Guide to the Excursion Train to Sai Yok Noi Waterfall
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) run a number of weekend excursion trains to various tourist destinations around Thailand. Two of the most popular routes are to Sai Yok Waterfall in Kanchanaburi and Suan Son Pradipat Beach to the south of Hua Hin. This page is about the day-trip to Kanchanaburi. The train goes every Saturday and Sunday and public holidays from Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong). The train leaves at 6:30 a.m. and makes its first stop in Nakhon Pathom at 7:45 a.m. for forty minutes of sightseeing.
Visit the Thai Train Guidebooks page for a free download for this excursion.
The next stop is at 9:34 a.m. at the Bridge on the River Kwai. You have about 25 minutes here. The scenic highlight of the train trip is at around 11:00 a.m. when it goes along the wooden trestle bridge near Tham Krasae station. The final stop is at Nam Tok station at 11:30 a.m which is a short walk to the waterfall. They give you nearly three hours here. The return train leaves at 2:25 p.m. In Kanchanaburi town, they give you about one hour to visit the war cemetery near the station or to buy snacks in the market. You are then back on the train at 4:53 p.m. If it is on time, you will get back to Bangkok at 7:25 p.m. please note, all times and stops are subject to change
Photo Blog: Day Trip to Sai Yok Noi Waterfall by Train | The Complete Guide to the Death Railway
HOW TO BUY TICKETS: You can book tickets online on the official D-Ticket website. You can also buy tickets at your local railway station. This can now be done up to six months in advance. A 3rd class seat costs 120 Baht for the return journey. A 2nd class ticket in air-conditioned carriages is 240 Baht per person for the return journey. The advantage of going 3rd class is that the windows are open and it is easier to take pictures of the countryside. In 2nd class, although you have air-conditioning and comfortable seats, you might also have dirty windows. This is a personal choice. The outbound journey is broken up in Nakhon Pathom and the Bridge on the River Kwai. The return journey is broken up in Kanchanaburi town.
HOW TO GET TO THE STATION: Most people will get on at Bangkok Railway Station, otherwise known as Hua Lamphong. There is a car park which is free. Just say you are taking the train to Nam Tok. There is also a subway station here called MRT Hua Lamphong. I personally like to start and finish my journeys at this station. But many people also get on further down the line such as at Bang Sue Junction or Salaya Station. You can go to Bang Sue on either the Blue or Red Line trains.
HOW TO TRACK THE TRAINS: You can use the Train Tracking System to check the live progress of these trains: 909 (outbound) and 910 (inbound) when they are running at the weekend.
TRAIN SCHEDULE
All times are subject to change.
| TIME | STATION | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30am | Depart Bangkok Station | 909 train – outbound journey |
| 6:43am | Sam Sen Station | |
| 6:50am | Bang Sue Junction | Nice view on the left as the train goes around the curve after the junction |
| 7:06am | Bang Bamru Station | |
| 7:24am | Salaya Station | |
| 7:45am | Arrive at Nakhon Pathom Station | 40 minutes to visit Phra Pathom Chedi |
| 8:20am | Depart Nakhon Pathom station | |
| 8:32am | Nong Pladuk Junction | The train will be split here so make sure you’re in your assigned seat |
| 9:26am | Kanchanaburi Station | |
| 9:34am | Bridge on the River Kwai | 25 minutes to visit the bridge |
| 10:00am | Depart Bridge on the River Kwai | |
| 11:00am | Thamkra Sae wooden trestle bridge | Impressive views on the left-hand side |
| 11:30am | Arrive at Nam Tok Station | You have three hours to visit the waterfall and eat lunch |
| 2:25pm | Depart from Nam Tok Station | 910 – return journey |
| 2:44pm | Thamkra Sae wooden trestle bridge | Impressive views on the right-hand side |
| 3:53pm | Arrive at Kanchanaburi Station | You have one hour to visit the war cemetery or buy food in the market |
| 4:53pm | Depart from Kanchanaburi Station | |
| 5:48pm | Nong Pladuk Junction | |
| 7:25pm | Arrive at Bangkok Station |
MAP OF ROUTE
Photo Blog: Day Trip to Sai Yok Noi Waterfall by Train
Hi, during the return journey do they stop at Bang Sue?
Yes they stop at Bang Sue Junction.
Hi Richard, i would like to book train ticket for 19th Oct and seems like the tickets are fully booked for current month August. i know you mentioned before only available 30 days inadvance. Does that meant i will have to wait until 20th september, then i can book the train excursion ticket for 19th Oct or 1st day of the month (October)?
can you please advise me on this? thank you .
They have recently changed it so you can book 180 days in advance. You will need to change the drop down to October. Then choose your date.
Thank you for your reply. Much appreciated.
Hi Richard, thanks for the informative post! I’m planning for a group of three (1 adult and 2 teenagers) and wondering about the best seats for the 3rd CLASS SEATING PLAN. Which seats would you recommend? Are seats 12-14 or seats 60-62 good options?
hi, may i know how to the right seat to get the best view, when i booked the ticket on website?
Seats on the left have the best views. In the seating plan, it is the ones along the bottom.
Is it possible to bring bicycle on this excursion train to Nam Tok? We plan to get off at Nam Tok and start our cycling tour there. Thanks!
No unless it is a folding bike. You should take the regular train from Thonburi Station to Nam Tok.
It’s a pity the booking site is so clunky, tiresome and user unfriendly to use. Tried to book numerous times (10 to be precise, once for each date available) for a 2nd class ticket for this trip. You have to start at the home page and select the trip, then the ticket type, then the date, then book a ticket, then choose a seat number only to find no seat available. You then have to go back and start the whole process over again, like seriously? Why not just have a select new date option so that’s ALL you need to change? Like so many other sites in Thailand, very poor and basic design. I guess it being the last day of the month doesn’t help. Better to wait until the 1st and then try to book a date in the month ahead. Maybe it’ll be easier, it’s sure a tiresome site to plod through though!
I will travel to Bangkok in the next 4 days, just try to book reservation in D-ticket for trip 22Jun2024 to Sai Yok Noi but it is already full. Can I do anything to book this train? As I am not in Thailand now so cannot call to 1690.
If it isn’t full then it is full. However, sometimes people return tickets if they cannot go.
The only thing I can suggest is to take a regular train from Thon Buri Station but you won’t be able to go to all the same places.
I have already booked several tickets, but I am unable to cancel part of the booking on the Dticket website, and there is no cancellation function on the site. Can I cancel at the station on the day of travel? Can I get off at Bang Sue Junction on the return journey? Thank you for your response.
At the top of the Dticket website you should see the cancel ticket option after you have logged in. Otherwise you can cancel in advance at any station but you lose 70% of the ticket value. As for getting off early, you are allowed to do that. This train will stop at Bang Sue Junction.
Is it only possible to book tickets in the current month? I want to book for July but there is noch option to choose another month as April.
You can only book 30 days in advance,
Hi mr richard .. today 20 dis 2023 .. i want buy ticket date 20 january 2024.. at website d ticket already sold out 😭. Can i buy ticket at hua lamphong train station?
Depends on which train bit you can try. Even when it says full, some seats do become available later. Call 1690 to check.
Hi,I want to do this trip with my cat. Can you please tell me from where I can buy his ticket? or should I buy 2 third class ticket to take him
?
I have never seen a cat on the excursion train. I guess you can if you buy a ticket for the 3rd Class carriages with open windows. You can buy a special ticket for the cat at the station.
Hi, we were wondering whether it’s possible to bring luggage on the train (and store it somewhere safely during the various stops)?
We stay at one of the floating hotels near Nam Tok, so we would only do it one way. But as such we have all of our luggage with us. Or do you then recommend to just take the ‘normal’ train?
They do announce you can keep bags on the train at the stops but don’t leave any valuables.
I did this day trip on September 2nd – it was fantastic! I had no problems buying the ticket in advance from NZ. The Big Chief of the train kindly told me the exact time to be back at the train at each stop. All of the snacks along the way were delicious and the Thai people on board were really friendly. It’s a long day out but well worth it to see some really interesting scenery and an insight into Thai culture.
Thanks for this post, I’m so excited to take this train! I tried booking it (train 909, 910) on D-ticket website, but it keeps saying “Data not found”. Do you know if it’s still running? Or if tickets that have been sold out will not be shown anymore? Thanks 🙂
Are you doing it right? Some people try to enter origin and destination stations which you cannot do for the excursion train. Click on the link “Exploring Thailand by Train” or just scroll to the bottom of the page. Then choose the excursion you want to go on. You can buy tickets up to 30 days in advance.
Richard, thank you for this very informative post. Did your train arrive on time back at Hua Lamphong at 7.25pm? I read delays are not unusual.
You cannot really predict whether it will be on time or a delay. That train was on time but the train I’m sitting on now has a one hour delay.
I’m on this train today and for some reason we’ve completely skipped the Kanchanaburi stop on the way back. I don’t know why. Have you heard of this before? We were 30 mins late to arrive at Nan Tok but we left on time.
Yes the last time I did it last year we were running an hour late and they skipped Kanchanaburi on the way back. But as you said you weren’t late coming back and so strange. I wonder if they changed the timetable.
Hello. I’m planning to take this train but would like to disembark at Kanchanaburi and stay the night there. You mentioned they skipped the stop. Did you mean they did not stop at Kanchanaburi at all? Or they did and people could get off, just that it got moving soon after with no time to visit the cemetery? I’m wondering if I were to let the conductor know my 1 way plan, would he stop for me if they are rushing? Thank you in advance!
They will stop for sure. But only for a minute or two if the train was delayed. But most times it will stop for an hour. If you are leaving the excursion, you should try and tell the conductor so they don’t wait for you.
Thanks lots! Your guide has been most informative!
HI, does the train still leave from Hua Lampong station as of April 2023? i am asking because many trains have switched after Bang Sue Central station was opened in January 2023. My tickets just state “Bangkok”.
Bangkok Railway Station is the real name for Hua Lamphong. And yes, all weekend excursion trains still leave from Hua Lamphong.
Is is possible to bring small luggage and stay in Kanchanaburi heading back?
Yes but please tell the conductor you are only going one way. Or at least when you get off in Kanchanaburi on the way back.