How to Book Tickets for the Royal Blossom Train
The State Railway of Thailand has just announced the first dates for the luxurious Royal Blossom tourist train. Find out how to get your tickets.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has unveiled its newest tourist train, the SRT Royal Blossom. This train consists of five refurbished Hamanasu cars, originally from Japan, transformed into a luxurious and comfortable travel experience. The exterior is painted cherry red with gold accents, while the interior features plush velvet seats, cedar wood accents, and large windows for panoramic views.
The SRT Royal Blossom will initially operate on short-haul routes, including day trips to Kanchanaburi, Chachoengsao, and Hua Hin. For this rainy season, Kanchanaburi has been chosen as the destination. The inaugural one-day journey will be on 17th August 2024. Despite the short notice, tickets sold out within minutes. SRT has now announced the next two dates for this trip: Saturday, 24th August, and Saturday, 31st August. If this pattern continues, expect trips to Kanchanaburi every Saturday for a month or so before the destination changes.
SRT announced that tickets will go on sale in early August. I will send out an emergency newsletter once details are released. You will be able to buy tickets at your local station or online on D-Ticket. On the website, scroll down to the bottom of the page, to the section Exploring Thailand by Train. Then look for the photo of the Royal Blossom. Click on it. Choose which type of ticket you want. 1st Class are the single seats. (You can see me sitting on that “barber chair” looking out of the window in a photo further down.) 2nd Class are one of four seats around a shared table. No information about the private rooms is known yet. On the next page, choose your date of travel. At the moment, it only shows 17th August. I am expecting them to add two more dates soon.
Tickets are expected to be priced at 1,799 baht. I will, of course, announce details on the Asian Train Guide Facebook group and across my social media as soon as this is known. In case you don’t check social media often, I will also send out an emergency newsletter directly to your mailbox. So, make sure you subscribe now!
ITINERARY FOR THE ONE-DAY TOUR TO KANCHANABURI
The journey begins at 6:00 am from Hua Lamphong Station, whisking passengers away on a scenic route with its first stop at the iconic River Kwai Bridge at 8:45 am. Here, passengers will have 30 minutes to capture memories against the historic backdrop before the train departs at 9:15 am for the Tham Krasae Wooden Trestle Bridge.
At 10:03 am, the train arrives at Tham Krasae Cave, offering a brief 20-minute stop for photographs amid the natural splendor. The journey continues at 10:25 am, arriving at Kanchanaburi Station by 11:30 am. From there, an air-conditioned bus will transfer passengers to the Pae Na Mueang Restaurant for a delightful lunch.
The afternoon itinerary features visits to two remarkable temples. At 2:00 pm, travelers will explore Wat Metta Dharma Bodhiyan, renowned for its intricate wooden structures and sculptures. The adventure continues at 3:30 pm with a trip to Wat Tham Phu Wa, famed for its cave and sandstone architecture.
Returning to Kanchanaburi Station at 4:30 pm, passengers will board the Royal Blossom for a leisurely journey back to Bangkok, with dinner served onboard. The train is scheduled to arrive back at Hua Lamphong at 8:05 pm, concluding a day filled with cultural and scenic delights.
ALL ABOUT THE ROYAL BLOSSOM TRAIN
The SRT Royal Blossom features five distinct cars: one Group Car with four private rooms for 4-6 people each, three Passenger Cars with 48 seats each, and a Leisure Car with a bar and lounge area. Passengers will enjoy modern amenities, including USB ports at every seat, large windows for panoramic views, wheelchair accessibility, and onboard catering.
I have posted an exclusive walk through of the Royal Blossom train that you can see on my Thai Train Guide YouTube Channel (please subscribe!).
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Thanks and I will see you in the next newsletter which is coming very soon!
Richard Barrow