Thailand Sleeper Train with Kids

One of our favourite experiences in Thailand with kids was travelling on the sleeper train. The kids loved everything about it! They loved the little booth seating that turn into beds come night time and the curtain that pulled across separating us from the rest of the carriage. They loved the food and drinks sellers that jump on at every station and manically rush up and down the carriages trying to sell their wares before the train leaves. They even giggled as they tried not fall over using the toilet whilst the train jiggled them about! It wasn’t just an easy way of covering lots of distance, it was a whole adventure in itself! And one I would fully recommend doing.

There are several sleeper train journeys that you can take in Thailand. One of the most popular is the sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. This route can get booked up, so it’s always a good plan to book ahead if you can. There are also sleeper trains that run south down to Surat Thani, the jumping off point for Koh Samui, Koh phangan, Krabi and the northern Andaman coast. Some of these southern sleeper trains also run down to Hat Yai (for Koh Lipe and the Trang islands) and the Malaysian border.

Carriage Classes on Thailand Sleeper Trains

There are several different classes of carriage to choose from:

1st Class Sleeper Carriages (Air Conditioned)

1st class carriages have individual cabins with an upper and lower bunk, a table and a sink. They also have interconnecting doors for groups of 4 to travel together. There are only a few 1st class carriages on each train, so booking early is a good plan.

2nd Class Sleeper Carriages (Air Conditioned or Fan)

2nd class carriages are brilliant! They are our preferred option. There are 2 rows of booth style seating in each carriage. Each booth contains 2 wide seats opposite each other which convert into an upper and lower bunk for the night. The carriage attendant goes round making up the beds, around 7-7.30pm, with a bottom sheet, pillow and blanket. Then converts them back to seats once you are up in the morning. Each bunk has its own curtain that conceals it from the rest of the carriage. Bottom bunks are wider than the top bunks. I would guess that they are slightly wider than a single bed. We slept very comfortably with a child (aged 7 & 4) each next to us on 2 opposite bottom bunks. Hopefully the photos on this page will show better what I am trying to describe.

There are 2 different types of 2nd class carriages, air conditioned or fan only. We chose air conditioned which was great, but take a light jumper! They provide a thin blanket.

2nd or 3rd Class Seated Carriages (Fan)

You can also travel in 2nd class carriages with comfortable reclining seats, or in 3rd class carriages with hard seats and fans. My first experience on a Thai sleeper train, 15 years or so ago, was in 3rd class. I managed to get the whole bench seat to myself and slept pretty well. I much prefer the flat bed 2nd class option now though!

Toilets/Bathroom Facilities

There are toilets on each train carriage, 2 opposite each other either side of the train. The ones in our 2nd class carriage were western style toilets. There is also a little area outside the toilets with 2 sinks for washing and teeth brushing. It is all kept pretty clean and the toilets have toilet tissue in them together with the usual Thai ‘bum wash’ hose which my kids love using!

Meals

You are unlikely to ever go hungry on a Thailand sleeper train with the abundance of street food sellers that jump on and off the train at each station. They sell everything from sticky rice with pork to drinks and fresh fruit. Some of the trains have a restaurant carriage on them where you can buy meals, but it’s worth checking beforehand. They also have an attendant who comes round with a menu and brings anything you order to your seat. We usually get our food for the journey from the street food stalls at the station before boarding, then top up on anything we need from the sellers that hop on and off the train. The kids find it fun to see what each person is selling.

Our Journey

We were heading to Malaysia so took the number 45 train from Bangkok to the Thai/Malaysian border at Padang Besar. The train leaves Bangkok at 15.10. We boarded it at Hua hin at 19.35. Everyone slept pretty well. It was supposed to arrive at Padang Besar at 8.53 but was running a bit late… 5 hours late! I got the feeling that this is fairly common. Thankfully the kids were having a whale of a time on the train so the delay wasn’t too much of an issue.

Buying Tickets

You can buy tickets either in person at the station, online through Thailand railways website, or by using an online affiliated seller. We used 12go.asia who were brilliant! It’s costs a bit more to use their service rather than buying direct from Thailand railways but it’s well worth it! They sort out the tickets for you, depending on your preferences e.g. Upper/lower, travelling as a family etc. All you have to do is pick the tickets up from the location of your choice. You can book with 12go.asia here.

The Seat61 website is another great source of information on Thai Sleeper trains.