj cm]

10 hours ago, MickeyMaow said:

Just curious, why would they want to take the train? That train journey is torture, forget what the time table says it takes 14-16 hour and they get you out of your bunk at 6am like jailers getting you up for the day.

 

Flights from don muang airport to Chiang Mai can be got for less than 1000 baht now.

 

They were just going to take the train trip for fun; and I told them, only to do it, if it's the new trains.

They are on holiday and have all the time in the world. Anyway; it looks like the new trains are not starting this month, so no train trip.

[Rancid]

The train journey is all part of the local experience, obviously air is quicker, but rail offers a different experience. I don't drink when I transit so lack of beer neither here nor there, perhaps some honest introspection in order as to why that would be a deal breaker.

[SoiBiker]

I enjoyed a beer on the train, but it's not a deal-breaker for me - it's still a nice way to travel.

 

If your family want to take a train, let then take a train. The old carriages are fine. 

[WinnieTheKhwai]

 

 

8 hours ago, moe666 said:

You are takeing the day train?

 

I think the day train is quite tedious and you basically lose a day. Still interesting, but I think there are advantages to the later Special Express departure (19:40) from Bangkok especially: 

 

* By the time it gets to the really nice scenery in the North, morning daylight will have arrived meaning you can actually see it. 

* Night trains don't lose you time as you'd probably spend most of that time in a hotel bed anyway.  With the train you save a night in a hotel and gain an experience without losing time for sightseeing activities.

 

That said it would be worth looking into if the new carriages are on both departures (#1 and #13).  Chances are they'll only be new carriages on the #1 'Nakhorn Ping" Special Express initially so in that case I might lean to that departure after all.

 

2 hours ago, lj cm said:

They were just going to take the train trip for fun; and I told them, only to do it, if it's the new trains.

They are on holiday and have all the time in the world. Anyway; it looks like the new trains are not starting this month, so no train trip.

 

Another thing you could do that will give you the experience and scenery is do a day trip by train from Chiang Mai to Lampang.  (Cm TO Lampang is better because the departure time will be accurate; Lampang to Chiang Mai is just as scenic but it's anyone's guess when that train actually makes it to Lampang. 

 

So for a day trip it's best to take the train to Lampang and then find another way back. You can combine it for example with the Elephant Hospital in between Lampang and Chiang Mai, and there is another elephant sanctuary nearby as well.  That's best arranged with your own transportation though, or book a car + driver from Chiang Mai to meet you in Lampang at the train station. Then you can do a couple temples around Lampang ( those horse drawn carriages may be an old-style way of doing the city temples), then take your driver out to the large temple outside of town and then on to the Elephant hospital and then back to Chiang Mai.

 

That would make a nice day trip and not too expensive, just the car & driver which will be something like 2500-3000 for the car/van + driver for the day, including fuel.

 

(Dam I'm getting good at tour stuff. :) )

[lj cm]

54 minutes ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

 

 

I think the day train is quite tedious and you basically lose a day. Still interesting, but I think there are advantages to the later Special Express departure (19:40) from Bangkok especially: 

 

* By the time it gets to the really nice scenery in the North, morning daylight will have arrived meaning you can actually see it. 

* Night trains don't lose you time as you'd probably spend most of that time in a hotel bed anyway.  With the train you save a night in a hotel and gain an experience without losing time for sightseeing activities.

 

That said it would be worth looking into if the new carriages are on both departures (#1 and #13).  Chances are they'll only be new carriages on the #1 'Nakhorn Ping" Special Express initially so in that case I might lean to that departure after all.

 

 

Another thing you could do that will give you the experience and scenery is do a day trip by train from Chiang Mai to Lampang.  (Cm TO Lampang is better because the departure time will be accurate; Lampang to Chiang Mai is just as scenic but it's anyone's guess when that train actually makes it to Lampang. 

 

So for a day trip it's best to take the train to Lampang and then find another way back. You can combine it for example with the Elephant Hospital in between Lampang and Chiang Mai, and there is another elephant sanctuary nearby as well.  That's best arranged with your own transportation though, or book a car + driver from Chiang Mai to meet you in Lampang at the train station. Then you can do a couple temples around Lampang ( those horse drawn carriages may be an old-style way of doing the city temples), then take your driver out to the large temple outside of town and then on to the Elephant hospital and then back to Chiang Mai.

 

That would make a nice day trip and not too expensive, just the car & driver which will be something like 2500-3000 for the car/van + driver for the day, including fuel.

 

(Dam I'm getting good at tour stuff. :) )

 

That's a very good idea; and I can just take my car, and get them in Lampang. Win, win!.

[stament]

hmmm interesting post... Are there any other shortish scenic journeys from CM?. How long approx does the train take from Lampang to CM and vice versa if different lol?

[Paul Catton]

1 hour ago, stament said:

hmmm interesting post... Are there any other shortish scenic journeys from CM?. How long approx does the train take from Lampang to CM and vice versa if different lol?

http://www.thailandee.com/en/transportation-thailand/train-thailand

Edited October 18, 2016 by Paul Catton
insert

[Paul Catton]

The Orient Express takes 3 days to get from Singapore to Bangkok, flying, perhaps an hour? Sometimes it is not the speed to getting between certain points, it is the journey itself that can be most memorable.

I am not suggesting that the State Railway of Thailand is akin to British Belmond Pullman, but without any deadlines to meet, it can be a novel format of transport.

More so, when you embark at a midway station between major destinations with  prebooked seating to find seats taken and trying to by commandeered  by indigenous 

persons.

Make sure the attendant doesn't leave the door unlocked between first class and second /third class on a sleeper otherwise you might end with confrontation when you slide the bolt yourself to curb queues ar morning wake up call.

Had a short intense discussion with a gentleman who had ebony pigmented skiin who suggested, what right I had to curb the practice of exclusion.

Price of Ticket.

 

[anotheruser]

Speaking of locked train doors they once locked me into the restaurant car. Was drinking whiskey with one of the cops on board after the restaurant closed. He said something and wandered off leaving me alone. The train staff woke up who was sleeping in the kitchen. She told me she didn't have the key so I was locked in for the night. She set up a couple of planks on a table and laid out a mattress for me. 

 

So I slept on the restaurant table that night. It was actually quite nice. Had the whole car to myself better than the first class sleeper I had purchased both berths in actually. 

Edited October 18, 2016 by anotheruser

[Boycie]

 

[WinnieTheKhwai]

This new #9 train (that replaced the #1) was bang on time too.   Hope they can keep that up.  Almost amazing actually that after almost 13 hours of travel it arrives exactly 1 minute early.

[stament]

what is the food and beverages like?

[anotheruser]

11 minutes ago, stament said:

what is the food and beverages like?

 

Not a fan of the food last time i took the train. I usually grab a bucket of chicken from KFC to take on the trip. Not saying KFC is much better but it is convenient to eat.

 

As far as beverages go... they have basic drinks but no beer or alcohol. If you want a coffee or a coke they can do that.

 

So I guess I would say the food and beverage service is nothing to look forward to and not an incentive to take the train.