Latest news with #TheBlueJasmine
Euronews
5 days ago
- Euronews
This new luxury train could be the best way to slow travel in Thailand
A new Thai luxury train, which could leave the iconic Bangkok-Chiang Mai sleeper train in the dust, will launch in November this year. Operated by DTH Travel, in collaboration with the State Railway of Thailand, The Blue Jasmine is a carefully restored 1960s sleeper train. It was originally used as a long-distance sleeper train in Japan but will operate only in Thailand when it starts running again later this year. This new version will be less of a train and more of a boutique hotel on wheels, complete with opulent cabins, seamless service and magnificent views. Gone are the cramped compartments, poorly-lit corridors, and endlessly chatting co-passengers- the Blue Jasmine allows passengers to slow travel in both style and comfort. In an epic nine-day journey, travellers can go from Bangkok to the ancient ruins of Ayutthaya, through the rivers of Uthai Thani and the temples and palaces of Sukhothai, up into the mountains of Chiang Mai, before returning to Bangkok. This experience appeals to both first-time visitors to Thailand who want to engage deeply with the culture, as well as seasoned travellers who want something different and exciting. With only 10 painstakingly restored wagons, accommodating only 37 travellers, this train provides a much more intimate and personalised experience. Guests can relax in the Panorama Lounge with craft cocktails while soaking in spectacular views of the lush Thai countryside. Craft cocktails and pottery-making The Blue Jasmine offers a range of hospitality and exclusive dining experiences as well, from personalised butler service to international meals cooked by top chefs with fresh, local ingredients. With three categories of cabins - classic, premium and premium suite - The Blue Jasmine offers several options such as shared or en-suite bathrooms, access to a panorama lounge, private dining in a separate coach and open-air balconies, among others, along with amenities like Wi-Fi. There are a number of cultural and leisure opportunities available when off the train too, like pottery-making, riverside almsgiving, mountain picnics and silk-weaving. There are two overnights on the train, with travellers spending the rest of the nights in heritage hotels along the way. 'The Blue Jasmine will embody slow travel at its finest- offering passengers the luxury of unhurried discovery, shifting landscapes and deeper cultural connections,' Stefan Bruns, Thailand general manager at DTH Travel, said, as reported by TTG. However, he emphasises that this experience is not top-tier luxury, but instead, a blend of culture and comfort. 'We are not the Eastern & Oriental Express. We are not that level of luxury. We are a premium train product with specially created excursions,' Bruns said. The train's first journey will run from 16 November to 24 November. After that, it will also have departures in January, February, March, July, November and December 2026.
Time Out
7 days ago
- Time Out
First look: Inside The Blue Jasmine, Thailand's gorgeous new train
Gone are the days of rattling along in a fan-cooled carriage with sagging curtains and a chatty uncle who won't stop telling his life story until 3am. Thailand's classic Bangkok–Chiang Mai sleeper train is getting some high-class competition in the form of a navy-gold beauty called The Blue Jasmine. It's essentially a boutique hotel that just happens to roll through some of the country's most beautiful landscapes. Poised to make its inaugural nine-day journey from November 16-24, the locomotive trades cramped bunks, dim corridors and platform snacks for private cabins, full dining cars and lounges with wraparound windows. This nine-day, slow-travel odyssey links three UNESCO World Heritage cities: Ayutthaya, Uthai Thani and Sukhothai with plenty of detours such as riverside almsgiving, mountain-top picnics, pottery-making and silk weaving sessions. On board, you can sip craft cocktails as the countryside drifts past. Off the train, you'll bed down in boutique heritage hotels and wander through markets at a pace that lets you actually remember their names. Besides the plush seats and postcard stops, this project is a ' New Thailand' tourism strategy – a move towards high-value, low-impact travel. It's about drawing in visitors who don't just tick off temples, but stay longer, spend more locally and leave a lighter footprint. In an age where overtourism is a growing concern, the train spreads visitors across smaller cities and rural areas, putting money into communities that usually watch the tourism boom from the sidelines. The train leaves the station this November, with more departures lined up for January, February, March, July, November and December 2026. The route starts in Bangkok, winds through Ayutthaya, Uthai Thani, Sukhothai, and Chiang Mai, then loops back to the capital.
