On any international trip, I recommend trying to take as many different types of transportation as possible! Few things will give you such an immediate and full inter-cultural experience. In all the places I have been to, train seems to average out to be the cheapest. Maybe not the fastest way to get around, but it has always been fun - and isn’t that really the most important part?
Lately I have been trying to cycle everywhere I go, but fortunately for me, on longer trips the Thai train system has been extremely convenient!
One reason I take the train, love the train really, for exploring Esaan, is that Esaan has 2 lines! I have rode between them a few times now. The main line comes from Bangkok as just one, but separates just before reaching the town of Nakon Ratchasima (Korat). One line heads North/North-East to Nongkhai, where one can cross the border into Vientiene, Laos, and the other line continues directly East, almost reaching another border with Laos in the province of Ubol Ratchatani.
June 1, 2015 - Taking a Bike on a Train in Thailand.
There are 5 Rail Lines, and so far I have taken my bike on 4 of them. No problems, always a great time! I frequent the North Eastern line, but the others have been just as hassle-free.
Free printed train schedules are available from every station on every line, for every station on every other line. You should research things before-hand if possible, might save yourself the time of waiting for the next train of course, but you can rest easy knowing that you will never be lost.
You can see all the up-to-date schedules HERE:
http://www.thailandbytrain.com/index.html#Thailand_Railway_Map
(Easy to read, all in English, but missing some smaller local stations)
http://www.thairailways.com/time-table.intro.html
(Complete Train Guides for the whole country, some Thai, some English)
There might be some sour operators out there… but I have yet to meet them!! I have had only the most friendly of train conductors, operators, assistants, always laughing and joking, always helping me with my bike, and always interested to tell me what sights I might be of interest in coming stations. Always a great time.
Actually there are several stations now where the operators remember me, and they remember where I have been, and try to guess at which station I will be disembarking this time… very cool! Shows that not many people do this regularly, and therefore you too should try to do it sooner than later!
This is also one of the main ways (when traveling) to open yourself up to the chance of having an unexpected new friend. Who knows, sometimes the most memorable part of a trip for me has been the totally unforeseen conversation with someone I might not otherwise talk to… I’m not saying that I immediately share personal information, not the best idea if you are far from home, far from somewhere you know, but I would say that FAR more often than not, people are just people; everyone likes reaching out, or being reached out to, in such a low-pressure situation as this.
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| My good friends seeing me off in Kon Kaen! |
Oh! On a language note, I can say far and away - my Thai language skills are at their best while talking to someone I’ve never met before! Its just such a great way to practice, when the other person has no expectations, and even when I do make mistakes theres still no real problem (aside from making any huge cultural blunders… but again!, better to make them with someone you don’t know, and in a time and place that won’t come back to haunt you (unless you just have terrible luck :) )
At every station, there is always at least one restaurant waiting to sell food. Here, in Krasang, Surin Province, there were 3. The prices will always be for locals, as its mostly locals using the trains of course, but you need to know what you want to order :) its rare to find a chef in the countryside who can understand much more than "Hi, Hello, How are you?"...
Guaranteed to be cheap though! So learn a few dishes, try them out, and enjoy!
Buying a ticket:
Look for the Rapid train. There are several types, Local, Express, Diesel Express, and Special Express. Some signs/schedules will have only Thai characters, especially at the smaller stations, but keep looking and you should be able to find English somewhere, in abbreviations at the least. The Rapid trains are the most frequent (and usually have space available, both for you and your bike), and also Rapid trains have one of the lower fares. I always get a 3rd class seat, which usually allows me to sit right next to my bike, but on longer trips a 2nd class seat is definitely more comfortable. When riding more than a few stations, the conductors will also allow you to store your bike in the car reserved for motorcycles (or any other non-standard shape cargo).
Thai citizens ride most trains for free, by showing their Thai ID cards either at the ticket office or on the train. Obviously they will also be given much more leeway when it comes to say, smoking on the train, even standing directly under a no smoking sign, drinking on the train, not sitting in their assigned seat… remember, we are traveling/living in their country, we can’t expect to get the same advantages that come to the locals. BUT, if you smile, try to speak Thai, and try to just take up your own space and no more, many of these benefits may start to come your way as well :) Thai people are very easily impressed, and only a few words in Thai can get you an amazingly long way.
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| Sometimes there is enough space to do this... Best, easiest, safest, most convenient... but sometimes not. Something that is ALWAYS awesome however is THE PRICE: This ride here was 9B!! plus 90B for my bike. $3 USD is a pretty good deal to get out of the rain... |
Boarding the train:
I always bring some cheap bungee cords, these can be used to secure the bike in any fashion imaginable, and usually the train conductors will just allow you to take care of your own bike once its on board. The bike might have to enter through a window at times, if its going into the cargo car with all the motorcycles then be ready for the big step up into the car (sometimes there is no stair and its literally a 1.5 meter jump up into the train after your bike, sometimes tricky :)). Usually I just maneuver my bike in through the sliding door, with a bit of patience, and maybe a helping hand from another passenger, this is no trouble at all.
Usually you will buy a ticket and then pay for your additional baggage (a bicycle) at the same place. Sometimes though, the ticket teller will only sell tickets, and tell you to go and pay the 90B for your bicycle while on the train. Keep the baggage ticket, they will always ask for it, sometimes many times.
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| Usually the largest space is right next to the exhaust pipe, last car on the train. The pipe is hot though, watch out! If you park here though, you can guarantee that no one will fight you for the spot. |
On the Train:
Find a good spot for your bike, relax, and enjoy what is always a lovely view. Not every window in 3rd class will open properly, but when you do get them down, sometimes the train will run quickly enough that the breeze can get pretty intense!
I have never had someone attempt to steal anything from me, damage my bike in any way, and I have taken the train many, many times. The only people who might even look at you the slightest bit crossly may be those if you ignore them while they are trying to sell you food or drinks :) .
As of late-2014, there is no alcohol allowed in passenger cars.
The food and drinks are usually quite diverse, if you wait long enough to pass through several stations, you will see a wide range of things being sold. Fruit, Water, Soda, Noodles, Rice, Coffee, Tea, Fried Insect, Grilled Chicken, Sticky Rice, and even plenty of local delicacies, will all be sold directly to you - not part of the train line, but as
these are Thai citizens they are allowed to ride for free. Sometimes these sellers will even be so helpful as to yell out the upcoming stations, usually ahead of the time that the conductors do it themselves :)
Aside from old men who often are impressed with a foreigner taking a bike on a train (and will sometimes come over to inspect your bike for themselves and shake your hand and smile), all you need to do is be wary for the small chance that someone will jump onto the train from one of the smaller stations, and then jump off again at the next station. The side doors are usually open at all times, unmonitored, and I could see how this would be the one way that someone could steal something unnoticed. Hasn’t happened to me, but I did witness a woman's purse taken once…
Disembarking:
The stations are usually announced (not always), but this announcement comes often just minutes before arriving at the station. Sometimes it isn't until the train has already stopped. If any articles were removed from your bike, bike bags, it might be impossible to scramble and still not leave anything behind. Try to keep track with the schedule, be ready a few minutes before-hand, and also remember that not every train stops at every station. Actually the express train (not actually express as it does stop often to let other, higher priority trains through a single-track pass), is at times hard to follow…
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| All the stations have a standard look about them. Some have larger signs, but they were all built around the same time. All the construction and station layouts are similar. |
Train comments:
I have taken the express train once, I was in a hurry, and it actually took exactly, to the minute, as long as the slowest train on the schedule. Another time I took it, faster by several hours. This is Thailand, not Japan, and there is no way that the train can guarantee any times on its schedule. Expect trains to be 10-20% later than scheduled, and then if they are on time then you can have a nice surprise :) I have been on several trains ahead of schedule, and have also been on a few trains that were 4 or more hours behind schedule. You can find yourself parked on the tracks, completely in the middle of nowhere, not a light to be seen, all the men outside smoking and taking bathroom breaks, for hours at a time… Good luck, enjoy the cultural experience, and also the money you have saved, and take Thai trains with your bicycle!! You could ride the whole way of course, that would never be a bad idea! :) but sometimes it rains very hard in Thailand… it also gets dark very early compared to countries in the Northern Hemisphere…
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| Baan Phai Station, Kon Kaen. |
When traveling 3rd class, a small risk, specifically on the Esaan line where the train is more heavily used, is not having a seat. The 'seats' are benches, with 2 OR 3 people per seat, and the ticket-sales will not stop from way overbooking the train if demand is high. NOTE* The Esaan line (NorthEast Thailand), is the most used, but during HOLIDAYS every single train is packed. I have taken the New Years holiday to travel to Chiang Mai several times, always by train, and have never had a seat :) I sit on my bag, share floor space with others, if its not your idea of a good time then be wary of taking 3rd class, or even 2nd class, during Holiday times.
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Krasang Station, Surin
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