LOGUE CABIN: A Travelogue: Sleeper Train to The Gulf of Thailand’s Southern Isles

When a work project unexpectedly evaporates in late June, I suddenly have two weeks cleared, a blank slate. Sitting in my stuffy office, craving adventure, Eben and I spin the roulette wheel of travel exploits: “Kayak Everywhere.” Where in the world can our family of 4 (including a 4- and 11-year-old) go three days from now, from San Francisco International Airport, for under $650 a ticket?  A map appears with dollar amounts splashed across the globe.  Our options are surprisingly limited, lots of locations in the United States and only three abroad—two in Mexico (places we’ve been before) and Bangkok, Thailand.  Eben and I raise our eyebrows at each other. Thailand?  Why not? We’ve only heard good things…  Click, click, click. Names, passport information, credit card.  And CONFIRMED.  In less time than it takes to order take-out, we’re booked to Thailand for two weeks of spontaneous adventure. Our next few blog posts dive back into that trip, into the tourmaline bathwater of the Gulf of Thailand, teeming street markets, ancient temples, soaring mountains, delectable food, and of course, the “happy cabins.”  From sleeper trains, to villas, hotels and huts, we stumbled into some very happy places, with just the right amount of comfort and cozy to soothe our venturesome souls. 

Sleeper Train, Bangkok to Surat Thani, Thailand

“I like trains. I like their rhythm, and I like the freedom of being suspended between two places, all anxieties of purpose taken care of: for this moment I know where I am going.” ― Anna Funder, Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall

The night train from Bangkok to Surat Thani

Bustling Bangkok life

In the darkness, behind worn curtains, Maris and I watch the world go by, glimmers of moonlit fields, dark jungle, a peak of starry sky.  The rhythmic chug of an engine purrs behind the clack, clack of wheels on track, the occasional long sigh of a mournful horn.  Soft snoring, the patter of feet tiptoeing to the bathroom, whispers, and the sure footsteps of a porter making his rounds.  These are the sounds of the night train from Bangkok to Surat Thani.  It’s not long before we drift off to sleep, clinging to each other in a narrow, bottom bunk, dreaming of muddy rivers and water buffalo, hot rain, and forests of dense, green trees.  How exactly did we end up here, on a sleeper train, careening south through the night. . .? 

Rambutan—red and furry outside, sweet and fleshy inside

It’s only our first day in Thailand, and the jet lag is severe.  We walk around Bangkok in a fever dream, our bodies shocked by the heat and humidity, our senses assaulted by sights and scenes and smells that shift by the minute, from the serenity of an ancient temple to a throng of buses, cars, and tuk-tuks thick with carbon emissions.  Crossing the streets is almost more than we can manage.  We stumble onto a riverboat taxi on its way to Chinatown, ending up at a crowded street market and a colorful temple in disrepair.  We try rambutan, a red, hairy fruit that looks more like a pet you might find in a market in Tattoine than something edible.  It’s sweet and watery and tastes like grapes.  We find Wat Pho Temple and persuade Anaya (11) and Maris (4) that it would be a worthwhile cultural investigation to get Thai massages at the onsite medical school.  We realize we are too tired to appreciate Bangkok.  We need less sensory assault and more Thai massage.  We look south to the islands, settling on spending the next few days in the Gulf of Thailand on a jungle island called Ko Phangan. There are a few different ways to get there—bus, flight or train, all followed by a ferry.  The bus is inexpensive, but we are exhausted from three days of travel and can’t imagine sleeping upright in lounge chairs.  The flight is quick but pricey and the timing requires spending another night in Bangkok. The second-class sleeper train is affordable, leaves tonight, and promises seats that convert into bunkbed berths for sleeping.  We’re in.

Before. . .cozy tables for playing cards and eating take-out

After. . .restful berths for dreamy sleep

Thailand is known for some of its sleeper train routes.  The sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, for example, is famous for its updated amenities and clean, efficient charm.  The route to the ferry terminal at Surat Thani is a whole different animal, less storied and more of a means to an end.  We find our way through the busy station in Bangkok to a workhorse of a train, scuffed and worn, drab and dirty at the edges.  Our seats face each other, with a small, rickety, fold-down table between us for finishing up our take-out Thai food and playing a game of cards.  There are a few other tourists on the train, but our fellow travelers are mostly Thais.  There is no dining car.  The bathroom is rudimentary and only gets more rudimentary as the night wears on.  For all that, we love the novelty of it, playing cards and chatting while trying to catch a glimpse of life outside.  For the first hour or so, we are making our way out of Bangkok, through busy streets and dense roads of high-rise apartments.  After that, the neighborhoods thin out, replaced with rivers, jungles and fields. There is something incredibly relaxing about having no option except to exist here, in this cozy little space, passing time together as the world passes us by.

At bedtime, an efficient porter swings through the car, swiftly changing the benches and tables into bunkbeds, making up the thin mattresses with coarse sheets and a rough blanket.  The girls are in their element now.  Bunkbeds on a train!  We play and tell stories until we’re sleepy, trying all four of the bunks to find the bed that’s “just right.”  And then comes the night, with its drowsy white noise and peaceful rocking.  We speed toward the southern coast, effortlessly traversing the 405 miles between the capital city and the sleepy, southern islands. For the first time in this new time zone, we finally fall into a long, restful sleep. 

To book the approximately 11-hour night train from Bangkok to Surat Thani, click here.  To visit Happy Cabin during your trip to North Lake Tahoe / Tahoe Vista / Kings Beach, click here.