Bonjour,
Comme nous voyagerons avec nos deux enfants et que nous souhaitons prendre des trains de nuit (BGK/CM en début de séjour et BG/Surat Thani en fin de séjour), je souhaite réserver mes billets à l'avance. Visiblement vous êtes nombreux à recourir à l'agence thailandtrainticket.com et je m'apprête donc à le faire également en leur demandant de livrer mes billets à notre GH.
La question qui me taraude est celle de la sécurité du paiement : pour payer par CB, ils demandent qu'on leur envoie par fax toutes les indications relatives à la carte (Card Type, Card Number, Name as appear on the card, Expiry Date...) y compris le code qui est au verso.
N'est-ce pas dangereux ?
Est-ce que certains d'entre vous ont procédé ainsi ?
Merci d'avance pour vos réponses
Sandra
"Les optimistes sont des imbéciles heureux et les pessimistes des imbéciles malheureux " Georges Bernanos
c’est une procédure courante, même en France, en remplissant un formulaire d'autorisation de prélèvement de votre carte bancaire , datée signée avec toutes les infos y compris le crypto
évidemment cela suppose que vous avez confiance en votre interlocuteur ( pour qu'il n'utilise pas ces infos de facon faudruleuse)
sinon , vous pouvez alors opter pour le système officiel du service des chemins de fer thais
le site cité ci-dessus par salsa est le site d'information officiel ancien et complet, mais ne permet de faire de réservation en ligne
le nouveau site officiel des chemins de fer thailandais ( mis en place depuis juin 2011 ) le permet
directement sur le site http://www.thairailticket.com/esrt/
procédure un peu laborieuse mais qui permet un règlement sécurisé direct via VISA ou autre ( mais attention aux frais de carte bancaire en cas de prelevement pays etranger )
mais uniquement pour les réservations pour les principaux trains et trains couchettes
a noter qu'il n’est pas possible en Thailande , quel que soit le système, de réserver ses billets a plus de 60 jours avant la date du trajet
Merci beaucoup d'avoir pris la peine de répondre !
Je suis d'accord avec vous, cela se fait, même en France... mais encore faut-il avoir confiance en la personne à qui l'on communique tous ces renseignements ... D'où ma demande aux membres de VF pour savoir s'ils ont déjà procédé ainsi avec cette agence (et s'ils ne le regrettent pas !!).
J'envisage, en plan B, d'acheter les billets sur le site des chemins de fer thaï, car le paiement y est sécurisé.
En réalité, l'avantage de passer par l'agence Thailandtrainticket, c'est de pouvoir acheter d'un seul coup des billets BGK surat thani+ le bus de transfert + le ferry jusqu'à Kho phangan... (alors que la Thairailway ne vend que des billets de train...ce qui se comprend!).
Je me dis que ce sera plus simple de quitter BGK avec les billets de train/bus/ferry, plutôt que de devoir trouver un bus à la descente du train puis de devoir trouver/attendre un ferry à la descente du bus...Dites moi, surtout, si mon raisonnement ne tient pas la route !!
"Les optimistes sont des imbéciles heureux et les pessimistes des imbéciles malheureux " Georges Bernanos
vous avez tout a fait raison : beaucoup plus pratique de tout réserver d'un coup
petite remarque :
pour moi la solution train + bus Surath quai + ferry pour Koh Pgangan n’est pas le top
la solution combiné bus de nuit départ Bangkok centre, combiné avec le ferry Lomprayah a Chumpon est préférable ( départ 21h de Bangkok arrivée sur KohPhangan a 10h45 - avec la meme compagnie bus et ferry )
en Thailande, on ne dort pas toujours bien en train de nuit couchette ,
pour notre trajet BKK/CM , nous avons réservé sans aucun souci nos billets de France.Tu les imprimes chez toi, c'est très pratique.Il y a juste un petit supplément à cause du paiement (je ne sais plus combien)
Pour le reste de ton périple , il existe des agences de voyage absolument partout en Thailande qui devrait pouvoir te l'arranger pour peut-être moins cher...
Bon voyage
Merci à tous !
Pour info, un membre de VF m'a indiqué, en MP, qu'il était possible de payer ThailandTrainTickets par paypal, ce qui est plus sécurisant.
Cela dit, les frais facturés par l'agence sont de 200Bt par personne + 5.5 % si on paye par Paypal... Cela finit par représenter des sommes non négligeables !
Autre info reçue en MP : il serait très facile de trouver des bus+ferry pour les îles à la descente du train de nuit qui relie BKK à Surat Thani.
En tenant compte de tous vos conseils, je vais prendre nos billets de train en ligne sur le site de la Thailande railways (coût paiement CB 3.5%) et les imprimer chez moi et on se débrouillera sur place pour le bus+ferry.
Encore merci !
"Les optimistes sont des imbéciles heureux et les pessimistes des imbéciles malheureux " Georges Bernanos
Cela dit, les frais facturés par l'agence sont de 200Bt par personne + 5.5 % si on paye par Paypal... Cela finit par représenter des sommes non négligeables !
Paypal interdit aux fournisseurs d'ajouter des frais pour paiement par ce système.
Parfaitement d'accord avec toi : le principe de PAYPAL c'est que les frais sont à la charge du vendeur.
Mais l'agence indique "Payment by Paypal (with 5% charging)" puis elle les rajoute d'office au prix des billets sur la note que tu dois régler : légal ou pas, c'est à prendre ou à laisser !
Je laisse...😉
"Les optimistes sont des imbéciles heureux et les pessimistes des imbéciles malheureux " Georges Bernanos
Autre info reçue en MP : il serait très facile de trouver des bus+ferry pour les îles à la descente du train de nuit qui relie BKK à Surat Thani.
Effectivement, aucun problème 😉
"Quand l'injustice devient loi, la rébellion devient devoir. " Thomas Jefferson
« Le doute est l’apanage des gens intelligents, les cons n’ont que des certitudes »
(Alain Leblay)
Je suis en train de regarder le site thairailticket car je voulais réserver des billets pour 4 personnes (2 adultes et 2 enfants) pour le 14 août (train N°85 entre nakhom Pathom et surat thani) mais je n'arrive pas à y accèder; je suis pourtant à moins de 60 jours.
Est-ce trop tôt?
Une autre question par rapport aux enfants; les miens ont 12 et 10ans, payent-ils le même tarif qu'un adulte?
Je prends un autre train de nuit le 19 août, faut-il aussi leréserver à l'avance ou bien en arrivant sur Bangkok?
il y a toutes les chances que ce que vous envisagez ne marche pas :
déjà : 14 aout moins 60 jours ca fait 14 juin
60 jours avant date voyage si c’est le billet départ gare principale Bangkok
mais c'est 30 jours si c'est un billet départ gare intermédiaire ( ils privilégient les voyageurs qu i montent a bangkok)
n'espérez pas acheter un billet départ Bangkok si vous ne montez qu'a Nakhon Pathom
en Thaïlande le tarif enfant s'applique tres souvent non pas en fonction de l'age mais en fonction de la taille ( plutot logique) et en Thailande le tarif des trains enfants concerne un enfant du'une taille de moins de 1,20 m
donc un gamin européen de 10-12 ans paie le tarif adulte
autre detail ; dans les trains pour les enfants il est obligatoire de reserver les couchette basses ( en cas de chute )
le week-end du 11 13 aout est un weekend prolongé pour les thais (fetes de la reine)
et de plus la plupart des aoutiens vont essayer d'aller a lamer du 12 au 17 et rentrer en france le 18 soir !
prévoyez un plan B
si c'est pour aller sur KohTao ouKohPhangan prenez les bus ferry lomprayah ou prenez un train de jour ( sans reservation) Bangkok Chumpon et le ferry lelendemain matin direct
Merci de ta réponse;
Je ne sais pas pourquoi je m'étais mis dans la tête que c'était 3 mois avant!! et effectivement 60 jours ça ne fait que 2 mois!!
Bon je n'ai plus qu'attendre...
Concernant notre départ dans le sud, nous partons de kanchanaburi et je voulais éviter de retourner sur Bangkok et je suppose que le bus ferry lomprayah ne se fait qu'au départ de bangkok?
le bus s'arrete a HuahIn ou Lomprayah a aussi un bureau
le bus part de bangkok vers 21h donc est a Huahin 23h30
voir le site de Lomprayah http://lomprayah.com/E/route.htm
Lors du We de la fête d'anniversaire de la reine nous serons à l'hôtel Swan près de l'ambassade de France. Sais-tu s'il y aura des évennements spéciaux à ne pas manquer à cet endroit.
Y a t-il un programme d'établi concernant cet évènement?
If any of you have already taken the Tren Maya, could you tell me if you’ve run into any difficulties upon arrival when trying to reach your destination city by bus: Valladolid, Mérida, Campeche, or Xpuhil?
Hi everyone,
First of all, thank you for all the valuable information you share—it’s really helpful.
My husband and I are heading to South Korea from September 19 to October 6. We know the timing might not be ideal because of Chuseok, but for various reasons, we didn’t have other date options. Plus, this period coincides with some festivals we’ve been eager to check out: the Andong Mask Dance Festival, the Jinju Lantern Festival, and the Hwaseong Festival in Suwon.
Here’s our tentative itinerary:
09/19: Arrival in Seoul
09/20: Bus to Sokcho – explore the city or short hike
09/21: Seoraksan Park
09/22: Return to Seoul
09/23–09/26: Seoul
09/27: Bus or train to Andong – explore the city
09/28: Hahoe
09/29–10/01: Gyeongju
10/01–10/03: Busan
10/03–10/04: Jinju
10/05: Bus/train to Suwon
10/06: Suwon
So here’s my question: Given that several of our trips fall during or around festivals, will it be possible to book bus/train tickets once we’re there, or is there a risk they’ll already be sold out? Specifically for Seoul-Andong, Busan-Jinju, and Jinju-Suwon.
I was thinking of booking everything on our first day in Seoul.
And if it’s better to plan ahead, how should we go about it? I can’t seem to access the Korail (letskorail) or Kobus websites.
Thanks in advance for your answers and help—and sorry for the long post! :)
I’m planning our very first trip to mainland France in January 2027. There’ll be 2 adults and 2 kids, and we’ll mostly be traveling by train.
Here’s our itinerary:
Paris
Rouen (Normandy)
Lyon
Aix-les-Bains (with day trips to Annecy and Geneva)
Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (with Chamonix and a day in Aosta)
Back to Paris
Do you think this itinerary is well-balanced? Any tips, must-see spots, or mistakes to avoid for a first-time visit?
Hi! I’d like to make stops across France, starting from Reims, and travel by train using the Intercités. I want to discover the landscapes and picturesque villages, and make some stops along the way. Could you give me some tips? Thanks!
I can’t seem to complete the payment for my trip on the IRCTC (Indian Railways) site. No matter which payment method I choose, my Visa card isn’t accepted.
Has anyone here managed to do it, and if so, could you share the method you used?
Thanks in advance!
Charlie
I’m planning a family trip in a year. Our goal: traveling to China (and maybe Hong Kong) by train.
I’m all set with the route up to eastern Turkey.
However, I’m just starting my research for the rest of the journey—namely the Caucasus (no trains as far as I know, so buses and/or ferries), then Central Asia and China.
So, I’d love to hear any info or tips (general and forward-looking at this stage) about the train route through Central Asia and China to reach the east coast.
I’m particularly interested in details on:
- How far in advance to book / any potential difficulties with reservations
- Whether there are PASS systems (or equivalent) between countries and/or if some tickets allow stopovers, meaning you can hop on and off as you please
- Day trains vs. night trains (the latter option lets you explore cities between two legs of the journey)
- A rough idea of ticket costs
...
A huge thank you to anyone who can share some info or experiences. It’s also a great opportunity to chat about adventure after (way too) many years away from this forum.
I’m planning a trip around Italy using only trains or public transport in October (hoping the weather stays nice!).
I’d obviously like to see some tourist destinations, but I also want to get off the beaten path a bit, and I’m hoping to find some help here? I don’t plan to linger too long in the cities.
Starting in the north, I’d like to visit Lake Como or Lake Orta, pass through the Cinque Terre for some hiking, spend a few days in Naples and Rome, then head down to Sicily.
Hi there,
I’ll be traveling to Japan this coming August. We’ve finalized our itinerary and booked our flight tickets. Now I’m at the stage of buying train tickets for the few segments we’ll need to cover:
Tokyo - Hakone
Hakone - Kyoto
Kyoto - Osaka
Osaka - Tokyo
Here are my questions:
a) Is it possible to buy train tickets for these segments from Canada?
b) If so, which website should I use to do this?
c) And if it is possible, will we be able to print our tickets from Canada?
d) If it’s not possible, where in Tokyo should I go to buy these tickets when I arrive?
Hi everyone, I wanted to take the Paris-Berlin overnight train with a sleeper berth, the new service operated by European Sleepers.
24/05/2026 17:45 Paris-Nord (actually 16:00 from Paris Bercy Seine) -> 25/05/2026 9:59 (actually 7:30 in Berlin)
05/06/2026 18:31 Berlin (actually 20:00) -> 06/06/2026 10:00 Paris Nord (actually 12:30)
Part of the journey was operated by bus instead of the promised overnight train.
For 2 people: 340 € round trip
A total disaster. Never again. I was really looking forward to taking the overnight train, but we faced last-minute changes and truly unpleasant travel conditions. Here are the details:
1) 2 days before departure: email announcing a change of departure station for the outbound trip—Bercy Seine bus station instead of Gare du Nord.
2) Change of schedule: 4:00 PM from Bercy instead of 5:45 PM from Gare du Nord.
3) Change of transport mode!! A bus from Paris to Brussels, then an overnight train from Brussels to Berlin. No functional toilets on the bus. No children under 4 allowed on the bus.
4) On the sleeper train at 9:30 PM: no functional toilets in our carriage, so we had to go to other carriages, even in the middle of the night, to find working ones.
5) The onboard staff, though very friendly, were as lost as we were. In particular, they didn’t know how to handle the lower berths, so people using them had less space (armrests and backrests). Berth numbers weren’t respected, so some passengers had to move. The staff also didn’t know who was supposed to join the compartment during the journey.
6) Arrival at 7:30 AM in Berlin instead of 10:00 AM. No arrival announcement. Passengers had to search for staff to get breakfast and ended up with just a coffee (breakfast = 15 €, not bad for just a coffee).
7) Return trip: drastic schedule change announced by email on 26/05/2026—departure at 7:30 PM instead of 6:30 PM, with arrival between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM in Paris instead of 10:00 AM. No change in transport mode announced.
8) Change in transport mode announced by email on the same day (05/06/2026)!! Overnight train from Brussels to Berlin, then a bus from Paris to Brussels. No functional toilets on the bus. Children under 4 banned from the bus, and families in this situation were asked to find another way—after being notified the same day.
9) The overnight train arrived at Berlin station with a 30-minute delay on top of its initial delay (scheduled for 6:31 PM, then 7:30 PM, finally arriving at 8:00 PM). The heating was blasting in the compartment with no way to turn it off. No functional toilets in the carriage. From that point on, customer service stopped responding to my messages.
10) Woken up at 5:00 AM with an announcement in all carriages about arrival in Liège.
11) Woken up again at 6:00 AM to be told we’d arrive in Brussels at 7:00 AM.
12) Arrival in Brussels at 7:00 AM and a one-hour wait for the bus to Paris. No functional toilets on the bus.
13) Arrival at Paris Nord at 12:30 PM, so 2.5 hours late compared to the originally scheduled time.
14) The overnight trains used are very old—I recognized the carriages from 20 years ago!! No functional power outlets, no Wi-Fi, no air conditioning. Five people per compartment is a bit cramped, but I consider these conditions expected (especially the air conditioning), so I’m not complaining about that. There’s already plenty to gripe about with the travel conditions.
I have little hope of getting even a partial refund. Customer service emails acknowledge the discomfort but only offer to reimburse the cost of a coffee on board if we send them the receipt... a bit weak.
I’m sharing this experience in the hope it might help others.
Hi there,
I’d like to take the Train of the Clouds from Lima to Huancayo.
I’ve heard it only runs during certain periods.
Does anyone have info on this?
Thanks!
HuancayoHuancayo
As part of my professional thesis, I’m conducting a study on the evolution of long-distance rail transport in France, particularly since it opened up to competition.
I’ve put together a very quick (about 5-minute) and completely anonymous questionnaire. Your answers will help me better understand users' expectations regarding pricing, frequency, and environmental impact.
We’re planning a 15-day trip to Uzbekistan in March—classic independent itinerary: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva. We’d like to take the train between each city, but I don’t want to lock down the whole trip before we leave.
So, my question is: is it absolutely necessary to book train tickets before departure, whether for the high-speed trains or the regional ones? Is booking really essential for the regional trains?
Hello,
We’re traveling as a family with two boys aged 10 and 12 to Cairo in February. During our trip, we’re planning to take an overnight train (with or without a sleeper) for the Cairo-Aswan route.
Do you know how I can book this remotely?
Also, I’m looking for:
- A local contact to sail the Nile by felucca for 3 days from Aswan
- A contact to guide us in Cairo
Looking forward to your tips, and thanks in advance!
Marie
Hi everyone,
I first traveled solo to Japan in 2019, exploring the Kyushu region (28 days), and I’m planning to return with my daughter (she’s an adult and it’ll be her first time in Asia) from April 25 to May 9.
I’m reaching out on this forum to ask for route ideas—this time north of Tokyo, but without heading to the Sapporo island (I’m saving that for a future trip).
I’d love to take advantage of the cherry blossom season and its festivities.
I’m looking to create a route that’s a little off the beaten path while staying within 5-6 hours by train from Tokyo to avoid spending too much time on transfers.
Thanks in advance for sharing your suggestions and experiences!
Michael
I'm heading to MEXICO IN NOVEMBER 2025. Since private guides and drivers are really expensive—over 300 € per day—I'm thinking of exploring the Yucatán by train. CAN YOU SHARE ANY INFO ON THIS? Thanks
Hi there!
We’re planning to visit Serbia (1 week) and then Montenegro (2nd week) with our kids from April 18 to May 4. We’d prefer to travel by train (overnight if possible), but we’re not sure which platform to book on or when to do it (is it too early?). If anyone has any tips, I’m all ears!!
I wanted to know if it’s possible to go from Tashkent to Almaty by train without passing through Kyrgyzstan. I’ve heard the border is often closed 😕 between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Thanks in advance!
Olivier
Hi there!
We’re planning to head back to Istanbul next year—obviously by plane—and then take the train from Istanbul to Antalya. Has anyone here already made this trip by train with TCDD?
I’d love any tips or info that could be useful for us!
I'd like to go to Montserrat on my own from Barcelona. Share your suggestions with me.
Which train should I take, where to get off, what to see once I arrive, etc.
I need to take a sleeper train from Bangkok to Vientiane in January.
I found some ticket options on 12Go Asia, but booking doesn’t seem possible at the moment. I’ve tried simulations for several dates, but no luck.
I’m wondering if it’s already fully booked, if they’ve stopped selling tickets… yet 12Go still features it every day 😕
Has anyone else run into this issue?
Can I find tickets on another site? (I tried Baolau, but no sleepers left for January 8th.)
Hi there,
I’m a bit late to be worrying about this, but hopefully someone can help me before I leave.
Tomorrow afternoon, I arrive at Lyon Part-Dieu on the TGV at 5:50 PM and take the TER to Mâcon at 6:16 PM. Is a 26-minute transfer doable? Are the TGV and TER on the same departure board? And are they on the same platforms too?
I’ve been to Lyon before but never had to make a connection after arriving.
Thanks
Starting November 15th, I’ll be arriving in Thailand, and during my stay, I plan to visit the north, around the Chiang Mai area, then head south to the Krabi region.
After Krabi, I’m planning to take an overnight train to Bangkok. I was wondering if there’s a train that leaves from Krabi or Trang, or if I absolutely have to go to Surat Thani?
Also, which official website can I use to book my ticket?
Next, since I’ll be arriving at dawn in Bangkok, I’ve planned to spend 2 days in Kanchanaburi. What’s the most convenient way to get there—bus or train? And if you know any companies or websites, that’d be great.
Hi there,
Does anyone know if there’s a bus from Luang Namtha to Boten to catch the train coming from China to Vientiane? If so, what’s the name of the company? Also, how long does the bus take to cover that distance? What’s the condition of the road like?
Thanks for your help!
Tom
I just realized there’s only one payment method accepted for booking the Mombasa-Nairobi express train ticket online: M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer service used in Africa. Would it be impossible to book as a European?
I’d love to know if any of you have recently eaten on the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
We’ve always ordered food on the train, and it was really good (and super convenient).
But in 2022, we ended up feeling like total idiots (with our 4-year-old daughter...) when we boarded the train only to find out that this service was no longer available... (It was the first time we’d traveled right after COVID.)
That’s also when we saw once again how kind Thai people are—they all offered to share their food with us, even though we were mortified. In the end, we managed to buy some instant noodles, which was better than nothing. Anyway, that’s the little story behind it.
In the following years, we’ve always brought our own meals.
I’ve read online that meal trays are back in service (could you confirm this, please?), but that the quality is really poor. I’ve also seen multiple reports that, even though you can eat well everywhere in Thailand, the train meal was the worst food travelers had during their trip...
Could you give me a recent opinion on this?
We’ll be departing from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station—do you know if there’s anywhere to buy a meal there before boarding the train?
Thanks so much for your help,
and have a great Sunday!
We’re heading to Thailand in February 2026 and we’d like to take the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Can we book two first-class tickets? I’m only seeing second-class options.
