~eS

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forum and I'm planning my first S. Asia trip!! We're planning to hit SIN, BKK, HKT and TYO for a quick stopover.

The ?: Are there any trains from SIN to BKK?

Thanks in advance,
~eS

dsgtc0408

Welcome to FT!

I'm not 100% sure about this but from what I can see, there are no through train services between Bangkok and Singapore except for the Orient Express luxury train. If you go with regular service, it looks like you would be taking the KTM (Malaysia) train from Singapore and changing over to a Thai train either in Butterworth (Penang), Malaysia or Hatyai, Thailand.

Koby

No personal experience yet (but it's on my list ).

I would start on "The Man in Seat Sixty-One" website, always very useful when looking for information on train travel.

Oh, and welcome to FT!

Swiss Tony

There are some 'issues' in the Southern Thai states I believe (think it's the ones that border Malaysia) so you might want to check state department advisories on this. You could however easily get the train from Singapore to Butterworth, ferry over to Penang then hop an LCC up to HKT. From there you can get a bus up to BKK, another LCC or bus part-way then pick up the train again.

In '93 I did an overland trip SIN-BKK and back again. Stopped at a place with hot springs at the south end of the Thai/Burmese border - Ranong I think. Absolutely fascinating as it was very much off the beaten track - imagine it's very different today - looking at Google Maps it looks like a massive place, not the dusty village I recall...

atLAS, aLAS

There is a train line all the way from Singapore to Bangkok. It is a diesel train the whole way. Maybe 20% slower than the bus overall, but a better experience. Singapore to Kuala Lumpur is an overnight train. Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth is also an overnight train; easy to take a ferry to Penang from Butterworth. Once you cross over into Thailand, vendors swarm the train with their treats, which are always reasonably priced. I had several great meals in Hat Yai, and enjoyed my stops in Prachuap and Hua Hin. Phuket is not on the rail line, but if you need a beach, Hua Hin is a good choice, and is a little cheaper, too.

Unless you go at a holiday period, you will be able to book at the last minute. Even the sleeper berths are available last minute for mid-week travel.

~eS

Thanks for all of your help!

Kobe, that's an excellent link. Exactly what I had been searching for.

I hadn't even considered stopping in Kuala Lampur, atLas. So, I'm thinking maybe we could take the overnight train and save a night in hotel costs. My only concern would be the safety.

The wheels are spinning!

Sandibeck

There is also the Easter Oriental Train with a direct Connection from Singapore to Bangkok ..

But this Train is pure luxury , for train lovers and prices start at 2000 USD

milesk

KL is worth a stop if you're doing a SE Asia excursion. I've taken the bus (double decker with 1st class seats) from Penang to KL and back a few times while working in Penang (cost ~$15 ow). Got to see the F1 race at Sepang one time too! Singapore is also a nice stop but much more expensive than Malaysia. The bus from Singapore to KL is about 4 1/2 hours and then about the same up to Penang. I've also flown on Firefly to Phuket http://www.fireflyz.com.my/ for under $100 ai (from Penang). If you stop in Penang, go to Batu Ferringi area and go hiking at the national park on the North end. It's been more than 12 years since I've been to BKK and I'm sure a lots changed but definately a cool place to check out.

jpatokal

The 'issues' are in the east coast states. The ones on the west coast (where the train runs) are more or less OK, although there have been a few bombings, mostly at dens of iniquity, in the main city of Hat Yai.

The main issue with the train is that it's veeeeery slow and not all that comfortable even in the better classes... but in less than half a year the link to central Singapore will stop operating, so if you're planning to go then now is the time to do it. (The train will still keep running, but it will terminate in a charmless concrete block in the northern boonies of Singapore, instead of the current colonial-era historical terminal in downtown Singapore.)

yksmirk

Buses and trains (and sometimes flights) are always cheaper if purchased from the Malaysian side. It takes just as long to just take a bus/MRT up to JB, cross over, and then buy a tix from there.

I've only gone as far as Northern Malaysia on the trains starting in Johor Bahru but I am pretty sure you can get a ticket to Thailand. If not then stop at the border and take another train up. It is worth to stop in Malaysia anyway.

The sleeper trains are surprisingly nice and I would recommend them.

aacreative

Absolutely wonderful site. I am thinking of switching to rail!

Yaatri

The train in Thailand runs on the east coast. There have been a few incidence in the southern part of Thailand around Hat Yai and Yalla but I have done two trips to the region during the last three years.

Don't let comments by those, who don't like travelling by train in Malaysia/Thailand, deter you. If you plan to travel overland, train is, by far, the best way. Buses might be cheaper and faster, but imagine doing a 12 plus hour trip on a bus.

I have travelled between Singapore and Alor Setar (the west coast line in Malaysia), as well as between Singapore and Wakaf Bahru (the east coast line of Malaysia). In Thailand, I have dome Bangkok-Nongkhai, Bangkok-Chaing Mai and Bangkok-Yalla. Trains are quite comfortable. Yes, they are veeeeeery slow when compared with aero-planes, but when compared with bus, they are slightly slower. I hope you don't compare trains with aeroplanes. The two serve a different purposes.

It's possible to do a train trip from Singapore to Chaing Mai. You will have to change trains. You will save quite a lot if don;t buy your ticket in Singapore. Break your trip. JB to KL, KL to HatYai, and Hat Yai to Bangkok. If you want to do Langkawi, you can break your trip in Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis.

Trains run on metre gauge, which is just about as narrower than standard gauge than standard gauge is narrower then broad gauge.

It's a useful site. It's not comprehensive though. When travelling in Europe, you have to use it in conjunction with Deutsche Bahn site.

Jack Napier

+1 ^

On the site there's also a reference to the "Eastern & Oriental Express" already mentioned here as well. Recently read an article about it in a magazine.

jpatokal

Um, no, it doesn't:


Trains to Malaysia branch off at Hat Yai (#7 on the map above) and cross the border at Sadao (#15), near the west coast, never entering the troubled provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. The east coast line to Sungei Kolok (#9), on the other hand, runs through all of three.

Yaatri

Never mind. I was talking about the railway line from Bangkok. For most of the route from Bagnkok, it's closer to the east coast. You don't escape the troubled spot entirely as you have to go to Hat Yai before the line splits, after which, it does indeed run closer to the west coast.