Whoever built the Mae Klong railway had a superb sense of whimsy. The tiny railway line—already one of the shortest in Thailand—is sliced in half by a very large river. For adventurers, it presents a day trip opportunity like no other.The starting point is Thonburi’s little-known Wong Wian Yai railway station. As the funky little train leaves the station, it trundles past tiny stations, crosses canals and passes the beautiful Chinese-motif monastery, Wat Raja Oros, on the right.
Eventually, it emerges into lush countryside, and rolls past small villages, buffaloes grazing pastures, fishermen and farmers — the traditional bucolic scene which typifies rural Thailand.
The section from Ban Laem to Mae Klong (also known as Samut Songkram) is a charming journey through a quiet backwater. This train’s modest interior matches its leisurely pace.
The passengers are rural with the friendliness such settings imply. From their easy conversations, it is clear that they travel this route daily, taking fish and produce from their farms to the markets in Thonburi.
Samut Songkram is just another fishing town. For the last few meters to the station, the rails run through a market. As the train approaches, watch how the previously hidden tracks appear as vendors rush with poles to raise awnings from the train’s path, lowering them once it has passed.
The picture shows the Mae Klong Market viewed from the terminus station.
