Since January 19, 2023, Bangkok has been hosting a new railway station.
Eventually, the new equipment of the sprawling Thai capital should supplant Hua Lamphong as a central station.
A page in the history of the national railway is turning.
The new and gigantic Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station currently only accommodates 52 long-distance trains per day.
But it is intended to replace its counterpart in the Italian neo-Renaissance style, in service since 1916, according to a schedule that is still undefined but which could be spread over years.
Twists and turns are probably to be expected given the imbroglios that have punctuated the construction of this new railway temple.
Initially was "Bang Sue", name of the new station, namesake of the neighborhood where it was located and based on its location.
"Bang Sue Grand Station" is also the name that appears on the pediment of the building.
In August 2022, change of course.
It is renamed "Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station" (pronounced
koungue tèp apiouat
).
But, for now, this change of name is not yet effective anywhere.
It only appears on tickets and on the SRT (Thai Railways) website when you search for trains there.
We bet that this will be done in the near future… However, the costs incurred to change the inscription on the pediment being quite substantial (estimated at €900,000), it is better, for the moment, to keep the two names in mind.
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Two central stations currently coexist in Bangkok
The “historic” central station, Hua Lamphong.
Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP
Be careful when booking train tickets from Bangkok as there are now two central stations operating in the capital.
Hua Lamphong
, the historic station, whose services such as the
food center
or the left-luggage office have already closed, and the new one,
Krung Thep
, where these services are slowly being set up.
Train tickets, even departing from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station, can be purchased at any train station in Thailand.
On the official ticket booking website, you have to choose “Bangkok” if you want to leave or arrive at Hua Lamphong and type “Krung” to find the choice “Krung Thep Aphiwat”.
A search with Bangkok as the city of departure will only show you trains departing from the old station.
For example, if you are looking for a Bangkok – Chiang Mai trip you will not get any results, you will have to choose Krung Thep Aphiwat – Chiang Mai to see the list of options displayed.
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What trains depart from the new Krung Thep Aphiwat Station?
There are currently 52 long-distance trains departing from or arriving at Krung Thep Aphiwat Station instead of Hua Lamphong.
These are only trains for the North, North-East and South of the country.
Thus, Chiang Mai, in the far north of Thailand, is only served by the new station.
The full list of affected departures is available on the Thai Train Guide specialty site.
In contrast, tourist trains that run every weekend, such as the one that travels the famous “Death Railway” in Kanchanaburi province, depart from the historic station in central Bangkok.
How to get to the new station in Bangkok?
To get to Krung Thep Aphiwat station from central Bangkok, you have several options:
Take the
MRT subway
(blue line) to Bang Sue station and you will arrive at the basement;
Take the
free shuttle
from Hua Lamphong station (a bus every quarter of an hour, from 4:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.);
Opting for one of the
bus lines
that serve the station but taking the bus in Bangkok, when you are not used to it, is not the most obvious;
Take a
taxi
, but be sure to specify "Krung Thep Aphiwat" and add "Bang Sue" because not all drivers are used to the new name yet.
In addition, the
Red line
, a commuter train line, connects the new station to Don Muang airport, from where a good part of the low-cost domestic flights in Thailand depart.
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What services does this new station offer?
It is currently only partially in service.
Only a third of Krung Thep Aphiwat Station is laid out at gates 2 to 4. This is where the main ticket counters are, although there are also some near the subway exit.
Right next to it, you will find the
food center
, lockers, drink and snack vending machines as well as seats to wait for your train.
The platforms are high up and their access is only open 20 minutes before departure.
Similar to an airport, passengers line up and present their ticket to an attendant to gain access to the escalators leading to their train.
A little advice, bring warm clothes because in the waiting area, the air conditioning is strong and you quickly catch cold.