Bangkok to Pattaya tourist promotion train hailed as success - but where are the foreign tourists?

[webfact]

Bangkok to Pattaya tourist promotion train hailed as success - but where are the foreign tourists?

 

Picture: Pattaya News

 

State Railway and Pattaya authorities were hailing the inaugural weekend special train to the resort as a massive boon for tourism.

 

But conspicuous by their absence were any pictures of foreign tourists.

 

On hand to meet the air-conditioned "Sprinter" that had left Bangkok at 6.45am was local authority spokesman Pinit Maneerat and his entourage of tourism officials.

 

The hullabaloo welcoming party even included a singer.

 

On the train was the deputy chief of the State Railways Thanongsak Pongprasert.

 

There were lots of Thais on the packed train. But when you might have expected this to be a great photo opportunity to publish pictures of smiling western tourists there appeared to be none.

 

The service will run every Saturday and Sunday for about six months.

 

Pinit said it was a boon for tourism and explained that tickets could be used for discounts at tourist attractions in places like Pattaya and Sri Racha.

 

Pattaya News reported that the three carriage train with 64 seats per carriage was fully booked until near the end of March.

 

Thaivisa would be delighted to hear from any foreign tourists who might have been on the train.

 

Source: Pattaya News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-03-19

[johng]

Domestic Thai Tourists ?
the foreigners probably have no idea the service even exists.

[SkyNets]

They probably didn't think that an air conditioned train was that revolutionary.

[Lamkyong]

am i surprised at the lack of tourists?? NO   what with the latest/ongoing  reports of   poor conditions of

filth on beaches/muggings/theft/traffic accidents/general ripoffs  etc etc

it is no wonder  that any sensible  quality tourists would  see this as a useful /convenient mode of transport  to what seems to be a hell hole   well yes we all know  what Pattaya is really  good for  

but i dont think this needs a dedicated  train service

[simoh1490]

2 minutes ago, Lamkyong said:

am i surprised at the lack of tourists?? NO   what with the latest/ongoing  reports of   poor conditions of

filth on beaches/muggings/theft/traffic accidents/general ripoffs  etc etc

it is no wonder  that any sensible  quality tourists would  see this as a useful /convenient mode of transport  to what seems to be a hell hole   well yes we all know  what Pattaya is really  good for  

but i dont think this needs a dedicated  train service

Er, it's low season, duh!

[Lamkyong]

13 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Er, it's low season, duh!

i suggest you forward your comments to  the TV department  that posted the original comment  as for

your theory   to the lack of tourists  no matter what the season my post/stands

[JSixpack]

27 minutes ago, Lamkyong said:

am i surprised at the lack of tourists?? NO   what with the latest/ongoing  reports of   poor conditions of

filth on beaches/muggings/theft/traffic accidents/general ripoffs  etc etc

it is no wonder  that any sensible  quality tourists would  see this as a useful /convenient mode of transport  to what seems to be a hell hole   well yes we all know  what Pattaya is really  good for  

but i dont think this needs a dedicated  train service

 

Here's the cheese, man:

 

 

Anything new to add?

[ezflip]

45 minutes ago, webfact said:

that had left Bangkok at 6.45am

Maybe this is why no foreign tourist took the train... Why would a tourist wake up at 5:30-6:00am for a train when they are on vacation? Offer the same deal for a 11:00am schedule and they might be tempted.

[lovelomsak]

I thought of using it till I read where it only does it on saturday and sunday. plus I had no option when to use it. Goes once a day returns once a day. If they want tourists to use it run it all week and at 2 or three different times a day.

  The fact it runs on weekends makes it best for domestic trips .Thai's can now go down for the day or weekend.

[BigBadGeordie]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Pattaya News reported that the three carriage train with 64 seats per carriage was fully booked until near the end of March.

There are 2 Saturdays and 1 Sunday till the end of March. So that is 3 trains down and 3 trains up. 3 carriages x 64 passengers x 6 journies.

 

Pffft.

 

Looks like the SRT Billions of Baht overspend has been resolved.

[bkk6060]

31 minutes ago, Lamkyong said:

am i surprised at the lack of tourists?? NO   what with the latest/ongoing  reports of   poor conditions of

filth on beaches/muggings/theft/traffic accidents/general ripoffs  etc etc

it is no wonder  that any sensible  quality tourists would  see this as a useful /convenient mode of transport  to what seems to be a hell hole   well yes we all know  what Pattaya is really  good for  

but i dont think this needs a dedicated  train service

It is due to lack of putting out the information and has nothing to do with your hate filled post.

[Lamkyong]

1 minute ago, bkk6060 said:

It is due to lack of putting out the information and has nothing to do with your hate filled post.

 hate filled post.   ??please dont get over dramatic about it   you make it sound like none of the mentioned doesn't happen on a daily basis

[AsiaCheese]

6:45 a.m. - yes, perfect time to start a trip from BKK. And whereas in lots of countries I can think of, the train station is conveniently central, you get dumped a long way out, at Siam Country Club Rd., and are then at the mercy of baht taxi "friendlies". The same goes for the trains subsequent stops "in Pattaya".

 

Okay, I get it: public transport was never an issue in Pattaya, and building a central train station today would be pretty much impossible. But hey, nice try to utilize the freight train to Cambodia tracks for a PR stunt.

[essox essox]

how can IT BE A SUCCESS when the whole idea of this service was to provide transport for TOURISTS ....NOT THAIS !!

[johng]

There's plenty of Thai Tourists that descend from BKK every weekend...clogging up the roads
The train should run every couple of hours say from 6am -7pm each way every day...then it would start to be a viable alternative to mini bus or bringing their cars.

[essox essox]

1 minute ago, johng said:

There's plenty of Thai Tourists that descend from BKK every weekend...clogging up the roads
The train should run every couple of hours say from 6am -7pm each way every day...then it would start to be a viable alternative to mini bus or bringing their cars.

what about all the buses that arrive at bus station every 30 mins to one hour daily???

[johng]

Yes what about them ?

[champers]

1 hour ago, ezflip said:

Maybe this is why no foreign tourist took the train... Why would a tourist wake up at 5:30-6:00am for a train when they are on vacation? Offer the same deal for a 11:00am schedule and they might be tempted.

Spot on; I'm just getting in at that time.

[alex8912]

1 hour ago, ezflip said:

Maybe this is why no foreign tourist took the train... Why would a tourist wake up at 5:30-6:00am for a train when they are on vacation? Offer the same deal for a 11:00am schedule and they might be tempted.

And then when you get to your hotel you can check in right away! 

With the current train you would have to sleep in the lobby several hours. Very stupid time table imo. 

[uffe123]

If they would upgrade the cattle cars, people might just take the train. 

[anon789561]

i think it's fairly obvious that it's aimed predominantly at thai weekend tourists and day trippers and not foreigners

[Henrik Andersen]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya News reported that the three carriage train with 64 seats per carriage was fully booked until near the end of March.

 

 

Meaby that's why no tourists Thai people can book in advance same with long distance busses tourists can't wake up Thailand 

[RichardColeman]

3 hours ago, ezflip said:

Maybe this is why no foreign tourist took the train... Why would a tourist wake up at 5:30-6:00am for a train when they are on vacation? Offer the same deal for a 11:00am schedule and they might be tempted.

And if they did,  would their girl for the night accept a discount ? 

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, johng said:

Domestic Thai Tourists ?
the foreigners probably have no idea the service even exists.

Thais who file income tax returns can write off the entire trip including hotel (up to Bt15,000?).

Foreigners obviously don't get a tax break.

[lamyai3]

4 hours ago, ezflip said:

Maybe this is why no foreign tourist took the train... Why would a tourist wake up at 5:30-6:00am for a train when they are on vacation? Offer the same deal for a 11:00am schedule and they might be tempted.

I for one won't be hurtling down to Hualamphong at that time of day, hoping to get a seat on the Sphincter. 

[natway09]

If SRT had any brains there would have been 2 trains a day  20 years ago with feeder

mini buses available at least at the Pattaya end

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, alex8912 said:

And then when you get to your hotel you can check in right away! 

With the current train you would have to sleep in the lobby several hours. Very stupid time table imo. 

That means thinking ahead, which isn't something the Thais do.  But it does underline that this service is clearly aimed at Thai tourists, of which there are many, and it would not seem strange to them to get up before dawn for a jaunt to the seaside. They'll nap on the train and probably when they arrive too, and then get the train back the same day. us. No hotel involved. Meanwhile, instead of taking the one train a day that dumps you in no-mans land, foreigners will continue to take the far more frequent and very convenient bus.

 

And this. They are claiming that the train is already booked up for the rest of this month. Do you think it might then have occurred to them that that might mean they need to run more than one train a day? Nah. That's joined up thinking, also something the Thais don't do.

[tryasimight]

5 hours ago, essox essox said:

how can IT BE A SUCCESS when the whole idea of this service was to provide transport for TOURISTS ....NOT THAIS !!

The Thais were tourists.

[overherebc]

5 hours ago, johng said:

There's plenty of Thai Tourists that descend from BKK every weekend...clogging up the roads
The train should run every couple of hours say from 6am -7pm each way every day...then it would start to be a viable alternative to mini bus or bringing their cars.

Lose face by travelling in the company of people who don't own a car and leave your car at home where no-one can see it ????

Especially if your car has a red plate.!!!!!

[balo]

Ehhhh, maybe they should inform foreigners first that this new line exist ? I have not seen it mentioned in any English news , including BKK Post. Now that I know about it , I wonder if I could take this train from Pattaya one way ? Instead of the bus .