That Time On The Thai Train From Hell

Almost every guidebook you’ll come across will tell you how travelling by train in Thailand is a great experience.

And to be fair, they’re more than likely right. But me and Chelcie’s first experience on the train tracks in Thailand was one I wasn’t keen to repeat.

Having already booked our accommodation in Chiang Mai before we even hit Asian soil, we had to be arriving there on the Saturday. As such, we paid attention to the assorted guidebooks and decided to experience a Thai sleeper train. We weren’t able to get down to Hualamphong station until the day before we needed a ticket, and upon reaching the counter and stumbling our way through trying to book a ticket, were told that the only sleeper carriage left was non air-conditioned. The counter assistant and concierge exchanged a surprised look when we decided we had to plump for this, which left me a little anxious as to what was ahead…

Cooking in the concourse (Image Credit: http://www.subzerosiam.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1946&d=1307093535)

We arrived back at Hualamphong station the next day on a swelteringly sticky evening awaiting our departure at 10pm.Stocked up on liquid and sweet supplies to keep our energy up in the stiflingly warm conditions, we soon boarded our sweat box of a carriage and tried to get comfy for the night ahead. And then our train just sat there.

Although I should have expected it due to the part of the world we were in, our train was of course delayed. We were hardly in a rush of course, but with it already getting late and not expecting the comfiest night of sleep, it was much more of an annoyance than it might have been. And with the stifling conditions and lack of air-conditioning already telling, my vest and shorts were already turning into a sweat-suit. I could tell it was going to be a long night…

Counting the hours…

With it already being quite late the beds were soon made up by the train attendants, and most people soon bunkered down for the night. Now as a more nocturnal individual I wasn’t particularly keen or looking forward to sleep yet, and especially as I’d done the courteous thing and given Chelcie the lower and more spacious bed. But I eventually clambered up into my higher tomb bunk and attempted to settle down.

Which I couldn’t.

I wiggled around trying to get comfy. I sweated. I put my headphones in to try and block out the constant “ch-ch ch-chugg”. I sweated some more. I wiggled to try and catch as much of the roof fan as I could. I sweated a little bit more. I listened to six episodes of Football Weekly. I sweated ever more. I got slightly claustrophobic about my tiny sleeping space. I slept.

For 22 minutes!

Urgh…

Sea of green… (Image Credit: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6lsrrmylv1r0x35xo1_1280.jpg)

I gave up on trying to relax at this point, and lay awake checking the clock, sweating and listening to music until my iPod died. I also desperately tried to resist going to the toilet again, as despite being right next to it at the end of the carriage, I didn’t particularly want to reacquaint myself with the shining example of squat toilet cleanliness that lay through the doors.

Morning comes…

Finally the carriage began to stir as light began to creep through the windows, and morning made me hopeful that our journey would soon be over in the next few hours. A tapping from underneath alerted me to Chelcie being awake, and I joined her downstairs. Whilst the Thai countryside outside was a welcome sight, our sleep-deprived, sweaty and uncomfortable states meant we just wanted to see our destination station as soon as possible. Having not left Bangkok until 10.45 pm, were hoping to reach Chiang Mai at 11.00am-ish. But as we headed further north, the time ticked on. 11.00, 11.30, 12.00, 12.30, 1.00, 1.30, 2.00…

Exhausted, overheated and possibly getting worryingly close to dehydration – we got through all of our fluids due to the extended length of the journey – we finally reached Chiang Mai sometime after 2.30 in the afternoon. Our 12 hour sleeper journey had taken nearly 16 hours once we actually left Bangkok, and we weren’t the only unhappy looking backpackers climbing off the train at the end. We clambered into a tuk-tuk and after yet another delay, finally reached our accommodation. Our first Thai train experience had not been a good one at all, and Chelcie was pretty ill for the rest of the day. After washing, rehydrating and recovering we booked our ticket back to Bangkok for next week. By plane.

In short, if you’re going to take a sleeper train in Thailand, make sure you get in an air-conditioned carriage, and expect delays! There’s no doubting it’s worthwhile overall, what with the super cheap cost and general availability. Just be prepared!

Have you taken a sleeper train in Thailand? And how was your experience of it?