The best things to do near Bangkok train station depend on which station you mean, because the city now has two. Bangkok Station, still universally called Hua Lamphong, sits on the edge of Chinatown, a short walk from the Golden Buddha at Wat Traimit and the food streets of Yaowarat. Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, the newer and far larger hub in the north of the city, is one stop from Chatuchak on the Red Line and close to the weekend market.
This guide explains what each station does today, then what is worth your time nearby, so you can use a gap before a train or plan a day around one.
Two stations: which is which?
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) now runs its long-distance express services from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, on Kamphaeng Phet Road in Chatuchak. SRT's own trip guides, archived in February 2026, list Krung Thep Aphiwat as the Bangkok terminus for the Special Express to Ubon Ratchathani, the daytime Express Diesel to Nong Khai for the Lao border, and the overnight Express to Chiang Mai.
Hua Lamphong has not closed. The same SRT guides send passengers to Bangkok Station (Hua Lamphong) for ordinary and special trains on shorter routes, including the third-class train to Pattaya and the weekend special train to Chuk Samet, and for some services toward Nakhon Pathom. Always check your ticket: the two stations are about 8 kilometers apart in a straight line, and SRT asks passengers to double-check the latest schedule before they travel; its call center number is 1690.
Near Hua Lamphong (Bangkok Station)
Hua Lamphong is the easier station to build a few hours around. It has its own MRT Blue Line stop, Hua Lamphong, and SRT's guides direct rail passengers to exit 2. From there Chinatown begins almost at once.
Wat Traimit and the Golden Buddha
Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan, the temple of the Golden Buddha, stands on the Charoen Krung side of Chinatown near Hua Lamphong and Yaowarat. The seated image, Phra Phuttha Maha Suwanna Patimakon, is enshrined in the white-and-gold Phra Maha Mondop, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand describes it as containing a large amount of pure gold. It is the obvious first stop if you have an hour before a train, and a natural start to a Chinatown walk.
Yaowarat and Chinatown
Beyond the temple, Yaowarat Road runs through the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown, with gold shops, Chinese shophouses and, in the evening, street-food stalls. For a sit-down dinner, Restaurant POTONG serves a Thai-Chinese tasting menu in a restored five-story shophouse at the corner of Yaowa Phanit and Vanich 1 roads, about five minutes on foot from MRT Wat Mangkon. Our guide to getting to Chinatown by rail has more on the routes in.
The Old City by MRT
If you have half a day, ride the MRT Blue Line west from Hua Lamphong through Chinatown's Wat Mangkon station to Sanam Chai. Exit 1 at Sanam Chai is signed for Museum Siam, and it is also the nearest station to Wat Pho and the Grand Palace. Remember that the palace stops selling tickets at 3:30 p.m., so start early if you plan to see it before an evening train.
Near Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal
Krung Thep Aphiwat is a transport hub first. It is the southern terminus of the SRT Red Line, whose stations run north through Chatuchak, Bang Khen and Don Mueang, the city's second airport, to Rangsit, with a western branch to Taling Chan, and it connects with the MRT Blue Line. That makes it a practical place to change trains, but most of the sights are a stop or two away rather than outside the door.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
Chatuchak Weekend Market, on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road, is the big draw nearby, and Chatuchak is the next station north on the Red Line. The market trades through the day and into the evening on Saturdays and Sundays, and many vendors prefer cash. If your train leaves on a weekend afternoon, it is the obvious way to spend the morning; leave time to get back through the crowds. Our guide to where Chatuchak Market is covers the other ways to get there.
MOCA Bangkok
MOCA Bangkok, the Museum of Contemporary Art, holds more than a thousand works of Thai modern and contemporary art. Its nearest rail stop is Bang Khen, also on the Red Line, from which the museum puts the walk at 200 to 400 meters. It suits a weekday, when the market is closed.
Don Mueang Airport
The Red Line runs from Krung Thep Aphiwat to Don Mueang, so a flight out of Bangkok's second airport can follow a train arrival without a taxi. See our Don Mueang transport guide for details.
Practical tips
- Check which station your train uses before you set out; the two are in different parts of the city.
- Rail usually beats road across town: both stations connect to the MRT, and Krung Thep Aphiwat also to the Red Line.
- Temples, including Wat Traimit and the Grand Palace, expect covered shoulders and knees.
Sources: State Railway of Thailand, travel by train guides (archived February 20, 2026), SRT Electrified Train, Red Line route information, BEM, MRT Blue Line, BEM, stations near attractions. Venue details from the linked BangkokVacay listings, which cite the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the venues' own sites. Checked September 26, 2026.
Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Chatuchak is now the terminus for the State Railway of Thailand's long-distance express trains, such as those to Chiang Mai, Nong Khai and Ubon Ratchathani. Hua Lamphong (Bangkok Station) still handles ordinary and special trains on shorter routes.
Yes. SRT's trip guides still send passengers to Bangkok Station (Hua Lamphong) for trains such as ordinary train 283 to Pattaya and the weekend special train 997 to Chuk Samet.
Take the MRT Blue Line to Hua Lamphong station. SRT directs rail passengers to exit 2.
Chatuchak Weekend Market is one stop north on the SRT Red Line at Chatuchak, and MOCA Bangkok is near Bang Khen station on the same line. The Red Line also runs to Don Mueang Airport.
Wat Traimit and its Golden Buddha, at the edge of Chinatown near Hua Lamphong and Yaowarat. Wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees.
About 8 kilometers in a straight line, Hua Lamphong near Chinatown and Krung Thep Aphiwat in Chatuchak in the north of the city. Allow plenty of time if you need to change between them.
