Full steam ahead for new Thai-Lao train service

The first train operating on the new direct line from Bangkok to Vientiane will hit the tracks on July 19, with tickets for the return journey leaving Khamsavath station on July 20 available for purchase on the day.

A train that will carry passengers on a direct line from Bangkok to Vientiane.

The train is scheduled to depart from Bangkok Central Station at 21:25pm on July 19 and arrive at Khamsavath station in Vientiane at 9:05am the following day.
The return journey from Vientiane departs at 18:25pm and arrives in Bangkok at 7:30am the next day, according to the Thairat newspaper.
The cost of a third-class ticket, with travel in a fan-cooled carriage, is 281 Thai baht (201,196 kip).
A ticket for a seat in a second-class air-conditioned carriage is 574 baht (410,984 kip).
The price of a second-class air-conditioned sleeping berth on an upper bunk is 784 baht (561,344 kip) and 874 baht (625,784 kip) for a lower bunk.
Tickets will go on sale at Khamsavath station on July 20, according to an official from the Department of Railways, Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
The journey from Bangkok to Khamsavath station takes 11 hours and 40 minutes.
The cross-border service will come into operation after Lao and Thai authorities successfully trialled trains on the new route.
Construction of the extension of the rail link from Thanalaeng station at the Thai border to Vientiane began in 2013 and was originally slated for completion by the end of 2021, but delays meant the railway was not completed until 2023.
The direct train service linking the two capitals aims to promote tourism and improve logistics between the two countries.
Khamsavat station, located in Khamsavat village, Xaysettha district, was built under Phase II of the Lao-Thai Railway Construction Project.
Phase II comprised a 7.5km extension of the railway from Thanalaeng station to Khamsavat and cost 994.7 million baht (235.6 billion kip) to build, of which 30 percent was funded by a grant and 70 percent by a low interest loan from Thailand’s Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA).
Phase II of the project included the construction of dormitories for staff, Khamsavat station, laying of the track, and other components.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update July 15, 2024)