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So I decided to set out to Bangkok using the train
system. OK, so we have taxis, buses, minivans,
cars even motorbikes that can all get you to the
big city, and yes I have tried them all, but I have
got to say, the journey to Bangkok by train
was one of the best experiences I have had over
the last 12 years here in Thailand.
There is one train a day that leaves Pattaya for Bangkok, it leaves at 2.20pm. You just
arrive at the station, buy your ticket costing a staggering 30THB (FREE for all Thai
nationals) and away you go. Now, don’t be fooled, your not going to hop on an air
conditioned, luxurious coach that offers tables, reclining seats and trolley service
along with clean and modern toilets, nope, in fact you are going to step back in time
and find yourself on an old, rickety slow train that has no air conditioning other than
the open windows and a few ceiling fans busy whirring around. The seats are old and
worn leather, that some have managed to free themselves of their fixings and will
happily send you crashing to the floor unexpectedly. The toilets, well, let’s leave that
to your imagination. There is a trolley service however, in the shape of a lovely old
lady who wanders up and down selling all kinds of food, sticky rice, Khapow moo,
fruit, eggs etc, which you can wash down with surprisingly cold water and soft
drinks. I still don’t think she actually worked for the train company, I think she just
hopped on and sold her stuff.
One of the things that surprised me on this journey was
how clean the stations were, and how beautiful some of the
platforms were with their masses of flower displays
streamed along the platforms. They really did give the
stations a bright and colourful existence. So we set off
from Pattaya and headed to Bangkok, surprisingly the train
did get up some good speed which I wasn’t expecting. As
we headed into the countryside it was amazing to see so
many things going on, that perhaps we wouldn’t see had,
we used alternative transportation. Houses cluttered
together one minute, to then find ourselves in the greenest
of rice fields. Children playing alongside the tracks without
a care in the world, and without all the modern technology
we are so used to!