Asian Train Guide

An online guide to #RailTourism in Asia by @ThaiTrainGuide and @nonstopeurotrip. Video guides on YouTube @AsianTrainGuide

[Paul Lucas @paul_winginit]

All aboard China's unique double decker "capsule hotel" sleeper train! We will travel at up to 250km/h overnight from Shenzen to Beijing on this innovative domestic sleeper train. Looking forward to this one!

[Paul Lucas @paul_winginit]

All aboard the world's fastest sleeper train!

This is a China Railways CR400AF-AE taking me from Beijing to Hong Kong-West Kowloon covering the 2250km in 10 hours and 19 minutes. We will hit top speeds of 350km/h on this trip! 🇨🇳

[NonstopEurotrip.com 🇺🇦 @nonstopeurotrip]

Today I am in First Class onboard this @ChinaRailways Fuxing CR400 high-speed EMU travelling from #Shanghai to #Beijing 🇨🇳 at up to 350km/h 🚆 This 1,300km journey takes just 4h40m including 3 stops - total price €145 🎟 #China #NonstopEurotrip

[Paul Lucas @paul_winginit]

Blasting through stations at 350km/h on Chinese High Speed Rail. Smooth as anything and very quiet.

[Paul Lucas @paul_winginit]

All aboard train G 16 from Shanghai to Beijing-nan! I'm in business class today, the top class on China Railways - and we will be whizzing along at 350km/h on a beautiful Fuxing CR400 train. Wow! 🇨🇳😮

[Paul Lucas @paul_winginit]

What 300km/h on the Shanghai Maglev looks like:

[NonstopEurotrip.com 🇺🇦 @nonstopeurotrip]

Off to #Shanghai from #Qingdao to meet @paul_winginit for 8 days of #China fun 🥳 This 5 hour ride cost €65 in First Class with @ChinaRailways 🚆 The big reclining seats are very comfortable and the time passed by in a breeze! 🇨🇳 #NonstopEurotrip

[NonstopEurotrip.com 🇺🇦 @nonstopeurotrip]

Now I'm heading from #Yantai to #Qingdao 🇨🇳 to spend the night in what I've heard is a VERY un-Chinese city 👀 1h20m across #Shandong Province at up to 250km/h cost just €12 in First Class 🚆 #China #NonstopEurotrip

[Thai Train Guide @ThaiTrainGuide]

🚆🇲🇾🇹🇭 Travelling from Malaysia to Thailand by train? Here’s how my connection and immigration checks worked at Padang Besar station this afternoon.

⏰ First, check your clock. Malaysia is one hour ahead of Thailand, but the Thai ticket office and Thai trains at this Malaysian station use Thai time.

There are two afternoon trains towards Hat Yai:

• Shuttle No. 744: departs at 15:40 Thai time, or 16:40 Malaysian time.
• Special Express No. 46: departs at 17:00 Thai time, or 18:00 Malaysian time. This is the overnight sleeper to Bangkok, stopping at Hat Yai.

📍 After arriving on your KTMB train, head to the upstairs waiting area marked Gate A, away from the KTMB ticket turnstiles. Wait here until staff open the gate for immigration.

From this point, all times below are Thai time.

🛂 Why the wait? The immigration facilities at platform level serve passengers travelling in both directions. Before Thailand-bound passengers can go downstairs, arriving passengers from Hat Yai have to clear their checks.

The afternoon arrival is scheduled for 14:45. Those passengers pass through Thai immigration, Malaysian customs and Malaysian immigration before heading upstairs for their onward journeys.

This afternoon, a security guard opened Gate A at 15:30, just ten minutes before the shuttle’s scheduled departure. Passengers went downstairs, queued first for Malaysian immigration, then continued around the corner to Thai immigration.

The shuttle waited while its passengers completed the checks and eventually left at 16:10, thirty minutes late. Around 120 passengers were travelling today. On busy holidays, the process can take longer. It won’t leave until the last passenger has completed immigration.

🚊 Today I was catching No. 46 to Bangkok, so I let the first rush go and went downstairs about fifteen minutes later. My sleeper train wasn’t expected until around 16:00, and there were no seats on the platform where I would be waiting.

After clearing both immigration checks, I waited for the train and boarded when it arrived, about an hour before its scheduled departure.

💺 No. 46 is also an option if you’re only going to Hat Yai. An additional 3rd Class carriage caters for the short cross-border journey, with tickets costing 50 baht per person.

My main advice: double-check the time zone, wait near Gate A and follow staff instructions. Don’t be surprised if immigration opens close to the scheduled departure. That was how it worked this afternoon.

Save this for your next train journey from Malaysia to Thailand.

Let me know in the comments below if this matched your own experience or if it was somehow different the day you went.

#AsianTrainGuide #MalaysiaByRail #ThailandByRail #PadangBesar #BorderCrossing #KTMB #ThaiTrainGuide

[NonstopEurotrip.com 🇺🇦 @nonstopeurotrip]

From #Busan to #Seoul 🇰🇷 I am checking out the new and super stylish @korail_official homegrown KTX Cheongryong 🚆 This 320km/h capable high-speed train will take us across #Korea in just 2 hours 20 mins covering 417km 😎 I'm in superior class which cost €40 🎟 #NonstopEurotrip

[Thai Train Guide @ThaiTrainGuide]

🚆🇲🇾 Is Malaysia’s new KTM Berhad AXC Executive Carriage worth travelling all the way to Hat Yai to try? After spending around 12 hours in it on the MySawasdee International Express to Kuala Lumpur, I’m glad I made the trip.

I paid for this journey myself. The normal one-way fare is RM750, but a promotional code gave me 50% off, bringing it down to RM375, approximately 3,105 baht. For a 12-hour journey including meals and hot and cold drinks, I thought that was reasonable.

💺 There are only 14 seats, well spaced in a 1+1 layout. The airline-style seats recline fully flat and can be turned to face the direction of travel, or towards each other if two friends are travelling together.

One detail I particularly liked was the window alignment. Each seat has a full window and its own pull-down blind, whichever direction it faces. There are coat hooks, overhead luggage racks and storage for larger bags at the end of the carriage.

A table folds out of the right armrest and a personal monitor from the left. The electric controls have three preset positions: upright, reclined and fully flat. You can also adjust the different sections to suit your preference.

As someone with long legs, I would have liked a longer footrest, but the legroom was very generous. The seat wasn’t perfect for me over such a long journey, though being able to change position helped. Of course, the beauty of train travel is that you can get up and walk around.

For sleeping, I would still prefer a proper berth. But these seats give you the flexibility to sit up to read or eat, then lie flat when you want to rest.

📺 The monitor’s entertainment selection was limited, but it had internet access, so I could watch YouTube. The amenity kit included headphones and toiletries.

There’s also a prayer room and a spacious Western-style toilet with a bidet spray, stocked with soap, toilet paper and hand towels.

In the evening, the main lights were dimmed while the lighting beneath the seats stayed on, giving the carriage a warm, restful feel. The temperature was around 24°C for most of the journey. It became a little chilly towards the end, but everyone was provided with a blanket.

I measured CO₂ levels of around 650 to 700 ppm, considerably lower than readings of around 2,000 ppm I’ve recorded on some Thai sleeper journeys. Passenger numbers and conditions vary, so this isn’t a controlled comparison, but those low readings were encouraging.

🍽️ We were served two main meals plus a bonus meal, with hot and cold drinks available and coffee and tea offered several times. The meals were microwaved, but there was a good choice and everything I tried was tasty. No complaints from me.

The train also had a dining car if you wanted to buy anything else or sit somewhere different for a while.

🛂 Thai and Malaysian immigration were handled at Padang Besar. My own immigration and customs checks took only a few minutes, but we had to wait around two hours before we could board again. I went upstairs to the main waiting room and walked around before returning to the platform.

Most of the journey south was in daylight, with the final stretch into KL after dark.

How does AXC compare with Thailand’s Beyond Horizon luxury coach? There are things I liked about each. AXC wins points for its generous legroom and forward-facing seats, while I enjoyed the seat massage on Beyond Horizon. I’ll do a fuller comparison later.

Overall, this was one of the best premium seated-carriage experiences I’ve had, including in Thailand and back home in the United Kingdom. There’s room for improvement, but I enjoyed the space, facilities, food and service.

I came all this way specifically to try this carriage before heading straight home again tomorrow. It was worth the trip.

Would you choose a fully reclining executive seat like this, or would you prefer a sleeper berth?

#AsianTrainGuide #MySawasdee #MalaysiaByRail #KTMB #ExecutiveCoach #RailTourism

[Simply Railway @Simply_Railway]

You know my love for night trains
This one is special as it goes up to 250 km/h!
I traveled on the CRH2E capsule sleeper train from Shenzhen to Beijing. 🚄 🇨🇳

Youtube video is live ! Link down below 👇

[Thai Train Guide @ThaiTrainGuide]

🚆🇹🇭🇲🇾🇸🇬🇱🇦 Travelling by train between Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore or Laos? Don’t forget to complete the relevant online immigration form before crossing the border.

Complete the forms within three days before arrival. All four are FREE. Avoid websites charging a fee and use these official links:

🇲🇾 MALAYSIA DIGITAL ARRIVAL CARD
https://t.co/9QOw8pTiml

🇸🇬 SINGAPORE ARRIVAL CARD
https://t.co/6VSUl8n8eI

🇹🇭 THAILAND DIGITAL ARRIVAL CARD
https://t.co/o1A18dL9CS

🇱🇦 LAO DIGITAL IMMIGRATION FORM
https://t.co/FobJI696kb

You can check the details on each official website.

#DigitalArrivalCard #ThailandByRail #ThaiTracks #AsianTrainGuide #Malaysia #Singapore #Thailand #Laos

[NonstopEurotrip.com 🇺🇦 @nonstopeurotrip]

The main reason I came to #Japan was to try out the BRAND NEW #Shinkansen Supreme Class Private Rooms - I travelled from #Osaka to #Hakata 🇯🇵 The reclining seat is amazingly comfy, but €280 for a 2.5h trip & the only freebies are a drink & matcha cake? 🤔 #NonstopEurotrip

[NonstopEurotrip.com 🇺🇦 @nonstopeurotrip]

The 500 Series Shinkansen will be 30 years old when they retire in January - and I went for one last ride to bid them a fond farewell 👋🏻 The most iconic, and my favourite bullet train 🚅 Of course I had to get a matching bento too 🇯🇵 #Japan #NonstopEurotrip

[NonstopEurotrip.com 🇺🇦 @nonstopeurotrip]

As I need to be in #Osaka but landed in #Tokyo the first order is jump on a #Shinkansen to make this 515km trip in just 2 hours 25 mins 🇯🇵 Second Class costs €83 🚆 #China might be the new queen of high-speed rail, but #Japan is the OG king 🤴 #NonstopEurotrip

[NonstopEurotrip.com 🇺🇦 @nonstopeurotrip]

In today's video we ride a sleeper train that you can't actually sleep on 👉🏻https://t.co/go4IZQcMbs

[China Railway @ChinaRailways]

Tianjin flavors and traditional opera are coming aboard the Tianjin Fantasy Express. During the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday periods, this themed tourist train features a new dining car serving local specialties, onboard opera performances as well as other cultural activities. The journey turns travel between Beijing and Tianjin into a taste of local Tianjin culture.

[Paul Lucas @paul_winginit]

Can't wait to get to China in November 👀

High speed pod sleeper anyone?

[Thai Train Guide @ThaiTrainGuide]

🚂 Could Anantara Bring “The Vietage” to Thailand?

This is pure speculation, but recent talks between Minor International and SRT about developing luxury rail tourism got me thinking.

Minor owns Anantara, which already operates The Vietage by Anantara luxury railway experience in Vietnam. I’ve travelled on it myself: a beautifully fitted-out private carriage attached to a regular train, with just 12 passengers enjoying fine dining, wine and cocktails - even a relaxing head-and-shoulder treatment during the journey.

So, could the same concept work in Thailand?

Imagine an Anantara luxury carriage attached to an existing SRT train between Bangkok and Hua Hin. Minor already has Anantara hotels in Bangkok and the Anantara Hua Hin Resort at the other end.

Guests could transfer from their Bangkok hotel to the train, enjoy a full meal, wine and massage as they travel south, and be collected at Hua Hin station for the final transfer to the resort.

No need for Minor to operate an entire train. Just hook their own luxury carriage onto an existing SRT service — exactly as they already do in Vietnam.

To be clear, there is no indication yet that this is Minor’s actual plan. No route or operating concept has been announced. But having experienced The Vietage, I can certainly see how easily the concept could be adapted to Thailand.

Minor has the hotels and the experience. SRT has the railway. And now they’re talking.

Could this be what they have in mind?

#Thailand #ThailandByTrain #SRT #Anantara #MinorInternational #TheVietage #LuxuryTrain #RailTourism #HuaHin #ExploreThailandByRail