Thailand
Thailand holds nearly 66 million people in some 513,000 square kilometres of mainland Southeast Asia, bordered by Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia and washed on two sides by the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Bangkok, on the delta of the Chao Phraya, is the capital and by far the largest city. North of it the country climbs into hill country, the north-east is a dry plateau, and the south runs away down a long isthmus to the Malaysian border.
The State Railway of Thailand reaches from one of those borders to the other, almost entirely on metre gauge, and its trains are slow, inexpensive and wildly sociable. A third-class seat with the windows down and a fan turning overhead is still one of the great travel bargains anywhere in the world, and the overnight sleepers are comfortable enough to serve as a night's accommodation as well as a journey — which is much of the reason Thais use them.
Rail journeys in Thailand
Bangkok–Chiang Mai Sleeper
Thailand's great overnight train — twelve hours north to Chiang Mai, over the highest station in the kingdom and through a tunnel that took eleven years.
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Death Railway
A beautiful ride along the River Kwai — jungle, cliffs and a 400-metre timber trestle — on a line built by prisoners of war. Travel it knowing what it is.
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Maeklong Railway
The railway that runs through the middle of a market — awnings folding back seconds before the train arrives, then flipping out again behind it.
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Is Thailand easy to explore by train?
Yes, if you're not in a hurry. SRT trains are cheap, generally punctual and reach most of the country — north to Chiang Mai on a 751 km line, south towards Malaysia, north-east into Isaan. They are slower than the buses and infinitely more enjoyable. One crucial catch: since January 2023 long-distance trains leave from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (Bang Sue), not the famous domed Hua Lamphong, which now handles only ordinary and commuter services. Much travel writing is still wrong about this, and it is the commonest way to miss your train.
Do I need to book Thai trains in advance?
For overnight sleepers — especially the Bangkok to Chiang Mai run — book ahead, particularly around Songkran and New Year; the newest Chinese-built sleeping cars sell out first. The short day trips west and south of Bangkok, including the Maeklong Railway and the third-class run along the River Kwai, are turn-up-and-go and cost very little.
When is the best time to visit Thailand by rail?
November to February is the cool, dry season and by far the most comfortable. March to May is punishingly hot, and the monsoon runs roughly June to October — green and dramatic, but expect delays. Trains run year-round regardless.
What are Thailand's best scenic railways?
The Death Railway along the River Kwai is the one people come for — jungle, cliffs and the Wang Pho timber viaduct — though it should be ridden with its history in mind. The Maeklong Railway and its umbrella-pulldown market is unlike anything else in the world. And the overnight sleeper to Chiang Mai climbs through the northern forest to the Khun Tan tunnel — Thailand's longest at 1,352 m, eleven years in the digging, with its German engineer's ashes interred at the portal.