On the platform at Bangkok's Hua Lam Pong railway station.
Author's Note: This report was originally published by Curves&Levels in November, 2008 as Southern Thailand By Train. I am re-posting it with slight alterations for the Lonely Planet BlogSherpa program.
Bangkok. Where began an extended trip to Southeast Asia in early 2003. Our rough adventure began in Thailand and from there we hopped through Malaysia, Sumatra, Java and Bali. This installment is the first of several to come. It covers a few days spent in Thailand's capital followed by a train trip to the country's south.
Red by train, blue by bus.
THAILAND FACTS Source: Thaiways.
Thailand's population
Total 63,038,247 (end Dec 2007), about 31 million males and 31.9 females. Of the total, 9.3% live in Bangkok, the capital city.
Geography
Thailand has a land area of 513,115 sq.km. bordered by Malaysia (South), Myanmar (West & North), Laos (North & East) and Cambodia (Southeast). The country's east coast borders the Gulf of Thailand and the west coast abuts the Andaman Sea.
Google Map
Climate
The temperature varies from 19C to 38C with the annual average at about 29C. The humidity is from 66% to 82.8%. In the North and Northeast during winter, the temperatures are much lower at night. Weather Link.
People
75% Thais, 11% Chinese, 3.5% Malays,
and others are Mons, Khmers, Burmese, Laotians, Indians and a variety of hill tribes.
Brief history
History of Thailand.
The Origin of Thais.
Looking upriver from Hat Noppharat Thara on Thailand's west coast.
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Street market scenes in the Chinatown area.
Thai countryside from the train window.
We put ourselves up for a night at a plain hotel in Surat Thani, a small commercial city on the Gulf of Thailand.
After train, bus and the back of a pickup trick, we arrived at Ao Nang on Thailand's west coast.
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Next installment: Beach living in Ao Nang and a tour of the Krabi area
