nltrainer
Traveller
1334 comments
Posted 4 years ago
Most people seem convinced one always has to go to the HuaLamPong station to catch trains-nonsense. In fact the final 6-7 kms into town from bang Sue are to be abandoned end of this or maybe next yr and the giant supersize and brand new shiny BKK cnetral is to open then. ALL trains, certainly the expresses and overnighters will then start/end there. Also the shiny brand new RED line ´skytrain'that is not the BTS skytrain but run also by the SRT=state railway is to open then above the old rails on the ground as far as Rangsit, passing/serving also DMK=Don Muang low cost airport. many local trains not going far out will then disappear. Ditto for the line going west then south, but there are no points along that that a normal tourist would want to go to.
As for this year-and esp when getting into BKK - dont stay on the train till the end - get off at Bang Sue ( and use bus or MRT = metro ) and save hours plus many not that nice encounters with greedy and pushy tuktuks and taxi-no-meters. Take a few mins to admire the new shiny station then. Bus 65 runs to the famous bekpek area around KhaoSarn.
nltrainer
Traveller
1334 comments
The big new station has been opened and is now used for.........
covid injections.
Many long distance trains are cancelled also, as govmt. wants to restrict travel so people stay mostly in their homeplace.
Only the best newer trains have been transferred to the new station-which is a bit west of that famous weekendmarket, as they only want trains that have enclosed toilets-for obvious reasons to see on the concrete under the rails.
THis month the new red line (skytrain lookalike, but run by the State Rail) is opened-above the main line along Don Muang airport as far as Rangsit-to be extended further to Thammasat UNI. For now travel is free. The next plan is to connect this line-above the existing rails again-to connect and link up with the Raillink to Swampy airport, to be expected in 2-3 yrs.
However-TH is as good as closed since 20 monthes from now for visitors-the only way in is to stay for 10 or 14 days in a hotel for self-quarantine to be paid by yourself.