Most solo travellers I met along the way were doing things differently. They were planning as they went along, which a lot of people would fiercely defend it’s the only right way to do it. I wrote a little bit about this before embarking on my four-month adventure – about the ideas that surround the concept of backpacking. However, as an anxious person, I could never do that. I kept my plans flexible enough that I could move things around if I really needed or wanted to – but for the most part, I designed my itinerary and pre-booked places and tours (most of it with free cancellation options).
Fast forward, and I stand by my method. I loved to know what was my plan, and even with my itinerary designed in advance, I still had to spend many hours whilst I was travelling figuring out how to get from A to B reviewing my accommodation options, or even just organising what to do in each stop.
One of the things that I kept flexible was the day I would go to Chiang Mai and the method of transportation. I had read that the best experience is to take the overnight sleeper train from Bangkok– it’s the shortest way to do it, it’s in itself an experience, people seem to quite like it, and rave about it. Because I left it for last minute, guess what… it was sold out two weeks in advance, when I had decided on the day I’d head North. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if I’d make it to Khao Yai – and then when I decided to go, my dates changed.
If you do indeed plan to go on the overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai from Bangkok, book at least a month in advance, even if you are doing the unplanned itinerary thing. It is something you will easily miss if you are not planning at least a month ahead. I don’t why I didn’t see it online, but after digging apparently, it is quite common for the sleeper train to sell out, especially if you want private booths. This is despite there being daily flights to Chiang Mai that some say is the preferred way to do it – quick.
So… are people who travel without plans just not worrying about situations such as these, or am I just way too anxious to miss out on things such as these? I suppose in the end it comes down to personality and priorities.
Despite some people recommending I just take a flight, I decided to go on the train regardless, during the day. I had the time for the long train ride. I was also trying to avoid flying as much as I could, and I am a sucker for train rides. If I could, I would go everywhere by train.
Was this a pleasant trip? I am not going to lie. It was not. Am I glad I did it? Yes. Would I do it again? Absolutely not.
But first, let me tell you about the history of this itinerary.
The railway in Thailand was of course essential in the economic development of the country, but even more so this specific line, known as the Northern Line. Its construction started in the early 20th century, designed to connect the two big metropoles in the country – Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Bear in mind Thailand is a huge country, and 730 Km separates these two cities. Before the railway, there was barely any mix between the peoples of the North and the South, to the point they mostly developed their own customs and traditions. Plus, what comes with connecting to big centres of commerce? Well, more trade, and a well-needed economic boost.
The construction of the line wasn’t easy. Thailand’s geography in the North is mountainous, making it not only difficult to build tracks in such terrain, but also expensive. Mix it with political instability… and delays were due to happen. It took roughly 26 years for it to be completed…. and it’s only the second longest railway line in Thailand – with 130 operation stations. Besides serving Bangkok and Chiang Mai, it also connects other important cities such as Ayutthaya (this is the line you would take if travelling by train to visit the ancient ruins), Nakkhon Sawan, Phitsanulok and Lampang.
Seeing how the landscape changes as you get into the Northern part of the country is actually one of the things that makes the train ride so appealing. It is a shame though that I didn’t get a window seat – You don’t get to choose it when booking with 12Go Asia, the website I used to book all of my transportation in Thailand (and to be fair, most of South East Asia). And the Thais take seat allocation really seriously. So even the few moments I had the seat next to me empty, I couldn’t move. I could still have a peek through the window, which was also quite dirty I must add, but it wasn’t the romantic train experience I was envisioning.
As painful as this line might have looked to me, a privileged foreigner used to modern trains, the importance of it in the country is notable. It not only played a crucial role in the development of Northern Thailand, by facilitating trade and tourism, but it also made culture exchange possible – by uniting Thais from the South, Central and North, giving them an easier way to exchange customs and traditions.
The train ride was meant to be 10 hours long. It ended up being a bit over twelve hours. And beware the air con is on full blast, which was of course the perfect recipe for me to have gotten a pretty nasty cold. My following days in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai would be haunted by this train ride precisely because of it…. A very congested nose, some muscle pain and headaches. Bear in mind I was freezing, despite having been given a blanket (provided by the train staff, so they know it gets cold), wearing a jumper, hoodie up, with a scarf, an underlayer and a jacket. If you are doing the long journey from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, you are also given the choice of buying a meal onboard, which is fairly inexpensive… but extremely spicy, so beware. You can of course take snacks with you and I recommend you do so.
After about 8 hours my back was starting to hurt…. And imagine my surprise when suddenly I notice the train is going backwards. For about an hour, we were going backwards! Any information given was only in Thai (if any) so I was completely unaware about what the hell was going on. I kept checking my Google Maps app, only to despair, as we were still so bloody far…. And getting farther away!
The train eventually stopped at a station and we were allowed to go out. A Thai passenger who spoke English informed the few foreigners on board in my carriage that there was some sort of breakdown, and something needed to be replaced… at this point, I was embracing Buddha’s teachings, and just going with it. Trying not to get angry, irritated, annoyed… no one was, why should I? Que sera, sera….
I had informed my accommodation in Chiang Mai that I would be arriving later at night, and they had sent me instructions to retrieve the keys. So all was well. And again… the good thing about long-term travelling is that you are never really in a hurry. If there are delays or cancellations… yes, it’s annoying… but you sort of have “unlimited” time so that’s okay too. Eventually, I would arrive in Chiang Mai.
And I did. At 10pm, instead of the scheduled 8pm. I got off the train and embraced the warmer night air, called a Grab car and soon enough I was at the front door of my accommodation, retrieving my key. I was welcomed by a cat, which is always nice. Then I went up to the fourth floor, only to realise the key didn’t open the door of the room they had assigned to me, according to their emails.
At this point, I hadn’t checked my phone and picked it up to call them only to see I had a few missed calls on WhatsApp from them. But because my data had been disconnected, I hadn’t seen them. They had made a mistake in the email, and my room was actually on the floor below. Everyone in these parts of the world uses WhatsApp even for phone calls, so I recommend you have a good data plan. I got away with buying virtual SIM cards on websites such as Holifly, to avoid queuing at airports and potentially being scammed (I had many stories like that told to me, even at airports, telecommunication shops can’t be trusted).
Finally, I opened the door of my bedroom for the next few days. And after a shower, I went straight to bed, looking forward to exploring the city the next day.
Love, Nic
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