Bangkok to Chang Mai by train - 14 hours

THURSDAY 22 JULY 2010

I arrived in Bangkok about 3.30 p.m. with no problems – unusual for me as my recent travel plans have been affected by no train running from Swansea to Heathrow when I was going to Australia in February, being diverted to the Middle East for 5 days on my way back in April because of the volcanic ash cloud, and being diverted to Bristol instead of landing in Cardiff when I was returning from Turkey in May.

The airport bus took an hour and a half to make the usual half hour journey to Bangkok station because the traffic was almost at a standstill. I had intended taking the overnight sleeper to Chiang Mai in the North, but the travel agent who met the bus told me there were no sleepers available for about 3 days. I didn’t fancy another 12 hours sleeping sitting up, so they found me a lovely Thai style hotel – the S.K. just opposite the station, ready to catch the 8.30 p.m. train the next day. I found somewhere close by to eat – fried rice, garlic chicken, prawns tempura and orange juice all for about 3 pounds!

The cost for the hotel and 12 hour train journey was 20.00 baht (about 40 pounds).

FRIDAY 23 JULY 2010

The train was very comfortable and was a great way to see the Thai countryside. We passed Thai shanty towns, paddy fields, cattle, egrets and temples every few miles, including a gold Buddha on the hillside, and monkeys in Lopburi. The train stopped for quite a while in one station as the air-conditioning had stopped working in our carriage. They seemed to fix it but we stopped further up the track for about another hour. Most of us got out of our carriage as the heat in the carriage increased, into the cool of the humid 33 degrees outside temperature, where as luck would have it there was a café selling cold drinks.


As we had been delayed about 2 hours altogether, the meal supply seemed to have stopped. When a couple of us asked for refreshments we were told we would get a cup of tea later but no food, so when the train next stopped a few of us made a break for it to buy supplies, much to the dismay of the guards! However, later on we were served with an evening meal! The countryside became hillier north of Utaradit with lush green jungle, palm trees and more paddy fields.


The train finally arrived about 10 p.m. and I took a Tuk Tuk to my hotel – the Chiang Mai Chang Thai Hotel, feeling quite tired and looking forward to unpacking and a good sleep. However, when I left my room, the safety bar inside somehow operated itself which meant I could only open the door a couple of inches. The hotel staff and myself could not get in and the door on the balcony was locked. In the end they had to hacksaw the bar off.

Trying to repair the air conditioning

Luckily a shop was selling cold beer!