At present, the primary border crossing for visitors taking trains to Thailand is located near the Malaysian border town of Butterworth. Travelers from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur can travel by train to Thailand, but not without stopping to change trains. The journey from Singapore can last up to 48 hours as two changes of trains are required and there are numerous stops along the way to Bangkok.

First class sleeper cars can make a train trip to Thailand more enjoyable, though for a price; one can travel the Eastern & Oriental Express, a throw-back, colonial style luxury train that services Bangkok and Butterworth, Malaysia weekly.

From Laos, there is new service between Laos and Thailand as of 2009, a 3.5 km railway that runs from the Vientiane-Nong Khai Friendship Bridge to Vientiane’s Thanalaeng train station. Train service is available in Thailand once visitors cross from Cambodia, but not yet from within Cambodia. After crossing into Thailand from either Laos or Cambodia, both Nong Khai (from Vientiane) and Aranyaprathet (from Poipet) have train stations for domestic travel.

Plans are in the works to upgrade the Cambodian railway so that travel is possible from China, through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, and finally onto Singapore.

Operator:
Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM)
State Railway of Thailand