Railways in Thailand (Thai Railways) are perceived by many to be inaccessible to wheelchair users. Granted, there are still obstacles as of 2026, however it is clear that Thai Railways are making a significant investment. To a wheelchair user wishing to traverse one of Thailands main arterial routes. Not only has a handful of stations been rebuilt with elevators, a large proportion of smaller stations now possess higher platforms to enable level boarding (with a ramp to bridge the gap) plus entrance and exit ramps, what more could one want!
One took the CNR Sleeper from Bangkok Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station to Hua Hin. One must say that the former is fairly large in size but easy enough to navigate including level boarding…
After many calls, it was determined that the CNR is yet to possess a dedicated wheelchair space. This leaves one with two options; transfer to a normal seat or sit in the luggage area. The latter is not as awful as it sounds as a large window is present providing one doesn’t mind air conditioning…
It most be said that Thai Railway staff are incredibly helpful also. For example, when reaching Hua Hin, station staff realised that one couldn’t get off due to a pole blocking the ramp. To overcome this, the train simply moved forward.
It is hoped that CNR will gain new rolling stock in the future to become truly wheelchair accessible.