Weekends are your time to relax after a busy week; if you can spend some time at the beach on Saturdays and Sundays, the salty air there should help you regain your strength. We can suggest a day trip to the beach for those who would like to travel but simply do not have a lot of time.

       The Bangkok to Suan Son Pradipat leg of this journey is completed aboard a tourist train operated by the State Railway of Thailand (Hua Hin). Every Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday, you can take your pick between a regular third class passenger car (120 baht) and an air-conditioned second class car (240 baht).

       You have to call the State Railway of Thailand 1690 before our trip and reserve a seat by providing the ID card number, as well as your first and last names. After making a reservation, you can pay for and pick up your ticket at any station in Thailand within the following day; Hua Lamphong is not the only option.

       We will be taking the Suan Son Pradiphat’s special tourist train, number 911, from Hua Lamphong Station at 6:00 a.m. Hua Lamphong, Samsen, Bang Sue, Bang Bamru, Taling Chan, Salaya, and the other stops along the route are all train stops that you can board at, so you don’t have to come into central Bangkok. You can call the State Railway of Thailand Call Center 1690 to find out exactly when the train will arrive at the station of your choice. Then at 7:40 a.m., we will arrive at Nakhon Pathom Station, having 40 minutes to worship Phra Pathom Chedi or go shopping, and then continue to Hua Hin Station. We can continue on the minibus to Hua Hin Beach, a popular destination in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, if we’d like to enjoy the water, or we can get off the train at Suan Son Pradiphat and enjoy the beach and the sea there without having to compete with the noise of banana boats and jet skis.

       Beautiful and secluded, Suan Son Pradiphat's beach is shaded by the towering pines that give the area its name. We’ll be able to take in the fresh air, admire the scenery, and swim in the ocean to our hearts' content before boarding the train at 3:31 p.m. to return to Bangkok Station at 7:25 p.m.

       It’s another trip that’s sure to keep you entertained, and it's perfect for people who only have a week or so to spare but still want to get away from it all and unwind by the water. Another perk of taking a train trip is that you get to see the landscape on either side of the track, which is part of the allure of taking a train vacation.

       Anyone interested in taking a train to Hua Hin can ask for more information at State Railway of Thailand Call Center 1690 or www.railway.co.th, and you can also go to facebook: State Railway of Thailand PR team.