Thailand forum

The Man in Seat 61 has pretty comprehensive coverage of the train system in Thailand. I've found it very useful in the past. http://seat61.com/Thailand.htm

As Tilapia says, you'll need to return to Nakhon Pathom from Kanachanaburi to catch the onward train to Surat Thani .

The train times don't seem all that different, but I do recall a slightly better quality of train and service the higher up the train schedule you claim. But more important than the train speed is the class of seat you've booked, and that second class overnight sleeper is the minimum I'd go for a long trip like the one to Surat Thani. The third class train will be fine for BKK to Kanachanaburi. Just remember that the train to Kanchanaburi starts at the Bangkok Noi Station in Thonburi, not terribly far from the Khao San Road area.

Also like Tilapia suggests, I'd book that Nakhon Pathom to Surat Thani berth as soon as you possibly can to make sure you get the date and time you want. And I've never thought that the service charge from the travel agents was all that much either considering the convenience. Have a great trip.

since you are travelling with the missus, you might consider booking a first class sleeper compartment for the trip if they are available and within your budget. i like them because there is a small sink for washing up, a door that latches, lights that can be shut off when it is time to sleep, larger berths, more room for baggage, and the extra privacy and security that comes with all that. best of all, the aircon operates on those little nozzles just like on the airplane, so you can adjust the cabin temperature-sort of.

two days in kanchanaburi will be pretty good. you can still see and do a lot in that time. if you are into such things, remember that there are two allied cemeteries to visit. both are memorable and worthwhile, but the smaller one across the river gets fewer visitors and can be a much more personal experience. have fun.

Sparts,

I would say that unless you are planning on heading to Kanchanaburi on a Thai holiday weekend, there is absolutely no need to book in advance. And if you are going to be in the country several days before you head south, then I wouldn't worry about that, either. That is, unless you are going to be arriving and moving around during the Christmas and NY holidays. Then you may have some trouble getting a sleeping berth heading south. Just get your tickets sorted out as soon as possible after arriving.

I don't know anyone who has had success booking tickets in advance online. And I've never bothered. I see this changing in the future, though.

Also, should the unlikely scenario arise where you actually cannot get a sleeping berth on a night train south, then there is always the bus option. I don't recommend making the trip in one go, though. Bust it up with a stop or two along the way. There are some nice spots en route where you can break your journey.

Hi there. I just thought I'd share this with you in case you would consider a different route to Kanchanaburi depending on what you wanted to see... I paid 900 baht for a 2 day 1 night trip to Kanchanaburi which included minibus from Bangkok (took about 2 hours), war cemetry, Jeath War museum, bridge over the River Kwai, train ride over the bridge and along Death Railway (had to pay an extra 100 baht but it was so worth it) lunch which was one of the best meals I had in Thailand, elephant riding for about 15 minutes, bamboo rafting, overnight stay on a floating raft hotel - basic but lovely on the river, dinner, then the following day we went to Erwan National Park (extra 500 baht) and swam in the waterfalls in the morning before returning back to Bangkok. It was one of the best trips we did in Thailand and well worth the money, I would recommend it to everyone. And because transport is included it takes the hassle away from having to find buses, taxis, trains etc and especially when you're only limited to 2 days it means you can see almost everything. Hope this helps.