Are you wondering the best way to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai? There are a few options available. Travelers have the choice to fly directly into Chiang Mai’s international airport, catch one of the infamous night buses, or… take the train. In my opinion, the best and most exciting way to travel anywhere is by train. The train to Chiang Mai is no exception.
Before deciding to travel by rail, we evaluated all the options available. Taking a plane is by far the fastest and most direct route with just over an hour of travel time and cost around $50 for a ticket. For the cost and the time it really is a reasonable option. However, this means you’ll have to go through a headache-inducing process of checking bags and going through security at the airport – one of our least favorite parts of traveling.
Taking an overnight bus is the cheapest option at around $25, but it is a long ten to eleven-hour journey spent in the equivalent of an economy airline seat. It doesn’t exactly give you the best shot at a good nights sleep. Also if you are traveling around southeast Asia for awhile chances are you will take an overnight bus at least once, so if you can spare yourself one long night on a bus, it is worth it.
The train isn’t the cheapest with a ticket costing between $30 to $60 nor is it the fastest with a travel time of roughly thirteen hours. However, it’s about the experience and for us, with all things considered, it was just right. Given it was Halloween night, we chose to splurge a bit and purchase a 1st class sleeper that Jessica and I had to ourselves. This was our first opportunity to travel overnight on a train, and we jumped at the chance to have a cabin to ourselves. I have always had an over-romanticized view of train travel; likely from all the old classic movies I watched as a kid with my grandparents. It may not be the Orient Express, but it was the closest we’ve come to it up to that point…
Our journey on the train started well before we got to the platform. We reserved and purchased our tickets using 12go.asia.com, which by far is one of the most excellent resources for anyone traveling southeast Asia. We were skeptical at first and weren’t sure if they were trustworthy or reliable. However, after our first experience with them, we were sold and wish they serviced the whole world! We purchased our tickets online and picked them up in person from the 12GO office in Bangkok; conveniently located directly across from the Hua Lamphong train station. After picking up our tickets our hardest challenge of the day was crossing the sixteen lanes of traffic to get to the train station. Fortunately, a local seeing our bewilderment at the task helped to guide us across the busy lanes of traffic safely.
We arrived with an hour to spare at the train station. I always insist on being, sometimes excessively, early for things like this and it is something that Jessica often gets frustrated with me for. But, we have yet to miss any plane, train or bus because of being late thus far in our travels! 
At the station, there were very few seats to be had so we found a spot on the ground within the central atrium. There, we passed the time enjoying the rich people watching before us coming up with stories about where they may be headed and to whom they could be going to see. Sure you can do the same thing at an airport, but being in a train station for some reason just inspired our creative imaginations.
Once our train number appeared on the big marquee, we headed to the appropriate platform number. On the platform, we were greeted by one of the 12GO staff members. They were there to help anyone who had purchased tickets from them find their correct places on the train. We boarded the train and found our cabin. It was everything we had hoped it would be. Our entire train car was only first-class cabins, and from what I remember there was only one car that was first class. Inside our cabin, there was a couch style seat, a stow-away table, and small vanity sink. The couch folded into a twin size bunk bed for sleeping and came complete with sheets, comforter, and pillow. Everything was spotless and the train car seemed like it must have been relatively new.
We settled into our little cabin stowing our bags below the couch, ditched our shoes and changed into our cozy Thai elephant pants. Before pulling away from the station, one of the attendants came by to verify our tickets one last time and drop off some water bottles. We were ready for the voyage.
The train came to life with a few subtle jerks, and the movement made a low moaning noise as the wheels rolled over the tracks. The car slowly picked-up speed and the scenery out our window began to pass by much quicker. We were excited to underway and were in love with our little cabin. We had purchased a bottle of tequila, at the airport duty-free, the day before and decided now was the perfect time to break it open and have a celebratory shot. It’s worth noting here if you want to have a drink or two while on the train you’ll have to discretely bring it with you. Alcohol is technically not allowed on the train, and therefore there is nowhere to purchase it on board.
Not too long into the journey, I decided to venture from our cabin and check out what the rest of the train was about. The train corridor was a narrow walkway, wide enough for barely two people to pass each other by. There were a few 1st class cabins that had left their doors open and were happy to greet me as I walked by. I passed by two cabins that had an adjoining door opened which turned their cabin for two into a group cabin for 4. It looked like they were having a good time. I continued to the door at the end of the car, opened it and passed through a small room to the next entry into the 2nd class sleeper. This car reminded me immediately of a hostel coed dorm room. There were bunks on either side of the train each with one to two people in them. Some had their curtains pulled across for privacy to sleep. Others were keeping to themselves reading or watching movies. And still, others were up and about chatting with other passengers. It was a really cool vibe. I passed through two more 2nd class sleepers before finally getting to the dining car. It was very casual and not at all what I was expecting. There was one main food counter that sold a small selection of snacks ranging from chips, cookies, pre-packaged sandwiches, and instant ramen. I settled on a ham and cheese sandwich and made my way back to our cabin.
Back in our cabin, we spent the rest of our Halloween night watching scary movies, cuddling and working our way down that bottle of tequila. We had a lot of fun that night, and it will be a Halloween we will always remember. Sleeping on the train was actually quite comfortable. The movement of the train car as it rolled down the tracks helped to rock us to sleep.
Our morning came early with an announcement we would be in Chiang Mai in 30 minutes and to prepare for arrival. We freshened up, changed our clothes and stowed our beds. Before long, the train started to slow and came to a stop. We had arrived at the Chiang Mai rail station by around 6:00 AM. Groggy and with bags in hand we made our way off the train. Even though it was early the station was still buzzing with people.
We followed the signs to exit the station and came to a drop-off/pick-up area where several red trucks were parked. The trucks were fitted with benches on either side of the truck bed and a metal covering. These are the taxies of Chiang Mai! Being in Bangkok you tend to get used to the tuk-tuks but, up north they do things a little differently. A guy approached us a ushered us, along with a handful of others, to his truck and informed us it was a flat rate for a ride into the city wherever we were staying. We had arrived in Chiang Mai!
Stay Humble and Free, and have a happy journey!
