This excursion started at Thonburi railway station. This appropriate connection takes you to the end of the line at Namtok station. Access to Thonburi station can be achieved via the Chao Phraya river crossing near the Phra Pinklao bridge. This is not far from Ko San Road. You can walk to the station from the pier or take a motorcycle taxi. Once aboard the train you appreciate this is a ‘slow’ service but a mere 100 baht takes you to the end of the line. The route takes you west on through Nakorn Pathom and on to Kanchanaburi. From the station here there is a selection of affordable guest houses on the Nam Kwae Yai (River Kwai). V N Guest House has basic air conditioned rooms for 400 baht.
Today was back to the train and on to Namtok station. If you break your journey it is another 100 baht to continue. This is the price for foreigners (farang). The round trip takes most of the day but many chose to break the journey at the spectacular Thamkasae station and return. Continuing to Namtok station allows access to Hellfire Pass. It was back to the guest house after a very interesting day.
It was back to Bangkok today but not before visiting the Jeath Museum near the River Kwai bridge. This really is a fascinating place telling the awful story behind the Japanese occupation and could easily occupy a couple of hours. Rather than return my train it was to the bus station instead. The bus journey should have been a lot quicker but the congestion in Bangkok put paid to that and to cap it all one of the worst storms of the trip greeted us.