No. The train is not literally floating. It’s just in the middle of waters, but this train travel experience is famous among local and foreign tourists alike.

In spite of many contemporary, comfortable, and modern modes of transportation, train travel never gets extinct. The feeling is extraordinary once you hear the loud honk, bells, whistles, and sound of train rails. It makes one excited and brings memories of old or scenes form some favorite movies.

The famous ‘floating train’ travel experience to Thailand’s largest earthen dam in the province of Lop Buri is back until January 29 next year (except for December 31 and January 1). It runs only on weekends and begins this month of November.

The special “Rod Fai Loi Nam” (floating train) travel route from Bangkok to Pasak Cholasid Dam (Kuen Pasuk Chollasit) takes one whole day experience from early morning to early evening.

After securing a train ticket from D-Ticket System www.dticket.railway.co.th, or any train station nationwide, the keen traveler will have to go to Hua Lumphong station in Bangkok before the departure time.

The train departs at 6:00 a.m. from Hua Lumphong and reaches Pasak Cholasid Dam at 10:35 a.m. These are the train stations to stop by going to the dam: Samsen, Bang Sue, Bang Khen, Lak Si, Don Mueang and Rangsit stations and Ayutthaya, Saraburi and Kaeng Khoi Junction.

Upon reaching the Pasak Cholasid Dam, the train will stop in the middle of the dam for 20 minutes to let passengers enjoy the scenery. Passengers can take photos or simply enjoy the panorama. The train will then continue to the last train station at Khok Salung, where it will stop for 30 minutes so everyone can go shopping for mostly One Tambon One Product (OTOP) products, then go back to the dam for leisure or lunch as it is around 12:00 noon already during this time.

Passengers have approximately two hours for free time to eat at a local food stalls nearby, travel around the dam, or take a 70-baht van trip to Ban Kluay & Kai Cafe to see sunflowers and fern gardens.

The train will return back to Bangkok at 3:30 p.m. and expected to arrive at Hua Lumphong Station in Bangkok at 6:50 p.m.

The ticket costs are 330 baht for a non-air-conditioned regular fan carriage and 560 baht for air-conditioned ones. The price for both adult and children are the same. Ticket sales is hot and some commentors say that “it’s fully booked”.

Just in case the ‘floating train’ experience is completely booked, try taking a different train trip from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, Hua Hin, or Lop Buri with the cute white and purple Kiha 183 passenger train donated from Japan. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) initially planned to open the said train service last month but promised to open it for public until the end of this year.