Sorry, U on wrong Train, this train go to Cambodia

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Ban Khok Makok, Sa Kaeo, Thailand
Trips are usually full of stories on getting lost, going in the wrong direction, and basically experiences that you will hopefully look back on and laugh about ( I always do!) but I didn't expect to have one so soon :)
The day started out great, Johanna and I took a riverboat ferry to visit Wat Pho, one of my favorite temples in Bangkok, home to the famous Reclining Buddha . We headed to the train station to head up to Ayuthaya, an Ancient town about 1 1/2- 2 hours north of Bangkok. We were planning on spending the night there and then heading up to Chiang Mai on the overnight sleeper train. It was a great plan.
At the ticket counter we asked for tickets to Ayuthaya, which I cannot pronounce, ( this is important thing to know!) and showed the man behind the ticket counter exactly where I wanted to go, and used my handy Lonely Planet for reference. He handed us our tickets...only $1.50...what a deal. But the train leaves in 10 minutes and we still need to purchase our tickets for the popular overnight train to Chiang Mai. There was no first class cabins, and the only 2nd class cabins were top bunks, in the same car, but not next to each other, we'll take them, we will be sleeping anyways. So we had it, our short train ride tickets up to Ayuthaya, and from there the next day our Overnight train tickets to Chiang Mail. We rushed off to platform 10 just in time to catch our train.
While the train was pulling up, we had a minute to buy a couple bags of chips, and some water ( crucial later in the story) and noticed that on our tickets it said that the 1:05 train would be arriving at 5:35...wow, thought it was shorter, maybe because this train is a local one, and the express is faster? Oh well, we got on our train quickly and fought for our seats, yeah two window!
The train ride was nice, pretty scenery out of the city, lots of locals, no chickens, hard plastic seats, and only one other westerner, think he was from Germany.
THREE hours later. Johanna, my brilliant little traveling partner, noticed the new fellow next to me had a shirt on with English writing, he worked at a bank. She told me to ask him how much longer to Ayuthaya....?
He said this train go to Aranya...What? you mean Ayuthaya...No this train go to Aranya, This train go to Cambodia.
Now, this said this town on our tickets...in many countries, the English name for a town, is different than there translation, so this is what we thought..and never questioned why a 1 1/2 hour train ride is now taking 41/2...
We jumped off the train in the middle of nowhere, right outside of the border of Cambodia, we had gotten on the wrong train, and now had to get back on the other direction and go back to Bangkok, and then still get on the right train to Ayuthaya.Thank God for that bag of chips.
We arrived in Ayuthaya 10 hours later from when we first arrived at the train station in Bangkok. Our sweet guest house owner was so worried about us! Most people arrive by 5 or 6! She laughed at our story....We are laughing about it already ourselves.
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Comments

worldtravler79
2010-01-19

I am so happy you made it back!!! How were the elephants? I am so jealous...you look so warm...

Bonnie
2010-01-19

Beth,
This is such an awesome site! What a trip of a lifetime......Do you have any pictures of the elephants? Living vicariously through you :-) Love your lost story sounds like a "Bonnie" story for sure!
Take care be safe
Luv Ya
Bonnie

marinamason
2010-01-20

Linguistics challenges???? I guess it could have been so much worse. I think some travel angels were there for you. I just love all the pics. It is like I am there. You did not have to bribe anyone with earrings like in Vietnam?

2025-02-14

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