I did a double take as I scanned the departures board at Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat railway station. Unfortunately, I had not made a mistake -- my first taste of flygskam really was going to start with 21 hours on a train.
It may be (much) slower but train travel gives a lot more back

The author leaves Bangkok by train, beginning his 1,800-kilometer journey to Singapore. (All photos by Andrew Benfield)
I did a double take as I scanned the departures board at Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat railway station. Unfortunately, I had not made a mistake -- my first taste of flygskam really was going to start with 21 hours on a train.