SRT D-Ticket: Book Thai Trains Up to 90 Days Ahead, Online Refund Fee 70%
SRT's D-Ticket sells up to 90 days ahead for trips of 60 percent or more of the train's distance. Shorter trips get 30 days or 1 day. Travellers enter a passport or ID card number. Cancelling online costs a 70 percent fee.
On this page
How far ahead you can book
SRT sets the booking window by the share of the train’s own distance that your ticket covers, not by date alone. The count starts from the day after you buy.
| Share of the train’s distance | You can buy up to |
|---|---|
| 60 percent or more | 90 days ahead |
| 25 to 59 percent | 30 days ahead |
| Under 25 percent | 1 day ahead |
SRT’s own example is Bangkok to Nakhon Sawan, 246 km on a 751 km Bangkok to Chiang Mai train, a trip that sits in the 30-day band. The same limits apply when you change a trip. Online booking is open until 3 hours before departure.
Holiday dates are released one at a time. Tickets for 25 December went on sale at 8.30am on 26 September, through the D-Ticket app and at station counters. For the 12 January 2024 release, sales opened at 08.30.
Book on the D-Ticket website or app
Express, Special Express, Special Express diesel railcar, Special Express CNR, Rapid and excursion trains can be booked online. Ordinary, commuter and local trains, and trains in a special-rate period, cannot.
- Register or log in. You must do this before every booking.
- Pick the railway line. For Chiang Mai, choose the northern line.
- Tick the round-trip box for a return ticket; leave it empty for one way.
- Set origin, destination, date and passengers on the home page search.
- Choose a coach: air-conditioned, fan or sleeper.
- Check the itemised fare in the black bar at the bottom of the page.
- Keep or change the seat; the seat map first picks one for you.
The itemised fare shows in the black bar at the bottom of the page while you choose. Check it before you pay. The round-trip tick puts a return ticket in the same booking.
Passport, payment and the e-ticket
The booking asks for the traveller’s name, ID card number or passport number, and phone number. Enter the details of the person who will actually travel. The name on a ticket cannot be changed afterwards.
Payment is in full, by credit or debit card or by PromptPay. If you pay by card, the ticket is emailed to you. If you choose to pay at a station, the system gives a booking number to pay at the ticket window, and the ticket is emailed after payment.
The terms say the passenger must print the ticket from the system to travel.
Cancel and get a refund
Cancelling online costs a 70 percent fee and must be done at least 3 hours before departure. The refund goes back to the booker’s own credit or debit card, within 45 days, and cannot become cash.
Check how you paid before you cancel. Card refunds go back online. PromptPay refunds go through a station.
A ticket paid by PromptPay QR can only be refunded at a railway station. At a station counter, SRT’s older passenger rules take 20 percent for a refund 3 days or more before travel. Less than 3 days before, up to 1 hour before departure, the fee is 50 percent.
Change the date
A date change keeps the booking and moves the trip. The name on the ticket stays the same. Changes must still fit the window for the trip.
Changing a D-Ticket booking costs a share of the ticket price that depends on how close the train is. The number of changes is unlimited.
| Change made | Fee |
|---|---|
| 3 days or more before departure | 20 percent |
| 2 days before departure | 30 percent |
| 1 day before departure | 50 percent |
Any fare difference on a change is paid by credit or debit card only. The window limits in the first section apply to a changed trip as well.
Booking by phone or at the station
You can reserve by phone on 1690, 24 hours a day, at least 5 days before travel. Collect and pay for the ticket at a station by 22:00 the next day. One call reserves at most 10 seats.
SRT’s hotline is 1690. For train times, fares and the overnight Chiang Mai trains, read the Bangkok to Chiang Mai train guide.
Checklist before you pay
- Every traveller has a passport number or ID card number and a phone number ready.
- The train is an Express, Special Express, Rapid or excursion type; ordinary, commuter and local trains are not sold online.
- The train leaves at least 3 hours from now.
- The date sits inside the window for your trip: 90 days, 30 days or 1 day.
- The card belongs to the person booking, as refunds return to the booker’s own card.
- The ticket can be printed, as the terms say the passenger must print it.
A PromptPay payment is a different case. PromptPay tickets are refunded at a station only, and the fare difference on a change is paid by card only.
Half fare and tickets bought on board
Children taller than 100 cm and up to 150 cm pay 50 percent of the fare, not including fees. The senior discount is for Thai nationals aged 60 and over, from 1 June to 30 September.
A passenger found on a Special Express, Express or Rapid train without a ticket pays the fare plus THB 250.
Step by step
- Register or log inYou must register or log in before every booking.
- Search the trainPick the railway line, then origin, destination, date and passengers; for Chiang Mai choose the northern line.
- Pick the coach and seatChoose an air-conditioned, fan or sleeper coach; the seat map first picks a seat for you.
- Enter passport details and payEnter the traveller's passport or ID card number and phone number, then pay by card or PromptPay.
Not confirmed: SRT publishes no daily opening time for the booking window; 8.30am is documented only for holiday releases. The help page also carries an older block with lower cancellation fees; plan for the 70 percent online fee in the terms.
Common questions
How far ahead can I book a train in Thailand?
It depends on how much of the train's distance you ride. A trip of 60 percent or more can be bought up to 90 days ahead, 25 to 59 percent up to 30 days, and under 25 percent 1 day ahead.
Can I book a Thai train with a passport?
The booking asks for the traveller's ID card number or passport number, plus a phone number. You register or log in first.
How do I pay for a train ticket on D-Ticket?
Payment is in full, by credit or debit card or by PromptPay. With a card the ticket is emailed to you.
Do I need to print the e-ticket?
The terms say the passenger must print the ticket from the system to travel.
How much does it cost to cancel a D-Ticket booking?
Cancelling online costs a 70 percent fee and has to be done at least 3 hours before departure. The refund goes to the booker's own card within 45 days.
Can I change the date of my train ticket?
Yes, an unlimited number of times. A change 3 days or more before departure costs 20 percent, 2 days 30 percent and 1 day 50 percent of the ticket price.
Can I book Thai trains by phone or at the station?
You can reserve by phone on 1690 at least 5 days before travel, then collect and pay by 22:00 the next day. A call can reserve at most 10 seats.
Which trains can be booked online?
Express, Special Express, Special Express diesel railcar, Special Express CNR, Rapid and excursion trains. Ordinary, commuter and local trains cannot be booked online.
Read next
Prices, timetables and opening hours change; check with the operator before you travel. See how guides are checked.
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