How to get from Ayutthaya to Bangkok by train

The Unesco World Heritage Site at Ayutthaya draws thousands of visitors each year to its temples. Whether you’ve spent several days exploring, or just a few hours on a day trip, it’s a simple journey back to the bright lights of Bangkok.

Travelling the other way? Check out our guide for taking the train from Bangkok to Ayutthaya.

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Route map and details

Trains from Ayutthaya to Bangkok fall into two categories:

• Special/Express trains, which are nearing the end of a long-distance journey from northern and north-eastern Thailand. Ayutthaya is one of the final stops, only an hour away from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central station.
  
• Alternatively, you can board a Commuter/Ordinary train that is typically used by commuters and locals travelling shorter distances. These services arrive at the Hualamphong station in central Bangkok, which used to be the main station in the country and the hub for all long-distance services. Since 2011, Krung Thep Aphiwat has taken over this role.

On the map below, both Bangkok stations are marked by a blue circle. Regardless of where your journey terminates, all trains from Ayutthaya use the same route to reach the outskirts of Bangkok.

Timetables

Ayutthaya to Bangkok is served by two different types of trains, each with their own pros and cons.

Ordinary/commuter trains run to Bangkok’s Hualamphong station and serve a range of local stations along the Northern and Northeast Lines. These are very much stopping services and nearly every station on the line is called at. As a result, the train stops every few minutes but it’s certainly an interesting way to witness Thailand away from the usual tourist viewpoint.

Ayutthaya is one of the final stops on long-distance Express and Rapid trains that have originated in far-off cities including Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathani. Heading to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central, these trains require advance booking and it can be hard to find tickets during peak season as priority is given to passengers travelling the entire route.

Ordinary trains

There are eleven trains per day from Ayutthaya to Bangkok’s Hualamphong station (third-class seats only).

Express and Special trains

There are sixteen trains per day from Ayutthaya to Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat station with a mixture of berths and seats, although as the journey is so short, most people opt for a cheap second-class seat.

How to buy tickets

The ticket buying process for the Ayutthaya to Bangkok journey varies depending which route you plan to take.

The Ordinary/Commuter trains cannot be booked in advance and must be purchased from the station on the day of travel. These trains can’t sell out and you won’t be assigned a seat, instead you find an available one and enjoy the ride. As long as you’re not heading into Bangkok during the morning rush hour, the trains should be fairly quiet.

For the long distance trains heading to Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat station, tickets must be pre-booked and you’ll be assigned a seat. The only confusion is that Thai Railways don’t open bookings for this short journey until the day before travel, so you’ll need to be slightly organised. To compound this, tickets (usually) can’t be booked online on the day of travel either, so you’ll need to purchase from the station in that case.

If you do decide to book online, Baolau is the best site to use as they have access to the live Thai Railways booking engine, so you can easily see availability, timetables and prices.

Payment can be made using international credit card and PDF confirmation tickets are sent to your email address within a few minutes. This is the actual ticket you need to board the train, so there’s no need to exchange it at the station before travel. You may prefer to print the pdf out, but it’s also fine to show it on your mobile phone to the conductors and station staff.

Ayutthaya to Bangkok train tickets

How much does it cost?

As it’s such a short journey, many travellers choose a non-AC second class seat, open the windows and enjoy the Thai countryside. If you prefer the AC carriages, second-class AC seats are available on some trains and make for a comfortable, if slightly sanitised, journey,

Note that if you book a sleeper berth, it’ll be in the day configuration for most services on the route. It’s best to give the sleeper berths a miss and just take a seat.