Get the Green Carpet treatment!  The Eastern & Oriental Express at Bangkok.

E&O train times, fares & tickets

The Eastern & Oriental Express (E&O) is a luxury train operating in Singapore, Malaysia & Thailand, run by the same people who operate the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express to similar 5 star standards.

  Where does the Eastern & Oriental Express go?

  Departure dates & timetable

  How much does it cost?

  How to buy tickets

  On board the Eastern & Oriental Express

  Which type of sleeper to choose?

  Food & dining on the Eastern & Oriental Express

  Bars, lounges and the E&O's observation car

  See the photos:  Singapore to Bangkok by E&O  

  See the video:  Bangkok to Singapore by E&O

  Hotel suggestions in Singapore, Penang, Bangkok

Where does the E&O go?

• It normally runs Singapore to Bangkok once or twice each month from March to December.  Journey 2 nights, 3 days.  Includes a brief tour of Kuala Kangsar and a visit to the Bridge on the River Kwai.

• It normally runs Bangkok to Singapore once or twice each month, February to December.  Journey 3 nights, 4 days.  Includes a visit to the Bridge on the River Kwai and a brief tour of Kuala Kangsar.

• However, in 2024 it's only running within Malaysia and will not enter Thailand.

• Prices start at around $3,100 per person for two people sharing or $5,440 for solo travellers, including private sleeper, tours and meals but excluding drinks.

• The train normally also runs occasional rail cruises for 3 or 6 nights, including Bangkok-Vientiane (Tales of Laos), Bangkok-Chiang Mai, and longer, more extensive Singapore-Bangkok itineraries.

• The Eastern & Oriental Express is the luxury option.  For scheduled trains linking Singapore, KL, Penang & Bangkok, see the Malaysia page.

Departure dates

• Northbound from Singapore to Bangkok (3 days, 2 nights): 

  2022:  The E&O was suspended since 2020 due to the pandemic.

  2023:  The E&O remained suspended.

  2024:  The E&O resumes operation in February 2024, but will only run tours within Malaysia, not Thailand.

• Southbound from Bangkok to Singapore (4 days, 3 nights):

  2022:  The E&O was suspended since 2020 due to the pandemic.

  2023:  The E&O remained suspended.

  2024:  The E&O resumes operation in February 2024, but will only run tours within Malaysia, not Thailand.

Timetable

• Northbound timetable (when running to Bangkok in normal years):  Singapore Woodlands Checkpoint depart 15:00 day 1, Kuala Lumpur historic station 23:55, Kuala Kangsar 08:00-10:15 day 2, River Kwai Bridge arrive 10:45 day 3, Kanchanaburi depart 12:00 day 3, Bangkok arrive 16:15 on day 3.

• Southbound timetable (when running from Bangkok in normal years):  Bangkok depart 17:50 on day 1, River Kwae Bridge arrive 08:30 day 2, Kanchanaburi depart 11:00 day 2, Kuala Kangsar 13:45-16:20 day 3, Kuala Lumpur 22:30-00:15 day 3/4, Singapore Woodlands Checkpoint arrive 10:30 on day 4.

How much does it cost?

• Singapore to Bangkok (or vice versa) by Eastern & Oriental Express starts at around $3,325 per person in a Pullman or $4,825 in a Stateroom or $7,575 in a Presidential suite, assuming two people travel together and share.

• For solo travellers, fares start at around $5,140 with sole occupancy of a Pullman compartment.

How to buy tickets

• Call Railbookers:  Train travel specialists Railbookers offer good rates for the E&O and can also arrange hotels, transfer & flights to create a custom tour.

    UK call 0207 864 4600, www.railbookers.co.uk. 

    US call free 1-888-829-4775, www.railbookers.com.

    Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, www.railbookers.com.

    Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au. 

    New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.

• You can also check dates, prices & availability & buy tickets at www.belmond.com/eastern-and-oriental-express.  However, it's best to call Railbookers first, as Railbookers can sometimes offer train plus a hotel more cheaply than buying train-only from Belmond.

Luggage

• Luggage limit is 30 Kg per passenger (no limit for passengers in the Presidential suites).

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On board the Eastern & Oriental Express

Fully air-conditioned with all the facilities of a luxury 5 star hotel, the Eastern & Oriental Express was created in 1992 by Orient Express Trains, the same people who have run the superb Venice Simplon Orient Express since 1982.  The train uses Japanese-built coaches which were originally used for the short-lived Silver Star sleeper service from Auckland to Wellington in New Zealand (1972-1979).  The cars have been totally rebuilt internally for the modern cruise train market, to luxury standards with en suites to every compartment.  You'll find both the train itself and its staff truly excellent.  The Eastern & Oriental Express is all non-smoking, although smokers can smoke in the open-air observation car at the rear of the train.

Which type of sleeper to choose?

All passengers sleep in a private en-suite sleeper compartment - incidentally, cabin is something they have on ships, the correct term for a room on a train is compartment.  All the sleeping-cars have a narrow corridor along one side with the rooms opening off it.  The Eastern & Oriental Express has three types of compartment:

Option 1:  Pullmans.  The least expensive accommodation on the E&O.  A cosy compartment with sofa & fold-out table by day (above left), converted by your steward while you're at dinner to an upper & lower berth at night (above centre).  There's a small en suite washroom with toilet, washbasin & shower.  UK-style electrical sockets allow you to recharge your camera, phone or laptop.  The train has a few Pullman Singles which are similar, but without an upper berth.

The Man in Seat 61 says: "The room is comfortable but compact, pretty much like a luxury version of regular railway sleeper compartment, in fact.  These photos give a good idea of the full size of the compartment, so if you'd like more space (or want to avoid climbing a ladder to an upper bunk) it may be worth the extra for a Stateroom."

Pullman, day mode.  Larger photo.		Pullman, night mode.  Larger photo.		Toilet & shower.  Larger photo.

Option 2:  Staterooms.  A Stateroom gives you double the floorspace of a Pullman, with a sofa, armchair and freestanding chair by day.  While you are at dinner, the steward converts your compartment to two lower beds (so no ladder required!).  As in a Pullman, there's a small en suite washroom with toilet, washbasin & shower, and UK-style sockets allow you to recharge your camera, phone or laptop.  Click the images for larger photos.

The Man in Seat 61 says "You'll appreciate the extra room if you upgrade to a Stateroom.  It's a really nice layout - One of you can lounge on the sofa during the day, or you can each have a seat next to the double windows, which are better for watching the scenery, too, compared to the single window in a Pullman."

Stateroom in day mode.  Larger photo.		Stateroom in night mode.  Larger photo.

Carriage exterior.		Stateroom toilet & shower.  Larger photo.

Option 3:  Presidential Suite.  This is the E&O's best accommodation.  There are just two Presidential Suites on the train.  Sofa, chairs and table during the day, it converts to two lower beds by night, in a similar arrangement to the Stateroom shown above.  There's a small en suite washroom with toilet, washbasin & shower.

The Man in Seat 61 says: "The Presidential suites are slightly bigger than a Stateroom, and the en suite is fractionally bigger too.  But personally, I think I actually prefer the cosier but still relatively spacious Staterooms, with their sofa & armchair arrangement!"

Food & dining on board the E&O

The Eastern & Oriental Express owns three dining-cars, of which two will be attached to any given departure.  There are usually two sittings for lunch and dinner, at 12:00 or 14:00 for lunch and 18:00 or 21:00 for dinner, although times vary.  You can choose your sitting at the beginning of the journey, or make a request when you book.  Food is included in the fare, although drinks are extra, expect a bottle of wine to start at about US$40.  The currency used on board is US dollars, although credit cards are accepted.  One of the nice things is that they give you a different table reservation for each meal, so you share a table with different people each time.  It's a very sociable experience!  You may also get to eat in both of the dining-cars, each with its own decor.

Dining-car Rosaline.  I think Malaya is even nicer.  Larger photo.		Excellent lamb cutlets.

Another excellent main course.		Sea bass, wonderful.

Breakfast & afternoon tea

Breakfast is served in your sleeper compartment by your steward at the time you specify.		Afternoon tea is also served in your compartment, with a selection of cakes or pastries.

Bars, lounges & the E&O's observation car

Apart from the two kitchen-dining cars, the Eastern & Oriental Express has an observation-lounge car at the rear of the train, and in the centre a piano-bar car and a saloon car.  Whilst an after-lunch nap and afternoon tea in your compartment can be nice, you'll spend most of your day in one of these sociable cars.

The observation car.  This is the Eastern & Oriental's signature car.  It features an open-air observation deck at the rear of the train where you can look back along the tracks, excellent for watching and photographing the scenery.  A steward will keep you supplied with coffee, although this being Southeast Asia it's not exactly cold outside!  Smokers can indulge here, although few do so it's not a problem if you're an ardent non-smoker.  On a Singapore-Bangkok or Bangkok-Singapore journey, the train reverses at Butterworth and the observation car is turned round and moved to the other end of the train.  The open-air deck gets busy at times as you can see in the photo, but you'll always find a place when you want one.

Observation car lounge:  With a colonial tea-planter theme, complimentary tea, coffee & nibbles are available here at the rear of the train. You can always dash out to the observation deck when you spot something interesting outside!  Larger image.		Piano bar car:  Located in the centre of the train, the piano bar is the social centre of the train.  A place for cocktails, a G&T (purely for anti-malarial purposes, of course), socialising and of course listening to Singapore Pete on the piano.  Larger image.

Saloon car with reading room & boutique:  The Saloon car features a small private dining area (above left), a small gift shop selling Eastern & Oriental Express souvenirs, and a narrow reading room with small library (above right).  The tables are used as an overflow diner, but also for small groups who want private dining.

A journey from Singapore to Bangkok on the Eastern & Oriental Express

Day 1, Check-in at a luxury hotel in Singapore city centre.  Until June 2011, the Eastern & Oriental Express checked its guests in at Singapore's historic 1932 art deco colonial railway station pictured above.  Sadly, largely for political reasons explained here, Singapore station closed on 30 June 2011, and the regular trains and the Eastern & Oriental Express now leave from Woodlands Train Checkpoint, located some 15 miles north of downtown Singapore, just south of the causeway to Malaysia.  The E&O now check their guests in at a luxury city centre hotel, and they will bus you to Woodlands when the train is ready for boarding.

Day 1:  Departure from Singapore Woodlands station.  At Woodlands Train Checkpoint, you pass through Singapore exit formalities and Malaysian immigration checks, head onto the platform & board the train.  The photo above left shows the E&O boarding at the original downtown Singapore station, the photo above right shows the train at Woodlands, where it now starts.

Day 1:  The Causeway.  The Eastern & Oriental Express rolls across the famous Causeway, built in 1923 to link Singapore island with mainland Malaya.  The Causeway carries the single-track railway, a road, and several huge pipes carrying Singapore's fresh water supply.  The E&O enters Malaysia, passes through Johor Bharu's new Central Station and heads up the Malay peninsula past many palm oil plantations, passing wayside colonial station such as Gemas and Tampin.

Day 1, late night:  The train stops for a while at Kuala Lumpur's famous colonial Moorish-style station, built in 1911.  If you're still up, you're free to get out onto the platform and stretch your legs here.  This historic building is still used as a station for commuter trains, but long-distance trains to Singapore and to Penang now use Kuala Lumpur's shiny new KL Sentral station instead.

Above:  The E&O passes through a stretch of Malaysian jungle.		Above:  The train crosses another causeway across a lake.  Note the British-style semaphore signals in the background.

Day 2 morning:  Butterworth & Penang.  The Eastern & Oriental Express arrives at Butterworth, the railway station for the ferry to Georgetown on Penang island, once capital of British Malaya.  At Butterworth E&O passengers alight and board coaches which cross over to Penang island on the ferry.  There's a ferry every 10 minutes and the crossing takes just 15 minutes.  In Georgetown, guests are treated to a trishaw tour (above right).  You're back on board the train at Butterworth in time for lunch to be served.  Since 2016, the stop at Georgetown/Penang has been replaced by a stop at Kuala Kangsar, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Kangsar.

Heading north towards Bangkok on the single track railway.  The observation car is the place to be.		How the other half live:  Passing a State Railways of Thailand 3rd class local train.

More tropical scenes as the train rolls steadily northwards on the State Railways of Thailand.		Day 2, evening:  Enjoying a Singapore Sling in the E&O's bar car and listening to Pete on the piano.

Day 3 morning:  The Bridge on the River Kwai.  Very early in the morning, the Eastern & Oriental Express briefly halts at Nong Pladuck, the junction where the infamous Death Railway to Burma leaves the Singapore to Bangkok main line.  The train changes direction and heads up the branch line to River Kwae Bridge station, 5 km (3 miles) beyond Kanchanaburi and 200m before the infamous Bridge on the River Kwai.  Guests get off the train here, and are treated to a short river cruise under the Bridge while the coaches of the E&O are hauled across the Bridge for the photo opportunity.  The Bridge is still used by three passenger trains each day, although they only as far as Nam Tok, not all the way to Burma.  For more information on the significance of the Bridge on the River Kwai and other sights in the area, see the Bridge on the River Kwai page.  Guests leave the river barge at Kanchanaburi with time to visit the war cemetery and museum before rejoining the E&O at Kanchanaburi station in time for lunch.

Day 3 afternoon, arrival in Bangkok at the wonderful Italian-designed Hualamphong station, opened in 1916.		There's more about Bangkok Hualamphong station on the Thailand page.

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Onward connections from Bangkok

Many people buy a trip on the Eastern & Oriental Express from Singapore to Bangkok as part of a longer tour around Southeast Asia.  Rather than fly, stay on the ground!  Here is some useful information on onward connections from Bangkok by regular scheduled daily trains:

• Chiang Mai:  Several daily sleeper trains with 1st class 2-bed sleepers and a fast daytime railcar link Bangkok with Chiang Mai daily, see the Thailand page for details.

• Vientiane & Laos:  A comfortable scheduled sleeper train with 1st class 2-bed sleepers links Bangkok with Vientiane every night, see the Laos page for details.

• Cambodia:  For onward connections by local train to Aranyaprathet then bus to Siem Reap (for Angkor Wat) & Phnom Penh, see the Cambodia page.

• River Kwai:  If you want to return to the River Kwai to explore the area in more depth, there are two daily trains from Bangkok, see the Bridge on the River Kwai page.

• Phuket:  Overnight air-conditioned sleeper trains link Bangkok with Surat Thani, for an onward bus connection to Phuket.  See the Thailand page for details.

• Ko Samui:  Overnight air-conditioned sleeper trains link Bangkok with Surat Thani, for a ferry connection to Phuket.  See the Thailand page for details.

• Returning to Penang, Kuala Lumpur & Singapore:  there are daily scheduled trains between Bangkok, Butterworth (Penang), Kuala Lumpur & Singapore, see the Malaysia page for details.

Watch the video:  Bangkok to Singapore by Eastern & Oriental Express

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Hotels in Singapore & Bangkok

You might also want to check Tripadvisor:  Tripadvisor Singapore hotels   Tripadvisor Malaysia hotels

Raffles Hotel, Singapore    Check prices & book

Easily the best place to stay before or after your trip on the Eastern & Oriental Express.  Book a room at Raffles online.

Raffles Hotel, a little colonial island in a sea of modern high-rise blocks.		A suite at Raffles:  This is a suite in the main building with sitting room, bedroom, bathroom & veranda.

(Left) Raffles hotel lobby.  (Right)  Raffles' Long Bar:  If you can't afford a room, at least down a 'Singapore Sling' in the famous Long Bar.  It was originally located in the ballroom, a single-storey extension built in 1915 on the front of the hotel where the driveway is now.  The Long Bar was first moved from one side of the ballroom to the other, then moved again in 1989 when the hotel was refurbished and the ballroom demolished.  It's now located at the rear of the hotel in a modern block constructed in 1989.

Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Georgetown, Penang   Check prices & book

If you like Raffles, try another of the Sarkies brothers' hotels, the historic Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Georgetown, Penang (no direct connection with the E&O train, as far as I know), equally historic but a bit cheaper at around £150 for a double room.  It's grand, well-located with gardens to the rear backing the sea.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bangkok   Check prices & book

Known by locals (and taxi drivers) as plain 'Oriental Hotel', this is Bangkok's oldest and grandest hotel, located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.  Outdoor restaurant tables sit alongside the river, and they do a great evening buffet.  Most of the rooms are now housed in two huge modern tower blocks, but hidden behind palm trees in the courtyard is the diminutive original block, today restored to within an inch of its life and housing just a few of the more expensive suites.

The original block at the Oriental Hotel.				Breakfast on the riverbank terrace.

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