The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) runs a few fixed day-trip trains from Bangkok's old Hua Lamphong station that go out in the morning and come back the same evening. For the 2026/27 season the two to know are the Pa Sak Jolasid Dam "floating train" (26 days, 7 November 2026 to 31 January 2027, 350 or 650 baht return) and the weekend beach train to Suan Son Pradipat south of Hua Hin (120 or 240 baht return).
These are day trips rather than transport, popular with Thai families on a day out. They sell out, they start early and they make for a long day, but they are a cheap way to see the countryside without planning connections. The third, the weekend train to the River Kwai and Nam Tok, is affected by park closures in autumn 2026 and has its own page.
| Train | Destination | When (2026/27) | Return fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Floating train" (Rot Fai Loi Nam) | Pa Sak Jolasid Dam, Lopburi province | 26 days, 7 Nov 2026 – 31 Jan 2027 | ฿350 fan / ฿650 air-con or OTOP car |
| Beach train 911/912 | Suan Son Pradipat, south of Hua Hin | Saturdays, Sundays and some holidays | ฿120 fan / ฿240 air-con |
| River Kwai train 909/910 | Kanchanaburi and Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi | Weekends and holidays; cancelled 3–4 Oct 2026 after floods | See our Kanchanaburi page |
The Pa Sak Jolasid Dam "floating train"
Rot Fai Loi Nam means "floating train". The line runs along the crest of the Pa Sak Jolasid Dam beside the reservoir, so from a distance the train seems to be running on the water, according to the Thai travel site Kapook. It is one of the most popular cool-season trips in the central plains, and it runs only on a few days a year.
For 2026/27, the SRT announced 26 running days (as reported by Kapook on 9 October 2026, citing the railway's own announcement):
- November 2026: 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29
- December 2026: 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27
- January 2027: 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31
Unlike earlier seasons, the list includes holidays that are not weekends: Monday 7 December (the substitute day for 5 December) and Thursday 10 December (Constitution Day). Last season ran 24 days from November 2025 into February 2026, so do not assume the pattern repeats next year. Our page on Thai public holidays explains why those dates are busy.
Fares for the independent trip, return from Bangkok, are 350 baht in a third-class fan car and 650 baht in a second-class air-conditioned car or the OTOP car (which is not running on 5 December). Short tickets exist too: Saraburi to the dam 250 baht, Kaeng Suea Ten or Khok Salung to the dam 100 baht, and a one-way return from the dam to Bangkok for 170 baht (fan) or 250 baht (air-con).
There are also package trains with meals and guided stops, running on 25 of the same days (not 21 November): Royal Blossom from 2,599 baht a seat or 15,999 baht for a four-person room, and Beyond Horizon from 2,799 baht (second class) or 2,999 baht (first class). Kapook lists stops in Lopburi town and a sunflower field on the package itinerary; check the details with the seller before you book.
A day on the floating train
The SRT had not published the 2026/27 times when we checked, so use the last timetable we could confirm as a guide only. In the 2022/23 season, according to TAT, train 921 left Hua Lamphong at 06:00 and called at stations including Bang Sue, Don Mueang, Rangsit, Ayutthaya, Saraburi and Kaeng Khoi Junction. It stopped for 20 minutes on the dam for photographs, ran on to the end of the line at Khok Salung for a 30-minute stop at the station market, then returned to the dam at 10:35.
That left most of the day at the dam for lunch and a walk, or a local ride to nearby sunflower fields. The return train, 926, left the dam at 15:30 and reached Hua Lamphong at 18:50. Expect something similar this season, check your ticket for the actual times, and bring a hat and water: the dam is open and sunny even in the cool season.
Board at Bang Sue, Don Mueang or Ayutthaya instead of Hua Lamphong. The floating train has called at several stations on its way north. If you stay near the airport or in Ayutthaya, ask for a ticket from there; our guide to the trains between Bangkok and Ayutthaya shows where those stations are.
The beach train to Suan Son Pradipat
Train 911/912 is the SRT's special day-trip train from Bangkok to Suan Son Pradipat, a beach whose name means "pine garden", a short ride south of Hua Hin. It runs on Saturdays, Sundays and some holidays. The return fare is 120 baht in a fan car and 240 baht in an air-conditioned car. It is popular: when every seat sold out for Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October 2026, the SRT added three extra railcars, according to MGR Online.
A specialist train site gives the times as 06:30 from Hua Lamphong, a 40-minute stop at Nakhon Pathom to see the great chedi, Hua Hin at 11:21 and Suan Son Pradipat at 11:33, leaving about five hours on the beach. Return times differ between the timetables we found, so check the time on your ticket and plan for an evening arrival in Bangkok.
The train also stops at Hua Hin itself, which makes it a cheap way to reach the town on a weekend morning. For other ways to get there, see our guide to Bangkok to Hua Hin, and for the town itself our Hua Hin guide. The stop at Nakhon Pathom gives a short look at the chedi; our page on Nakhon Pathom is for those who want a full day there.
Nam Tok and the River Kwai: check first
The best-known excursion train runs from Hua Lamphong across the bridge on the River Kwai to Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi, and its timetable is in our guide to getting from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi. In autumn 2026 it is the uncertain one: the SRT cancelled it on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October 2026 after flash floods damaged the line between Nam Tok and Sai Yok Noi, and the Sai Yok Noi waterfall at its end has been closed since 27 September 2026. We could not confirm when it resumed, so call 1690 before you plan around it. The daily third-class trains on the same line are described in our page on riding the Death Railway.
Booking: D-Ticket, the stations and 1690
All three trains need a reservation and can be booked on the SRT's D-Ticket website and app, at railway stations or through the SRT call center on 1690. Our guide to booking Thai trains online explains D-Ticket. For the floating train, sales for 2026/27 opened on Friday 9 October 2026 at 08:30, and the announcement allows bookings up to 90 days ahead, so the late-January dates may open later.
Book the holiday dates first. Long weekends such as 5 to 7 December fill fastest, and the extra beach-train railcars in October show how quickly ordinary weekends can sell out too. Make sure the ticket says Hua Lamphong (Krung Thep): these trains do not use the new Krung Thep Aphiwat terminal.
Fan car or air-con, and who should go
The fan cars are the classic third-class experience, with open windows and no air-conditioning; our guide to third-class trains describes what to expect. On a full day out in the sun, the air-conditioned car is worth the extra baht for families and older travelers. Go if you enjoy the journey as much as the destination. Skip it if you dislike crowds or early starts, or if you would rather spend a full day in one place: for Lopburi's monkeys and temples, our Lopburi day trip uses the regular trains. Readers planning a longer rail journey across the region will find a broader overview of Thailand by train on our sister site.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Pa Sak Dam floating train run in 2026/27?
On 26 days from Saturday 7 November 2026 to Sunday 31 January 2027, mostly weekends plus the holidays of 7 and 10 December 2026, according to the SRT announcement reported by Kapook. The return fare from Bangkok is 350 baht in a fan car or 650 baht with air-conditioning.
How much is the train from Bangkok to Suan Son Pradipat beach?
The return fare on the special weekend train 911/912 is 120 baht in a fan car and 240 baht in an air-conditioned car (October 2026). It leaves Hua Lamphong early in the morning and returns the same evening, with about five hours at the beach.
Which station do the excursion trains leave from?
Hua Lamphong, Bangkok's old central station, not Krung Thep Aphiwat. The floating train has also picked up passengers at stations further north, such as Bang Sue, Don Mueang and Ayutthaya, so check the boarding options when you book.
Is the Kanchanaburi weekend train running?
It was cancelled on 3 and 4 October 2026 after floods damaged the line, and the Sai Yok Noi waterfall at the end of the line has been closed since late September. We could not confirm the current status, so call the SRT on 1690 before you book.
Sources
- Kapook Travel – Floating train 2026/27: running days, fares and booking (9 October 2026, citing the SRT) (checked October 2026)
- Headline – SRT floating train 2026/27 (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Weekend train trips to Pa Sak Jolasid Dam (2022/23 timetable) (checked October 2026)
- MGR Online – SRT adds cars to the Bangkok–Suan Son Pradipat excursion train (2 October 2026) (checked October 2026)
- Thai Train Guide – Excursion train to Suan Son Pradipat beach (checked October 2026)
- MGR Online – Kanchanaburi excursion train cancelled 3–4 October 2026 (checked October 2026)