We are flying to Bangkok for four nights and thought it would be nice to take a train up to Chaing Mai for a couple of days. Does anyone have information on this? I thought the scenery would be beautiful. However, we could fly if this the train is a hardship. Any suggestions would be great!

Train from Bangkok to chiangmai have many times, but I would like to recommend the morning sprinter train that leave from bangkok
08.30 a.m. arrived in chiangmai at 19.45 p.m. It is air-con, You have time all day long to see the beautiful scenery.Please see more info at Thai railway web-site. http://www.railway.co.th/

Here is the question for you to consider: do you want to spend a whole day of your vacation on the train? If you love trains, your answer is likely yes. But if you are going to Thailand for other experiences and you have limited time, the answer is likely no. Some people like to take the night train to CM, as it saves them a night of hotel charges. Weigh that against the quality of sleep you'll get.

Flights are frequent, and CM is serviced by a number of budget airlines, making flights very economical.

It is my opinion that taking the day train is a wasted day. The screnery will be interesting for a short time and then it becones the same. The best is when you come into CM through the hills but it is dark by then. If you want to take a train take the night one. By early morning when it is light, you will be going though the most scenic part. The cost of a 1st class cabin is about the same as flying by discount airlines.

Hi koreaprincess,

We took the sleeper train to Chiang Mai last year, it was an interesting experience. Our compartment was very clean; we didn’t encounter any problems at all. The only thing is that it turned out to be a bit of a waste of time for us. I think it could benefit to somebody who arrives in Bangkok late and wants to avoid wasting money on another flight and accommodation otherwise I would skip it, the scenery gets better towards the very end of the journey otherwise not really worth it.

Have a great time in Thailand.

Katerina

Note that this is an old thread. Korean Princess has long returned from her Thailand trip and has written a trip report. I have no idea why/how node found this old post and replied to it, thereby bringing it to the top.