After a lazy day doing nothing yesterday, I finally got around to sorting out my Cambodian visa.
This proved to be much easier than anticipated, and I received the evisa document within 4 hours of the application being made.
It was at this point, while packing, that I discovered that I had left Arthur, somewhere between Phuket and Koh Samui - I suspect the most likely place to be the Apache Hostel at Koh Phiphi.
I checked to see if I could get tickets for the night train and saw they were still available, though to avoid boking fees I decided to head straight to the station, arriving a few hours before the train was due to depart.
When I got to the ticket office, I was advised that all the tickets had been sold, and that I wasn't able to get the train, however, I double checked and asked about 3rd class tickets, and they advised they did have 3rd class seats but do not normally sell to tourists! I went ahead and bought one anyway!
It was cold in the station, so I went for a wander, dring which time many tuk tuk drivers asked me where I wanted to go, and always being disappointed when I told them my destination was Chiang Mai!
It finally came to be time to board the train, so I walked to the platform, which was at track level, with stairs up to the carriages themselves.
As I was heading to the 3rd class carriage, one of the guards saw me and thought I should be in a tourist class coach until I showed him my ticket.
The seats on the carriage were wooden, though I had managed to luck out by the fact that I got a double seat to myself for the journey, meaning that I could still lie down on it to sleep.