Pham Quang Tuan's family (blogger Tuan Cuong Chan) did not book a direct flight but chose to experience the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai during their trip in August.
The family bought a sleeper ticket on the highest class train (Special Express CNR), the journey took about 13 hours. The train schedule was very accurate, departing from Bangkok at 6:40 pm and arriving in Chiang Mai at 7:15 am, so passengers only needed to get on the train and sleep before arriving.
However, what surprised and also made Tuan's family "lost" was Krung Thep Aphiwat station (English name is Bang Sue Grand Station). The station was inaugurated in early 2023 with 6 platforms, able to serve 600,000 passengers/day. This is currently the largest railway station in Southeast Asia.
The station has 3 floors, including the 1st floor is the reception hall, the 2nd floor is the regular train lobby and the 3rd floor is the high-speed train lobby. In addition, the station also has an underground floor connecting to Bang Sue subway station of the Bangkok metro system, and an elevated walkway connecting to Mo Chit bus station on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road.
Admiring the "huge" scale of the station, Mr. Tuan's family felt overwhelmed and had to move through the gates one by one to find the correct station.
“Regarding the facilities on the ship, I rate it very good, 10/10, clean, modern and odorless. In particular, the toilets and showers are clean, designed and have an area no different from the toilets on an airplane,” Mr. Tuan shared.
There are full signs in the station or ask the staff for directions. When it's time to board the train, the staff will check the ticket by scanning the QR code to the passenger's email without needing to take a paper ticket.
Regarding the Bangkok - Chiang Mai train, Mr. Tuan commented that the train runs quite fast and is a bit shaky if you sleep in the upper berth. Therefore, when buying tickets, tourists should buy early to be able to buy the lower berth.
The air conditioning on the train is quite cold, so you should bring a long-sleeved jacket. At night, you can close the curtains and use the blankets and pillows that are already arranged on the bed. The canteen on the train serves a variety of Thai dishes for meals during the day if you are traveling long distances.
Experience in buying train tickets is: go to the website of the Thai railway system, choose the departure station as Krung Thep Aphiwat (if traveling from Bangkok) and the arrival station as Chiang Mai. The train list appears, you choose train code number 9 with the words Special Express CNR to buy a sleeper ticket for the highest class train.
You should book 1-2 months in advance because tickets sell out very quickly and if you buy late, you may not be able to choose a suitable seat. The train departs on time, visitors must be present at the station about 30 minutes before departure time.
