Taking,Great,Train,Trips,Thail travel,insurance Taking Great Train Trips In Thailand

Like any American, traveling occasionally is just what I love doing and I bet you share the same stuff with me. But traveling does not mean that you would be safe. Escaping from our job and other stressful activities is just something that w Torres del Paine is among the biggest of Chile’s national parks, occupying almost 600,000 acres (242,000 ha) of land in the south on the border with Argentina. It is also among the most important, receiving a significant proportion of domes

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin-top:0in;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:115%;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Cordia New";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}Most people are familiar with the River Kwai Death Railway as beingThailand's scenic rail trip option. However it is really the infamy of the linethat escalates this trip in the eyes of the visitor. Admittedly spectacular inparts and with beautiful scenery along the Kwai Noi River to Namtok at the endof the line, it is but a small segment of the SRT system and by no means theonly memorable sector to be found.The River Kwai services leave from Thonburi station with additional servicesfrom the main Hualom-phong station during the November festival time. TheThonburi station affords splendid views of the river and is close to the RoyalBarge sheds as well as being an architectural wonder with its clock towerfacade.Whether you have an interest in railways or not, trains are still animmensely pleasurable way to view the Thai countryside and are also cheap. Therail fare to Nam Tok, at the end of the Kwai line is still only 60 baht for aone way ticket and the Wongwian Yai service can still be found at around 20baht round trip.On local trains and many of the long distance expresses, vendors still plytheir wares at the various stops along the line and many will be already awareof the new Korean -manufactured sleeper carriages available on most routes.Sleeper fares are still a real deal and more comfortable than ever and allfirst class carriages now have a shower area at the end of each carriage. The Korean rolling stock is but the latest progressive foreign interventioninto the State Railway with Japanese Kawasaki train units and British Rail "Sprinter"trains having upgraded the quality of train services within the last 10 years.Of course, the whole system was German-built, being a dream of KingChulalungkorn to link the hinterland to Bangkok and create a united"Thai  Land" as well as fortifying links to the weak borderpoints. It has recently celebrated its operational centennial with servicesduplicating the original public service to Korat.The climb to the Korat Plateau, after the lineside temple views at Ayutthayaand especially Lopburi, is another of the lesser-noticed scenic sectors of thesystem. Here the route skirts Khao Yai National Park and the slow ascentaffords excellent views of the lush central plains disappearing into thedistance to be replaced by the comparatively flat and bare Isaan  ricebowl.For scenic mountain ascents the Doi Khun Tan National Park has by far thebest to offer. Most travellers will see it at its best if being an early riser(0600-0700) on the Express Sleeper from Bangkok to Chiangmai.The morning light hits the deep forested valleys in an array of color thatis difficult to find elsewhere in the region and the basically uninhabitedarea  adds to the slow switchback trundle of the train up themountain.  The climax of the ride is the final ascent to Doi Khun Tanstation through a 2km tunnel, finally arriving at, in this writer's opinion,the most beautiful, well kept station in the Kingdom. Basketed blossoms on theplatform and green peaks in the backdrop give it a special feeling, especiallywhen experienced in the atmosphere of  Lanna's cool morning air. Thetunnel itself claimed many lives during its construction over a century ago anda plaque in respect of those workers can be seen at the southern portal. Many will argue the point that Hua Hin, with its Royal waiting room, is themore pleasant (and certainly more photographed) station, but Doi Khun Tan, withits inaccessibility, is a credit to the people that created it and those whocurrently man it. It really is only visited by those hiking into the NationalPark and for that reason alone has far fewer visitors than the Hua Hin version.Sprinter train travellers on the Chiangmai day service from Bangkok will seeDoi Khun Tan in the evening twilight, which can be almost as rewarding. TheSprinter service has become popular since its introduction, allowing traintravellers to see all of the countryside between the two major cities duringdaylight. A similar situation exists with the Surat Thani to Bangkok sprinterservice where travellers are able to view the coastal section from the south indaylight, previously missed with only the overnight sleeper services available.Sprinter trains, with their large viewing windows and airline-style recliningseats are a comfortable and affordable way to view the countryside. There areno traffic jams and one isn't constantly watching for oncoming traffic!The only criticism of the international express, and indeed all sleepertrains within the kingdom is the fact that first class sleepers have berthssituated across the car. As trains tend to rock from side to side, actual sleepis only usually achieved in second class where berths areconfigured lengthways along side the carriage windows. The result in firstclass, despite the privacy of a double cabin, is one of being shunted up anddown the bed in a traditional railroad manner. Check out the disembarkingsleeper passengers when you are at journey's end. The upperclass travellersalways seem to have that extra jaded style to their morning arrival.First class berths on the E & O Express are configured correctly i.e.lengthways and the luxury of this service far surpasses the SRT public trainsand perhaps most other services in the world. The train is not a remnant of abygone age, as are the sister trains in Europe, but a converted version of NewZealand's Silver Streak, Christchurch to Greymouth train of the 1980's. Itblends well as a replica, but the minimum $1400 for the one way 2 night trip toand from Singapore is, to most, still expensive. Far easier to experience thetrain on the frequent Saturday night 5 hour dinner specials from both Bangkokand Singapore at $150 (6,450 baht) per head. Look out in the local press fordeparture dates.For those looking for the alternative experience and not requiring E & Oluxury, steam excursions ply the local Bangkok routes on the King's Birthdayand Chulalungkorn Day as well as during the Kwai festival.The Ayutthaya specials usually cost around 100 baht for the round trip, afigure unheard of for European rail enthusiasts.Thai Rail passes still exist but the complications of reserving seats andberths in advance can sometimes outweigh the good value from these visitor'sspecial deals. No matter, as long as one observes the 60 day advance purchaseregulation and recognizes the popularity of train travel at holiday times, itis a very rewarding and value for money means of seeing the kingdom. Not onlythat, the punctuality is what may be expected of an originally German builtsystem, as with the new reliable Skytrain.