Train travel between Bangkok and Beijing is inching closer as Thailand prepares to expand its rail network.
It will run a trial service between Bangkok and Laos’ capital Vientiane between July 13 and 14, according to the State Railway of Thailand. When up and running, the new link will improve transport between the two countries and China, railway agency official Ekarat Sriarayanphong said.
The launch of the Thailand-Laos connection will mean it is possible to travel by train from Bangkok to China’s capital. This will be via stops in Vientiane and the southern Chinese city of Kunming, where there is a separate semi-high-speed service to Beijing.
The roughly 3,218km journey, with the area’s mountainous terrain adding to the distance, will take almost a full day. That compares with just short of five hours for a non-stop flight.
