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Bangkok's Train Stations

Since January 2023 Bangkok has two main railway stations that do different jobs. Check which one your ticket names before you leave the hotel.

Updated
3 min read
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In this guide ↓
  1. The short version
  2. Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal
  3. Hua Lamphong
  4. Names that cause confusion
  5. Common trips

Bangkok has two main railway stations, and since January 2023 they do different jobs. Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (also called Bang Sue Grand Station), north of the centre, is the main station for long-distance trains. Hua Lamphong, in the middle of the city beside Chinatown, still runs ordinary and commuter trains. If you are catching a train, check which station your ticket says before you leave the hotel.

The short version

You are going…Station
On a long-distance (intercity) trainKrung Thep Aphiwat
On an ordinary or commuter train that calls at every stopCheck your ticket: these still run from Hua Lamphong
To Don Mueang airport by trainThe SRT Red Line from Krung Thep Aphiwat
To Chinatown, Wat Traimit or YaowaratMRT Hua Lamphong or Wat Mangkon (the MRT station, not the railway station)

Services and platforms change, so use your ticket or the State Railway of Thailand's official channels to confirm the departure station.

Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal

On 19 January 2023, 52 long-distance trains that had ended at Hua Lamphong moved to this station (Wikipedia). It opened on 2 August 2021 with the SRT Red Line, and is described as the largest railway station in Southeast Asia, with 26 platforms. It lies on the border of Chatuchak and Bang Sue districts.

  • MRT Blue Line to Bang Sue. The MRT station connects to the terminal by an underground walkway.
  • SRT Red Line. Commuter trains between Don Mueang and the terminal; see the BTS and MRT guide.
  • Taxi or Grab are options with luggage.

It is a long way from the tourist centre. From Sukhumvit or Siam, plan time for the MRT and the walk through the station, and leave generous margins the first time.

Hua Lamphong

Hua Lamphong opened on 25 June 1916, in an Italian Neo-Renaissance style, with decorated wooden roofs and stained-glass windows. The front of the building was designed by the Turin-born architect Mario Tamagno, who also designed the Ministry of Commerce building that is now Museum Siam (Wikipedia).

Before 2020 it handled about 200 trains and 60,000 passengers a day. Since the 2023 move, only ordinary and commuter trains (calling at all stops) run on the Northern, Northeastern and Southern lines from here, and all Eastern line services end here. Plans to turn it into a museum were delayed after opposition, and the station's future role was still being worked out when we checked.

The station is linked to the MRT Hua Lamphong station by an underground passage. The old MRT station is a good way into Chinatown and Wat Traimit.

Names that cause confusion

  • Hua Lamphong is both a railway station and an MRT station. They are connected by an underground passage; the MRT station is part of the metro, so it is not where you buy a train ticket.
  • Bang Sue is the MRT station that serves Krung Thep Aphiwat. The old Bang Sue Junction station beside it still operates for some commuter services.
  • "Bangkok station": the railway's official name for Hua Lamphong was long simply Bangkok (Krung Thep). Since 19 January 2023 it has been officially renamed Bangkok (Hua Lamphong), so the name "Krung Thep" on older documents refers to the old station, not the new terminal.

Common trips

where to next?

Back to Bangkok BTS and MRT Guide