Bangkok train station early in the morning
If you do any train travel in Thailand, you’ll likely pass through the Bangkok railway station (aka Hua Lamphong). That’s because Hua Lamphong is the central hub for intercity and international train services. Be it Chiang Mai, Surat Thani, Ayutthaya, Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia, trust me when I say you’ll become BFF with this station by the end of your travels.
Hua Lamphong has over 12 train platforms with over 130 train departures per day! Over 60,000 passengers take this train on a daily basis! Crazy huh?
While it’s no grand central station, Hua Lamphong is an interesting place to people watch. You’ll see locals sitting cross-legged on the floor (I wanted to join them! I hate chairs) while kids were running around barefoot at the station. You’ll also find people praying before their departure at the onsite shrine for Thai people.
There are so many people at the station!
How to get to the Bangkok train station
Hua Lamphong station is very easy to get to as it is right at the Hua Lamphong Station via the MRT or the Bangkok Subway. You might need to catch the sky train to get to the subway station. Of course, you can take the taxi, but you might think twice about that option once you read some of my unpleasant stories about taxis in Bangkok.
How to buy tickets at the Bangkok train station
Ticket counters
While you can purchase tickets at the train station, we bought most of our tickets online. You can either buy the tickets directly at the website or from 12go.Asia which takes care of the whole process for you.
The only exception (that we know of) is if you want to buy Ayutthaya tickets. Because the city is only about 1.5 hours away from Bangkok, you can only purchase tickets on the day of departure. All you need to do is arrive at the station about an hour or so before departure, and you’ll be able to get your ticket.
Tickets to Ayutthaya!
On the day of departure to Ayutthaya
We arrived one hour in advance and had our tickets within ten minutes. Not bad, considering how we had no idea what the wait would be like for the tickets.
Make sure you know the train number, class and the departure time before arriving at the station. That way, you come prepared and know which ticket to buy.
Can you store your belongings?
Luggage storage next to the ATM
There is an area where you can leave your luggage in case you need to do so. Super handy if you have to check out of your accommodation early but have some time to kill in the city. I’ve travelled quite a few times with heavy luggage in Bangkok and trust me, it’s a pain in the butt to lug around the city!
Prices to store your luggage at the station
Food at the Bangkok train station
Lots of food options to choose from the station
There are a lot of food stalls in the station, ranging from small stalls to international chains. For instance, there’s a Black Canyon Coffee and a Dunkin Donuts if that’s your preference. There is even a food court in the train station if you’re looking for a quick bite. The prices at the station are reasonable and comparable to what you’d find outside of the station.
The food court at the station
If you are looking for a convenience store, there is one outside of the station that also has a pharmacy.
Facilities at the Bangkok train station
You can also buy t-shirts from the vending machine!
Washrooms are three baht per person, and they are tourist friendly toilets! There wasn’t always toilet paper though so make sure to bring toilet paper.
Happy tourist toilet, aka no squat toilets
Can you get help in English?
If you needed help in English, there was always an attendant around to help you. Signs are also in English, making it easy for you to figure out what you need to do at the station.
I read online that there are people who will try to scam you, but we didn’t see any of that at the station. In any case, be careful and trust the information you get from the ticket counter and no one else.
Taking the Bangkok train is a great way to see Thailand
Our train is here!
After an hour of waiting, it is finally time to board the train to go to Ayutthaya!
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