Thanks for the response transpac.

We want to take the train for the novelty of it. Arriving 6 hours late may cause the novelty to wear off rather quickly, although I've heard that this particular route had been recently repaired and was running closer to normal times. We shall see.

I heard back from 'thailandtrainticket' this morning and am currently trying to pay them, although there are issues with payment verification etc, but that is another topic all together.

My 1st choice in train has sold out, so we are on the back-up plan. I will report back if I find any useful tips or hints for others.