Although train tickets in Thailand can be bought in person at any main railway station, there are times when it may be more convenient for travellers to buy tickets online. If you want to buy your Thailand train tickets online you have two main alternatives.
Last month the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) re-introduced their online booking service. This has been an on/off service available at differing times over for the last few years. The recent revamping of the website looks to be an encouraging sign for those wishing to travel on Thai railways and wanting to book journeys in advance. In addition to the cost of the rail ticket there is a fee of 20 Baht per passenger plus a 3% credit card booking fee. The site is available in Thai and English (click ‘EN’ on top right of homepage for English version). Once you have completed your journey details and made payment you can print your ticket.
It is worth noting that the e-ticket system does not have full access to all available seats on the central reservation system of SRT. This means that if the e-system shows a ticket is unavailable, it does not necessarily mean that the train is full. Instead, you will have to enquire at any main train station in Thailand or use an agent as described further below (who can book tickets via the main SRT reservation system).
There are also some restrictions on the tickets sold. For instance, it is not currently possible to buy cross-border tickets or rail/ferry combinations e.g. Bangkok to Ko Samui/Ko Tao etc. For these type of tickets either buy at the station directly or use an agent as described in the next section.
SRT E-ticket website »
Update February, 2013:
State Railway of Thailand temporarily suspended the online booking service in mid-January 2013. It is hoped that the service will resume, but at the moment it is unclear if/when online ticketing will be available again.
There are a number of agencies who can book Thailand train tickets for you although prices will vary from agent to agent. One agent which seems to enjoy a good reputation is thailandtrainticket.com*. They charge the normal train fare plus a 200 Baht booking fee. Other fees may apply depending on where you want the ticket delivered to. I’ve not used them so this is not a personal recommendation, but I do know tourists and travellers who have given positive feedback regarding this company.
Update: October 22, 2011
*When I checked this agency’s website at the time of writing this article there were no problems. I have since been advised that their website shows as an ‘attack site’ which suggests they could have been hacked or have security issues with their website hosting. For that reason, I have now removed the links to their website.
Alternative agents are Thai Focus and Asia Discovery. Please note, these are not personal recommendations because I have never used them and I have no personal experience of anyone who has.
Reservations for online bookings normally open 60 days before date of departure. Trains can get busy on Thai public holidays especially in the period in and around New Year (end of December) and Songkran (April 13-16) when many Thai people return home to visit family. If you want to travel by train over the New Year or Songkran periods (or a week either side) it is advisable to book your journey as early as possible (particularly if you are travelling via Bangkok).
