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Kanchanaburi to Trang via train, advice needed!

Barnsey

longtail driver
Posts: 8

Hey everyone,

On Sunday the 1st of April I need to depart Kanchanaburi and arrive in Trang on the 2nd. I was thinking of changing at Nakhon Pathom instead of going all the way back to Bangkok and catching the sleeper train from there.

The only issues seem to be:

A 2 hour connection time at Nakhon Pathom - I'm unsure of how reliable the railway line from Kanchanaburi is, so even though it may seem easy with the 2 hour gap, am I still at risk of missing the sleeper train? Has anyone used this station for a rail connection in the past?

It seems difficult to book tickets from Nakhon Pathom online, everything seems to be from Bangkok. Is it usually ok for the agencies to sell 1st class sleeper tickets from stations outside Bangkok to the south?

Perhaps it's a little early to be worrying about this, but any advice for those who have experience would be greatly appreciated! =)

Many thanks

Andy

#1 Posted: 18/1/2007 - 00:35
exacto

mahout
Posts: 1797
Located in:
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Andy,

Good idea to avoid heading back into BKK to catch your train down south to Trang. The trains are pretty good about departing on time, so I'd be pretty comfortable about a 2-hour connection time in Nakhom Pathom. If you want to be extra sure, you could always catch a bus or minivan from Kanchanaburi to Nakhon Pathom. Those depart often throughout the day. If you have extra time in Nakhon Pathom, be sure to have a look at the big stupa there. It is enormous!

Another option is to catch a bus from Kanchanaburi to Ratchaburi and pick up the train from there.

I've picked up 1st class sleeper cars from stations outside of BKK before, so I know it is possible. But the cost difference shouldn't be all that much, so if you aren't able to book the ticket from Nakhon Pathom like you want online, you might try just buying the ticket with a BKK departure.

Let us know how it turns out. Cheers.

#2 Posted: 18/1/2007 - 09:49
Tilapia

under-employed
Posts: 1204
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Trains leave on-time from K-buri and there are only a couple each weekday. I think you'd probably want to catch the 2:45 train. But, depending on what time the connection needs to be made, you may want to be on the safe side and, as mentioned above, take a bus. You could also take the morning train out of K-buri, but I'd rather spend my time there than hanging around for the better part of the day in Nakhon Pathom (though the food there is great). Buses are leaving K-buri all the time.

It's possible to make your reservation in K-buri if you don't make it in Bangkok. The folks at the station there are extremely friendly and helpful. There's some really interesting antique and fully-operational switchers and other equipment in that station.

#3 Posted: 25/1/2007 - 23:16