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Sleeper trains in Thailand
Thailand sleeper trains are an affordable and convenient way to travel. I loved travelling by night, as I saw it as a good way to save time. Travel by night, explore the country by day. There are many routes that operate from Bangkok, and a popular one, is from Bangkok to Surat Thani. Which is where you can then get the boats to the popular islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.
The Thailand sleeper trains run routes all over Thailand, as well as neighbouring countries such as: Singapore, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia!
In this guide I will walk you through how to get from Bangkok to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao by train. As these 3 are islands, the train will end in the district of Surat Thani, which is where the ferry port is, ready to take you to the islands.
How long does the sleeper train take from Bangkok to Surat Thani?
The train journey itself can take anything between 11-14 hours, depending on the train you book. There are roughly 6 trains that operate daily, leaving from Bangkok to Surat Thani directly.
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How much are the tickets?
You can chose from the following options on sleeper trains in Thailand:
Make sure you have your eye mask and ear plus ready! When I traveled, they did not turn the lights out, but luckily I had my eye mask.
Where can I buy my train ticket?
I purchased all of my travel through 12Go Asia. Tell them your final destination and they will organise your full trip. So if your end destination was Koh Phangan, they will book your train ticket, bus to the ferry port, and then you’re ferry over to the island. It saves you having to try and get a ticket for each individual part of your journey.
The 12Go ticket office is right next to the Bangkok central station, so you can collect all of your tickets before jumping on the night train.
What should I take on the Thailand sleeper train?
I would have at least all of these things ready for your journey:
Eye mask
Ear plugs
Fully charged phone
Fully charged Power bank
Fully charged headphones
Drinks
Snacks/food
Something warm to wear
Wipes (for the toilet and to freshen up)
Bottle of water (for drinking and to brush your teeth)
What should I expect from my journey on the sleeper train from Bangkok to Surat Thani?
When you first get to the train station, check your ticket and find what seat number you’re at. I would walk down the platform to the right carriage, before getting on the train. It can be very hectic trying to move through the train, with all your baggage and all the other people on the train.
Once you get on board just sit down on the chairs and chill out. The beds aren’t usually made at this point. The train conductor will come at a certain time, and make all the beds. So you don’t have to worry about trying to figure out how the bed fall down.
You can usually purchase food and drinks on the train, but I would always take some of your own just in case. I tried not to drink too much as the toilet is just a hole in the floor and the train can be quite jerky.
I got the 2nd Class A/C sleeper ticket, and I kind of wish I got the fan. If you are cold person (like me) where long clothing, as I found it to be quite chilly late into the night.
Make sure can you set your alarm for when you arrive in Surat Thani, as they do not come round to wake you up. The bus to the ferry port Will be there waiting for you when you get off. Just look out for the company name that’s on your ticket. Or just look around for the backpackers, they are usually travelling to the islands too.
I absolutely love train journeys, and the sleeper train from Bangkok to Surat Thani was so brilliant. At first I was so curious as to what the Thailand sleeper trains would be like, that was pleasantly surprised, and will definitely be travelling by sleeper train on my next visit. It’s definitely something worth experiencing in Thailand, even if you can only squeeze in one journey.
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