Bangkok to Chiang mai - Overnight train - First class (And booking options)

[mattl3]

Good morning / Afternoon  Evening all,

I've had a quick search around the forums and have seen it mentioned a few times but vaguely and not recently. So I thought i'd start it again.

A TG I will be seeing (have met many times before) wants to experience the long train from Bangkok to Chiang mai (overnight train). The times look pretty good departing apx 20:00 on the evening and arriving 07:15 the next day.

To make things better, the TG has stated she will pay for my ticket  

So my questions, has anyone personally experienced this overnight first class train? I've looked at google reviews, most say its fine for cleanliness etc but struggled with sleep. Any actual reports from yourselves would be appreciated, especially pictures.

Also, the articles I have been reading suggest buying tickets via 21go? - Has anyone used this and can you recommend it.

Thanks in advance.

Matt.

[Piece Corp]

I’ve done this trip on the overnight first class.  It was difficult to sleep.  After checking in my hotel in Chiang Mai I needed a nap.  Also, the air conditioning was cranked up so high I was freezing, otherwise the berths were clean and comfortable.  I bought tickets at the train station a month in advance and flew back to Bangkok on Air Asia for half the price.

[Saddic]

Did it once many many moons ago...  flew back...

It had AC, I had no trouble sleeping, but...

When they change the wheels in the middle of the night, it makes a lot of noise...  The track gauges change half way up...

BRING YOUR OWN FOOD/DRINKS...

Do it for the experience...

[Soi7]

I had a good overnight train trip to Hat Yai slept well you should do it good experience. The trains from Bangkok to Chang Mai get sold out well in advance as do the return trains so you won't get a last min ticket 

[forqalso]

I took the train from BKK to Chiang Mai in 2009,  the schedule online said arrival time was around 7am but we didn't get there until 11.  The porter told my wife 11, before we left Bangkok and she assumed I knew, so there was some confusion around 8 the next day for me.  

We had a cabin, with a couch and sink.  The couch folded into bunk beds,  my wife didn't want to fool around because there was a cabin full of monks next to us, so she got the upper bunk.  Around 3 am, she said she was too cold and she wanted to come down to sleep with me.  I said, "what about the monks?" But she came down anyway.

I got up to use the toilet, bad news, it was the squat model.  I thought I would wait until we got to CM at 7 and find something better. Seven came and went and eventually I find out we still have hours to go.  I go back and see a second door that I didn't notice before.  It wasn't a pot of gold, but in my situation it was the next best thing, a western sit down model.

Back then, there were freelance taxi drivers to take you around,  we had one guy drive us around to different place over the three days we were there.  Tiger Kingdom, Golden Triangle, Laos and Myanmar.

[Ohyesuare]

I did it about 10 years ago. Was a decent trip. On the way back, the first class compartment broke down though which means no AC so they moved us to shitty 2nd class seats. No refund or compensation of course. Also somebody will come by with a menu to try and get you to order food and drinks and all they do is bring it from the dining car with a huge markup.

[wadman]

I took the train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok about 2 years ago.  I paid for a private sleeper berth, which means that you are guaranteed to have a whole cabin to yourself.  It was around 1900 baht IIRC.

The train left around 6 or 7 pm, and arrived in Bangkok really early in the morning.  That means that I didn't get to see much in terms of views out of the window, as it got dark soon.  Not that there was that much to see anyway, it's basically just grass, shrubs and trees.  No grand vistas: no view of the ocean, canyon, or anything like that.

My cabin had a bunk bed.  The top bed was unused in my case, so I didn't fold it down.  There was an ensuite washroom, but it was tiny.

I don't think I actually fell asleep at all.  The reason being that the train swayed from side to side quite a bit.  Pretty much every minute or so, the train would go through a gentle turn, and your body would get pull to one side.  I am not sure how you could fall asleep like that.  There was a fair bit of noise too from the wheels hitting the train tracks.  The train obviously wasn't a modern highspeed train.

I too did it "for the experience".  Would I have done it if I knew what to expect?  Probably not.

[princeofwales]

the train travels painfully slow

feels like you could jump out and jog faster

I took a pill to help me sleep for a few hours

I actually enjoyed the train food

 

[Kandinski]

As other BM says; for the experience but not much to experience on a night train. Flights to CNX starts at THB 1K and with great schedules

[jocky king]

I took a flight (Air Asia ) from Pattaya (U-Tapao )  few weeks ago for little more than 2,000 baht ( Return ticket ) .. Great ,1 hour I think , But if you prefer train , go for it . I took a train (Amtrak USA) New York to San Diego ( 5/6 stopover few over night stay Chicago, Salt Lake City , Colorado, Las Vegas and Los Angeles)  , a pain in an ass , never again , but once in a lifetime is sufficient .  

[Spock Vulcan]

Took a night train Bangkok to Chiang Mai few years ago. Few tips (some seen above already).

Book in advance.

Take some clothes like socks and long sleeves (nights/AC can be little frisky if you want to sleep) 

Take earplugs for the noise and a facemask for the light that keeps burning when you want to sleep.

Take food and drinks.

Flew back and wouldn't go by train again. Takes too long, experience is not that impressive when you drive by night and go to sleep, hotel beds sleep better than a train.

[ricktoronto]

Best source about trains and how to buy tix is at the site The Man in Seat 61. There are a mix of trains and times and you want the new best trains.