On another thread, someone expressed interest in train travel in Thailand. I was last on a Thai train in 1989, but based on what I saw on a return visit, not much has changed since then. So here's a trip report on the "Expres Antarabangsa" (International Express) from Bangkok in Thailand to Butterworth in Malaysia (mainland port for Georgetown, on Penang Island).
Our train left Hualampong Station in late afternoon. Hualampong is the main station in Bangkok, and looks very French, with a big arched train shed. The International Express comprised a diesel, a baggage car, eight coaches, a diner, three brand-new stainless steel second-class sleepers built by Hitachi of Japan, and one rather tired-looking first class sleeper on the rear. My travel agent had booked me on the second class sleeper, which had 12 open sections and was fully air conditioned. The first class car had private rooms, but they seemed to be unoccupied.
The Thai and Malaysian rail network is meter-gauge, and equipment is interchanged (the entire train is Thai equipment, but runs through to Butterworth). Signals are in the British tradition, great big semaphores on lacework signal bridges. Speeds are moderate (100 kmh).
Leaving Bangkok, the train quickly reached the countryside, which was full of thatched farm houses on stilts with Japanese built pickup trucks parked underneath. Lots of rice fields, and the occasional karst hill (this landscape extends from southern China all the way down the Malay peninsula.) The very helpful sleeping car attendant brought me a bottle of water and the dining car menu, suggesting that I eat dinner at my seat (the diner was not A/C, apparently). He set up a table, and I ordered chili garlic prawns with rice and a vegetable, and a big bottle of Singha beer. The food, when it arrived, was delicious. Total tab was about $6. Try that on Amtrak! After dinner he made down the bed for me, and I turned in.
Ride was comfortable and quiet. I awoke somewhere in southern Thailand, dressed, and had our attendent make up the section and bring me some breakfast. In late morning, we arrived at the border point of Hat Yai. We had to detrain for border formalities, and so did the on-board crew -- taking all the bedding with them! The train ran unstaffed from that point to Butterworth, about three hours. Total trip time was about 24 hours for a total distance of about 850 miles.
A pleasant trip, all told, followed by two nights in Penang's Eastern & Oriental Hotel and a trip on Malaysian day trains to Kuala Lumpur (but that's another story).
Our train left Hualampong Station in late afternoon. Hualampong is the main station in Bangkok, and looks very French, with a big arched train shed. The International Express comprised a diesel, a baggage car, eight coaches, a diner, three brand-new stainless steel second-class sleepers built by Hitachi of Japan, and one rather tired-looking first class sleeper on the rear. My travel agent had booked me on the second class sleeper, which had 12 open sections and was fully air conditioned. The first class car had private rooms, but they seemed to be unoccupied.
The Thai and Malaysian rail network is meter-gauge, and equipment is interchanged (the entire train is Thai equipment, but runs through to Butterworth). Signals are in the British tradition, great big semaphores on lacework signal bridges. Speeds are moderate (100 kmh).
Leaving Bangkok, the train quickly reached the countryside, which was full of thatched farm houses on stilts with Japanese built pickup trucks parked underneath. Lots of rice fields, and the occasional karst hill (this landscape extends from southern China all the way down the Malay peninsula.) The very helpful sleeping car attendant brought me a bottle of water and the dining car menu, suggesting that I eat dinner at my seat (the diner was not A/C, apparently). He set up a table, and I ordered chili garlic prawns with rice and a vegetable, and a big bottle of Singha beer. The food, when it arrived, was delicious. Total tab was about $6. Try that on Amtrak! After dinner he made down the bed for me, and I turned in.
Ride was comfortable and quiet. I awoke somewhere in southern Thailand, dressed, and had our attendent make up the section and bring me some breakfast. In late morning, we arrived at the border point of Hat Yai. We had to detrain for border formalities, and so did the on-board crew -- taking all the bedding with them! The train ran unstaffed from that point to Butterworth, about three hours. Total trip time was about 24 hours for a total distance of about 850 miles.
A pleasant trip, all told, followed by two nights in Penang's Eastern & Oriental Hotel and a trip on Malaysian day trains to Kuala Lumpur (but that's another story).
