Thaksin Express

The Thaksin Express (Thai: รถด่วนพิเศษทักษิณ) is a special express train run by the State Railway of Thailand ("SRT") between Bangkok and Sungai Golok, a border town in Narathiwat province and the end of the southern rail line. "Thaksin" is a Thai word for "south" (from Sanskrit word "dakshin"), so the name of this train can be translated as "the Southern Express." This train's passenger cars include 1st- and 2nd-class air-conditioned sleepers, 2nd-class fan sleepers, 2nd-class fan seating coaches, 3rd class air-conditioned and fan seating coaches, and a dining car.

The train passes interesting cities and towns along the east coast of southern Thailand on the upper Malay peninsula. These include the old Buddhist city of Nakhon Pathom, the seaside resort town of Hua Hin, the port city of Surat Thani, the commercial city of Hat Yai (or Haadyai), the Islamic city of Yala, and the commercial border town of Sungai Golok. Although the rail line is connected to the Malaysian one, there is no cross-border service on this route.

Time Table

Train Number 37 Bangkok - Sugei Golok (departure times unless otherwise specified)
* Bangkok (กรุงเทพ) - 15:10
* Sam Sen (สามเสน) - 15:28
* Bang Sue (บางซื่อ) - 15:39
* Bang Bumru (บางบำหรุ) - 15:57
* Salaya (ศาลายา) - 16:14
* Nakhon Pathom (นครปฐม) - 16:42
* Ban Pong (บ้านโป่ง) - 17:00
* Rajburi (ราชบุรี) - 17:29
* Phetburi (เพชรบุรี) - 18:15
* Hua Hin (หัวหิน) - 19:11 - three-minute stop to change crews
* Wang Phong (วังก์พง) - 19:31
* Prachuab Khirikhan (ประจวบคีรีขันธ์) - 20:28
* Bang Saphan Yai (บางสะพานใหญ่)- 21:38
* Chumpon (ชุมพร) - 23:32 - ten-minute stop for refuelling and changing crews
* Surat Thani (สุราษฎร์ธานี) - 01:56 next day - three-minute stop to change crews
* Thung Song (ทุ่งสง) - 03:54 - 10-minute stop for refuelling
* Phatthalung (พัทลุง) - 05:37 - three-minute stop to change crews
* Bang Kaeo (บางแก้ว) - 06:07
* Hatyai (หาดใหญ่) - 07:31 - fifteen-minute stop for uncoupling Hat Yai coaches, and refuelling
* Chana (จะนะ) - 08:07
* Pattani (ปัตตานี) - 08:51
* Yala (ยะลา) - 09:28 - three-minute stop to change crews
* Rue Sau (รือเสาะ) - 10:03
* Tanyong Mas (ตันหยงมาส) - 10:35
* Sugei Padi (สุไหงปาดี) - 11:02
* Sugei Golok (สุไหงโกลก) - 11:25 arrival

Train Number Number 38 Sugei Golok - Bangkok (there are the departure times unless specified) -

* Sugei Golok (สุไหงโกลก) - 14:20
* Sugei Padi (สุไหงปาดี) - 14:36
* Tanyong Mas (ตันหยงมาส) - 15:03
* Rue Sau (รือเสาะ) - 15:34
* Yala (ยะลา) - 16:06 - three-minute stop to change crews
* Pattani (ปัตตานี) - 16:37
* Hatyai (หาดใหญ่) - 18:05 - 20-minute stop for attaching carriages from Hat Yai and refuelling
* Bang Kaeo (บางแก้ว) - 19:06
* Phatthalung (พัทลุง) - 19:34 - three-minute stop to change crews
* Thung Song (ทุ่งสง) - 21:19 - 15-minute stop for refuelling and changing crews
* Surat Thani (สุราษฎร์ธานี) - 23:00 - three-minute stop for changing crews
* Chumpon (ชุมพร) - 01:36 next day) - 10-minute stop for refuelling and changing crews
* Bang Saphan Yai (บางสะพานใหญ่)- 03:08
* Prachuab Khirikhan (ประจวบคีรีขันธ์) - 04:17
* Hua Hin (หัวหิน) - 05:34 - three-minute stop to change crews
* Rajburi (ราชบุรี) - 07:26
* Ban Pong (บ้านโป่ง) - 07:58
* Nakhon Pathom (นครปฐม) - 08:21
* Salaya (ศาลายา) - 09:05
* Bang Bumru (บางบำหรุ) - 09:32
* Bang Sue (บางซื่อ) - 09:54
* Sam Sen (สามเสน) - 10:05
* Bangkok (กรุงเทพ) - 10:30 arrival

Current status

There are about 3-4 second class rakes plus 1 first class rake for the train between Hat Yai - Sugei Golok. This Southern Special Express 37/38 has to be kept running as the way to for psychological warfare that the central government never abandon the local people of 3 Southern provinces despite of the ongoing insurgencies in the 3 Southernmost provinces.

References

* [http://www.railway.co.th/Ticket/TrainStopStation_Time_All.asp?IdTrain=37 Schedule for Thaksin Special Express 37]
* [http://www.railway.co.th/Ticket/TrainStopStation_Time_All.asp?IdTrain=38 Schedule for Thaksin Special Express 38]

External links

* [http://www.railway.co.th/english/images/south.gifSRT southern route timetable]