#Thai 05 | [State Railway of Thailand] Nong Khai Bound 1st Class Private Room No. 25 Sleeper Train Travelogue
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The main event of this trip, the "sleeper train," has finally arrived!!
This time it's first class, I'm so hyped!
I heard there was a dedicated waiting room for first class, but I arrived just in time, so I went straight to boarding.
Checking in!!!
This is the first-class car for train No. 25 from Bangkok to Nong Khai!
I booked it exactly one month in advance, and it was the last room available. I booked through the official website, and although it said to print it out, it's the type where you scan a QR code at the ticket gate, so showing it on your phone screen is fine. However, they check if your seat is correct after boarding, so it's better to have it ready to show quickly.
I secured this ticket before my flight ticket.
When booking a room for two people by yourself, it's slightly cheaper than the price for two people.
▼ State Railway of Thailand Ticket Sales Site [Official] ▼
After sitting for a while, there will be a knock, and when you open the door, the train staff will instantly turn it into a bed for you!
Shower room
First-class cars have showers! However, I was worried about the voltage for using a hair dryer, so I took a shower beforehand.
The shower has hot water, and the water pressure and drainage are flawless. (I used it on the way back.) This is a bit tricky for first-timers, but you turn the screw-like knob on the bottom right to get hot water out.
There are dispensers for shampoo and body soap.
There are also two toilets near the shower room, and they are quite clean. It's the same as the Shinkansen, so it's okay to flush the paper.
The sink is small, but it's inside the room, so you can brush your teeth there. It's cramped, though.
There is a monitor at your feet that shows when the toilets or shower rooms are occupied. It also displays the next station, your current location, and what time you will arrive in Nong Khai.
There are channel buttons, but the TV didn't show anything. I thought it was a touch panel, but apparently, you operate it with the switch at hand. Lol
I had heard that the State Railway of Thailand trains were extremely cold, and it was indeed freezing. However, in a first-class private room, you can adjust the airflow, so even a thin layer (like AIRism) is fine.
There is a light and a power outlet by the pillow, but I didn't think it was a good idea to use a hair dryer with it (at worst, the breaker might trip), so I didn't.
By the way, this is a disposable towel I bought on SHEIN. I bought it thinking I might need it when I rode a sleeper train in Finland before, but since the Finnish sleeper train (Santa Claus Express) came with towels, I didn't end up using it.
I used one to wash my face in the morning.
Dining car
I love dining cars; they have such a romantic appeal.
Since I was here, I came to take a look in the morning.
I had bought bread at the station yesterday, so I got some coffee and had breakfast while looking outside.
The reason I didn't eat here at night was because I had heard rumors beforehand that it was expensive and tasted bad.
It certainly is expensive.
Maybe it would be okay to have a sandwich for breakfast, but it really is expensive (second time saying this).
You can't drink alcohol.
Also, as a very important piece of information, you cannot drink alcohol on the State Railway of Thailand.
Bringing it on board is also prohibited. Of course, if you drink in your private room, you might not get caught, but basically, even what is sold on board is 0% alcohol Heineken.
Because of an incident that happened in the past, let's give up on bringing alcohol. There was nothing to do, so I went to sleep early.
Arrived at Nong Khai
While I was relaxing in the dining car, I arrived at Nong Khai before I knew it.
The lady in the dining car told me, "We've arrived," so I hurried back to my carriage.
The display said we would arrive in XX minutes, so I let my guard down, but you shouldn't rely on it, so be careful.
You can leave your luggage at Nong Khai Station. It's 40 baht per day. I planned to come pick it up the next day, so I paid 80 baht and was light on my feet from here on.
By the way, there is a paid toilet at Nong Khai Station, and there is also a shower facility attached, though I didn't use it.
👉 Next time: Crossing the border by land, entering the Laos chapter.