Bangkok-Vientiane Train Service Launches with Full Capacity

[misskit]

The Bangkok-Vientiane international train service commenced its first operation on July 20, reaching its full capacity with 300 passengers on board. The inaugural journey advances transportation links between Thailand and Laos, enhancing regional connectivity.


Upon the train's arrival at Nong Khai Station, Station Master Veera Charoenrang, together with a team of immigration officers, facilitated the necessary border formalities. The process, which included immigration, customs, and health checks, was completed in approximately 40 minutes, allowing passengers to proceed with the final 20-minute journey to Khamsawat station in Vientiane.


The service features a range of travel accommodations to suit various preferences and budgets: third-class fan-cooled seats available for 281 baht, second-class air-conditioned seats priced at 574 baht, and more comfortable second-class air-conditioned sleeper cars, which vary in price from 784 to 874 baht for upper and lower berths respectively. All services originate from Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, with fare reductions applicable for passengers boarding at intermediate stops along the route.


Tickets for the Bangkok-Vientiane train route can be booked up to 180 days in advance, accommodating both last-minute plans and scheduled trips. Passengers are advised to ensure they have all required documents for border crossings at Nong Khai and Vientiane stations.

https://thainews.prd.go.th/nbtworld/.../438307/?bid=1

[HuangLao]

Should give that a go, in a few months, after the fashion has worn.

Train travel is rather enjoyable and usually a reasonably decent value.

Cheers for that, Kit.

[BLD]

Try the new chinky built train vientiane to vang vieng 1 hour vientiane to luang prabang 2 hours
Fantastic. What a game changer used to take all day to drive to luang prabang

[DrWilly]

That will change Luang Prabang…

[HuangLao]

That will change Luang Prabang…

It was changed for the worst years ago.
Pay attention.

[cyrille]

It was changed for the worst years ago.

That doesn't preclude further change.

You're so full of it's unreal.

[harrybarracuda]

That doesn't preclude further change.

You're so full of it's unreal.

You sound shocked.

[DrWilly]

You sound shocked.

I suspect more fed up than shocked.

[Seekingasylum]

I stayed at the Villa Santi hotel in the centre of Luang Phabang over twenty years ago for $40 US having negotiated a discount on the basis of my UK civil servant business card. I should imagine things have changed.

[BLD]

It was changed for the worst years ago.
Pay attention.

I was there in January. Actually not much has changed at all The thais were there in droves taking advantage of a favourable exchange rate due to a low kip.

[harrybarracuda]

Is this a new avenue for Bangkok expats to do border bounces and visa runs or something?

Or just something for train spotters.

I mean it's cheap but it takes 12 hours each way.

[BLD]

Actually I think most folk take a sleeper bkk to nongkhai and hop in a tuk tuk to the bridge then bus across after customs formalities rather than fucking around with the nongkhai to thanalang ( vte) station. But if they have made it quicker ( which I doubt) then ok.

[Joe 90]

having negotiated a discount on the basis of my UK civil servant business card

To put prices in perspective, the prices quoted are similar to a 10 mile journey in the UK.

[harrybarracuda]

Actually I think most folk take a sleeper bkk to nongkhai and hop in a tuk tuk to the bridge then bus across after customs formalities rather than fucking around with the nongkhai to thanalang ( vte) station. But if they have made it quicker ( which I doubt) then ok.

And how long does BKK - Nong Khai take?

[BLD]

12 hours you hop on in hualalumphong armed with your sneaky 7 /11 ,beers at 7.00PM get of in nongkhai at 7.00. AM Hop in a tuk tuk for a 3 minute ride and at that time of day the Chinks haven't turned up
Clear Thai immigration. Hop on a bus to the lao side of the bridge clear lao customs and you are 3 minutes from.where the train arrives in thanalang..much quicker I reckon

[Edmond]

And how long does BKK - Nong Khai take?

I did it once around 15 years ago and it took 2 hours longer than expected due to T-Boning a pickup at around 5am. Happens 2 or 3 times a week was the view of the non too fussed staff.

[hallelujah]

I did it once around 15 years ago and it took 2 hours longer than expected due to T-Boning a pickup at around 5am. Happens 2 or 3 times a week was the view of the non too fussed staff.

I've done the route 5 or 6 times and it's never once been on time.

In fact, of probably 20 to 30 sleeper journeys in Thailand that I've done, I think I've been on time just the once (to Hat Yai).

If it's just an hour late, I see it as a win.

[Seekingasylum]

Should give that a go, in a few months, after the fashion has worn.

Train travel is rather enjoyable and usually a reasonably decent value.

Cheers for that, Kit.

Given all but the last couple of hours will be in darkness I should think in terms of interest it will be as rewarding as reading a telephone book.

[taxexile]

Most of the interest to be found during a train journey in Thailand will be that observed inside the carriage, not outside.

[BLD]

Given all but the last couple of hours will be in darkness I should think in terms of interest it will be as rewarding as reading a telephone book.

Correct. Luang prabang to vientiane is about 80% passing through tunnels until you get to the plateue approaching vientiane
There is no bar or restaurant car on this new train so the charm factor isn't quite there but by christ the sheer convenience of it is enough of a wow factor for me..you also can't get a beer on board but it's available at the station for takeaway and discrete swirling. Same as Thai trains these days. There's no piss and noodle car anymore

[BLD]

Most of the interest to be found during a train journey in Thailand will be that observed inside the carriage, not outside.

Until. the somchais got all methed up and rapey. These days if travelling on Thai trains alone I book the entire cabin to myself. Drink a few beers read a book and wake up refreshed , lovely, fall asleep to the gentle rocking and clickity clack noise. Back when I was a smoker I could even get a sneaky smoke near the door with the window open . I'm sure the guard knew but turned a blind eye guessing correctly that I was indeed a quality tourist. Plus upon entering the train.i immediately slipped somchai a couple of hundred baht with a nod and a wink and a shit eating grin . That's how it's done boys.

[cyrille]

It's a kind of cross between steptoe and son and the fonz.

[misskit]

Thailand's new rail links carry hope for expanded Chinese trade

Thailand's national railway opened a new passenger service to Laos this month, the latest addition to an expanding Southeast Asian rail network aimed at increasing cross-border traffic of people and goods with China.


The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) opened the new Bangkok-Vientiane line on Friday evening. The roughly 650-kilometer trip connecting the two capitals takes 12 hours, including cross-border customs checks.


The Bangkok-Vientiane railway offers one trip a day, with a choice of three classes of seating. A one-way ticket costs between 281 and 874 baht ($8 to $24).


All the roughly 270 seats on the train departing from Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station on Friday were fully booked. Three friends who planned a two-day sightseeing trip to Vientiane were among the passengers.


"I hope to enjoy my first-ever trip to Laos," said one of the trio, a 64-year old homemaker from Bangkok.


SRT anticipates a rise in tourism demand from China as well. Khamsavath Station, the last stop of the railway in Laos, is about 10 km from Vientiane Station, which in recent years opened a high-speed connection extending to the southern Chinese city of Kunming. Officials believe the new line will make it easier for Chinese tourists to travel to the Thai capital through Laos.


The Thai government seeks to draw Chinese tourists by promoting domestic products. During the first two days of July, Bangkok hosted an event attended by about 200 people -- mainly from the Chinese tourism industry.

The event featured the Thai cosmetic brand Mistine, among other products. Thai tourism authorities have also collaborated with a Chinese supermarket chain to host a promotional event in Shanghai to market Thai-grown fruit, according to Chinese media.


Thailand is also developing a freight rail network linking to China. Last December, cargo service from Thailand's Rayong province to the Chinese city of Chengdu opened for business, as did a line between Bangkok and the China's Chongqing.


Each of the two freight lines makes use of the Laos-China railway, which is becoming a key artery for traffic between China and Southeast Asia.


The value of Thai goods reaching China after going through neighboring countries is expected to rise 17% this year to 250 billion baht ($6.88 billion), according to a March estimate by the private Kasikorn Research Center.


"Logistics via the China-Laos high-speed railway will play a greater role in cross-border and transit trade," reads a report from Kasikorn. The freight will mainly carry durian fruit and other agricultural products for the time being, though expectations are high for increased exports of manufactured products as well.


In Malaysia, the ASEAN Express freight train service went into operation late last month. The cross-national line starts from Selangor state near the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, and traverses through Thailand and Laos before ending in Chongqing.

The whole trip on the ASEAN Express takes about nine days, according to Malaysia's national rail operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), much shorter than the two to three weeks by sea.


The first train that departed Malaysia on June 27 carried farm products and other goods. Earlier that same month, the Chinese government agreed to allow fresh durian to be exported from Malaysia. Durian farmers anticipate exports to China will expand.


The ASEAN Express started off running twice a week, but it plans to transition to daily service. KTMB said in a press release that it is confident the railway "will facilitate the movement of goods, drive economic growth and strengthen trade relations" among countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.


Ichiro Kakizaki, a professor at Yokohama City University in Japan and an expert in Southeast Asian studies, sees a "need to determine how much demand there is for the foreseeable future" regarding the ASEAN Express. But if the railway proves to be a worthy alternative to sea routes, it could "potentially prompt a reorganization of the supply chain," said Kakizaki.


The Laos-China railway, which opened in December 2021, was built as a key project under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. The plan is to build various extensions from the line to create a pan-Asian rail network.

But China-led efforts to develop a wide-reaching rail system has raised alarms.


"If China seizes control of rail operations, foreign companies will not be able to profit," said an executive at a Japanese logistics firm based in Vientiane.


Laos' external public debt is equivalent to 80% of its gross domestic product, and half is believed to be owed to China. If Laos fails to repay loans, it could fall into a "debt trap" in which China would take over its infrastructure, including the rail system.


As for the Thai and Malaysian rail lines connecting to Laos, the rail companies in the two countries are responsible for their operation. But the anticipated windfall from the linkages to the Laos-China railway also come with the risk of greater influence by Beijing.


PICS Thailand's new rail links carry hope for expanded Chinese trade -
Nikkei Asia

[harrybarracuda]

It's a kind of cross between steptoe and son and the fonz.

i immediately slipped somchai a couple of hundred baht with a nod and a wink and a shit eating grin

Was that the going rate for a blow job in those days?

[BLD]

That was the going rate for somchai to turn a blind eye to my smoking illegally. Nobody was talking about knob smoking. Both are disgusting habits though. Innitt Cyril.