Appointments are building up and today, Katoon has one in Pak Chong at the hospital which will occupy much of the day. However, rather that tie both of us down, it's agreed that I can head off recording train videos again and I'm dropped off at Ban Pachi Station, an hour or so away. We will meet up later at Pak Chong after a train journey for me in the afternoon. I will have the best part of three hours at Ban Pachi.
Arriving at the station, I check for departures which at this station include services on both the Northern and Northeastern Lines. The plan is that I will take the 13.25 Ordinary Train 233 to Pak Chong arriving some two hours later. In the meantime a number of other services will pass through this station keeping me occupied. These are:
Express Train 71, Krung Thep Awiwat (Bangkok) to Ubon Ratchathani.
Ordinary Train 234, Surin to Hua Lamphong (Bangkok).
Ordinary Train 201, Hua Lamphong (Bangkok) to Phitsanulok.
Express Train 72, Ubon Ratchathani to Krung Thep Awiwat (Bangkok).
Ordinary Train 202, Phitsanulok to Hua Lamphong (Bangkok).
The 233 duly arrives and I climb aboard. Ordinary services on the State Railway of Thailand are budget services and a lifeline for many people in rural Thailand. Accordingly, one can travel for half a day on these train for the price of a beer. The route from Ban Pachi in Ayutthaya province involves heading to the next province of Saraburi then onto Kaeng Khoi and Muek Lek. From Muek Lek the route enters Nakhon Ratchasima province and my destination for the day. After that the 233 will call at Nakhon Ratchasima then head towards Udon Ratchathani calling at Buriram and terminating at Surin.
From past travels, I have a great affection for this line, but things have changed a lot recently. The conversion to dual track is still progressing as is the elevated HSR infrastructure at most locations between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima. Strangely though, not at Ban Pachi. As the 233 leaves the platform there is soon evidence of foundation work but no pillars have been constructed until the approach to Saraburi where a massive elevated station is taking shape. Further east, pillars can be seen at Keang Khoi but after this station the railway runs into the mountains.
During the Northeastern Railway's early years engineers had a huge problem to deal with due to the sudden change in elevation. The solution is interesting. The route chosen looks like the result of a cat playing with a ball of wool but featureless it certainly isn't. Today however, all that's changed with the building of the 5.2 kilometre Muek Lek Tunnel. I was most fortunate to travel on the old section not long before the tunnel was commissioned. It's sad in a way, but there's no argument that the changes save time and I seem to be in Pak Chong in no time as the 233 crosses the border into Nakhon Ratchasima Province. Here at around 3.30 pm I'm reunited with Katoon. It remains only to take the final journey to Nakhon Ratchasima where we have accommodation booked.
We arrive in the provincial capital around 5.00 pm and head straight for KIO Hotel, another hotel we have used before. The reason for its selection soon becomes obvious. KIO Hotel consists of a four-story hotel block, but with additional single story accommodation to the rear. Today we are staying in the main block instead of the bungalow type at the back. We afford just enough time to get organised then it's out again for the main event, stopping on the way for street food just minutes from the hotel. Then without further ado, we head for the 80th Anniversary Stadium a couple of kms away.
The game today is between the hosts, Nakhon Ratchasima FC (The Swat Cats) and the visitors, Sukhothai FC (The Fire Bats). Neither are big names in the Thai Premier League but are members on merit. While both seem safe for now, their current form is a cause for concern as neither team has chalked up in win in five creating an opportunity for one of these teams to break that sequence today. When the game kicks off at 19.00, it's the Bats who dominate. With less than 10 minutes on the clock, they are 2 : 0 up with both goals resulting from good work by their star player, Baggio. The home crowd is stunned. However, the Cats claw their way back to pull a goal back by half-time. Into the second half the visitors look lack-luster. Have the Cats ganged up on Baggio? The Cats are soon level and in dominant form with a great chance for them to turn this game on its head but the Bats regroup and the Cats become impatient squandering chances. The end result is a 2 : 2 draw which helps neither team except by damage limitation. While the team managers have work to do, as far as the game is concerned, it's been great entertainment.
While there's been a decent crowd here today, there has been no pressure for parking and we're back at KIO Hotel in no time entirely satisfied to way the day has gone.

Source: Visit