Asia After Dark June 2017 | Page 6

PATTAYA - BANGKOK TRAI N Wi t h a day t o spar e and not much el se t o do, we embar ked on a t r ai n j our ney f r om Pat t aya t o Bangkok. Why, wel l why not ? We set of f havi ng pai d our 30 Baht t i cket f ar e, al t hough t he wi f e went f or f r ee as she i s a Thai nat i onal . At f i r st i t t ook a whi l e t o accl i mat i se t o t he non- ai r - condi t i oned car r i age. The t oi l et s wer e as expect ed, squat t i ng st at i ons and t her e was no buf f et t r ol l ey, i nst ead an el der l y l ady car r yi ng t wo huge basket s wander ed up and down t he car r i ages sel l i ng The vi ew was act ual l y r eal l y good as we meander ed acr oss r i ce f i el ds, passed t hr ough over gr own f i el ds and even passed a f ew out or si ght war ehouses and f act or i es. The backdr op of t he mount ai n r emai ned spect acul ar i n i t s magni f i cence. As we passed t hr ough st at i ons al ong our j our ney, peopl e hopped on and of f at l ei sur e. Ki ds r unni ng t r acksi de, smi l i ng and j umpi ng up at t he wi ndows. I t was al most l i ke a st ep back i n t i me! TI CKETS pl ease