Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong)

Bangkok’s original railway terminus is an Italian neo-Renaissance building opened in 1916, and for over a century it was the capital’s main station. That changed in January 2023: long-distance and sleeper services shifted to the new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (Bang Sue Grand Station), and Hua Lamphong now handles only ordinary and commuter trains — including services on the eastern line toward Pattaya and Aranyaprathet. If you’re booking an overnight train to Chiang Mai or the south, that departs from Bang Sue, not here.

What’s left is a much quieter version of the old terminus, but the building itself is unchanged: a domed, arched concourse with vintage departure boards, brass ticket-counter fittings, and platforms that once handled every long-distance route out of Bangkok. Vendors still sell snacks and noodles near the entrances, and the MRT Blue Line’s Hua Lamphong station sits directly beneath it, so it’s an easy stop to combine with a walk through nearby Chinatown rather than a dedicated trip. The reduced train traffic means it’s also a calmer place to see the architecture than it was before 2023, when it was one of the busiest transport hubs in the country.

Whether the building eventually becomes a full heritage museum has been discussed on and off by the State Railway of Thailand for years without a confirmed date — for now it remains a working, if much-diminished, station.

Insider Tip: Combine a visit with Talat Noi or Wat Traimit (the Golden Buddha temple) — both are a short walk into Chinatown from the station.

Watch out: Don’t turn up here expecting an overnight or long-distance train — those now leave from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (Bang Sue), a separate station across town.