Thailand – October 2023
Open windows, lush rice fields passing by, dimly lit by the setting sun in the background. That’s what a 3rd class ticket on a Thai train can get you. But let’s start at the beginning. During our 3-day stay in Lampang, Verena and I want to explore one of the nearby National Parks. To get to Doi Khun Tan, we have to retrace our journey from Chiang Mai to Lampang by train and get off at Khun Tan Station. Both my German companion and I don’t have high standards for comfort and so, we opt for the 3rd class car. Checking the departure times on Google Maps, we order a Grab taxi to take us to the station, buy our tickets, and on the pretty empty platform wait for the local train to arrive.
To our surprise, the train pulls into the station almost on time. A few people jump out of the open doors shortly before the locomotive comes to a full stop. We easily locate our car and climb up the steps to the 3rd class wagon. But before we can look for our seat, an older lady calls out to get our attention. She’s busy hoisting large sacks of rice onto the train, and we help her to secure them in the small passage between the 2 cars. Moments after she climbs up the stairs herself, the train slowly starts to move, and we roll out of Lampang Station. Neither Verena nor I are morning people, so on the ride to Khun Tan we quietly sit on our reserved seats and doze off as we ride along with a breeze flowing in through the half-open window.
After an eventful hike through the national park, we make it back to the station with plenty of time to spare before the scheduled departure of the return trip. With our empty stomachs growling, we look for a light snack to pass the waiting time. To our surprise, for the first time ever in Thailand (read: Southeast Asia), we are unable to find a food stall within walking distance from the station. So a chips package and a plastic cup of spicy green mangoes have to do till we get back to Lampang. By now, the train is officially late, but the cute puppies playing on and next to the empty tracks keep us and the rest of the backpackers scattered along the platform entertained. Then, the sound of the horn announces the arrival of the train and we take position at the end of the platform.
This time, our reserved seats are for the very last carriage. Since this trip takes place during COVID-19 times, all the passengers are supposed to wear face masks and expected to sit on their designated seats. However, on the outbound train, we noticed that hardly half of the seats are occupied and there is no conductor checking the 3rd class car. So we walk all the way to the end of the aisle and sit down in an empty compartment next to the rear door. There is no electricity in our car and when we enter the tunnel shortly after departing from Khun Tan, the entire carriage goes pitch black. Only when we make it out on the other side, I can have a glance at the people we are travelling with for the next hour.
According to a sign near the middle of the aisle, the last car is reserved for monks, nuns, elderly passengers, and those with a disability. Nevertheless, the afternoon crowd is quite mixed, and half of the seats empty. Most of the passengers are dozing or looking at the scenery passing outside the rolled-down windows. Some respond to the kids waving at us from the train tracks, and others leave their seats to smoke next to the open doors on both ends of the car. Verena lets me know that she would like to listen to some music while watching the peaceful landscapes, and I do the same.
Between large rice fields and small streams, we pass a few settlements and roads crossing the train tracks. At one of those crossing points, a motorcycle with a man, a woman, and a medium-size dog is waiting for the train to pass. By now, this kind of traffic setup doesn’t surprise me anymore, but I still wish the train would go a little slower to give me time to capture the moment. But I’m too slow and only manage to take a video of a flock of birds flying high above a rice field with the sun setting in the back. Feeling quite comfortable in our open-air carriage, I head out onto the small “balcony” in the very back of the train and watch the sky change colors while feeling the cool breeze in my hair. For a second, I wish this ride would never stop.
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