It's the end of February, the start of the long weekend and we have plans for a 3-day trip to Uthai Thani. I will of course, be concentrating on recording what I can see on the railway as well as attending a weekend football fixture. This is as normal as you like for me these days.
We managed to leave around 10 am and while we know where we wish to stay tonight, we will just have to see how the day goes regarding what else we can take in on the way.
As we head North away from Bangkok, I make a decision to head for Ayutthaya where I hope to see some trains.
I find myself following a train having fun matching its arrival time In Ayutthaya compared with mine. It's a close call but as we proceed further there's congestion caused by a temporary police checkpoint. We try a detour, but this only adds time. I give up chasing the train and take lunch before reaching Ayutthaya. By now the train I was chasing has reached the city proving that as slow as Thai trains are sometimes it can be quicker than my road.
I now head for the station, and I'm bound to see something as long as I wait. I don't have to wait long and it's time to fill my boots with four trains arriving within an hour. It's all good stuff. The hour here shouldn't affect things much, but I'm hoping for an early arrival in Chainat later.
We head north giving me further cause for thought as I pass ancient ruins in the historic city of Ayutthaya. I've no plans to stop but will need to carry out some additional research concerning these. We're now heading towards Lopburi and I'm hoping to find something special to me and it's another railway station but, not in Lopburi province but right in the north of Saraburi province.
We turn right off Hwy 35 along minor road 3027 then onto the 366. It's here I see what I am looking for; the massive, elevated railway that tells me I've arrived at a major railway project under construction. The contract provides for 145 kilometres of new double track, Lop Buri-Pak Nam Pho. A 29 km semicircular section completely bypasses the historic city of Lopburi, 19 km of which is elevated as much as 20 m.
We head to Ban Klap Railway Station which at the southern end of the bypass. This station has been completely overhauled with new platforms. When the railway loop opens. Passengers arriving here will have a choice and the station will become a junction. Long distance trains will use the loop while local trains will continue as normal into Lopburi. This is all in a revelation to me, but there is one more thing I need to see as we return to the 366. The 366 for the most part follows the route of the railway which is entirely elevated here, but I'm looking for what will become Lopburi Station 2. Finally, I find it, but at the present time all it consists of is a skeleton of concrete beams; impressive enough though. I look forward to the day when I can cover this route on one of the train services but for now there is nothing more I plan to cover here. It's already a successful day.
Today is all about trains but tomorrow probably not, as we concentrate on reaching Uthai Thani for that evening football fixture.
We plan a route to Chainat, an hour away, just 30 minutes from Uthai Thani. Chainat has better options, and we selected an apartment in the city. Arriving at 4.20 pm, I just wonder if it will be okay because when we arrived it certainly doesn't look posh, but it's all about the room. We collect the key and head to the second floor, open the door and it's OK, more than OK actually for the price.
Chainat is a small province with a city of that name located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River and that gives us options for the evening. We can drive down to the night market on the riverbank. Arriving in the area there is congestion with parking problems, and we soon find out why. Today is the start of a food festival with entertainment thrown in. Well, whatever else it boasts, it sure is convenient for us and such a pleasant site beside the Chao Phraya River. There is just one catch. The summer heat is building and even after dark it's uncomfortable. We decide to retreat back to Chainato Apartments to cool down and for me to continue my blog.

Source: Visit