Thread: Travel in Thailand - Train vs Plane

Despite the plethora of discount fares, I thought I would share my opinion of why a seat in a second class train compartment is always a better option if you're heading for a destination with a railway station:

1. Check in procedures:

Plane - generally horrid queues where you shuffle along kicking your bag(s) waiting to be told there are no window seats left. You have to turn up at least an hour before the flight.

Train - no queues, no hassles, and all the seats are next to a window. You can turn up 5 minutes before the train leaves.



And if you haven't got a ticket, look, no queues.

2. Security checks

Not sure what the latest is, but no one goes through your underwear before you get on a train, and no one tells you you can't take on board as many liquid products as you want. You also don't have to stand in a queue to be frisked, x-rayed, and checked for explosives. And there's NO DEPARTURE TAX.

3. Departure lounge facilities

Bangkok airport - enough said. Crap, crap and crap. Very few cafes, overpriced food and hardly anywhere to sit down. And we all know the toilet situation. Plus the last time I could only find 2 public phones IN TOTAL, and only one of them was working.

Train - plenty of platform seating:



More than 2 phones within reach of your seat:



and normal priced food and drinks and adequate signs to the toilets:





4. In-flight comfort and entertainment

Plane - seat with barely enough room for a midget to stretch out without causing serious problems for those around him. Food and drink on board are free, but not with budget airlines, and often not really up to high standards.

Train - not only a seat wider than any in business class, but if you're on an overnight train, you get an entire bed to yourself. There are scores of food and drink vendors who walk up and down the carriage for the entire journey, so you can eat as often, and whenever, you like. You can also take on a whole crate of beer if that's your style.

Toilets - well, airline toilets are no better than train toilets after 20 people have used them. But at least you can swing a cat in a train bog, and some of them have showers.

5. Arrival, customs and immigration

Plane - after a 10 minute walk you stand around while everyone pushes past you to get to their suitcase/cardboard box/rucksack, or whatever they've stowed as luggage. If it's an international arrival you have to cart your stuff past bored customs officials, and that's after queuing up for your visa on arrival or whatever other formality you have to go through to get into the country.

Train - your bags are always with you, so no chance of some baggage handler making off with your granny's Thai silk scarf. The only international route in Thailand is to Malaysia. Your stuff stays on the train, you walk onto the platform and into the immigration bit, out the other side, and back through Malaysian passport control and then back to your seat. There's only one train in the station, so you're not waiting behind 300 recent arrivals from Nigeria, all of whom have forgotten to fill in their immigration forms. Total processing time - about 15 minutes if you're not quick off the train.

5. Onward travel

Plane - airports don't belong in city centres, so you have to work out the best way to your destination. It can cost a lot. In fact, it's often more expensive to get to and from the airport than it is for the discounted airfare.

Train - you end up in the centre of the city, where there is always plenty of public or private transport to take you where you want to go. Transport options are also within spitting distance of the station, not hidden away or requiring a transit bus to take you there.

Trains are also a lot cheaper, better for the environment, and a brilliant way to relax, meet people, or simply chill out with a pile of books or some music.

So, next time you're heading for Singapore or just need a visa stamp, consider a trip down to Malaysia by train. It might take longer, but then the journey is part of the fun. I've travelled all over the world by plane and I can't remember ever thinking it was a good way to enjoy myself.