Warming Up!....I don't think it was the best of nights at Racha Residence with some inconsiderate guests but hey, there's some warm food for breakfast this morning as we fire up the microwave. The question now is what to do with the day as I start to research this area. The initial option is to add the location we might have reached last night were it not for the weather, but it doesn't take long to come up with a list which is more than enough for today.
Koh Loi.....Koh Loi is a small island off the coast of Siracha Town which used to be part of the mainland. Today you reach it by the Surasak Montri Bridge. We arrive at this popular location and manage to find a parking space so let's see what the attraction is here. However, I can add that we've been here before and on that occasion we didn't provide much detail as this was our departure point for the island of Koh Si Chang in February 2012 (was it that long ago?). Today we don't need to repeat that trip so it's just great to spend more time here on the coast. The other attraction on Koh Loi is new to us.
Wat Ko Loi.....Wat Koh Loi is the focal point on the island located on a hill for locals and tourists to worship. Koh Loi Sri Maharacha is a Thai/Chinese Buddhist temple and offers beautiful panoramic views especially at dawn. The next attraction on my list also offers great views of Siracha and the harbour area.
Samnaksong Khao Phra Khru.....Located on a low hill to the south of Siracha, Samnaksong Khao Phra Khru has a colorful terrace and is home to a crystal globe, carved dragons and a Buddha statue. Again it's a wonderful place to stay awhile. The next location on my list is much different as I go searching for more trains.
Laem Chabang Railway Station.....Laem Chabang Railway Station is not new to me. On a previous occasion I had great success here recording videos. The station though is not for passengers. This is jumping off point for freight trains that enter or leave the port area.
You would think that from a previous visit we would drive straight to it; the station is accessed by a turning off the main road. However, when we arrive where we think it should be, there is confusion. The is partial access to the rail yard with signage stating no entry. This doesn't seem like the place we visited before, and we drive around aimlessly for half a hour only to find we were right all along. The issue is that the yard is now occupied by donated Japanese railcars and yes the area is cordoned off but when we pass to the left, there is the station. Sometimes you feel so foolish!
The twenty pre-owned Japanese Kiha-40 and Kiha-48 train carriages in the yard mark a potential expansion for the country’s commuter rail network. The carriages will first undergo modifications to fit the Thai rail gauge, followed by refurbishment at the Makkasan facility.
Now that's clear lets concentrate on engines that are working. The set-up at Leam Chabang station is that trains stop here for and engine change. The CRRC CDA5B1's do all the donkey work, hauling container trains to and from the Lat Krabang container yard in Bangkok. They also carry oil trains as far as Bung Phra near Phitsanulok to the north. In the space of an hour I witness the whole process. A train arrives from Lat Krabang with the engine returning light to Siracha while work is allocated to it. A CSR SDA3 takes the train loaded with goods for export into the dock. In reverse, a GEA 'Panda' brings a train from the port to be attached to a CRRC CDA5B1 for the journey to Lat Krabang. Clearly there is a lot here to keep me occupied and the chance of other visits around Siracha disappears including the Space Imporium; for the second time I add.
The plan from here is that we go our separate ways. I was open to Katoon attending a party with friends tonight but I head to Siracha Railway Station.
I climb aboard the .... with a ticket for Bangkok (Hua Lamphong) and begin a slow and time-consuming journey into the capital. Three and a half hours later I'm in Hua Lamphong as dusk arrives. This late arrival means that there is little left to record here, and I regret taking another route back to Khubon. As it is. I take the MRT Blue Line to Bang Sue, the Red Line to Lak Si and the Pink Line to Khubon with nothing else to report. That 5-hour journey was wicked and amazing at the same time.
The two days overall produced mixed results and was hardly epic but was fun all the same.

Source: Visit