How to take the train from Chiang Mai to Lamphun?
Does your son or daughter just LOVE trains?! Ours certainly do so we thought we’d take them on their first train ride from Chiang Mai to Lamphun.
Even though you could easily drive to Lamphun (it’s only a 40 minute drive away), we thought it would be so much more fun to take the train! After a bit of research, off we went on a Sunday morning to spend most of the day in Lamphun and see the joy on the children’s faces as they rode the train for the first time. It proved to be the perfect train ride to take with kids from Chiang Mai.
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Why take the train from Chiang Mai to Lamphun?
Well, because it’s a mini-adventure and the ride is relatively short. For young children, the train ride lasts the perfect amount of time to keep them interested and entertained. The entire ride takes only 30 minutes!
Also, a short journey is perfect because you’ll be riding a class 3 train, which means there will be no air conditioning or fans. Trust me, you do not want to be on a train like that for very long in hot season (pretty much Mar-Oct). We were lucky as we went in cool season (Nov-Feb).
Another great aspect is that the trains on this route are the old-school chugga chugga type. You know, the ones that make the chugga chugga noise once they get going?! Also, the train conductors let off the quintessential train horn; a sound that is rarely heard nowadays. Choo, choo! My daughter lost it with glee when she heard the horn for the first time. It was magical!
Things to do in Lamphun with kids once you get there
There are actually plenty of things to do in and around Lamphun. In fact, you would need more than a day to do them all.
Within the city there’s Wat Mahawan Woramahawihan, which has a great modern playground right across from it as well.
There are also numerous playground structures at the Lamphun Province Stadium along with a running track.
Of course there’s walking around the ancient moat of Lamphun and eating at local restaurants. Apparently there are some fabulous restaurants, but we missed out this time.
On this journey we chose to go to the local movie theatre and watch a kids movie. The movie theatre happens to be inside BigC which also has an indoor playground. This was perfect as we watched a film, and then the kids played for 40 minutes before grabbing a taxi back to the train station.
However there is lots more to do!
During hot season you and the kids will no doubt want to hang out by a pool. Well, Lamphun has something better than that – they have a waterpark!
Check out The Sun Waterpark Lamphun. It is small and catered towards toddlers and young children, but is lots of fun and costs only 100 baht for kids and 150 baht for adults.
For other adventures, there are some fantastic things to see and do in the surrounding areas of Lamphun. Although to visit many of these attractions, you would need to stay overnight and hire a tour guide or a driver. TakeMeTour is a highly recommended tour operator that supports local communities and entrepreneurs. You will get a one-of-a-kind tour of Lamphun.
How to buy a train ticket from Chiang Mai to Lamphun
Well, initially I tried to search on 12go.asia which is a great resource to order bus tickets and train tickets all through South East Asia, however they do not deal with such short distances. If you are looking for bus or train tickets, I still recommend them for longer distances as purchasing through them is easy and convenient.
Instead you should check the State Railway of Thailand website for the train schedule for Chiang Mai to Lamphun. We decided on the latest morning departure. In order to book train tickets, we decided to risk it and book tickets at the train station the morning of. There were no issues at all! In fact, we arrived at 9:15 am, 15 minutes before departure time, and easily obtained a ticket.
How much are train tickets from Chiang Mai to Lamphun?
Guess what?! The tickets cost an incredible 8 baht. That’s right, 8 BAHT! No wonder you can’t buy tickets through an agent; they’d make no profit.
To purchase tickets you must have a valid form of identification, whether it’s a passport or your Thai drivers license, although children do not require any form of ID. Adult tickets cost 5 baht and child tickets are 3 baht. My son, who is 2, rode for FREE! The return tickets cost the same and we made sure to purchase them upon arrival at Lamphun train station. You can check the return train schedule for trains from Lamphun to Chiang Mai online as well. Seats are not assigned but we had no issues finding empty seats on either train journey.
How to get to Chiang Mai Train Station
If you are visiting Chiang Mai, then the easiest way is to take a Grab. Although, if you happen to have your own car, then parking at the train station is your best bet. Parking at the Chiang Mai train station costs 80 baht per day. You may be able to find parking on street, but it’s not a guarantee.
The easiest way to drive to Chiang Mai Railway Station if coming from the old city, is to drive directly east along Thapae Road and look out for signs, then turn right at Rotfai Alley (Train Alley). The train station will be on your left.
How to get around Lamphun
When we arrived at the train station there was the resident train station manager and his wife to greet us. His wife is one of the few local taxi drivers, although she doesn’t actually drive a taxi; she drives her own car instead. We arranged to have her drop us off and then we called her later to have her pick us up. Prices are completely negotiable.
Grab is also available in Lamphun if you prefer that. Alternatively you could hire a private driver from Chiang Mai to meet you in Lamphun and take you from place to place.
We also saw a few people bring their bicycles on the train. Seems like such a cool idea to bring your bikes and cycle around Lamphun. We would definitely do this if our kids were older! Lamphun is a sleepy version of Chiang Mai with far less road traffic making it easier to and safer to ride bicycles.
Places to stay in Lamphun
With older children, or adventurous little ones, you may consider staying the night in Lamphun so you can explore the city’s surroundings in more depth. Here are some places available on Agoda:
