Re: Thailand: whats to see and do?

["Ron BESDANSKY (formerly Ron BEST)" <ronbest@bigpond.com>]

Roderick Smith <rodsmith@werple.net.au> wrote in message
01bee982$06d07e60$4b2e11cb@rodsmith">news:01bee982$06d07e60$4b2e11cb@rodsmith...
> Scenery and Australian links: Nam Tok (day return from Bangkok).

Don't forget to take a cushion - the seats are solid wood & without even
upholstery stuffed with horsehair! Cheap though - 78 baht (abt AUD4) retn
Bangkok - Nam Tok. "Special" car supplement of 150 baht still doesn't get
you a cushion! Train leaves Thon Buri stn about 0740 - allow plenty of time
to get there. Crosses the River Kwai and runs alongside another river on
trestles with a 5 km/h speed limit! Great scenery, & you can ride on the
steps and hang out for good shots on the bridges & trestles. Takes all day
to get there & back - returns abt 1830, but you only get abt 20 mins at Nam
Tok (more if the train is on time). The first station past the River Kwai
bridge is abt 10 kms on, so it isn't practical (as I had intended) to get
off the train after crossing the bridge & then walk back. I did the trip
last December. I ate some of the food they sell on the train, but my stomach
was pretty delicate for the next week! It's another 60km or so beyond Nam
Tok (current railhead) to Hellfire Pass.

I think there's a later train from Bangkok main station, but it leaves too
late to make it a day trip. I found it hard to get accurate info about the
trains via hotel staff etc - better if you can speak Thai. There are also
package tours that include the railway.
Rgds

Ron BESDANSKY