Taking the Train From Bangkok to Prachuap Khiri Khan
Prachuap Khiri Khan, our favorite town in Thailand, is astonishingly easy to visit by train. You don’t even need to transfer; one train will bring you straight there from Bangkok! Here’s everything you need to know about taking the train from Bangkok to Prachuap Khiri Khan, including prices, how to book tickets, duration of the trip, our tips after making the journey several times, and more!
Note: all prices are accurate as of December 2019, but prices and exchange rates are subject to change.
Departure Location in Bangkok:
Hua Lamphong Station
Trains from Bangkok to Prachuap Khiri Khan depart from the Hua Lamphong Station in Bangkok. You can get there by bus, but we recommend taking a taxi if you’re carrying your luggage with you. Another option is to take the MRT, which is ideal if you’re traveling light!
Important note: Hua Lamphong is the default station to leave from, and the first on the line, but double-check your ticket because there are several other stations in the greater Bangkok region.
How to Book Tickets:
In Person or Online
In person: book at the Hua Lamphong Station. First- and even second-class cabins can sell out pretty quickly, so book as far in advance as possible if you want one of these. You can book up to 30 days in advance for this trip (longer trips can be booked up to 90 days in advance).
Booking in person is pretty simple; just go up to the ticket counters and tell the agent your intended date and that you want to go to Prachuap Khiri Khan. We’ve had pretty good luck with being able to communicate this in English, but you may need to point at departure times or destinations on the list provided. Make sure you know what class you want, and book accordingly.
Online: book your ticket(s) at thairailwayticket.com. The site admittedly looks a bit old and even sketchy, but it is the State Railway of Thailand’s official booking site. (We’ve used it with no problems!)
To book tickets to Prachuap Khiri Khan, you’ll need to select “Southern” from the untitled yellow bar above the other options. This bar lists the various lines, and since Prachuap Khiri Khan is on the southern line, it won’t show up in the list of stations unless you click this button.
From there, you can choose your train (pay attention to train type and time). Keep in mind that train times are on a 24-hour clock on thairailwayticket.com, so a train leaving at 3:30 is leaving in the middle of the night; one at 15:30 is leaving in the afternoon.
Important note: when you book your ticket online, you will need to print it out and bring a hard copy with you to the train station. An electronic copy on your phone or other device is not acceptable.
Train Types and Classes:
All of the trains have some type name that’s a variation on being fast (“Rapid,” “Express,” and “Special Express”). Theoretically, the trains improve in both speed and quality as you go up the list, with “Rapid” being the cheapest, slowest, and least comfortable, “Special Express” being the fastest, most comfortable, and most expensive, and “Express” falling somewhere in the middle.
In reality, we don’t think it makes much difference in terms of speed, because the trains are never on time anyway (see more in “Duration of Journey” section).
For more information on the train types, check out this description from Thai Railways.
We highly recommend traveling first class. If you’re traveling as a couple (as we do), you’ll get a private little cabin with small bunk beds and even a sink.
If you’re traveling solo and only book one spot, you’ll need to share the cabin.
Second class also has reserved little beds/berths, but they line the main central aisle with just a curtain for the illusion of privacy. Alternatively, in second class, you can book a reserved seat instead (we haven’t experienced these).
Third class is seats only, no berths/beds. You may not have a reserved seat, your seat may not recline, and there may not be air conditioning (meaning a crowded train can get very hot).
Our recommendation is to splurge on first class. Nothing beats having a private little cabin to yourself! We pass the time by watching movies on our computer and even by napping - neither of which we would be able to do in another class. And you might be surprised by how affordable first class is!
Price
A berth in a two-person first-class cabin is around 1,000 baht ($33 USD), varying slightly depending on whether you pick the upper or lower bunk. This means that for a couple, you’ll end up paying around $65 one-way total. We believe this is an incredibly reasonable price to pay for the additional comfort it offers compared to the other classes, and highly recommend first class.
A berth in second class is around 650 baht ($21 USD), varying slightly depending on whether you pick the upper or lower bunk
A seat in second class is 325 baht ($11 USD).
A seat in third class is 250 baht ($8 USD).
Again, we highly recommend the first-class option. For us, it’s definitely worth the $22 difference per person between third class and first class when it means we have complete privacy, much less noise, air conditioning, room to lie down and nap, and even a power outlet so we can watch movies on our computers.
Duration of Journey
Theoretically, the trip takes anywhere from 5-½ to 6-½ hours, depending on which type of train you take and when you leave.
Realistically, this is highly inaccurate. We have never once had our train arrive on schedule, even when we left on time and didn’t encounter any delays. Last time we took the train on this route, we departed right on time at 3:11 PM (scheduled to leave at 3:10), didn’t encounter any problems along the way, and arrived an hour late.
It’s even worse in the reverse. In Bangkok, Hua Lamphong is the first station, so the train will typically leave on time. When you’re heading back from Prachuap Khiri Khan to Bangkok, the train (which comes from southern Thailand) has already had plenty of opportunities to run behind. It’s completely normal for it to show up to the station an hour or two behind schedule, then somehow lose even more time on the way to Bangkok.
Our advice is to take a train that arrives in Prachuap Khiri Khan early enough that you’ll still be there at a reasonable time if (when) you end up being late. Then just lie back in your first-class cabin (you did book first class, right?) and enjoy the ride, letting go of any expectations of being on time.
Arrival in Prachuap Khiri Khan
Someone working on the train should come warn you when you’re about 15-20 minutes away from Prachuap Khiri Khan. This gives you time to collect your things and make your way to the door so you can hop off quickly once the train stops.
Sometimes, though, no one says anything. The last time we traveled to Prachuap Khiri Khan, we were lucky we were keeping a close eye on our phone maps, because we could easily have slept right through our stop. As it was, we barely managed to grab our things and get to the door before the train stopped. So watch the map and be ready to go if you see you’re almost there!
When you arrive in Prachuap Khiri Khan, you’ll be at the town’s only train station. After getting off the train, make your way out of the station and to the street. If any tuk tuks are available, you’ll see them slightly to your left immediately as you exit the train station.
Check out this guide for more information about the Prachuap Khiri Khan train station, including where it’s located relative to the town and how to get from the train station to your hotel.
Tips & Things You Should Know
The bathrooms on the train (at least in first class) have Thai-style squatting toilets, not Western seated toilets! This can be a challenge on a bumpy moving train, but luckily there are grab bars to hold onto. Bring your own toilet paper into the bathroom with you just in case, and (as in most Thai bathrooms) dispose of it in the trash rather than by flushing it.
Different train types and classes have different food options, but all classes have some food available. With that said, if you have specific preferences or any dietary restrictions, consider bringing your own snacks with you just in case you don’t like anything on offer!
In first class (our recommendation!), someone with a menu will greet you shortly after you get on. At that point, you can order a meal for around 100 to 150 baht ($3 to $4.50 USD) that will be served to you later in the journey. The meals typically include soup, a drink, a main course, a side of rice, and an egg.
The food is actually surprisingly good (we never have high expectations for transportation food)! But don’t be surprised if you don’t get the specific meal you ordered. Again, just roll with it and accept it as part of the experience.