The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and the Phetchaburi Office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) are co-organising special train trips to the old city of Phetchaburi every Saturday, Sunday and public holidays throughout May.
On those days, the 911 tourist train will leave the Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong) at 6.30am and reach Phetchaburi Station at 9.44am. Waiting for the day-trippers there is a convoy of mini-songthaews, locally called rot leng, which will take them to seven places of interest in the history-rich city.
The first stop, 2km or so from the train station, is one of Phetchaburi's most famous caves and sacred sites, Tham Khao Luang. After that the rod leng will take participants to Wat Maha That, home to one of the Kingdom's most beautiful prangs, Khmer-inspired stupas. Another Ayutthaya-period temple included in the itinerary is Wat Ko Kaeo Suttha Ram, which boasts beautiful murals that depict the lifestyles and faith of the Thai people centuries ago.
The tour will take visitors to three communities, namely Wat Ko next to its namesake temple, Klong Krachaeng and Talat Rim Nam. At each community, apart from learning about the people's traditions and cultures, tourists will also get to try local goodies, both savoury dishes and desserts. Finally, before the return train leaves at 4.30pm, the tour participants will get to visit selected shops for souvenirs.
The train fares are 120 baht for a seat in the non-airconditioned car and 140 baht in an air-conditioned one. The additional fee for transportation by rot leng is 30 baht per head. For reservation, call the SRT on 1690.
For more information, call the TAT's Phetchaburi Office on 032-471-005/6.
Dive Expo 2019
The Thailand Dive Expo 2019 is taking place at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) on May 16-19.
At the event, diving gears and numerous other goods and services related to scuba diving will be available. Special offers, of course, will be abundant. All are welcome from 11am to 8pm.
For details, visit the Thailand Dive Expo (TDEX) page on Facebook or http://thailanddiveexpo.com.
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