The Night Train From Chiang Mai to Bangkok, Thailand

[MisterSunson]

Pee sink or pee bottle make a wonderful wonderful trip; ha ha ha!

[77magenta]

did u say marine steve will pee in the sink?

[travelswithsheila]

@77magenta That's exactly what he did!

[77magenta]

@travelswithsheila YOU DIRTY FUCKING CUNTS. DIRTY DIRTY CUNTS.

[DT1521]

Very nice as always Shiela.

BTW, don' they have a Thai version of a "club car" for a place to hang out?

I also presume they have vendors coming around with food and snacks mai?

PS BTW, we aren't ex Marines. Once a Marine Always a Marine. Semper Fi.

PPS BTW. I'm not to admitting any sink episodes.

[travelswithsheila]

@DT1521 Steve will always be a Marine, wears a Marine baseball hat proudly and will be celebrating the Corps birthday tomorrow. I'm not sure what the answers are to your statements/questions above since we went to sleep early and vendors don't come in First Class. But the men taking care of this one car, did pass out a menu with different foods for sale. Thanks for watching and commenting. Best regards, Travels With Sheila and "Marine" Steve

[pollydogstaffiex]

Thankyou.

What did you do with / or where was your luggage when you were in bed?

[travelswithsheila]

@pollydogstaffiex There is space under the bunks to smoosh the bags. We had two 26" suitcases with rollers and they fit. We then tucked the backpacks on the floor by our heads when we slept. You shouldn't have a problem. Best regards, Travels With Sheila

[pollydogstaffiex]

@travelswithsheila Thankyou. I am going Sunday 13th November

[travelswithsheila]

@pollydogstaffiex You are welcome, have a fabulous trip!

[lozkina]

wow thanks Sheila its a lot better than 1st class indian trains which we have spent many nights on whilst travelling, this winter were going to Krabi (our first thai trip)so the trains may be a option for us from Bangkok , Stephen

[nicolemcw1]

That was very helpful and I am so excited to endure in the adventure!!!! :)

[CocoInKorea]

Thanks that was very helpful!

[travelswithsheila]

@CocoInKorea Always glad when the videos help someone else. Best regards, Travels With Sheila

[MisterSunson]

P__ in the sink ; just what I need!

[kdogg1880]

hello again. did you prebook your train ticket?

[travelswithsheila]

@kdogg1880 Yes I did, Any hotel or tour agent will help you do it.

[kdogg1880]

HI!  Is it worth the sights to take a daytime train? Thanks!

[travelswithsheila]

@kdogg1880 I don't think so. The train makes a billion stops along the way and gets boring after a while. Take the night train to save on a hotel for that night - might as well sleep your way, or fly if time is short. Have a good time. Thanks for visiting Travels With Sheila and taking the time to ask a question. Best regards, Sheila

[gregvc1]

first class is good, especially if you want to avoid meeting any Thais. Best to stay in USA with other ignorant yanks.

[SVH224]

Hello ! Very nice video!

I wonder if we should order a 1st class sleeper train if we are 6 people. Like order 3 rooms. And one more thing. Was it noisy? Did the train make a lot of sound? I would be very thankfull if you can write back, so i can plan more of my trip to Thailand :)

[travelswithsheila]

@SVH224 The train is very noisy and makes tons of stops during the night. Not smooth stops, but lurches to a noisy stop. If you can sleep through anything, no problem! Hope this helps. Don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions. Best regards, Travels With Sheila

[Surapat1994]

Hey, nice video. I plan to go to Chiang mai next year around summer. And I want to know what's the different between train to chiangmai and airplane to chiangmai. Which one would you recommend? BTW, I like how you gonna pee through the sink.

[travelswithsheila]

@Surapat1994 It all depends on your budget and time. The all night train serves two purposes, no hotel room for the night and you don't waste any day time on traveling. The plane is more expensive but only a one hour flight. Eeeny, meeny, up to you. Have a great time and thanks for watching. Best regards, Travels With Sheila

[Surapat1994]

@travelswithsheila Thanks you. I guess I'll take the train. That's what the real backpacker does right? haha.

[Vanguy777]

Sawadee khrap, Shiela! Thankyou so much for the video, as I am even now debating whether to go from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by train or plane. My first inclination was train in a 1st Class AC car just for the adventure. I loved the video! Be honest .. on a scale of 1 - 10 how would you rate the overall experience? Are you glad you took the train rather the did the standard short flight? What would you say was the highlight of the whole train experience?

[travelswithsheila]

@Vanguy777 Truthfully, I'd take a flight only because the train makes a gazilion stops during the night that jerked me awake every time. If you are a person who can sleep through anything, the train is just one more experience to add to your travel. Fun, but not great and I don't really think I could call anything about the train ride a "highlight." Hope this helps. Best regards, Sheila

[Vanguy777]

@travelswithsheila That helps a ton, Shiela, thankyou! I was excited at first about taking the train, because being from Canada, I was thinking 1st Class for that price sounded great! However, when I see the vids and hear some trip reports, it dosn't sound all that classy. I'm really leaning towards a quick flight now with probably either Air Asia or Nok Air, and have an extra night at my hotel in Chiang Mai. Great vid btw, I love your travel reports! Funny and informative at the same time.

[travelswithsheila]

@Vanguy777 Glad I could help. That's the entire purpose of TravelsWithSheila website and the videos. Have a wonderful time.

[RachConnell]

For such a short video you managed to fit so much great information. Thanks alot you have really helped me in planning my trip :)

[travelswithsheila]

@RachConnell I'm so glad the video helped! That makes me very happy. Best regards, Travels With Sheila

[netwhizkid]

Hi Sheila, I am travelling solo to thailand in two weeks time and plan to go overnight on that train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. You and your partner shared a cabin, I wonder do the railway company pair random strangers into the cabin like that or would I get the cabin to myself? Great Video, looking forward to my first visit to the land of smiles.

[travelswithsheila]

@netwhizkid This is just a guess now, based on travel in China. China will assign beds to anyone who buys a ticket. On one trip with bunks for 4, there was my husband, myself, a lady, and man. Lady and man did not know each other. Other times, we've ended up with the cabin for ourselves. The best idea is to ask a travel agency in Bangkok. They have all the answers. Thanks for watching and your nice comments. Have a wonderful time. The weather should be great. Best regards, Travels With Sheila

[netwhizkid]

@travelswithsheila Thanks for the fast reply! I will update the video with my own experience when I get back in several weeks time!

[travelswithsheila]

@netwhizkid Have a wonderful trip!

[TheMrsMandi]

Sheila, thank you so much for an informative video. I have watched many trying to get the info I needed. We travel often to Thailand and thought that a train ride would be an experience we could add to our travels. How many cabins share the western toilet? How would you rate the general cleanliness of the train?

[travelswithsheila]

@TheMrsMandi The entire First Class cabin shared two toilets. I discovered one, western style at one end of the car, and there is another squat toilet at the opposite end. As the night goes on, they do get dirtier but not obnoxiously so. It is an experience but also makes many stops and if you are a light sleeper, every time we jolted into a station, I'd come awake. Glad the video helped! Best regards, Travels With Sheila

[renebruunphoto]

Hi Sheila, thanks for the video, single traveler from Ireland planning a trip to Chiang Mai in September and was researching videos on the train from Bangkok, yours was very informative, thanks again.

[travelswithsheila]

@renebruunphoto It warms the cockles of my heart when any of the videos really helps other tourists like us who always learn too late, hindsight is 20/20. Have a fantabulous trip and thanks for watching and commenting. Best regards, Travels With Sheila

[keviprofen]

is it worth it to buy a ticket for 1st class sleeper ac cabin for a solo traveller?

[travelswithsheila]

@keviprofen It depends on whether or not you are serious about having a good nights sleep. If so, yes. If not, there's nothing the matter with a 2nd class ticket. We were two people and that made it a no brainer for us, especially since the last time we spent a 4-berth cabin in China with verty nice people, the man could have competed in a championship snoring contest. Have a great time and thanks for watching. Best regards, Travels With Sheila

[68dgmitch]

Thank you Sheila for taking the time to educate many travellers interested in catching a train in Thailand. Did you buy your tickets to the first class compartment in advance or on the day, if so which website did you but it from - Australian Traveller. Thank you.

[travelswithsheila]

@68dgmitch Thank you for your very nice comment and time to watch the video out of the gazillions out there. I had a local agent buy it for me. Stop into any travel agency in Thailand and ask them to buy for you, or try a website. Rail Europe? Sorry I can't be more helpful on that. Best regards and Happy New Year, Travels With Sheila

[TheChailai]

Thanks for sharing the video.  My family and I just had the trip ourselves form Bangkok to Chiangmai. It's exactly as you described. Excellent job!!!

[travelswithsheila]

@TheChailai Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. Hope you had a great trip in Thailand. Happy 2011. Best regards, Travels With Sheila

[triracer06804]

You are such a sweetheart!! Thanks for the video!! I am 23 years old.. and leaving for Thailand Friday.

[travelswithsheila]

@triracer06804 So sorry I couldn't answer your post or questions before you left. Hope you have/had a fabulous time in Thailand. Best regards, Travels With Sheila

[TrainAsia]

Your statement about peeing in the sink will now cause me to bring a bottle of bleach along on the train trip in Thailand on 1st class car .....

[travelswithsheila]

@TrainAsia Love your reply! Sometimes a person just has to do what they have to do. You wouldn't have believe how gross the toilet was. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. Best regards and happy holidays. Travels With Sheila

[TrainAsia]

@travelswithsheila - lol, I guess in either case, bottle of bleach is a must? =)

[mikami123]

thanks MOM !

[saharath45]

how much is first class?

[travelswithsheila]

@saharath45 Second Class ran about 531 Bahts for an upper berth. Different prices for upper and lower berths and we paid an addition 550 Bahts (approximately $16 additional for First Class.

[SDUful]

woww.... nice video ........... nice train

[wheresmyniche]

Did they serve any food on the train or have a snack car?

[maxpotterthailand2]

@wheresmyniche Thay have a dining car and you can order it to your room

[travelswithsheila]

@maxpotterthailand2 You are correct. I'm just not hungry after eating all day and brought snacks. Believe me, there's enough surplus on even my skinny body to last for days. Thanks for watching and commenting. Best regards, Travels With Sheila