A travel guide by Window Seater
The Southern Line: Bangkok – Surat Thani
About this trip
For those heading to or from the ritzy and heady resorts of Southern Thailand, this is an authentic view of modern Thailand’s everyday life.
In this trip
Hua Lumphong Station
Welcome to Hua Lumphong Station - the beginning or end of all great Thai rail journeys.
A messy city: Cables, canals, and tight squeezes
Bangkok can seem like a messy city. Tangles of cables, tight squeezes, and dirty canals.
Dusit Palace (Wang Dusit)
Bangkok is a not-so-ancient seat of the Thai Royal court, and you may be passing a surprising and important palace.
Bang Sue Junction
Its not a thrilling sight, but Bang Sue junction is about to become rather important place for Thai rail travel, and its an interesting case study on how Thai's like to build things.
North-South Line Junction
The train lines diverge between North and South here. The Northern and Eastern Lines go up to Ayutthaya before separating. The Southern and Western (the infamous "Death Railway") head West to Nakhon Pathom before separating. Singapore is a couple of days reach of here by rail for the price of a cheap hotel room, or there's a luxury option taking 3 days.
The Chao Phraya River
Chao Phraya translates to "the Chief", such is the importance of this River to the Thai nation.
Tailing Chan Station, and the BTS
Tailing Chan is where the Thonburi branch merges, is a new BTS hub, and a sight of a nasty train crash!
The City of Bangkok
Bangkok is a force. Its the centre of the Thai universe, and is the sort of city that takes a lifetime to really know. Unfortunately, visitors walk into and out of this rich and vibrant city with the wrong ideas.
Salaya, and the Phutthamonton Park
For a small town, Salaya has plenty going on.
Jaseda Technik Museum
There's a strange little museum tucked away out here, but I think it deserves a mention.
Thai Temple Complexes, and Wat Sisrathong
Buddhist Temples are everywhere in Thailand. There's a lot to learn about them. And this one in particular is quite peculiar.
Canals and Bridges of Thailand
Thailand is a country of water, particularly in its floodplains. Canals and bridges have been a major engineering feat.
Nakhon Pathom
Nakhon Pathom is a surprise. We really recommend you explore it - particularly the Pra Pathomachedi
Nong Pladuck Junction – the start of the Death Railway
Nong Pladuck Junction is the crossroads where the Japanese began to lay tracks West.
The River Kwai and the Mae Klong
You've likely never heard of the Mae Klong, but its name a bit upstream from here is the River Kwai.
Chao Phraya Floodplains
You're now in the floodplain of the Mae Klong, in the greater Chao Phraya floodplain, which is where most of Thailand lives.
Photharam
Potharam isn't a big town, but its got an incredible cave temple full of bats, and a creepy doll museum.
Rice in Thai Politics
With more than half of Thai voters involved in rice agriculture, rice is always central to Thailand's politics. For example, in 2011, an elaborate rice scheme initiated by a political party changed Thailand's politics fundamentally, and for the worse.
Ratchaburi
Rachaburi means City of the King, so named because it was the birthplace of King Rama the 1st: the founder of the Chakri Dynasty that still rules to this day.
Ancient City of Khu Bua
It won't look like it, but the Southern Line train actually passes THROUGH an ancient city.
The Malay Peninsular
The Malay Peninsular is formed by the Tenasserim Hill system rising between the Indian and Pacific Oceans due to a collision between two of the world's biggest tectonic plates.
Rice Production
You're likely to see a lot of rice paddy on the Southern Line, particularly in its northern reaches, so we best explain what you're seeing.
Caves in Thailand
You'll be passing hundreds of caves hidden along your journey on the Southern Line, and they're pretty incredible places.
Phetchaburi
Phetchaburi is an old Mon royal city dating back to the 8th Century, making it one of the oldest settlements in Thailand.
Palm trees
In the Southern stretches of the Thai Southern Line, you will see many specimens of Arecaceae - the botanical family of perennial climbers we know as "palm trees" - they're rather incredible.
Khao Nang Panthurat & Prince Sang
The most northerly karst mountain alongside the Thai Southern Line has an interesting story hidden inside.
Cha-Am and the Thai Beach Resort
The Thai resort town is a winning recipe. Cha-Am is the most northerly of Thailand's resort towns on the Southern Line.
Mrigadayavan Palace
Unfortunately you can't see Mrigadayavan Palace from the Thai Southern Line, but its worth a mention anyway.
Hua Hin Airport
On the Thai Southern Line, you'll take a tunnel under the northern edge of the landing strip in Hua Hin airport.
Medical Tourism in Thailand
There are so many quality hospitals throughout Thailand. The better hospitals are on par with some of the best hospitals the world over, and the industry is booming.
Klai Kangwon Palace & Rama IX
Although you won't be able to see Klai Kangwon Palace from the Thai Southern Line, it is very nearby. It was the summer residence of a man who's face you might recognise.
Hua Hin
Hua Hin is a playground of Bangkok's elite.
Rajabhakti Park
Rajabhakti Park was built by the Royal Thai Army in honour of the past and current Kings of Thailand in 2015, but with some controversy.
Thai Village Life
As we travel through Thai villages, lets talk a bit about Thai village life, and how it compares with what tourists see.
Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park
The hills in the distance to the East of the Thai Southern Line you can see the karst hills of Thailand's first marine national park.
The Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand was once the edge of Europe's known world. It is an interesting body of water.
Japan’s Invasion of Prachuap Khiri Khan
Did Thailand partner with or capitulate to Japan in WWII? The Prachuap Khiri Khan airfield was definitely invaded.
Hatwanakorn National Park
Hatwanakorn is the newest National Park in Thailand. If you're looking for a pristine Thai beach, this is it.
The Karen
The hills inland along a large stretch of the Thai Southern Line are the land of the Karen - an ancient, stateless nation.
Karst Mountains
The dramatic little mountains you see more an more of as you head South on the Thai Southern Line are called 'karst', and they're pretty weird.
The Recipe for the Perfect Beach
There are so many nice beaches alongside the Thai Southern Line. So what makes for a nice, sandy, crescent-shaped beach in Thailand?
Oil Palm
We need to talk about the African Oil Palm - you will see a lot of it from towards the Southern side of the Thai Southern Line, and all the way down to Singapore.
The standing buddha, and other variations
Travelling through the countryside, you'll see a lot of variants of buddha statues. They all have meaning.
Chumphon
Chumphon is a Jumpoff point for people going to the Islands of Koh Tao, Phangan, and Samui.
The Isthmus of Kra
Thais have been thinking about building a canal across the narrowest point of the Malay Peninsular for years, but it has always only been an okay idea.
Lang Suan
"Lang Suan, city of fruits, paddle boat race, source of durian, royal garden"... oh, and toilets.
An Intro to Islam in Thailand
As we head South on the Thai Southern Line, we head more and more into the Islamic World. Thailand's relationship with Islam is an interesting one.
Ancient Chaiya
Blink and you'll miss Chaiya. But there seems to be a lot of history buried beneath.
Rubber
If you're seeing neat rows of trees on the Thai Southern Line, and its not oil palm, its probably rubber trees. They're amazing.
Ban Thung Pho Junction, and the Khiri Rat Nikhom branch
Ban Thung Pho Junction is the point the southern line has a small branch down to Khiri Rat Nikhom.
Surat Thani
"City of 100 islands, delicious rambutan, big shells and red eggs, centre of Buddhism" - Surat Thani. For now, its as far as we've travelled South.
