Thailand

Bangkok

Temples and skyscrapers share the skyline. To escape the traffic, ride the elevated BTS or the river boats.

SRT Red Line & State Railway trains (การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย)

On the suburban Red Line you tap in with a contactless card - JCB included. Nearly all long-distance trains leave from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central, not the old Hua Lamphong. Book sleepers early on official D-Ticket.

Updated on July 30, 2026

Until Nov 30, 2026

The 20-baht flat fare has ended - now a 40-baht EMV daily cap

Travel info touting a '20-baht flat fare' is out of date - that ended in November 2025. Today's deal is the 40-baht daily cap for EMV contactless, itself a temporary policy until 30 November 2026, with nothing decided beyond.

How to ride

1
Know which train you're taking

Don Mueang or Rangsit: Red Line. Chiang Mai and beyond: long-distance trains. Both start at Krung Thep Aphiwat Central.
2
Book intercity trains on D-Ticket

Register on D-Ticket with your passport details and book - overseas cards work. Enter your name exactly as in your passport.
3
Tap in to the Red Line with your card

Tap a contactless card or your phone on the gate reader. Prefer tickets? Machines and counters take cash.
4
Check the departure boards at Central

Check the boards for your platform - the huge station splits Red Line gates and intercity platforms by floor. Arrive early.
5
Show your passport at the onboard check

Keep your e-ticket and passport handy - conductors check on board, and a name mismatch can count as ticketless.
6
Tap out of the Red Line with the same card

Tap out of the Red Line with the same card. Don Mueang station adjoins the airport; Central meets the MRT Blue Line (Bang Sue).

Fares

Single fares4

Red Line single ride (by distance)

Distance-based at roughly 1.5 baht/km. Same fare by contactless or ticket.

12〜42 THB ≈ $0.4–1

Intercity 2nd-class sleeper (e.g. Chiang Mai)

Varies by train and berth - lower berths on the newer trains 9/10 cost most

768〜1,038 THB ≈ $23–32

Intercity 1st-class sleeper (e.g. Chiang Mai)

Top price is sole use of a compartment (current fares to be verified)

1,246〜2,446 THB ≈ $38–74

Ordinary train 3rd class (e.g. to Ayutthaya)

Fan-cooled, unreserved - astonishingly cheap, though delays are routine.

20 THB ≈ $0.6

Fare caps1

Red Line daily cap (EMV cards)

1 Dec 2025 - 30 Nov 2026; applies automatically to EMV taps - you pay less if your day totals less

40 THB ≈ $1

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 5, 2026

No booking needed for the Red Line. For intercity sleepers and reserved seats, buy ahead - D-Ticket sells from 1 to 90 days before departure, and the system sets each route's window automatically by distance, so long overnight runs open earliest (reportedly at 8:30 Thai time). Lower berths go first.

An intercity second-class sleeper — bedding stacked on the upper berth, facing seats below Taken Jan 2017 © MNXANL・CC BY-SA 4.0

Payment

Tap to ride

VISAMastercardJCB銀聯

Tap-to-ride is Red Line only; for intercity trains pay by card on D-Ticket

IC card

Red Line's own top-up card (skip for short stays); BTS Rabbit cards don't work

App tickets

Intercity: D-Ticket (web/app) takes overseas cards and issues e-tickets

Paper tickets

Red Line single-journey tickets and intercity window tickets

Cash

Cash works at Red Line machines and counters, and at intercity ticket windows

Tap for where to get the app

Quick facts

Hours

5:00–24:00 (Red Line)

Frequency

Every 10-20 min

Fares from

12 THB+

Heads-up

'Bangkok' as the departure station returns nothing

Searching "Bangkok" as the departure station on D-Ticket returns nothing - search "Krung Thep Aphiwat" for long-distance trains. That is where nearly all of them really leave from; only about 13 ordinary trains still use old Hua Lamphong.

Timetable

Operating hours 5:00–24:00 (Red Line)

Typical duration About 20 minutes from Central to Don Mueang Airport; around 13 hours overnight to Chiang Mai

Check the official site for the latest times and service status

Route map

2 lines ·13 stations