Paris-Bangkok and Bangkok-Paris by train

hi everyone 🙂

I’d love to know if anyone’s ever done the Paris-Bangkok or Bangkok-Paris trip by train.

If so, how long does it take? Visas? Difficulty level? Possible without too much hassle, or just way too much hassle?

I’m not looking to save a few bucks—my reason is totally different.

Huge thanks to anyone who might have some answers!

max24😎

I looked into this a bit two years ago because I wanted to get from Switzerland to Thailand in a 4x4. In the end, given the difficulties—especially with getting visas for certain countries and the dangers of the route (I wanted to go through the Middle East)—I gave up. But if you go through the north (Ukraine, Russia, Mongolia, China), it should be doable. I’d planned to do it in 6 months, but it’s probably possible faster. The advice I can give you is to really prepare your trip well, especially on the administrative side!

the classic route goes through Europe, Russia, then China

after that, it's up to you how to reach Bangkok: either by plane (Hong Kong?), or cross China by train to Yunnan, then head to northern Thailand via Laos, and take the train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok

so apart from the Yunnan–Chiang Mai stretch (by road or direct flight from Kunming or Jinghong to Chiang Mai), the rest is all by train!

you should check out specialized "train travel" websites!!

and there are tons of reports, books, guides, etc. on these super well-known trains

Hi,

You can also go from Beijing to Hanoi and then Hanoi to Saigon by train. After that, Saigon to Phnom Penh by bus (run by the Vietnamese train company). From Phnom Penh to the Thai border by bus, and finally by train to Bangkok.

For those who have the time, of course.

Philippe.

These days, it’s technically possible to do the whole trip by train in about 3 weeks. The only hurdle would be entry formalities for some countries, but if you’re still dreaming about it 19 years later, it should be doable!

...Lukmee says: so apart from the Yunnan-Chiang Mai route (by road or by direct flight from Kunming or Jinghong to Chiang Mai), everything else by train! ** Now, the new train that goes from Laos to BKK (we talked about it in a previous discussion) starts in Kunming, Yunnan, so on this section you can take the train too. But I don’t know if a European can cross from China to Laos...

But I don’t know if a European can cross from China to Laos...

European Union tourists (and a few other nationalities) have "always" been able to enter Laos from China by road via a limited number of border crossings. With this train, it’s still possible, but you’ll already need to have a Laotian visa (e-visa or via an embassy) to book it in China. No Laotian VOA is issued at the border station, but you’ll still have to get off there to complete immigration formalities (the train stops for about an hour).

Now the new train that goes from Laos to BKK (mentioned in a previous discussion) starts in Kunming,

Not quite. These are two different companies and two different lines serving Vientiane via two separate stations. Additionally, their track gauges are different (standard gauge like in Western Europe for the China-Laos train, meter gauge in Thailand), so technically, it’s currently not possible to travel from China to Bangkok without changing trains (and stations) in Vientiane. This will only be feasible once the new standard-gauge high-speed line between Vientiane and Bangkok is built.

Ah, I was wondering if it was the same station in Vientiane too... So for now, you have to take another train from a different station... the one that goes to BKK via Nong Khai? (Before, we used to take the train from Nong Khai)

Yes. These two Vientiane stations are 16 km apart.

For Vientiane-Bangkok, Laos exit formalities are handled at the departure station (Khamsavath) before boarding the train. Thailand entry formalities take place in Nong Khai, where the train stops for over an hour—passengers and their luggage must disembark to complete them.

"Tini ss'thani Nong Khai":