Thaksin Express
Encyclopedia
The Thaksin Express is a special express train
run by the State Railway of Thailand
(SRT) between Bangkok
and Sungai Golok, a border town in Narathiwat province
and the end of the southern rail line. Thaksin is a Thai word for south (from Sanskrit
word dakshin), so the name of this train can be translated as "the Southern Express." This train's passenger cars include 1st- and 2nd-class air-conditioned sleepers
, 2nd-class fan sleepers, 2nd-class fan seating coaches, 3rd class air-conditioned and fan seating coaches, and a dining car
.
The train passes interesting cities and towns along the east coast of southern Thailand
on the upper Malay peninsula
. These include the old Buddhist city of Nakhon Pathom
, the seaside resort town of Hua Hin
, the port city of Surat Thani
, the commercial city of Hat Yai
(or Haadyai), the Islamic city of Yala
, and the commercial border town of Sungai Golok. Although the rail line is connected to the Malaysian one, there is no cross-border service on this route.
Train Number Number 38 Sugei Golok - Bangkok (there are the departure times unless specified) -
Express train
Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...
run by the State Railway of Thailand
State Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand is the state-owned rail operator in Thailand. The network sees around 50 million passengers per annum.-History:SRT was founded as the Royal State Railways of Siam in 1890...
(SRT) between Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
and Sungai Golok, a border town in Narathiwat province
Narathiwat Province
Narathiwat is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Yala and Pattani. To the south it borders the Malaysian state of Kelantan. The southern railway line ends in this province that is one of the nation’s five provinces that borders Malaysia. The name of this...
and the end of the southern rail line. Thaksin is a Thai word for south (from Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word dakshin), so the name of this train can be translated as "the Southern Express." This train's passenger cars include 1st- and 2nd-class air-conditioned sleepers
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
, 2nd-class fan sleepers, 2nd-class fan seating coaches, 3rd class air-conditioned and fan seating coaches, and a dining car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
.
The train passes interesting cities and towns along the east coast of southern Thailand
Southern Thailand
Southern Thailand is a distinct region of Thailand, connected with the Central region by the narrow Kra Isthmus.-Geography:Southern Thailand is located on the Malay Peninsula, with an area around 70,713 km², bounded to the north by Kra Isthmus as the narrowest part of the peninsula. The...
on the upper Malay peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
. These include the old Buddhist city of Nakhon Pathom
Nakhon Pathom
Nakhon Pathom is a city in central Thailand, capital of the Nakhon Pathom Province. One of the most important landmarks is the giant Phra Pathom Chedi...
, the seaside resort town of Hua Hin
Hua Hin
Hua Hin is a famous beach resort town in Thailand, in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some 200 km south of Bangkok. It has a population of 84,883 in an area of 911 km², and is one of eight districts of the Prachuap Khiri Khan province.Hua Hin is closely associated with the...
, the port city of Surat Thani
Surat Thani
Surat Thani is a city in Amphoe Mueang Surat Thani, Surat Thani Province, southern Thailand. It is the capital of the province Surat Thani. The city has a population of 128,179 , and an area of 68.97 square kilometers. The city's population density is 1,858.47 inhabitants per km².Suran Thani is...
, the commercial city of Hat Yai
Hat Yai
Hat Yai is a city in southern Thailand near the Malaysian border. Located at , it has a population of 157,359 in the city itself and about 800,000 in the greater Hat Yai area. Hat Yai is the largest city of Songkhla Province, the largest metropolitan area in Southern, and third largest...
(or Haadyai), the Islamic city of Yala
Yala, Thailand
Yala is a city in the extreme south of Thailand near the Malaysian border, and is administrative capital of Yala Province. The 2005 estimated population was 65,000. The city covers the whole tambon Sateng of Mueang Yala district....
, and the commercial border town of Sungai Golok. Although the rail line is connected to the Malaysian one, there is no cross-border service on this route.
Time Table
Train Number 37 Bangkok - Sugei Golok (departure times unless otherwise specified)- Bangkok (กรุงเทพ) - 15:10
- Sam Sen (สามเสน) - 15:28
- Bang Sue (บางซื่อ) - 15:39
- Bang Bumru (บางบำหรุ) - 15:57
- Salaya (ศาลายา) - 16:14
- Nakhon Pathom (นครปฐม) - 16:42
- Ban Pong (บ้านโป่ง) - 17:00
- Rajburi (ราชบุรี) - 17:29
- Phetburi (เพชรบุรี) - 18:15
- Hua Hin (หัวหิน) - 19:11 - three-minute stop to change crews
- Wang Phong (วังก์พง) - 19:31
- Prachuab Khirikhan (ประจวบคีรีขันธ์) - 20:28
- Bang Saphan Yai (บางสะพานใหญ่)- 21:38
- Chumpon (ชุมพร) - 23:32 - ten-minute stop for refuelling and changing crews
- Surat Thani (สุราษฎร์ธานี) - 01:56 next day - three-minute stop to change crews
- Thung Song (ทุ่งสง) - 03:54 - 10-minute stop for refuelling
- Phatthalung (พัทลุง) - 05:37 - three-minute stop to change crews
- Bang Kaeo (บางแก้ว) - 06:07
- Hatyai (หาดใหญ่) - 07:31 - fifteen-minute stop for uncoupling Hat Yai coaches, and refuelling
- Chana (จะนะ) - 08:07
- Pattani (ปัตตานี) - 08:51
- Yala (ยะลา) - 09:28 - three-minute stop to change crews
- Rue Sau (รือเสาะ) - 10:03
- Tanyong Mas (ตันหยงมาส) - 10:35
- Sugei Padi (สุไหงปาดี) - 11:02
- Sugei Golok (สุไหงโกลก) - 11:25 arrival
Train Number Number 38 Sugei Golok - Bangkok (there are the departure times unless specified) -
- Sugei Golok (สุไหงโกลก) - 14:20
- Sugei Padi (สุไหงปาดี) - 14:36
- Tanyong Mas (ตันหยงมาส) - 15:03
- Rue Sau (รือเสาะ) - 15:34
- Yala (ยะลา) - 16:06 - three-minute stop to change crews
- Pattani (ปัตตานี) - 16:37
- Hatyai (หาดใหญ่) - 18:05 - 20-minute stop for attaching carriages from Hat Yai and refuelling
- Bang Kaeo (บางแก้ว) - 19:06
- Phatthalung (พัทลุง) - 19:34 - three-minute stop to change crews
- Thung Song (ทุ่งสง) - 21:19 - 15-minute stop for refuelling and changing crews
- Surat Thani (สุราษฎร์ธานี) - 23:00 - three-minute stop for changing crews
- Chumpon (ชุมพร) - 01:36 next day) - 10-minute stop for refuelling and changing crews
- Bang Saphan Yai (บางสะพานใหญ่)- 03:08
- Prachuab Khirikhan (ประจวบคีรีขันธ์) - 04:17
- Hua Hin (หัวหิน) - 05:34 - three-minute stop to change crews
- Rajburi (ราชบุรี) - 07:26
- Ban Pong (บ้านโป่ง) - 07:58
- Nakhon Pathom (นครปฐม) - 08:21
- Salaya (ศาลายา) - 09:05
- Bang Bumru (บางบำหรุ) - 09:32
- Bang Sue (บางซื่อ) - 09:54
- Sam Sen (สามเสน) - 10:05
- Bangkok (กรุงเทพ) - 10:30 arrival