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Having said all of that, I was astonished that the only bathroom in the car for the "first-class" guests didn't have a toilet seat.
Ordinarily on a trip, I'm fine with a squat toilet. But this one was on a moving, rattling train. It was a bit humbling.
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Last winter,we had first class sleeping compartments on the overnight train from Bangkok to Trang and had a regular toilet, but it became less and less sanitary as the night wore on. By morning, you had to be really desperate and very careful about where you stepped, on the moving, rattling train.
Posted By Peggy Hock on March 26, 2009, 6:52 PM
I've done the Bangkok-Chiang Mai train trip a couple of times in first class sleeper compartments. My experience both times was that, yes, there was indeed a squat toilet at the end of the corridor (to meet the preference of many of the passengers, no doubt), but that, just around the corner, there was also a western-style toilet-and -shower cubicle. However, because of its double function as a shower cubicle, the western-style toilet was a lot wetter and nastier to negotiate by next morning than its squat toilet counterpart – despite the rocking train!
Toilet facilities aside, it is, all up, a great train trip and a delightful way to travel to Chiang Mai!
Posted By Rosemary Campbell on March 27, 2009, 9:41 AM
I have taken the train trip from Bangkok to Chiang Mai several times and always first class sleeper cabin. First class refers to the type of seating/sleeping arrangement and not the service or food. On one trip a British women loudly berated the Thai Porter for the bad first class service and food. The food is Thai and for everyone aboard the train, so appropriate for local tastes.
From my experience, the squat pot in the photo looks too new/clean for Thai standards. The photo looks like the squat pot I have experienced on the Japanese Bullet train. Image high speed banking whilst using the loo.
When in Chiang Mai go see the Pandas in the Chiang Mai Zoo. You can get about 15 feet from the Pandas and the young female Panda loves the attention of the spectators.
Posted By Tim Chester on March 27, 2009, 4:24 PM
I have taken a similar train four times: from Shanghai to Hong Kong. Each car has two toilets, one Western style, one squat. It's best to go to the bathroom as much as possible during the first few hours of the ride. But hour 6 or so, the toilets fill up, there is waste on the floor, and toilet paper is gone (regardless of which toilet you use). The train crew have no desire to maintain bathrooms, so do your business early!
Posted By Erin Northington on March 29, 2009, 2:03 AM
As to the 'Squat Toilets' on the train...that is not the only place you will find them in that part of the world - and, often, they are of a discriminatory manner! While in China's Eastern Economic Zone, across from Hong Kong's Kowloon peninsular, a few years ago, my wife and I needed to use the rest room facilities. I had no problem at all as everything was very much as one would find here in the States! Upon leaving that rest room I found my wife, outside the Mens' Room Door waiting for me...wherein she asked me what it was like inside the Mens' Room...a question that, at first seemed a little silly until she informed me that all the ladies room had were wide open (no stalls) holes in the floor that one had to squat over in order to relieve themselves!! Being as there was no one in the ladies room I took a quick peek and was aghast at what I saw! I then stood guard at the Men's Room Door while she used the facilities to relieve herself of her needs!
TOM LETOURNEAU
CUMBERLAND, RI
Posted By Tom Letourneau on March 30, 2009, 1:46 PM