machai
Those looking for a fun and cheap day trip can escape the hectic pace of Bangkok with a slow train to the fishing village of Mahachai.
The local Thai train departs from a densely built-up and busy neighborhood on the west side of the Chao Phraya River. You can reach the starting point by taking the BTS to Wongwian Yai and walking to the train station of the same name (or by taxi or tuk tuk for 50 baht).
The station is located at the Wong Wian Yai roundabout with the Thaksin statue across the river. It is also the terminus of the Silom skytrain line and then it is a fifteen minute walk.
Mahachai market (lakkana savaksuriyawong / Shutterstock.com)
machai
Mahachai is a fishing village located on an estuary. The train stops amidst the stalls of the local market; by the way, there is a market everywhere there.
Don't forget to eat in the delicious fish restaurant a little further with a view of the fishing boats. It is a trip back in time and the journey there is all nature and you also pass a number of villages, where the train stops for a while.
Samut Sakhon used to be called 'Tha Chin' (Chinese Pier), probably because it was a trading post where many Chinese junks (boats) docked. In 1548 'Sakhon Buri' was founded on this place, at the mouth of the Tha Chin River. It was a center for recruiting soldiers from the various coastal towns. The name was later changed to 'Mahachai' when the Klong Mahachai canal was dug in 1704, connecting the Tha Chin to the city. The city was renamed 'Samut Sakhon' by King Rama IV but is still known as 'Mahachai'.
The journey takes one hour, making it the shortest train ride in Thailand. The 'lonely planet' also devotes a separate paragraph to it.
Great to be completely outside the exciting Bangkok for a while.
Slow train in Mahachai, runs through the market (abydos / Shutterstock.com)
Fresh Fish (Makhh / Shutterstock.com)
Fish Market (Makhh / Shutterstock.com)
Mahachai seems like 1 big market (Pooh and ball / Shutterstock.com)
Fishing Boats(bombermoon / Shutterstock.com)
If you are planning to travel to Mahachai soon? Put it off for a while. The town is located in the province of Samut Sakhon and that is a red zone due to the recent outbreak of Covid-19.
Ichiro Kakisaki has released this history of the railways:
https://www.whitelotusbooks.com/books/rails-of-the-kingdom-the-history-of-thai-railways
Rails of the Kingdom. The History of Thai Railways is a standard work for enthusiasts.
R. Ramaer describes the locomotives in more detail in The Railways of Thailand:
https://www.whitelotusbooks.com/books/railways-of-thailand
Ramaer's book is recommended for those who like technical details and photos. Photos also from private archives and lots of technical details about the locomotives. In the back of the book an overview of all locomotives ever used in Thailand, steam, diesel and diesel electric.
I paid 1.500 baht for that book years ago and it's worth it!