Shamelessmack in Thailand and around

Like most people, I usually fly to Chiang Mai. I think there was only one time, decades ago when, young enough to backpack, I took an overnight bus.

Then, this trip, I had this crazy idea that I would take the train from Bangkok up north. My frontal cortex dismissed it, but the idea kept coming back. Finally, I succumbed.

Having done it, I can say there is a lot to recommend it.

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For 821 baht, one-way, I got a second-class lower-bunk sleeper. The train departs Bangkok 22:00 h daily, and arrives Chiang Mai 12:45 the following day.

Naturally, it’s much slower than flying, and even slower than the express buses (which are driven by maniacs, in case you’ve not noticed), but the timing has a positive side too.

For example, on the day of departure, I had the whole afternoon and early evening free allowing me to have a lazy lunch, an hour surfing the internet and then a 120-minute session at a massage place, where I was scrubbed and washed clean enough for a good night’s rest.

Boarding the train at 21:30 h, I found the bunks ready, and settled in for an early night. The bunks had all been nicely made up, complete with pillows, fresh linen and blankets. For privacy, one had curtains. I slept well and woke up refreshed a little before eight.

Between 8 and 9, the car attendants came by and converted the bunks into seats, which were comfortably wide. There was plenty of leg room too.

There was breakfast on board the train, though it was only passable. Then some pleasant conversation with other travellers as the countryside sailed by our windows, before we pulled into Chiang Mai. Arriving at midday was just nice, since hotels don’t generally cope well with check-ins before noon anyway.

And don’t forget, I saved one night’s hotel accommodation.

After checking-in at the hotel, I had a quick shower, a light lunch and by 14:30, I was all ready to explore the northern city’s delights.

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I liked the experience enough to change my mind about flying back to Bangkok. I bought another ticket for the return journey, again on an overnight train. This time however, the timing wasn’t so good.

The train with sleeper cars was scheduled to leave Chiang Mai at the ridiculously early hour of  17:50 h. Still, there was enough time for an afternoon massage and shower before embarking.

At the start of the journey, the carriages had seats, wide and roomy as before. A little after dinner, the car attendants came around and converted the seats into lower and upper bunks. This time I got an upper bunk; it was just as comfortable as the lower one.

This train reached Bangkok a little past 07:00 in the morning, which meant we had to wake up early. It was also an inconvenient hour for checking into a hotel. Perhaps flying back would have been better.

Fortunately, the hotel where I had made a reservation  (my usual hotel) is perennially short of guests – which is precisely why I like the place. They had no difficulty welcoming me and giving me a room at nine in the morning.

Once again, by taking the train, I saved another night’s hotel expenses.

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Hualumphong Railway Station in Bangkok can be easily reached on the underground MRT line; you don’t need to take a taxi.

At Chiang Mai, there are plenty of tuktuks and songtaews hanging around the railway station.

If you’re the type who suffers from sea-sickness easily, you may be advised to choose the lower bunk. There is less rocking. That’s what a fellow passenger told me. Because I don’t have that problem, I would not have known otherwise.