Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
flected in a higher fare. Children are always assigned a lower berth. Second-class carriages are found only on rapid and
express trains. There are air-con and fan 2nd-class carriages.
Third Class - A typical 3rd-class carriage consists of two rows of bench seats divided into facing pairs. Each bench
seat is designed to seat two or three passengers, but on a crowded rural line nobody seems to care. Express trains do not
carry 3rd-class carriages at all. Commuter trains in the Bangkok area are all 3rd class.
Costs
Fares are determined on a base price with surcharges added for distance, class and train type (special express, express,
rapid, ordinary). Extra charges are added if the carriage has air-con and for sleeping berths (either upper or lower).
Reservations
Advance bookings can be made from one to 60 days before your intended date of departure. You can make bookings in
person from any train station. Train tickets can also be purchased at travel agencies, which usually add a service charge
to the ticket price. If you are planning long-distance train travel from outside the country, you should email SRT
(passenger-ser@railway.co.th) at least two weeks before your journey. You will receive an email confirming the book-
ing. Pick up and pay for tickets an hour before leaving at the scheduled departure train station.
It is advisable to make advanced bookings for long- distance sleeper trains between Bangkok and Chiang Mai or from
Bangkok to Surat Thani as seats fill up quickly.
For short-distance trips you should purchase your ticket at least a day in advance for seats (rather than sleepers).
Partial refunds on tickets are available depending on the number of days prior to your departure you arrange for a can-
cellation. These arrangements can be handled at the train station booking office.
Station Services
You'll find that all train stations in Thailand have baggage-storage services (or 'cloak rooms'). Most stations have a
ticket window that will open between 15 and 30 minutes before train arrivals. There are also newsagents and small
snack vendors, but no full-service restaurants.
Most train stations have printed timetables in English; although this isn't always the case for smaller stations.
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