Thailand - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 716

Eastern Bus Terminal Ban Phe (for Ko Samet; hourly; 3hr);
Rayong (every 30min; 2hr 30min-3hr); Trat (roughly
hourly; 5-6hr).
Northern Bus Terminal

whether your bus ticket covers the ferry ride. Consult other
travellers before booking any budget transport - all in all,
it's better to take the train or a public a/c bus instead.

Aranyaprathet (10 daily; 4hr
30min); Ayutthaya (every 20-30min; 2hr); Chiang Khong
(10 daily; 13-14hr); Chiang Mai (30 daily; 9-11hr); Chiang
Rai (at least 20 daily; 12hr); Chong Mek (daily; 11hr);
Kanchanaburi (hourly; 2hr 30min); Khon Kaen (hourly;
6-7hr); Khorat (every 20min; 3hr); Lampang (at least
hourly; 8hr); Lopburi (every 30min; 3hr); Mae Hong Son
(3 daily; 16hr); Mae Sai (13 daily; 13hr); Mae Sot (12 daily;
8hr 30min); Mukdahan (20 daily; 11hr); Nakhon Phanom
(20 daily; 12hr); Nong Khai (20 daily; 10hr); Pak Chong
(every 15min; 3hr); Phitsanulok (more than 50 daily;
5-6hr); Sukhothai (more than 30 daily; 6-7hr); Surin (up
to 20 daily; 8-9hr); Trat (9 daily; 4-5hr); Ubon Ratchathani
(19 daily; 10-12hr).
Southern Bus Terminal

BY TRAIN
All trains use centrally placed Hualamphong Station except
services to Kanchanaburi (plus a few, very slow trains to the
south), which leave from Thonburi Station, about an 850m
walk west of the Bangkok Noi express-boat pier. Hualam-
phong is on the subway line and served by buses #53 to
Banglamphu and Thewes, #159 which runs between the
Southern and Northern bus terminals, and #507 to Banglam-
phu and the Southern Bus Terminal. See p.701 for general
information about train timetables and booking tickets. The
24-hour State Railways (SRT) information booth in the main
concourse at Hualamphong Station keeps English-language
timetables. Between 8.30am and 4pm, advance tickets can
be bought from the clearly signed Advance Booking counters
#15-20 under the main departures board; at other times,
check availability at the SRT information booth, then buy your
ticket at any ticket counter (daily 4.30am-midnight).
Hualamphong Station to: Aranyaprathet (2 daily; 5hr
30min); Ayutthaya (20 daily; 1hr 30min); Butterworth,
Malaysia (daily; 23hr); Chiang Mai (5 daily; 12-15hr);
Chumphon (12 daily; 7hr-9hr 30min); Khon Kaen (4 daily;
7hr 30min-10hr 20min); Khorat (12 daily; 4-5hr);
Lampang (6 daily; 11-13hr); Lopburi (14 daily; 2hr 30min-
3hr); Nakhon Pathom (13 daily; 1hr 30min); Nakhon Si
Thammarat (2 daily; 15-16hr); Nong Khai (3 daily;
11-12hr); Pak Chong (11 daily; 3hr 30min-4hr 45min);
Phetchaburi (10 daily; 2hr 45min-3hr 45min); Phitsanulok
(11 daily; 5hr 40min-8hr); Surat Thani (10 daily; 9-12hr);
Surin (10 daily; 7-10hr); Trang (2 daily; 16hr); Ubon
Ratchathani (7 daily; 8hr 30min-14hr).
Thonburi (Bangkok Noi) Station to: Kanchanaburi
(2 daily; 3hr); Nakhon Pathom (2 daily; 1hr 10min); Nam
Tok (2 daily; 5hr).

10

Chumphon (roughly hourly; 7-9hr);
Damnoen Saduak (every 30min; 2hr); Kanchanaburi (every
15min; 2-3hr); Ko Pha Ngan (2 daily 14hr); Ko Samui (9-10
daily; 13hr); Krabi (12 daily; 12-14hr); Nakhon Pathom
(every 10min; 40min-1hr 20min); Nakhon Si Thammarat
(19 daily; 12hr); Phang Nga (8 daily; 11hr-12hr 30min);
Phetchaburi (4-7 daily; 2hr); Phuket (20 daily; 14hr); Ranong
(10 daily; 8hr); Surat Thani (12 daily; 10-12hr).

BY BUDGET TRANSPORT
Many Bangkok outfits offer budget transport on small and
large buses to Chiang Mai, Surat Thani, Krabi, Ko Samet
and Ko Chang. This often works out cheaper than a public
a/c bus, and is often handier as departures are usually from
Th Khao San. However, many of the buses are cramped and
airless, drivers often race, and drop-off points can be far
from the town centre, despite adverts to the contrary.
Security on large buses is also a big problem, so keep
everything of value on your person at all times and lock
other luggage. If you're heading for an island, check

CENTRAL STOPS FOR THE CHAO PHRAYA EXPRESS BOAT
N15 Thewes (all express boats) - for Thewes
guesthouses.
N14 Rama VIII Bridge (no flag) - for Samsen
Soi 5.
N13 Phra Athit (no flag and orange flag)
- for Th Khao San and Banglamphu.
N12 Phra Pinklao Bridge (all boats) - for
Royal Barge Museum.
N11 Bangkok Noi (Thonburi Railway Station;
no flag) - for Kanchanaburi trains.
N10 Wang Lang (or Prannok; all boats) - for
Siriraj Hospital.
N9 Tha Chang (no flag, green flag and
orange flag) - for the Grand Palace.

N8 Thien (no flag and orange flag) - for Wat
Pho, and the ferry to Wat Arun.
N7 Ratchini (no flag).
N6 Saphan Phut (Memorial Bridge; no flag
and orange flag) - for Pak Khlong Talat.
N5 Rachavongse (all boats) - for Chinatown.
N4 Harbour Department (no flag and
orange flag).
N3 Si Phraya (all boats) - for River City.
N2 Wat Muang Kae (no flag) - for GPO.
N1 Oriental (no flag and orange flag) - for
Th Silom.
Central Sathorn (all boats) - for the Skytrain
and Th Sathorn.