For many years, when living in England, I was reliant on rail travel to get where I wanted to go, and as a consequence become incredibly fond of this method of travel. So why then has it taken me 4 years to jump on a train in Udon Thani and go to Nong Khai? I have no idea why it has taken me this long to experience the State Railway of Thailand, but I am very happy that I did...in the end.
It was a very wet morning when I woke to catch the 8.44am train from Udon Thani to Nong Khai, the express Bangkok -Vientiane overnight sleeper. Up to this point, I had never even looked at the station in Udon Thani so it came as something of a surprise to see that it was reasonably modern, if basic. The are some small shops where you can buy snacks of course, and toilets. Access to the toilets is through a large heavy duty turnstyle arrangement and not at all luggage friendly. I was needing to answer the call of nature but had two fairly large bags with me, so was not sure what to do next. I was never going to leave them unattended and it was impossible to ask anyone to look after them, as no-one spoke English. I eventually found somewhere to put luggage, but for 20 baht each (for all of two minutes), I decided to hang on until the train arrived. A risky strategy, as I had been advised that the trains do not always run on time, so it was a case of bracing myself for the duration.
The cost of the ticket was a mere 11 baht, for 3rd class travel, and I thought the bus was cheap! Much of what was printed on the ticket made sense...until the train arrived!
The cost of the ticket was a mere 11 baht, for 3rd class travel, and I thought the bus was cheap! Much of what was printed on the ticket made sense...until the train arrived!
Look at the departure time on the ticket - 06:56? I bought the ticket at 08:15, so just how they came up with these timings I cannot guess. Even the journey time suggests just 19 minutes when the reality is one hour.
Thankfully the train arrived on time, and I have to confess that as the train approached the station, I was getting quite excited about it and could feel the hairs on my neck stand on end.
Thankfully the train arrived on time, and I have to confess that as the train approached the station, I was getting quite excited about it and could feel the hairs on my neck stand on end.
Car 2 and seat 18 meant nothing as it turned out and I was ushered to the 3rd class carriage and told to sit anywhere. I could not help but notice the number of government 'officials' and stewards all buzzing about on the train, and each and everyone one of them were very helpful in getting me to the right car.
Despite travelling 3rd class, it was pretty comfortable, although that may have been aided by it being colder than average on the day and all the windows were opened. The sightseeing was nothing special and mostly comprising of rice fields and the occasional lake, but in fairness I was not expecting much else until we approached Nong Khai.
A little less than an hour later and we arrived at Nong Khai and it was pleasing to note that after nearly 5 hours of rain, the end of the downpour was imminent, making the sightseeing on Nong Khai a better experience.
For more information on transport to Nong Khai from Udon Thani, please go to Getting to Nong Khai