josephbloggs

On 2/8/2022 at 6:42 PM, Petey11 said:

especially as Thailand has a policy of  enforced hospitalisation for any tourist who tests positive on day five after mixing with the local population.

No it doesn't.  This is a TVF perpetuated myth.  Long ago, yes, now, no.

45 minutes ago, Albert Zweistein said:

8 billion baht is cheap, only roughly 4,3 million EURO/KM, peanuts to a self declared hub of everything 

So €17-18 billion to electrify the country, even though no country has ever done that and a majority of lines are seldom used.  You are beginning to sound quite ridiculous now.

 

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What bothers me is the gaffers brawling about Thailand being the hub of EV's soon and meanwhile purchasing diesel driven and polluting locs from China.

They are replacing ancient 5-year old polluting locomotives with brand new low emission units.   A lot has changed in 50 years.  This is a massive step in the right direction and should be applauded.

You are basically saying Thailand shouldn't be able to promote EVs unless it has electrified it's whole rail network first?

Again you are beginning to sound quite ridiculous.

4 minutes ago, Lakegeneve said:

Tender updates

1) MRT Purple line south ext (23.6km) - tenders awarded, contracts to be singed next month

The good news first. The MRTA tenders for 6 contracts were released on schedule, well in early Nov, and 12 bidders submitted bids by the tender deadline of 27 December 2021. Late last week, the MRTA announced the winners of the 6 construction contracts.

 

Contracts should be signed in early March with work scheduled to commence around mid year. There is a 5.5 year contraction deadline in the tender for a scheduled opening in Dec 2027 - however, as well know that will probably end up being at least mid 2028.

 

 

2) 1) MRT Orange line west ext (13.4km) 

Unfortunately, the tender has been delayed due to the ongoing litigation. Also, an ammended EIA had to be approved as there were some design changes. Pracha Sonkraw station was moved east by 450m, Dindeang station was moved north 500m and Yommarat staion was redesigned for a larger area with extra entrances. Hopefully, we might see this tender go out by mid year if the litigation is resolved by the parties. Awaiting an update from the next Admin Court hearing.

 

The original tender sate of late 2017 was delayed until June 2020 as the govt changed the tender to a PPP one - a waste of 2.5 yrs. That tender was subsequently cancelled by the MRTA in Feb 2021 due to the litigation by the BTSC initiated  in mid Sept 2020.

 

The tender has a construction timeframe of 3.5 years - had the original tender been issued as first planned in late 2017 we would probably have an open line by now!

 

3) MRT Brown line (22.3km)

Big delays here. Some major redesign work taking place for this line (and the N2 Expressway project) with the govt now wanting to issue a PPP tender. Redesign is planned to be completed by Sept and the current tentative tender timeframe is mid 2023, a big delay.

 

 

This is the new future network map (issued by Dept of Rail Transport and Mahidol Uni) 

Thanks for the updates.  I still find it amazing looking at that map and remembering it is Bangkok, not London or Paris or any other city that has had this infrastructure for a long time (and built over several decades).  I moved here in 1995 when there was literally nothing, just 5-6 years ago there was not so much, and in a few years time we'll have that!  For all the delays, problems, issues (no common ticketing for example) it is still an incredible achievement.

3 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Go back to the first photo, how can a guy get a haircut while wearing a mask?

It's pretty easy, mostly your head is on your head.  When they get to the ear bit they remove your mask straps.   Have you not had a haircut in the last year?

1 hour ago, Albert Zweistein said:

Sir, I think this topic is about the delivery of Chinees diesel locs to Thailand and not about the UK changing their budget from A to B and to be honest I really don't care about how and on what the pommies spend their budget.

Nice deflection.

 

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Furthermore I am sure you are wrong about the billions of $ Thailand is spending on modernising and building 1000's of kms dual track. They are TALKING about it and this for decades already.

Sorry, it is actually happening after decades of little to no investment.

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Today in the news the deal about the two second hand submarines coming from China, probably ending tied along the useless aircraft carrier. War toys seem more important than enything else.

Sir, I think this topic is about the delivery of Chinese diesel locs to Thailand and not about the offer of two second hand submarines nor about an aircraft carrier that was purchased 27 years ago (incredibly relevant to this story!), and to be honest I really don't care about how and on what the military spend their budget.

19 minutes ago, Albert Zweistein said:

Why shouldn't they invest billions of $, aren't they the hub of everything and prepared to spend billions in submarines, fighter jets and aircraft carriers but the environment they don't care about.

Yes also the hub of garbage and sugar cane fields burning unfortunately.

Besides their brothers of the CCP are probably more than willing to help financing.

The UK hasn't electrified 60% of its network because it is uneconomical and the traffic doesn't justify it, yet it spends £40+ billion on defence.  So they should shift that defence spending to railways and spend billions on electrifying networks for the sake of it, right?

Anyway Thailand IS spending billions of dollars on modernising it's rail network, building 1000's of kms of dual track, replacing 48 ancient diesel locomotives with brand new ones, adding 100's of kms of electrified commuter rail in Bangkok, and building new high speed electric lines.

Not enough for you?  They should be electrifying the whole country overnight instead even though no other advanced country has ever done the same (although China probably comes closest)?  

On 2/5/2022 at 4:05 PM, GinBoy2 said:

Except with most airlines the seats are removed for cargo only operation.

 

There is a reason aircraft seats are basically slotted on to a rail and secured, it means they can easily be removed or replaced.

 

You then use cargo straps which secure to the former seat rails, it's not rocket science, just standard industry practice.

 

But this is TG, and always the maverick of the industry! LOL

You ever thought that perhaps they want to use that plane in a passenger configuration shortly afterwards?  If they are purely shifting cargo back and forth on a route they can use a cargo plane. 

If you want to remove the seats to carry cargo you need to have the plane reassessed, inspected and re-certified for the purpose by the national aviation authority of the country of origin.  

Carrying cargo in the passenger cabin in this way means the plane does not need to undergo recertification, they can generate extra revenue on otherwise empty flights, and the plane can immediately be reused for carrying passengers as it does not need to undergo testing and recertification.

So no, TG is not being the maverick, they are complying with international aviation guidelines and being smart about it.  Of course all the TVF experts who should be running TG know better (except they clearly don't).

If you wish to read the IATA guidelines on this:

https://www.iata.org/contentassets/094560b4bd9844fda520e9058a0fbe2e/guidance-safe-transportation-cargo-passenger-cabin.pdf

On 2/4/2022 at 10:58 AM, Enoon said:

If you look at the side rows you will see they are strapped fore and aft (blue strap) as well as over the top (orange strap).

 

Can you really not see that?

 

I do not think it unreasonable to assume that the blue straps in the front row of the centre block are out of frame.

To think these people look down on Thais - there is a 30 page IATA guideline document on carrying cargo in passenger compartments.    Yet the anti Thai bias in some posters is so strong they would willingly ignore the picture and willingly believe TG is allowed to fly internationally without following IATA guidelines.  Like they just plonk boxes and seats and that is it.  Moronic.

On 1/4/2022 at 8:52 PM, kotsak said:

 

So, does that mean they will let a foreigner self isolate?

 

Yes, of course it does.  

14 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

True. What the Chinese have done with rail is truly impressive. 23,000 KM of very high speed rail. However you feel about the CCP, it is the world's greatest rail system, by far. 

Yes indeed, and actually closer to 40,000kms now.  An interesting read:

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/china-high-speed-rail-cmd/index.html

13 minutes ago, Morakot said:

Indeed!

 

But the locomotive in the picture has been operating in Thailand for many years...

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/na_maew/22423398980

That is true.  Here are the actual units, taken from the first handover ceremony:
 

13 minutes ago, Saanim said:

Interesting how such topic can bring so many comments within few hours. Wondering whether some of the posters ever have taken ride on a Thai train?

 

Although the locomotives by the kind Chinese might be of a second-hand origin, why not, better than the current ones.

 

To equip the existing lines by an overhead power line feeding? The existing lines are over 100 years old, with narrow 1,000 mm gauge laying on not very rigid foundation, not much improvements made in last 50 years. All of this has to be completely changed. And there are surely some plans for it. Perhaps we will see it in our next life.

 

Thailand was always crazy on development of automobiles with all the infrastructure needed for it. And all that by neglecting railways systems. Not surprising, hadn't been done so similarly in other developed world? (not so in Europe).     

 

      

Agree with you, but just to point out that these 50 locomotives are brand new, not second hand.  And replacing units that were built in the mid 60's is definitely a good thing.  But so many posters here only ever have negative things to say.

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

Off topic, posit most ire is aimed at their disgusting gov and the racist abuse towards the Tibetans, Uighur, etc etc. Now that’s something worth being emotive about isn’t it?

Yes, certainly.  But it has nothing to do with trains.

Apparently under control already.

16 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Another reason I don't live in Bangkok.

You don't live in Bangkok because they are building an elevated expressway on the road to Hua Hin?

40 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

and if you test with no symptoms you go to Corona hospital jail 

Absolutely and completely untrue.

7 hours ago, anterian said:

My cats are happy to drink the tap water, they just wait for the chlorine to evaporate.

Course they do.