Bangkok’s secret train repair yard plays a vital role in keeping Thailand’s rail system running efficiently.

The contrast is striking. You’re riding the modern, elevated rail into downtown Bangkok from Suvarnabhumi Airport, and just a few stops in, you pass by aging trains – engines and carriages – scattered amidst what feels like an overgrown urban jungle.

As you approach the heart of the city, the dense greenery gives way to old warehouses, with the shimmering Bangkok skyline looming nearby.

This is Makkasan, far from a top tourist destination in Bangkok. Yet for those seeking the unconventional, it offers unique surprises.

Beneath the Airport Rail Link, between Makkasan and Ratchaprarop stations, lies the State Railway of Thailand’s Makkasan station—distinct from the Airport Rail Link's station with the same name. A walk along Nikhom Makkasan Road transports you back to a bygone Bangkok, reminiscent of the city from 40 or 50 years ago.

You’ll pass through a market that feels a world away from the neon-lit, bustling night markets that draw tourists in Bangkok. This one is a local favorite, offering everything from fresh produce and meats to household goods like detergent and plates.

On a recent Sunday morning, the market bustled with shoppers, the air thick with the mingling scents of Thai food, fresh flowers, pungent dried fish, and a hint of scooter exhaust – truly an immersive experience for any visitor.

At the market’s end stands the open-air rail station. No fast food or flashy screens here. But from this station, you can catch a train along the State Railway of Thailand’s Eastern line, heading towards Pattaya, the Cambodia border, or simply back to central Bangkok for a quick trip.

You might just find yourself aboard a vintage ride. Some of the trains on this line are up to 50 years old, though their well-maintained condition might make it hard to tell.

This is where Makkasan hides another one of its secrets.

Across from the station, you’ll find the vast main repair yard of the state railway. Those old rail cars you saw, nearly swallowed by the jungle on your way into Bangkok, might someday be taking you on a journey to Cambodia.

Where trains are given a second life.

Recently, railway officials granted Dinogo Travel an exclusive look at the sprawling 186-acre (752,000-square-meter) facility, which is closed to the public.

Beyond the main operational buildings, rows of abandoned train cars stretch into the jungle. Some were victims of accidents, their twisted wrecks beyond repair, while others are stripped for parts to keep the working trains running on Thailand's tracks.

Other oddities are scattered throughout the woods.

Amidst the wreckage of old carriages, we tread carefully to avoid stepping on newly planted mango and banana trees. Elsewhere, fruit trees thrive, their branches intertwining with the metal carcasses of old trains.

You’ll also find two ancient Japanese steam engines, once used to power the vast complex.

These Japanese engines date back to World War II, when the Makkasan yard was connected to Japan’s Burma Railway, which linked Japanese forces in Thailand with those in present-day Myanmar.

The 258-mile railway was known as the Death Railway due to the tens of thousands of forced laborers and Allied POWs who perished during its construction.

The railway's importance made Makkasan a prime target for Allied bombers during World War II, explains Kohpong Sutthikorn, a mechanical engineer at the facility and a 32-year veteran of the state railway system.

Inside the Makkasan yard, around 1,100 workers are busy dismantling and restoring old passenger, dining, and sleeper cars, continually returning them to service on Thailand’s rails.

In one massive 150,000-square-foot (14,000-square-meter) building, numerous passenger cars are in various stages of repair. Some are stripped down to their bare metal frames, while others are elevated to receive new undercarriages and wheels. Some are waiting for refurbished doors and interior fittings.

In another part of the facility, workers use huge furnaces and lathes to recondition rail wheels, giving them the precision needed to stay on track.

Other buildings are dedicated to engine repairs, with large diesel blocks clearly visible outside.

According to Sutthikorn, approximately 15% of the 1,000 passenger carriages in the Thai railway fleet are out of service for maintenance at any given time, while 20% of the 2,000 cargo cars are regularly undergoing repairs.

Sutthikorn saves the best for last: gleaming General Electric locomotives from the U.S. and Alstom locomotives from France, fully refurbished and ready to hit the tracks—possibly along the very line that runs through Makkasan station.

Thai Labour Museum

If you’ve made it to Makkasan to visit the railway station, and you’re interested in history, it’s definitely worth taking an hour to visit the Thai Labour Museum, just a short walk east along Nikhom Makkasan Road.

You won’t find interactive displays or IMAX-style shows, but you will discover Thailand’s history of slavery, the impact of Chinese immigrants, how Japan’s occupation sparked the rise of organized labor, and how the labor movement resisted military regimes.

There’s also a haunting exhibit featuring artifacts from one of Thailand’s deadliest workplace disasters: the 1993 fire at the Kader Toy Factory, which claimed the lives of 188 workers, mostly women.

The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and admission is free.