Soon as I get a ticket, I’ll head out of Bangkok and down to the Thai islands in the southwest. If you picture Thailand as the shape of an elephant’s head, I’ll be travelling from the bit where the peanuts go in, to approximately 2/3 of the way down the bit that roots around your crotch.

According to my freebie Thailand map (courtesy of the WWW) there’s a train line running right down the middle of the trunk. Seeing this pleases me no end. It’s just a personal preference, but I’d choose to take the train over the bus any day of the week, particularly on longer journeys and especially in Thailand. It may not be the quickest way from A to B in Thailand but, as long as you aren’t in cattle class, it’s probably the most comfortable option for the price.

Since this is the one main line that runs south from Bangkok, I figure it’s the same mainland route I took back the other way from Ko Pha Ngan a couple of years back, which stops (or possibly terminates) at Hualamphong Station near Chinatown, Bangkok. After double checking on google maps and cross referencing to my scribbles, it does. The line runs right into Hualamphong Train Station. Bonus.

I’ll dig out the compass and the freebie Bangkok map (this time courtesy of the airport) and take a wander down there this afternoon to try and grab a train ticket. With a bit of luck they should know exactly how far down I need to go. Surat Thani looks the nearest big city (where there may be the most transport across to the west), but I’m sure I’ll be able to get the lowdown at the station.