Travel Tale: That Wonderful Thai Train Experience

a colorful Thai train rolls out of Trang

Travel Tale: That Wonderful Thai Train Experience

I’ve always loved taking Thailand’s trains. Then again, I love taking trains just about anywhere. There’s something about the rhythmic swaying motion, the clanketey-clanking sound of the train on the rails and the occasional horn blasts that I find very relaxing and pleasurable.

What’s more, with train travel there’s no traffic outside. No cars, trucks, buses or motorcycles zooming past. Just the natural world rolling by, interrupted by occasional train platforms and the back side of a few towns.

Thai overnight sleeper train all set up for bedtime

But even given that I love train travel in general, I’ve still always had an extra special fondness for Thai trains. I’d never quite put my finger on why, but I’d tentatively attributed it to the fact that my first experiences on overnight sleeper trains were on Thai trains.

However, when I recently took a Thai train from Trang to Bangkok, after several years’ absence from riding Thai trains, I suddenly realized there’s much more to my affinity than that. The Thai train experience is indeed a special journey, which I find infinitely more enjoyable than train trips in most other countries.

I came to this realization after riding trains only in Malaysia for several years. Although I more or less enjoy riding Malaysian trains too, certain factors make them much less than ideal for me. In fact, I’ve had at least one Malaysian train ride I refer to as a ‘nightmare on wheels’.

The problems I have with Malaysian trains all stem from the fact that Malaysian trains are air-conditioned. Heavily air-conditioned. Sitting in such refrigerators, I always end up feeling frozen, all bundled up, literally from head to toe, in several layers of clothing.

all bundled up on a Malaysian train

Malaysia’s train windows are permanently sealed shut, so I’m cut off from the glorious natural world rolling by just outside. TVs are blasting inside each car. And all the noise from people yelling, children crying and TVs blaring is amplified inside the sealed train bubble.

After six years of air-conditioned train experiences I returned to Thailand. I went island hopping around south Thailand for two months. Then I booked myself on a second-class sleeper train, departing the southern town of Trang at 1:30 pm, arriving in Bangkok the following morning at 6 am.

train staff signalling a ‘go ahead’ at Trang Station –

Once aboard that train, it didn’t take long before I was hit with an ‘ah ha’ moment. Suddenly I knew exactly why I’d been so very especially fond of Thai trains. It all stems from them having no air-conditioning.

Don’t get me wrong – Thai trains also offer air-conditioned cars, a/c sleeper cars and private a/c cabins. Travelers can do that air-conditioned train experience in Thailand also if they so desire.

But I’d personally rather take a fan-cooled train any time, please.

Riding a fan-cooled train solves all my pesky train problems. First off, instead of being all bundled up and frozen for hours on end, I can relax comfortably in my usual tropical-climate attire. Even better, Thailand’s fan-cooled trains chug along with all windows wide open. I can even hang out the windows if I want. How fun is that?!

I’m connected to the natural world instead of cut off. A refreshing breeze is blowing through. With windows wide open, I can much more readily enjoy the gorgeous natural environment rolling by outside. I hear occasional dog barks, cow maws, bird songs and rural people chattering. I catch fragrant whiffs of blooming flowers and trees, rice ripening in fields, earth and other natural odors.

rolling through the pretty Thai countryside

And I see everything much more vividly than from behind a paneled glass window. Thai trains roll past vast rubber and palm plantations, ripening rice fields, mountains and rock outcroppings, quaint local train stations with wooden platforms, and the serene Thai countryside. No tourist traps or mass developments mar the beautiful scenery. It’s simply the ‘real’ Thailand rolling past.

What’s more, the wonderful chugging, clanking and screeching sounds of the train are more alive.

relaxed and happy on a Thai fan-cooled train

With the windows open, the breeze blowing through and the sounds of the train rolling & creaking along the tracks, any other potentially annoying sounds are greatly muffled. If children are crying or screaming or racing around inside, if people are yelling, if music is blasting, all those noises are barely discernible above the soothing chug-chug, clackety-clack, screeching and occasional horn blasts of the train.

vendors at Thai station

Sitting on a train with open windows, breezes blowing through, and the natural smells, sights and sounds all wafting in, I feel immensely relaxed and peaceful.

I just sit back and enjoy Thailand rolling past the windows…

On my recent train journey I also rediscovered several other special amenities offered only on Thai trains that make the experience even better:

daytime seating arrangement and abundant luggage racks & bed ladders

1. Convertible bed/seating arrangement. During daytime hours, sleeper train cars are set up with sets of forward & backward facing cushioned seats, that are much like small sofas.

At nighttime, somewhere between 8-9 pm, the conductor comes along and expertly converts the seats into upper and lower beds. He makes up the beds with fresh sheets, pillow covers and plastic-wrapped blankets. Then he clips a curtain into place for each bed.

2. Luggage racks beside each bed. Having a luggage rack for your gear is much nicer than having to just place all your bags on the aisle floors.

3. Collapsible tables that fit between the seats. If passengers want a table on which to eat, write, work on a laptop, watch a DVD or read, they just have to ask the conductor for a table. He’ll pull one out and set it up.

table set up on THai train

4. Washing areas with sinks, soap, mirrors and shelves. This special section of Thai overnight trains is great for washing your face, brushing your teeth and any other grooming tasks you normally do just before bed or first thing in the morning. I’ve never seen these washing areas on any other countries’ trains.

Day time or night time, I utterly enjoy riding on Thailand’s comfortable and relaxing fan-cooled trains.

Next time I take a Malaysian refrigerator train, all bundled up like an Eskimo, cut off from the outside world, sealed inside an amplified noise chamber, I’m sure I’ll be missing all my wonderful Thai train experiences.

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QUESTIONS:

Have you ridden on Thailand’s fan-cooled trains?

If so, what did you think?

If not, do you think you’d enjoy it?

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