Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (code KTW) is where Bangkok's long-distance trains to Chiang Mai, the northeast and the south start. Arrive by MRT or the Red Line, use Gate 4 for State Railway tickets, wait on the upper level and expect the platform gate to open only about 20 minutes before your train.
The station opened for long-distance services on 19 January 2023, when Thailand's state railway, SRT, shifted its express and rapid services here from Hua Lamphong. It sits about 7 km north of Hua Lamphong, next to the old Bang Sue junction and close to Chatuchak. It is built like an airport, so first-time visitors often walk a long way before they find the right hall. This page explains the building itself; the route guides cover the journeys.
Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in brief
- Station code
- KTW
- Metro
- MRT Blue Line (Bang Sue station) and SRT Red Line, both in the basement
- Entrance for SRT trains
- Gate 4 at street level (Level 1)
- Long-distance platforms
- Level 2; north and northeast depart from platforms 1–2, south from 7–8
- Left luggage
- Touch-screen lockers near the ticket office, about 230 baht per 24 hours
- SRT call center
- 1690, 24 hours (from a Thai number)
Getting there by MRT, Red Line, bus or taxi
The metro is the most reliable way, because it avoids the traffic around Chatuchak. Its Blue Line stop, Bang Sue, is inside the station. From Hua Lamphong or Chinatown, ride the Blue Line to Tha Phra and change to another Blue Line train to Bang Sue; the travel guide seat61.com puts the metro ride at about 31 minutes, or roughly 50 minutes with walking and waiting. You can tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard at the MRT gates, and the card options for every line are set out in our Rabbit card and contactless guide. For the metro network itself, see how to use the BTS and MRT.
The SRT Red Line also starts in the basement. Its Dark Red branch runs north via Don Mueang airport to Rangsit, from 05:00 to midnight, and an adult ticket between the terminal and Don Mueang costs 33 baht (operator's fare table, October 2026). That makes a domestic flight followed by a night train surprisingly easy; the airport end is covered in getting from Don Mueang into the city.
A taxi from downtown takes about 25 minutes outside rush hour and seat61 quotes around 130 baht. Ask to be dropped at Gate 4, the entrance for the long-distance ticket office, the waiting area and the food court. City bus 49 links the station with Hua Lamphong every 15 to 20 minutes between 05:00 and 21:00, but the trip can take an hour. The free shuttle bus that once ran between the two stations has been discontinued, so ignore older guides that mention it.
How the building is laid out
Think of three levels. The street entrances are on Level 1, where Gate 4 leads to the SRT ticket counters, seating and food outlets. Long-distance trains leave from Level 2, the floor above; follow the "Long distance trains" signs. The metro lines are below ground, so if you arrive by MRT or Red Line you come up into the station rather than walking in from the road.
The hall is very large, and the commuter Red Line platforms also sit inside the same complex. Allow 15 minutes just to walk from the street or the metro to your waiting area on a first visit, more with a heavy suitcase.
Platforms and the boarding call
According to seat61, northern and northeastern trains (Chiang Mai, Nong Khai) depart from platforms 1 and 2 and arrive on 5 and 6. Southern trains to Hua Hin, Surat Thani, Hat Yai and Padang Besar depart from 7 and 8 and arrive on 11 and 12. This matches the layout the Tourism Authority of Thailand described when the station opened.
The catch is that the departure screens show times but not platform numbers, and you are let through to the platform only when the train is ready, about 20 minutes before departure. Sit close to the entrance for your line, listen for the announcement in Thai and English, and show your ticket to staff if you are unsure.
The screen will not tell you your platform at Krung Thep Aphiwat. Note the platform pair for your line (1–2 north, 7–8 south) before you sit down, and keep your ticket ready: the gate opens late and the walk to the train is long.
Buying tickets at the station
There are plenty of SRT ticket counters on the ground floor, and staff at the main windows usually manage simple English. You can buy for travel today or reserve ahead. SRT opens sales 90 days in advance for the newest sleeper trains, such as numbers 9 and 10 to Chiang Mai and 31 and 32 to Hat Yai, and up to 30 days ahead for other trains, through its D-Ticket website and app or at stations (TAT, 2024). Bring your passport when you book a reserved seat or berth.
Sleeper berths sell out around holidays, so do not leave a night train to the last day. Our step-by-step guide to booking Thai trains online covers D-Ticket, and Thailand's night trains compares classes and berths. If you are staying near the old city, you can still buy long-distance tickets at Hua Lamphong's counters and save the trip north for departure day.
Waiting, food, lockers and showers
The waiting area by Gate 4 has seating, a food court and fast-food outlets, including burger chains. Buy dinner and water here before an overnight train; food on board is limited and costs more. Toilets are free, with baby-changing facilities. There are also free showers, useful after a hot day in the city before a night train: ask the toilet attendant to open one and bring your own soap and towel.
Touch-screen lockers with English instructions stand near the ticket office. You can pay by the hour or by the day, and seat61 reckons on about 230 baht for 24 hours. That makes the station a practical place to leave bags on a final day in Bangkok, for example while you visit the Chatuchak Weekend Market a short metro ride away.
One rule surprises visitors: since 12 May 2026, alcohol may not be sold in railway stations or on trains under the Royal Gazette notices on transport premises, so do not plan on buying a beer for the journey here.
Which trains still use Hua Lamphong
Hua Lamphong, Bangkok's 1916 station near Chinatown, did not close. Seat61 lists about 13 trains a day still starting there, including some third-class local trains to Ayutthaya, the trains to Pattaya, the two daily trains towards Aranyaprathet and Ban Klong Luk, and the weekend excursion train to Kanchanaburi and Nam Tok. The land border into Cambodia has been closed since 23 June 2025, so the eastern trains go only as far as Thailand's side. Hua Lamphong's left-luggage office is permanently closed.
The weekend excursion train turns around at Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi, inside Sai Yok National Park, whose main sites have been closed since 27 September 2026. SRT cancelled the excursion (trains 909 and 910) for the weekend of 3–4 October 2026 after flash floods and offers full refunds at any station counter, so check before booking a later date. The ordinary daily trains to Kanchanaburi leave from Thonburi station instead, as our guide to Bangkok to Kanchanaburi explains.
For the short hop between the two stations there is also a local train: roughly hourly from Hua Lamphong to Bang Sue junction, across the road from Krung Thep Aphiwat, for a 2-baht fare bought on the day. It is a nice ride through the old city, but these trains run late, so do not use one to catch a sleeper. The Ayutthaya options, including the new air-conditioned SRT Bangkok Connex service from Krung Thep Aphiwat, are compared in Bangkok to Ayutthaya by train.
Where the station takes you next
Most visitors pass through for one of a handful of journeys. Heading north and torn between the sleeper and a flight? Our older piece on traveling from Bangkok to Chiang Mai sets the two side by side. For the coast, Bangkok to Hua Hin covers the shortest southern trip, while the rail-and-bus routes to Phuket and Krabi start with a sleeper to Surat Thani from platforms 7 and 8.
The Mo Chit 2 bus terminal is nearby, which helps if your onward trip is by coach; our page on Thai coach terminals and bus classes helps. For hotels close to the station or the metro, the Bangkok guide is the place to start.
Frequently asked questions
Which MRT station is Krung Thep Aphiwat?
Bang Sue, on the MRT Blue Line. The metro platforms are in the basement of the terminal, so you do not go outside. The SRT Red Line platforms are in the same complex, and the old Bang Sue junction station for local trains is across the road.
How early should I arrive for a train at Krung Thep Aphiwat?
Aim for 45 minutes before departure, or an hour in evening rush hour if you come by road. Platform access opens only about 20 minutes before departure, but the walk from the entrance or metro is long and you may want time for food.
Can I leave luggage at Krung Thep Aphiwat?
Yes. Touch-screen lockers with English instructions stand near the ticket office, charged by the hour or by the day; seat61 puts a 24-hour rental at about 230 baht. The left-luggage office at Hua Lamphong has closed permanently.
Do any trains still leave from Hua Lamphong?
Yes, about 13 a day, mostly local and third-class trains: some to Ayutthaya, the trains to Pattaya and towards Aranyaprathet, and the weekend excursion to Kanchanaburi. Express and rapid trains to Chiang Mai, the northeast and the south start at Krung Thep Aphiwat.
How do I get from Don Mueang Airport to Krung Thep Aphiwat?
Take the SRT Red Line from its Don Mueang station at the airport to the line's southern end at Krung Thep Aphiwat. The adult fare is 33 baht on the operator's fare table, and trains run from early morning to around midnight.
Sources
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Long-distance trains to operate from new Bangkok rail hub from 19 January 2023 (checked October 2026)
- Seat61 – Train travel in Thailand: Krung Thep Aphiwat and Hualamphong stations (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – SRT opens 90-day advance booking (checked October 2026)
- SRT Electrified Train Co. – Red Line fare information (checked October 2026)
- BEM Metro – EMV contactless payment on the MRT (checked October 2026)
- Khaosod English – SRT launches Bangkok–Ayutthaya commuter rail service (checked October 2026)
- Nation Thailand – SRT cancels Sai Yok excursion trains on October 3–4 after flash floods (checked October 2026)
- Nation Thailand – Alcohol sales banned at transport terminals and on trains (checked October 2026)