SRT to launch train service between Bangkok and Vientiane on July 19th

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will run its maiden train service between Bangkok and Vientiane next Friday, but its online advance ticket booking system, which opened this morning, collapsed.

SRT said that the online booking system opened at 9am, but many people discovered that the system didn’t work, forcing those who want to experience the new train service to go to train stations to make their bookings.

There are three classes of ticket: 3rd class, priced at 281 baht for a single trip, 2nd class (air-conditioned) at 574 baht and the sleeper class, priced at 784 baht for the upper bunk and 874 baht for the lower bunk.

The train will leave Bang Sue terminal at 9.25pm and arrive at Nong Khai province at 7.55am of the following morning. The train will stop for immigration procedures for about 40 minutes, before departing for Vientiane, arriving at 9.05am.

SRT said that passengers will go through two sets of immigration checks, one at Nong Khai station and the other at Vientiane Khamsavath station. Passengers who want to board the Chinese high-speed train, bound for Kunming, will have to travel to that train station, which is about 16km from Vientiane Khamsavath station.

People travelling in Laos can now use the Bank of Ayudhya app, instead of cash, to make many types of payment. In in the fourth quarter, they will also be able to use the Bangkok Bank, Krung Thai and Kasikorn bank applications.