Review of First Class Train Rides The question that comes up is, do trains have first class? How is it different from other classes? Is it faster than before? This is a question that many people wonder about, especially the younger generation who were born in an era where there are more travel options than before.
If it were 20 years ago, before there were low cost airlines, there were not many options for traveling domestically, especially traveling across provinces, such as tour buses or trains, which were affordable. But if it was a plane, it was very expensive because at that time there was only one airline that provided service.
Talking about trains, the admin has been attached to using Thai train services since childhood. As a child from the countryside, born and raised in Songkhla Province, and went to study at university in Bangkok, the train was the first choice for travel because, firstly, it was inexpensive. Even though it was a bit slow, it was safer than taking a bus to Bangkok. And secondly, at that time, the roads were not as good as they are today, and accidents were also frequent. Therefore, the train was an option for the admin and friends who came to study in Bangkok.
From my experience using Thai train services since I was a student, I’ve sat in 3rd class (formerly wooden chairs, and later developed into cushioned chairs, but they were still hard) and then 2nd class (there are all types, from sitting only, with a little reclining, but with air conditioning, to sitting and sleeping with beds on the upper and lower floors), but I’ve never had the chance to try sitting in a 1st class train. One reason is the price, so I can only look with wide eyes and hope that one day I’ll have the chance.
And then the opportunity came… It took almost 30 years to try using a first-class train.
Since the admin’s son was on school break in October 2020, normally during the school break, the admin and family would travel to Songkhla to visit their mother and relatives there. However, on this trip, the wife had important work commitments, so this trip had to be a father-son trip.
Admin and son started planning the trip. Instead of traveling by plane, we both agreed to try traveling by train. One reason is that my son has never ridden a train before, so I wanted him to see and experience something new that he had never tried before.
Let’s say that both father and son are inexperienced. Let’s try to see what the first class train is like. Let’s start the review of riding the new first class train by booking tickets first.
Booking tickets is now much easier than before. You can buy them online at https://www.thairailwayticket.com/eTSRT/
But if you travel from December 18, 2020 onwards, the railway has changed the website. You can book here: https://dticket.railway.co.th/DTicketPublicWeb/home/Home
But if you have never used online services before, you must register as a member first. Then you can book tickets. For how to register as a member, see https://dticket.railway.co.th/DTicketPublicWeb/help/#bookticket.
For the southern line, the newest first class train must be the Thaksinarat Special Express Train No. 31 Bangkok-Hat Yai Junction, and the return trip is Train No. 32 Hat Yai Junction-Bangkok only for the southern line.
In terms of price, the Thaksinarat Express trains only have 1st and 2nd class. The prices are divided into sub-categories: upper and lower berths (upper berths are cheaper than lower berths). On the website, we can also choose our seats.
In the case of the admin, the last room was chosen, next to the bathroom entrance. The reason for choosing this spot was because it was convenient for the son to walk to the bathroom. The price was: 1st floor, lower bed, 1,794 + upper bed, 1,594, totaling 3,388 baht for two people, father and son.
On the first floor, the room has a lower bed and an upper bed. If there are two of you like in the case of the admin, you will get a private room. But for some people who want to travel alone and want a private room, you can do so by paying an additional 500 baht. If I remember correctly, it will be a single room, so the price will be approximately 2,294 baht.
When it comes to payment, it is easy and convenient, with both credit cards and debit cards available.
See more about how to book train tickets online here: https://dticket.railway.co.th/DTicketPublicWeb/help/#bookticket
More information
This special express train, Thaksinarath, is one of the four new special express trains that received the name from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, along with three other special express trains of the State Railway of Thailand: Utarawithi, Isanmarga, and Isanwatana.
By the special express train Thaksinarath, it is a special express train on the southern line that provides services of 1st class air-conditioned sleeper cars, 2nd class air-conditioned sleeper cars, and air-conditioned food cars. It has a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour. It stops to pick up and drop off passengers at only some stations. It has been in service since 2 and 3 December 2016.
By special express train Thaksinarat, the outbound trip must choose train number 31 Bangkok-Hat Yai Junction, which will depart from Hua Lamphong Station at approximately 2:30 PM. And if it is the return trip, must choose train number 32 Hat Yai Junction-Bangkok, which will depart from Hat Yai at approximately 5:45 PM.
Ready to travel with the first class train
For the Thaksinarat Special Express, there will be only one 1st class car. The rest will be 2nd class sleeper cars. The 2nd class has another special feature: there is a special car specifically for women.
Things to prepare before going are:
- Prepare your ticket. You can print it out and use it right away, or you can go to the ticket office at Hua Lamphong to request a ticket. Save the details on your phone and let the officer check.
- Be prepared to buy some food because due to the COVID situation, the State Railway of Thailand has had to stop providing food cars on all trains. This means that there will be nothing for sale on the train.
Admin and his son also missed out on this. They didn’t prepare dinner. Fortunately, we arrived half an hour before the train departed, so we were able to buy food, as much as we could find at Hua Lamphong, to prepare as provisions for the journey.
- Advice: If possible, it is best to buy from outside. Don’t expect to get a good deal or rely on buying at Hua Lamphong or at the destination station because it is almost impossible. If we choose to stay on the first floor, it is quite difficult to buy things between stations because the area of the first floor carriage is private and closed off, and outsiders are not allowed to enter.
What do they have for us in the first class train?
On the first floor, there is only one entrance and exit door. Admin and my child chose seats 23 and 24, which are the last and innermost rooms, namely room 12, next to the bathroom. However, between the bedroom and the bathroom, there is an automatic door separating them into sections.
If there are four of you, both rooms can be connected because there are two connecting doors inside, making family travel more fun.
On the first floor, they have free WIFI, “SRT Free WIFI”. But as I said, it’s free. Don’t expect speed or stability. I can tell you it’s very slow. Haha. And many times it doesn’t work.
If you hope to use 4G from your mobile phone, I have to say that it can only be used in some areas because there are many areas with poor signal along the railway, making it unusable.
- Therefore, suitable travel activities while taking the train are reading a book or playing board games.
Let’s take a look inside the bedroom. What does the first floor have for us ?
Overall, the room is not so narrow that it makes you feel cramped. It’s a pity that I didn’t get to take a picture of my seat on the first floor. I only have pictures of the seats changing to upper and lower bunk beds. For each bed, they provide one blanket and one towel. In the room, there is a small table next to the mirror for placing things, mostly for food, and there are two compartments for glasses or water bottles.
There are reading lights at the head of the bed on the upper and lower floors. Is the brightness enough for reading when the lights are off in the room? I have to say that it is bearable.
In addition, the room also has power outlets for use with computers and USB ports for charging mobile phones or tablets.
- I recommend that you do not use the USB port provided to charge your mobile phone or tablet because it takes a very long time to charge. Connect the adapter to the power outlet and use it to charge your mobile phone or tablet. It will be faster.
The room can be closed and locked from the inside. There is a private sink in the room that can be shared by two people, and a small bottle of drinking water for each person.
- If you choose to travel by train , I recommend buying some drinking water because the water provided is definitely not enough to drink and it is not available for sale (due to the COVID situation).
Inside the room, both on the upper and lower bunk, there is an LCD screen to show the status of the train that is about to depart from which station and what the next station will be. Since the admin and child traveled from the starting point, which is Hua Lamphong Station, to the end of the line at Hat Yai Junction, we did not have to worry about missing the destination station. In addition, it also tells the time, the speed of the train, and has various media to watch (but nothing interesting, lol).
Another important benefit of the LCD screen is that it shows the status of the bathroom, whether it is vacant or not. If it is green, it is vacant, and red, it is used. We will not have to go out and wait in line or wait in vain in front of the bathroom.
For the bathrooms, there are 4 rooms in the first floor cabinet: 1 bathroom for men (standing urinal), 2 bathrooms for women and men, and 1 shower room.
All rooms are really clean. There is a sink and paper in every room, except for the shower room (the shower room has a water heater, soap and liquid shampoo). The shared bathroom for men and women has a bidet.
In terms of cleanliness, it is considered excellent when compared to the experience of using train services in the past. Part of the reason is because there are not many passengers and since it is first class, cleanliness is important. In front of the bathroom, there is also alcohol gel for washing hands.
In terms of safety, I must say that you can rest assured because the first floor is mostly private, with only one entrance and exit, and there are officers at the booths who walk around and inspect at regular intervals, making traveling with small children more reassuring.
When it comes to sleeping , especially on the top bunk, children can sleep on the top bunk (but be careful) because there is a guardrail to prevent falling. Even though the admin’s son has a high level of movement, he is safe both on the way there and back. He did not fall.
Noise problem . Is there any? It’s a train, so it’s normal to have some noise. But it’s not so loud that you can’t read a book or sleep. Let’s just say that the admin’s son, who took the train for the first time, was able to fall asleep. It’s considered a pass.
Air conditioning system problem: The room is very cold. Even though you try to adjust it by turning down the cool air vents, it is still cold. The later it gets, the colder the room gets. The room temperature cannot be adjusted. Therefore, if you do not like very cold weather, it is recommended to bring a jacket and long pants to wear to sleep.
The problem is about time. If the Thai train is on time, it is not a Thai train. The concept is still the same: slow, later than scheduled as usual. According to the schedule, it should arrive at the intersection by 7 am, but in reality, it arrived at almost 10 am. One reason for the delay is because it was known that there was construction of a double track along the way, which made it impossible for the train to run at full speed.
I can only hope that when the double-track is completed, it will run twice as fast. We will have to wait and see in the next year or two to see how Thai trains will change.
Summary of the journey with a review of riding the new 1st class train with the special express train Thaksinarat, Bangkok – Hat Yai
Overall, although there were some problems during the journey, they were considered minor. However, traveling on a first-class train is a new experience, especially for children. They will learn and see what a different type of train is like.
Having the opportunity to be with my two children is also a good thing because in addition to having new experiences together, traveling together also helps us understand and get to know each other better because in normal situations at home, we may not have time for each other like this.
Going out together as a father-son trip gives us more chances to talk about what our children want to be and what they are really interested in. More importantly, every new type of trip that may encounter some obstacles and problems is also considered creating new experiences for our children because they should see and try things that we have been through before, should try to encounter problems and try to help us solve them. These things will help them have a good attitude, not be afraid of unfamiliar things and not be afraid of having to face problems in the future.
Come and try it out with a new experience with the newest first class train in Thailand.
