Chiang Mai to Bangkok on #10

[Ziv]

I finally got tickets on the new'ish #10 trainset! Woohoo!
Just got my 12 Go Asia ticket at the Bossotel across the street from the station. New routine but it works well. The only hard copy ticket is a tiny nondescript thing, hope the conductor let's me board!
I am more than an hour early so it is hurry up and wait for me.
I will post pics of the train and berth when I get a signal again.
Chiang Mai has been great, cool at night and not too hot during the days. The rice farmers are entering the burning season when they burn the stubble fields so the air quality just started to turn moderately bad today. My timing was unintentional but fortuitous. It will not get really bad for another couple weeks, hopefully!
First foto is of Bossotel on right (for 12 Go Asia ticket pickup) and the station in left background. The other two are of the station from different angles. Not sure what type of locomotive that is...

 

[Ziv]

Smooth sailing! The new'ish trainset seems a lot like the older sets. Though they have TV screens inside and out for car ID and route info.
We left a minute and a half late, though!
It was a 6pm scheduled departure and they waited until the National Anthem ended.

 

[Ziv]

The trip ended in Hua Lamphong, which was kind of bittersweet. I have been using this station for 29 years.
The ground level cafeteria is closed but the upper level coffee shop was open so I did a panorama video from up there.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Smooth sailing! The new'ish trainset seems a lot like the older sets. Though they have TV screens inside and out for car ID and route info.
We left a minute and a half late, though!
It was a 6pm scheduled departure and they waited until the National Anthem ended.

Are those "bathroom occupied" lights on the "TV"? And does the one indicate a "guys only" bathroom? I think Amtrak could use guys only bathrooms, too.

 

[Ziv]

Are those "bathroom occupied" lights on the "TV"? And does the one indicate a "guys only" bathroom? I think Amtrak could use guys only bathrooms, too.

Yep, the water closet symbols work just like on an airliner. And the one was a stand up loo. Rather civilized, I thought.
And clean, too.
But the food was only fairly good and the sun went down too soon. I do not want to get too positive. LOL!
Seriously though, it was a pretty nice trip.
The first photo here is of Chiang Mai and the second one is of #10 after we arrived at Hua Lamphong.
On edit: The second photo shows something I kind of wish I had not seen.
I was very comfortable in my super fresh, clean bunk on #10. Then when I was left the train I saw that the provodniks (what is that in Thai?) had rolled up our sheets and thrown them on the dirty surface of the platform. Yeah, they will get washed, and yes, some of the provodniks put a plastic tarp under the sheets but most did not. So the clean sheet i rested my face on was tossed onto the dried (?) spittle and boot dust a day or two before.
This is one of those things where not knowing is better than knowing.

 

[Asher]

The trip ended in Hua Lamphong, which was kind of bittersweet. I have been using this station for 29 years.
The ground level cafeteria is closed but the upper level coffee shop was open so I did a panorama video from up there.

What do you suppose is the story with the guy sitting in the middle on the floor?

 

[Ziv]

What do you suppose is the story with the guy sitting in the middle on the floor?

He was just chilling, taking still photos when I walked by him a few minutes later.
When the place was busier, and the seats were mostly taken, a lot of us just put our packs down on the station floor and napped there when we were waiting for a train. Which makes me laugh at myself because I was just complaining about the used sheets getting tossed onto the platforms when the train arrived at the station.

 

[Asher]

He was just chilling, taking still photos, when I walked by him a few minutes later.
When the place was busier, and the seats were mostly taken, a lot of us just put our packs down on the station floor and napped there when we were waiting for a train. Which makes me laugh at myself because I was just complaining about the used sheets getting tossed onto the platforms when the train arrived at the station.

Interesting place. For some reason that open floor seems like it needs basketball hoops on each end.

 

[Ziv]

Interesting place. For some reason that open floor seems like it needs basketball hoops on each end.

Good point. It does remind me of the arched roof civic centers that were commonly built in the States from 1920 (?) on.
But bigger than most. Google maps has the arched roof line at just over 140 meters long.
Way back in the day I used to study in the Library of Congress Reading Room and they had a punch device for book check out that made a clacking sound that was similar to the clacking that the old fashioned ticket devices in Hua Lamphong make. Both places had a relatively quiet back ground noise level with people chatting quietly [BKK was a bit noisier ;-) ] and the occasional clacking reverberating through the cavernous interior.
I had not thought about my study time in the LoC until I hit Hua Lamphong some years ago.

 

[user 6862]

Thanks for the insights Ziv, your eye for detail and views on the world are really interesting. And as your report is so comprehensive I only have to post a few alternative photos now, thanks twice over.

 

[Cal]

Smooth sailing! The new'ish trainset seems a lot like the older sets. Though they have TV screens inside and out for car ID and route info.
We left a minute and a half late, though!
It was a 6pm scheduled departure and they waited until the National Anthem ended.

Is that a variant of the Venture?

 

[Ziv]

Is that a variant of the Venture?

It may look similar to a Venture, but I believe it was a Chinese design and build.
I am not knowledgeable enough about trainsets to say anything other than repeating what ManInSeat61 says.

 

[jis]

It may look similar to a Venture, but I believe it was a Chinese design and build.
I am not knowledgeable enough about trainsets to say anything other than repeating what ManInSeat61 says.

Yep. Those are the new Chinese cars.

Note that irrespective of whether they are the newest Chinese cars, or the older Japanese ones or even older Korean ones, all AC 2nd Class Sleepers are what in the North American parlance would be called Sections. Incidentally so are the AC 2nd Classes on KTM (Malaysian Railway), and the Hyundai ones even have a little window for each upper berth, smaller than the upper window in Viewliners, but still a window to look out.

 

[user 6862]

@Ziv 12Go train ticket agency report.

This evening arrived in Bangkok, took the express bus to our hotel the 'Bangkok Saran Poshtel' and the first thing that happened was our train tickets were handed to us as soon as Rosie presented her passport, even before checking in.

Just letting you know Ziv that the 12Go ticket agents did what they said they would do, the tickets were sent recorded post and here waiting for us.

Apart from Sunday afternoon when the London Underground system almost melted under a protester siege on 4 lines it was a really good journey with some surprises and some firsts for us.

Here we are in hot sultry Bangkok waiting on what tomorrow will bring.

Edit: photo added

 

[Bob Dylan]

@Ziv 12Go train ticket agency report.

This evening arrived in Bangkok, took the express bus to our hotel the 'Bangkok Saran Poshtel' and the first thing that happened was our train tickets were handed to us as soon as Rosie presented her passport, even before checking in.

Just letting you know Ziv that the 12Go ticket agents did what they said they would do, the tickets were sent recorded post and here waiting for us.

Apart from Sunday afternoon when the London Underground system almost melted under a protester siege on 4 lines it was a really good journey with some surprises and some firsts for us.

Here we are in hot sultry Bangkok waiting on what tomorrow will bring.

Edit: photo added

View attachment 31161

Glad yall made it to Thailand Jamie!

I had a Late friend that moved there after service in Vietnam and he never left except to visit in the US once a year during the Monsoon Season.( I haven't been there myself)

Looking forward to the reports of yalls adventures, Hi to Rosie!

 

[Ziv]

Good luck with your travels! I hope this trip works perfectly for you all!