Guide to Steam Train Excursions in Thailand
Steam train enthusiasts have at least six opportunities a year to ride a steam train in Thailand. Each trip has a different destination. For example, Ayutthaya, Nakhon Pathom and Chachoengsao. Ayutthaya is the most popular destination and tickets always sell out within hours.
- 26th March (anniversary of the opening of the first public railway): Ayutthaya
- 3rd June (Queen Suthida’s birthday): Nakhon Pathom
- 28th July (King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s birthday): Ayutthaya
- 12th August (Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother’s birthday): Chachoengsao
- 23rd October (anniversary of the death of King Chulalongkorn): Ayutthaya
- 5th December (anniversary of the birth of King Bhumibol): Chachoengsao
Sometimes there are additional trips. I will post on Twitter as and when I hear any information about steam train trips in Thailand. The next scheduled steam train trip will be on 5th December 2022 which is a public holiday. This will go to Chachoengsao which is a popular destination. Tickets went on sale 30 days in advance and sold out within one day. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for notification of when the next tickets go on sale.
PHOTO BLOG: Steam Train Trip to Ayutthaya
PHOTO BLOG: Steam Train Trip to Chachoengsao
TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS: Chasing the Steam Train to Ayutthaya
HOW TO BUY TICKETS: Go to the official D-Ticket website. You will need to register and log in. This is advisable to do in advance of tickets going on sale. Change the language to English. Once logged in, click ‘Exploring Thailand by Train’. This will take you to the bottom of the page that has thumbnails of the special excursion trips. Choose the one with the steam train. If you are quick, you will get a seat in the carriage at the front next to the locomotives. You will be able to see them through the open door during the journey. You can also buy tickets for this trip at your local train station. Call the hotline 1690 for more information. They speak excellent English. For those of you having difficulty using your card to buy tickets online, you can reserve tickets by calling the hotline but you will need to go to the station within 24 hours to pay for them.
You can usually only choose seats in two different carriages at a time. If your desired seat is not in the first carriage, then click the icon to see what is available in the next carriage. However, the system automatically chooses a seat for you in the first carriage and you will need to click X to delete your seat in order to look at the next carriage. I prefer seats by the window in the direction the train is going. Coming back I will of course be looking the other direction.
There are only 3rd Class carriages with fan available on the steam excursions. However, sometimes a tour company reserves a carriage with air-conditioning but you won’t be able to buy on the official website. You would need to contact the agency direct. We will post on our social media when we hear news about this.
The train leaves Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong station) at 8:10 a.m. There is no reason why you cannot go there early in the morning at say 7:00 a.m. to take pictures first. You don’t need a ticket. Alternatively, you can wait at one of the other stations in Bangkok. For example Samsen Station or Bang Sue Junction Station. It should return here in the evening at about 6:25 p.m. We have already posted the schedule for the steam train trip to Ayutthaya with tips and a map for photographers waiting along the route.
PHOTO BLOG: Steam Train Trip to Ayutthaya
The steam trains are usually kept at the locomotive workshops near Thonburi station when not being used. I have been there before to take pictures though officially it’s not open to the public. Volunteers go there the day before the trips to do a final clean.
The should update their website to inform people at the initial booking page that there are no seats available or at the very least choose the seats first and THEN fill in details. As it is, you visit the site, waste time filling names and details of 4 passengers only to then see that there are no seats available! Typical archaic system!
Actually, it is much worse than that: They even list steam train trips on the website weeks before even opening the sales process. I.e., you can register, select the trip at the correct date, select a booking class and coach number, enter data for 4 persons including phone, e-mail, ID/passport number, only go get a “no seats available message”. Every time you go back one step to try another coach or booking class, you have to start from scratch and enter all data again, only to see the same message.
Eventually, you call the hotline and they tell you: “The trip is not open for sales yet, sales start on such-and-such date. Sorry for your inconvenience.” When asking them to improve the website to block the entrance of the booking process for trips yet unavailable, adding an info message for prospective customers to try again on such-and-such date, nothing happens. They utterly disrespect their customers. You always get friendly apologies, as if that would fix anything. Don’t apologise – solve the customer’s problem instead, then you do not need to apologise in the first place!
Unfortunately, many Thai apps and websites are designed in the backwards way, first asking all kinds of personal details and in the end telling you that what you apply for or want to buy is unavailable. Or worse, there is just a nondescript error message, and the customer has no clue if he did something wrong when filling in his data, there is a server problem or the product is actually unavailable. I have had this disheartening experience dozens of times over the years.
have you got the schedule where it stops along the way on the way to Chachoengsao ?
No sorry. Other than Makkasan and maybe one or two more it’s straight to Chachoengsao.