I will be visiting Trang during my next trip to Thailand and plan to go first Krabi for a week before heading to Trang for another week.

What's the best way to travel from Krabi to Trang? Is it possible to go by boat, which I would prefer to bus or taxi? Thanks, Alyssa

The distance from Krabi town to Trang is 131 kilometres. Most people take an air-conditioned bus from Krabi Bus Station, which depart every hour. It's easy enough to arrange the trip by yourself. The trip takes almost four hours and costs about Bt150. You can also opt for a minivan, which is faster but more expensive. The trip takes two hours and costs about Bt250.

It's also possible to get to Trang by boat, travelling from Koh Lanta on the ferry that operates between Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe and requesting it to drop you at an island in Trang province. Usually it stops at Koh Ngai, Koh Mook and Koh Bulon. Royal Fern Lanta Travel operates the route.

Once you are in Trang town, there are a number of travel agents from which to choose. You may use one of them to take you to your preferred island. If you want to travel your own way, take a van or a taxi to Kantang, and catch a boat from Kuan Tung Gu pier. Or you can travel from Pak Meng pier instead and take a boat from there.

I've heard that Saphan Taksin station will be shut down soon for the construction of a double track for the train. Is that true? Do you know when it would happen, as this will affect my decision on hotel bookings for my Bangkok trip this coming September? Thanks for your answer, Gordon G.

News of Saphan Taksin station's closure started to spread last June. You are right in saying that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is planning to close the station to allow for the construction of a double rail track. While there are two train tracks for virtually all stretches of the Skytrain system, the portion across the Chao Phraya has just one track due to limited space, thus causing a bottleneck.

Rumours as to when the construction work spread fast and without anyone checking the facts, with some even saying the station had already been dismantled. I was accused of giving out the wrong information when I continued to tell people they could catch a train from there.

As we go to press, the station is still intact, and everything is up and running as usual. The plan to demolish the station has been announced, along with another plan to build a moving walkway to connect Surasak Station for 700 metres with Sathorn pier, the busiest pier in Bangkok's city centre.

Currently, some 10,000 commuters use Saphan Taksin station every day, generating Bt400,000 income for BTSC.

The BMA apparently now has permission from the Department of Rural Roads to expand Taksin Bridge in order to make way for an additional track, but still needs approval from the Interior Ministry.

Elections for the new Bangkok governor take place soon too and it's quite possible that plans could change should the city get a new administration. I have a feeling that for Saphan Taksin Station, it will be business as usual all this year.

Send your questions to askexplore@gmail.com

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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/01/16/i-will-be-visiting-trang-during-my-next-trip-to-thailand-and-plan-to-go-first-krabi-for-a-week-before-heading-to-trang-for-another-week/