Work to begin on Thai - Japan "Bullet Train" in 2019

[Justified]

If they let the SRT anywhere near it, it will be a disaster

Airport light rail seem to work (without disaster)


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[Dukeleto]

Ohhh man even if the Japanese were manning it, servicing it and running/controlling it, which they are not apparently, I still wouldnt get on one in Thailand. Unless the track is completely elevated the entire distance, which would be the only sensible option, it will end up having an accident from something or someone obstructing it. I wish them luck and every success with it but I think it is a bridge too far for Thailand just yet. I hope I am proved very very wrong.

Edited November 18, 2017 by Dukeleto

[Aforek]

For the guy who says that a trip from London to China by train would be great, sure for the landscape, but are you ready to spend 5 days in a train ? I have spent 48 hours in the past and I know I am not ready to do it again 

 

for the high speed train in Thailand, I  have seen the TGV in France ( my country ), I have walked along the fences, much work to do  to install them  and much security to have; I like Thailand but I think they are too much  " mai pen rai " to have a such train ; in Europe  or Japan, ok , but Thailand is too much "undisciplined " 

Edited November 18, 2017 by Aforek

[Megasin1]

Bullsh1t baffles brains

[hotchilli]

Japanese have worldwide renown in train technology and reliability and would train the Thai staff to a high standard. He said that the "Shinkansen (bullet train) service would be a model of time keeping and safety

 

Yeah... right up until the Japanese go home then it will fall into the hands of Thai staff only !!!

Meet your maker at hi speed in a bullet train to the next life....

[CLW]

Airport light rail seem to work (without disaster)


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Altough I like the ARL there has been this problem about the maintenance of the rolling stock. No more express line because of that. And less frequent service means packed trains.
Nevertheless I use it every time to the airport. Great service with unbeatable price and time to get there.

[Bob12345]

1 hour ago, britishrepublican said:

It's only a waste until you need it

Its also a waste if it doesn't work (GT200), can't operate (submarines in shallow water), or when you don't have all the necessary equipment for minimal deployability (aircraft carrier without planes).

[Marvo]

So, imagine 2,000 passengers a day, 365 days a year, for 25 years.....
273 billion Baht / (2,000 x 365 x 25) = 15,123 Baht per ticket to recover only the capital investment.

Add interest, wages, maintenance, running costs, renewal of rolling stock......

Where can I invest in this dead-cert?  

[madusa]

7 hours ago, jaiyen said:

Oh !  I thought we were going to get a crappy Chinese train system.

Jaiyen have you gone on a chinese train? They are good high standard ones. You need to go take a train in China.

[madusa]

1 hour ago, Dukeleto said:

Ohhh man even if the Japanese were manning it, servicing it and running/controlling it, which they are not apparently, I still wouldnt get on one in Thailand. Unless the track is completely elevated the entire distance, which would be the only sensible option, it will end up having an accident from something or someone obstructing it. I wish them luck and every success with it but I think it is a bridge too far for Thailand just yet. I hope I am proved very very wrong.

You mean elephants, cows, wild boars, and cars, pickups trying to cross the tracks. Yes, the odds are high considering cases happened on normal train tracks.

Perhaps solar powered electric fence about 2 meter high would prevent such happenings.

If they do that, I will say "Dukeleto" - get on the train!

[madusa]

23 minutes ago, Marvo said:

So, imagine 2,000 passengers a day, 365 days a year, for 25 years.....
273 billion Baht / (2,000 x 365 x 25) = 15,123 Baht per ticket to recover only the capital investment.

Add interest, wages, maintenance, running costs, renewal of rolling stock......

Where can I invest in this dead-cert?  

Yes, you done your maths. I love that. I always love people who are down to earth. Well, my turn to do the maths, I am not good at maths I will try, with a population of 65 millions(give or take 2 millions) how many of them can afford to buy the tickets for this state of art train? Backpackers can't be expected to get on the train I supposed with their tight budget on travel expenses. Only a token of curious tourists will get on the train.

In Japan 132 millions population a large number of them are well paid workers can afford to buy the tickets. In fact the train systems started in the Meiji era about a hundred years ago , so they had done their maths in the early years as to whether they would make a profit to survive.

If you look at Japanese history it says Japanese are descendants of the God "Amaterasu". They are half God-half man capable of waging suicidal wars, capable of working till they drop dead, capable of keeping the entire country spotlessly clean. They certainly can make money from this super fast train, don't forget they are half God. Only half is enough to create wonders.

Thai should send their virgin maidens to collect some sperms ( genes pool) so they could also have half God-half man population. Must be virgins to get this job done. No bar girls or massage ladies please.

[wolf81]

2 hours ago, pumpjack said:

hey,  what happened to the hi speed bkk to pattaya train ?  

 

wasnt that meant to kick off like 3 years ago ?

From what I understand it's a problem with the taxi drivers (especially if the train would connect with Suvanabuhmi). They will lose lots of business, so this is why they might prefer to stop progress. 

[SunsetT]

9 hours ago, Jeremy50 said:

Wait a minute, don't people just take a plane if they want to 'slash journey times'? Isn't taking the night train at a leisurely pace really rather nice?

25000 people dying on the roads annually, but never mind, let's build a bullet train so folks can get to Phitsanulok quicker. A rather peaceful slow-moving town renowned for it's famous bhudda and house boats . And such a staggering sum of money, even half of which could completely transform road safety. However, skim even a modest 15% off the top, and I think we can all see where the blind, arrogant, and stupid motivation is coming from.

Im not sure where you are coming from. Getting people off the roads and onto trains will save many many lives and, unlike air travel, will also cut carbon emmissions. Both improve air quality. No amount of money will 'completely transform road safety' in Thailand unless it is invested in driver training and road traffic law enforcement.

 

Im sure u will still be able to a leisurely night train to somewhere in Thailand for years to come.

 

[Basil B]

2019AD or the Muslim year 2019AH ??? 

[SunsetT]

7 hours ago, Oligabba said:

I have similar thoughts. Without wanting to be too condescending or negative I'd recommend Japanese control of operations and maintenance for a few years.  

There will probably be driverless trains by the time it is finished.

[amdy2206]

I would NEVER trust a Thai built bullet train. Thai trains at 50km/p/h are bad enough, but imagine a 300km/p/h travelling through the Thai countryside. Vendors selling rice and water etc! It really is scary.

[NeoDinosaw]

11 hours ago, Jeremy50 said:

 Isn't taking the night train at a leisurely pace really rather nice?

 

I remember taking to overnight sleeper from Chiang Mai to BKK back in the 70's.  Most relaxing, especially in the restaurant car immediately behind the engine. Food served on those aluminium trays like we had at school !   It cost as much as the plane ('cos I always went 1st class a/c sleeper)  -  but the only way to travel.  

[Cadbury]

5 hours ago, Dukeleto said:

Ohhh man even if the Japanese were manning it, servicing it and running/controlling it, which they are not apparently, I still wouldnt get on one in Thailand. Unless the track is completely elevated the entire distance, which would be the only sensible option, it will end up having an accident from something or someone obstructing it. I wish them luck and every success with it but I think it is a bridge too far for Thailand just yet. I hope I am proved very very wrong.

Even if track was elevated and the train was pounding along at 300kmh there would be some Thai driver with an IQ of about 12 on the road running parallel underneath who would try to overtake it just to prove a point. Tragic unintended consequences would result.

[ratcatcher]

3 hours ago, wolf81 said:

From what I understand it's a problem with the taxi drivers (especially if the train would connect with Suvanabuhmi). They will lose lots of business, so this is why they might prefer to stop progress. 

The Airport Rail Link already connects with Payathai to Swampy. All they need to do is build a  at the airport and they could run FAST trains all the way from Makkasan to Sattahip. They could also run from Swampy to Pattaya and beyond.It's relatively easy to do but the ARL is elevated for its length, so no traffic, no pedestrians. Perhaps someone on here can justify another HS track to the airport area?.

[steven100]

15 hours ago, bskerr2 said:

Perfect, trains are a very good means of transport. Compared to the shit we have to use in the West and the lack of government investment in the west I think just like the BTS and MRT its only going to benefit the country for years to come. I am a train fan, so I am biased but its a lot less hassle to take a train than a plane, even if the cost was the same. It will also allow much better movement of people than using outdated transport such as vans and buses and open up a lot more business. 

 

I have taken the train between Chiang Mai and BKK a number of times, its a nice view but that old system is dated and showing its age. If there was a high speed train I would be taking it over the plane any day. It will also drive tourism into the smaller towns and areas close to the jump off points and benefit more people in the countryside.

 

 

Well said .....   totally agree,   but as usual anything Thailand tries to do you'll always get the TV farang nayers on board.

There's no pleasing some folks, I don't know why they bother to live here.

Anyway, the train will be great for train travellers and it'll be great for creating jobs both in construction and long term.

This government has done the right thing here and it's good to see them fast track infrustructure projects like this one.

[steven100]

14 hours ago, Cadbury said:

As someone else pointed out fences mean nothing to Thais. Fences are just temporary inconvenient obstacles. There are lots of other things that would make Thailand a better place. A truly democratic election would be one of them.

But that's got about as much chance of happening as the high speed train has of ever being completed. However I applaud your upbeat enthusiasm.

There you go again Cadbury ..... bla ... bla ....bla ..

I'm sorry that you have to endure Thailand and it's people everyday in such a negative way.

You shouldn't have to feel so bad about everything, you can seek help from specialist.

Infrustructure is good, it creates work opportunities in many areas both short and long term.

Have you seriously considered living anywhere else other than Thailand ..... Spain ?  South America ? Panama ?

There are alot of great places out there that you might like... life is too short to waste it on constant negativity.

This is Thailand ... the Junta are here to stay whether you like it or not.  Just move and enjoy your great life

WE LOVE THAILAND AND WE LOVE NEW PROJECTS   ..... 

[Cadbury]

 

4 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Well said .....   totally agree,   but as usual anything Thailand tries to do you'll always get the TV farang nayers on board.

There's no pleasing some folks, I don't know why they bother to live here.

Anyway, the train will be great for train travellers and it'll be great for creating jobs both in construction and long term.

This government has done the right thing here and it's good to see them fast track infrustructure projects like this one.

Good to see you up and about early Steven. Yes fast track the fast train what a beaut idea. And long term employment, that's for sure.

The first leg from Bangkok to Phitsanulok is 384 km long and they estimate it will be up and running in about 10 years time.

I have been watching progress on the BTS line extension from Mot Chit to the Royal Air Force Academy near Don Mueang airport. I am guessing that would be about 10 km long and they have been working on it now for about 2 years. 

I am also guessing it is about half built so by the time it is completed it will have taken 4 years. 

So based on the fact it takes 4 years to build a slow speed BTS 10 km train line it is therefore taking on average 1 year to build 2.5 km. 

At the same rate of progress the Bangkok to Phitsanulok  384 km section should be completed in 154 years time or the year 2171. 

But wait there's more. Another 285 km to go to get to Chiang Mai. Add another 114 years until the year 2285.

Get your tickets early Steven to beat the rush and avoid the long queues.

[NCFC]

How will the train cross the sea to Japan?

[bheard]

"He said that the Shinkansen (bullet train) service would be a model of time keeping and safety."
It's Thailand right? Oh, ok, thought he was being serious for a moment. . .

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[Ricardo]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

Well said .....   totally agree,   but as usual anything Thailand tries to do you'll always get the TV farang nayers on board.

There's no pleasing some folks, I don't know why they bother to live here.

Anyway, the train will be great for train travellers and it'll be great for creating jobs both in construction and long term.

This government has done the right thing here and it's good to see them fast track infrustructure projects like this one.

 

 steven, while I applaud your regularly-demonstrated committed enthusiasm, I wonder whether you support all such projects on principle, or would rather wish the country's limited-resources to be spent first on those projects which have the greatest payback, or any real economic-return at all ?

 

I would prefer that scarce capital is directed to where it would do the most good.

 

And I'd want any borrowing which is required (IMO that will be a lot !) to be able to be paid-back by the things it's spent upon.

 

That's should not be viewed as negativity, it's not wrong to want Thailand's resources to be directed where they'll do the most good, it is on-the-contrary positive-thinking ! Many of us have experience of making good/bad business-decisions, in our previous lives, and we don't simply abandon those notions of prudence or sound-judgement just because we now happen to live here.

 

Some new investments make sound sense, others are wasteful and will never recover their costs, a high-speed passenger-only line to Pitsanulok is probably an example of the latter !  Even if it does eventually extend all-the-way to Chiang Mai, I am not convinced that it will be affordable for sufficient passengers to make it pay, compared with the convenience & flexibility of low-cost narrow-bodied air-transport.

 

But I look forward to your proving otherwise ?

 

 

[johnno2]

work on this project will start after the high speed train to hua hin is completed, it was due to start in 2012 and still hasn't started

2019? sure

[metisdead]

An off topic trolling post has been removed. 

[madusa]

14 hours ago, NeoDinosaw said:

I remember taking to overnight sleeper from Chiang Mai to BKK back in the 70's.  Most relaxing, especially in the restaurant car immediately behind the engine. Food served on those aluminium trays like we had at school !   It cost as much as the plane ('cos I always went 1st class a/c sleeper)  -  but the only way to travel.  

How much did you pay exactly? I don't remember it costs as much as a plane ticket though.  If I have a woman with me I will take the first class night train, well, a good woman not just any woman.

[madusa]

4 hours ago, NCFC said:

How will the train cross the sea to Japan?

Under sea tunnel of course, haven't you heard the japanese are good at digging tunnels?

[madusa]

14 hours ago, amdy2206 said:

I would NEVER trust a Thai built bullet train. Thai trains at 50km/p/h are bad enough, but imagine a 300km/p/h travelling through the Thai countryside. Vendors selling rice and water etc! It really is scary.

Yes it's scary indeed. I hate it when they have "Katoey" or transgender as air hostess serving in the domestic flights. You know women with no real sperm receptacle, a noo, no, for me. So what do I do? Quit travel long distance inside Thailand?