The twelve and half hour over night train into Bangkok was full. All the berth seats were sold out. None were available at the train station. They had to be bought through agencies in Vientiane at a higher price. The berths weren't much to begin with. They are for tiny petite people. Most people who go berths were westerners who were twice as long as the berths.
During one of the Northern stops in Thailand, a pair of Thai forest monks got on the train. A younger one and an older one. The entire cart was full of people. I watched the younger monk stare down the isle with focus and intent to get to his seat without accidentally having to come into physical contact with anyone by his means or from others. Then he walked. It was so interesting to watch him part the sea of passengers with his intention to create a safe walking narrow zone as he put one foot in front of the other.
Behind me sat a young lady who had a 2 month old palmamarian puppy. It was so cute with puppy hair and all. It only recognized its owner's feet so it followed the feet closely whenever the pair of feet moved. It was so cute to see.
