February 15, 2004
Traveling by train and bus in Thailand
When I went from Bangcock to Hua Hin, I took the bus. We went to Bangcock's Southern Bus Terminal, so a window with "Hua Hin" written in English and got our tickets for 128 baht each. The trip took around three hours. It was loud; the TV was on and the volume was cranked. There wasn't much leg room, a bit less than flying economy. There was almost no room overhead for luggage, so it either goes on your lap or in the storage compartment which is out of sight. They give you a water bottle but you have to bring your own food. There were no bathroom breaks.
From Hua Hin to Bangcock, we took the train. It was 300 baht each. It took over four hours (almost five). There was no TV, but it wasn't quiet because people talk and trains make their own noise. There was a lot more room overhead for luggage which was nice. The train stops to let food vendors on, but you have to bring your own drink. The bathrooms get quite dirty.
Overall, while the bus was less comfortable, it was much faster and cheaper. Also, there are many more buses than trains so the schedule is often more convenient.
Posted by James Trotta at February 15, 2004 5:25 PM