However, during the 1890's and the early years of the 20th Century, the foundations for the current railway network were laid. J. Antonio, a Portuguese photographer working for the Royal Railway Department in Bangkok during this period gave some details of these early years in his book: The 1904 Traveller's Guide to Bangkok and Siam.

According to Antonio, the first railway in Thailand was the Paknam railway; the accompanying map shows this line following the course of the present-day Rama IV road, from near Bangkok Central Station eastwards towards the mouth of the river. This line, opened in 1893, is no longer in existence, though Thai friends remember using it in the 1950's.

Modern maps of greater Bangkok still show a Thanon Tang Rotfai Kao sai Paknam ("Road on the route of the former Paknam railway") from Khlong Toey eastwards towards the river mouth.

Also shown on Antonio's map are the Korat line which opened to traffic in 1900 as the first section of what is now the Northeastern line, and a branch line to Lopburi, the first section of what became the northern line to Chiang Mai.

In 1903 a line opened to Petchaburi on the west coast of the gulf of Siam. This eventually became the Southern line to Butterworth, Malaysia. At that time the line commenced at the Thonburi Railway station, now retired. Another line was under planning to Sri Ratcha on the east coast of the gulf of Siam (present day Eastern Line).

Antonio also mentions the construction of a private line from Thonburi to Tha Chin on the coast. This must be the Mae Khlong-Mahachai railway, now part of the State Railway of Thailand, though it does not connect with the main network.

This line is mainly used to ferry sea produce and passengers from the coast to Bangkok, but also provides the opportunity for a cheap and pleasant 1 day excursion from Bangkok to the old fishing ports of Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram: see the page Mahachai Railway.

The history of the Japanese Burma Railway is covered in the section: River Kwai.

After 1951 control of the whole system passed to the State Railway of Thailand, by which time most of the present network had been constructed. Consequent modernisation included the replacement of steam locomotives by diesel cars. Some of the old Steam Locomotives and rolling stock are still visible up and down the country - see below.

Relics of the steam age can be seen at Hua Lamphong, the new Thonburi Railway Station at Bangkok Noi, Hat Yai, Chiang Mai, Phitsanulok, and many other stations up and down the network; probably the best collection is at the Kanchanaburi and River Kwai Bridge Stations in Kanchanaburi town.

Hua Lamphong is Bangkok's Central Railway Station and from here nearly all routes originate. Construction started in 1910 to replace the old Bangkok Railway Station and it opened for service on June 25, 1916. A shrine at the end of platform 11 commemorates the foundation of Thai railways in 1897.

For information on Bookings etc. please see Rail Services section.

The old, elegant Thonburi Railway Station, on the west bank of the river next to canal Bangkok Noi, marks the original start for the Western Line to Petchaburi, though in more recent years, it was the start of the line to Kanchanaburi and the death railway. The station was officially decommissioned in October 2003 and the service transferred to the Bangkok Noi station, (now renamed Thonburi Station), about 1 km away. Much of the land attached has been taken over by the Sriraj Hospital (seen to the left of the old building), and currently the station seems to be used as a school.


The old station was difficult to access from east Bangkok except by river, and the new station even more so. The easiest way is still to cross the river from Tha Phra Chan pier (behind Sanam Luang on Phra Chan Road) to the railway pier ("Tha Rotfai") on the Thonburi side. Pick up busses (songtaews) take passengers from the pier to the new station. The ferry costs 3.5 Baht, the Songtaew 6.5 Baht.

The original Thonburi Railway station, opened by king Chulalongkorn in 1900, was destroyed by allied bombing during World War II; it was reconstructed after the war in the original style and re-opened in 1950.

Thonburi Station can be seen in Jackie Chan's movie "Around the World in 80 days" (2003) in the role of "Agra Station".

A small private museum, mixing railway relics with early motorcycle, military and other memorabilia.

Early Steam Engines and carriages take up much of the space (as one might expect!), but one of the more interesting exhibits is a model train, a replica of the one presented to King Rama IV by Queen Victoria. The original occupies a prime position in the National Museum, Bangkok.


The museum is located on Kamphaeng Phet 3 road, nearest sky train station Chatuchak Park. Telephone 02-373-9976.

The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays; entrance is free, though donations are always welcome.