Bookings for Royal Blossom tourism train open

The first railway trips on the State Railway of Thailand (SRT)’s luxury “Royal Blossom” train to Kanchanaburi province are to commence on August 24 and 31, with bookings now open.

The one-day trip will take travellers to Kanchanaburi, a province west of Bangkok that is rich in history, SRT’s public relations chief Ekarat Sriarayanphong said on Thursday.

Highlights of the sightseeing trip include:

• River Kwai Bridge - part of the railway line built in World War II that saw a significant amount of conflict and bloodshed.
• Tham Krasae Railway Bridge – a wooden railway bridge built along the cliff overlooking the Kwai Noi River.
• Tham Krasae Cave – where the World War II prisoners who built the railways were forced to reside.
• Phae Thara Buri – a magnificent floating restaurant serving authentic Thai dishes.
• Wat Metta Dharma Bodhiyan – a temple famous for Chinese-inspired architecture.
• Wat Tham Phu Wa – a forest temple best known for its cave with beautiful stalactites and ancient Khmer-era relics.

Tickets cost 1,799 baht per person and each trip is limited to 156 passengers. The price includes train fare, air-conditioned shuttle bus fare, entrance fees, food and drinks on board, and insurance.

Reservations can be made at all train stations nationwide or via the D-Ticket application.

The train will depart Hua Lamphong station in Bangkok at 6am, reach Kanchanaburi station at around 11.30am, and return to Hua Lamphong around 8pm after a full day of visiting attractions, Ekarat said.

SRT Royal Blossom train has been modified from 10 second-hand air-conditioned Hamanasu passenger cars that the SRT received from the Hokkaido Railway Company of Japan in 2018.

Ekarat said five cars had been refurbished as tourism vehicles to run on the Bangkok – Kanchanaburi route in a bid to boost tourism in secondary provinces under the government’s policy.

The remaining five cars would undergo similar modifications and should be ready for public use by year-end, he added.