Good advice. Or negotiate a late check out if necessary. Lots of hotels will do half day rates, but you have to ask.

When that hasn't worked, which it often does, I've had success asking to have access to the fitness area so that I can take a shower and change before heading out to 28 hours of flying.

Additional note: many flights Americans take into Bangkok, which are second flights after flying over the Pacific, arrive in BKK from 22:00 - 2:00, so late check-ins are very common at hotels American frequent, ie Marriotts, Hiltons, etc. Catering to that, many hotels have full housekeeping staffs much later than we are used to in the US, meaning late check-outs are easier to get in Bangkok than most other locations. I've gotten 7:00 pm a couple times.

it probably also helps that there's so much competition in BKK.

Not BKK, but I just got a 9PM late check out for my upcoming trip to Singapore at a relatively reasonable cost just because I asked and they were smart enough to realize that it would help me decide to stay there...something 2 other hotels weren't willing to offer.

whoops, wrong hotel in the post I just deleted. I confused Singapore with KL...

Care to share which hotel let you have a late check-out? I stayed at the Marriott last time, but won't do that again. Knowing a hotel is generous with late check-out might help me make a decision next time.

Sure, the Park Hotel Farrer Park. I am paying S$120 for the 9PM check out. The rate I am paying is about S$250/night for their club room, but the regular rooms are under S$200. The hotel just opened a few months ago. It's right on top of the Farrer Park mrt station.

Thanks, that and the earlier description of Asoke is something of what I was looking for. Asoke was just one of the suggestions to the same question I posted on TripAdvisor. I would much rather take in cultural and historical experiences than shop -- I have a couple days in Bangkok on the end of the trip if I want to shop.

This whole plan centered around a group tour that starts in Chiang Mai and ends in Bangkok. I added on overnight at an elephant rescue prior to the tour and then decided on the train trip as I was doing my research. I saw a lot of recommendations for grabbing the train as a lifetime experience but what really sold me was the write-up at The Man in Seat 61. I got my berth on train #9 (supposed to be the new carriages) as soon as it was open for reservations. I paid 1653 THB for the lower berth.

If/when I go back to Thailand, I can always grab cheap commuter flights (or I could try the more open social second class carriages that the blog recommends) but with this being the first time, I wanted to pack in as many unique experiences as I could. That's also why I want to use the day of arrival somewhat productively rather than just lounge in the hotel until it's time to go to the train station.

Don't get me wrong, I do like First Class in the air but I also don't mind "roughing" it a little on the ground as long as I can stay dry and am not sharing the bed with critters I didn't invite.

Thanks again to everyone for the good info!

Sorry but I think you have this messed up somewhat. 16 hours on the front end of your trip is not going to be enough to do the cultural side. You have temples, floating markets and many other things to experience.

I've only taken the Bangkok-Chiang Mai (Den Chai actually, twice up, twice back - 2nd class AC sleeper) train four times, but I wouldn't classify the experience as culturally awakening, or life-altering. I prefer to drive, or fly (to Lampang or Phrae).

With a limited amount of time in country, chewing up 13+ hours when you could spend one hour on a "cheap commuter flight" seems unusual.

But again, I do understand the allure/nostalgia that some have for train. Almost every tourist raves about it, while most Thais despise the SRT.

Where does the OP state the length of his trip?

Just to clarify, are you going first or second class ? I always assumed that single travellers in first class paid for both berths (I would if alone). It's a very small closed space to spend a long time with someone you don't know. Second class is a reserved seat plus a berth in the communal sleeping car. 1653 THB is about what we paid for a whole first class cabin IIRC, but that was probably a decade ago.

Train #9 /#10, called "Uttrawithi", utilizes the new-ish CNR carriages. Pretty sure these have western-style toilets, using a squatter is difficult enough on dry land, on a rickety Thai train very hit or miss.

1,653 THB gives you (AFAIK) a first-class tiny single private room, lower berth. Two adjacent "rooms" can be opened up into one.

2nd Class on the new CNR carriages is different than the old style as well. The old style had 4 berths, 2 lower, 2 upper in each "room". The berth served as your seat.

The SRT website is down for me right now so can't post more details.

500 - Internal server error.

Back for me

Train #9

I have found that hotels in Bangkok are good about offering late checkout for a reasonable fee, since many long haul flights depart BKK round about midnight.

The hotel I normally stay at has a 2pm checkout, but will extend you to a 8pm checkout for half the daily tariff. Worth it IMO to spend a leisurely day at the pool, grab an early dinner in town, and freshen up before a long journey.


SL

Sorry for OT, but I hope this helps someone.

Whenever I have an overnight transit in BKK, I stay in Nasa Vegas hotel. It's basic,but clean and safe. I normally pay about 500THB +1000THB refundable deposit.

The reason I stay there is that it's very convenient to get to/from the airport. You get the train to Ramkhamhaeng station and 18 minutes and about 20-30THB later you arrive. The hotel is linked to the station by footbridges (about 2 min from the station itself). A few supermarkets and food outlets around.

I thought I had stated before that I will have 2 days in Bangkok on the tail end of the trip. There are a number of ways I could have worked the trip differently but rather than simply arriving a couple days later and flying up to CM to connect to my tour group, I chose to get in a little earlier and visit an elephant sanctuary before the tour.

To do THAT, I could have overnighted at BKK and caught a flight up to CM to overnight before the sanctuary picked me up or I could have done what I chose which was to grab the overnight train up to CM and get picked up by the sanctuary at the train station. Note the the 13 hours I will spend on the train are time that temples and what not are unlikely to be open where as the commuter flights tend to occur during prime sightseeing time.

Choosing the latter option gives me a new experience that has got a lot of positive reviews. It also meant I will have roughly 16 hours in Bangkok before having to get to the train station so I chose to ask for advice here and on Trip Advisor. Anything I get to see around the train station is something I don't have to try to fit in when I get back down to Bangkok. I will get to take in some of the temples and other experiences in the 2 days I have at the end of the tour.

Thank you for the advice I've received here ... sorry if my choices and priorities don't align with yours.

751 km

120 kmh

13 hours and 5 minutes...

Yep.. that adds up.....:D:D:D