Thailand's richest man, 12 others to build $6.8 billion high-speed rail

[impulse]

2 hours ago, Traubert said:

It very likely will stop at Pattaya. The Chinese HST stops en route between major cities and still reduced travelling time by 66%. U-Tapao to Pattaya, 15 minutes. Cushty.

 

I wonder what they'll charge?

 

Do you recall the ARL?  The Express line part?  That's the zoomy part that get everyone excited about the project and gets the funding approved.  And when all was said and done, it's a commuter line with no express service at all. 

 

But it did increase the value of the real estate all along the line for those prescient enough to see the cards...  And as soon as they get the condos thick enough, the malls will go in.

 

I'm forecasting the same for the High Speed Line down the Eastern corridor.  Gotta have some way of getting low cost labor to all those tech businesses they're proposing in the area.  They certainly don't want to have to pay most of them enough to buy cars.

 

[Traubert]

3 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

I'm forecasting the same for the High Speed Line down the Eastern corridor.

 

Only five years to wait. ????

[greeneking]

27 minutes ago, greeneking said:

'Thailand's richest man, 12 others to build $6.8 billion high-speed rail'

So, they will personally lose money if it is not profitable?  They won't?  Why not?

If the richest man is worried it will not make a profit why should the taxpayers of Thailand be his backup insurance?

ha ha ha.....new here are you?

[josephbloggs]

2 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Do you recall the ARL?  The Express line part?  That's the zoomy part that get everyone excited about the project and gets the funding approved.  And when all was said and done, it's a commuter line with no express service at all. 

 

But it did increase the value of the real estate all along the line for those prescient enough to see the cards...  And as soon as they get the condos thick enough, the malls will go in.

The express line had absolutely nothing to do with land prices along that route.  It went from point A to point B and touched nothing inbetween.

 

The City LIne has helped with land prices along the route as it provides a useful link into the city for communities near stations.

 

There are no malls along the route so not sure what you are talking about there.

 

 

[gk10002000]

5 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

That should keep the trough nicely topped up with swill ...

Yeah, this just sounds like it will be a long term pay out (at least as long as the junta is in control).  No fast train is needed.  Just one or two more well laid out rail lines, some car and track upgrades, etc. Every country has these high speed rail ideas.  60 or 90 miles/hour is plenty fast for a direct journey without too many stops.  With internet and wifi, the time of the journey is no where as big a factor as it was 50 years ago.  People can be in contact with their businesses while physically traveling.

[gk10002000]

3 hours ago, scorecard said:

Elite don't travel by train slow and fast.

I have always wanted to take a Helicopter from BKK down to Pattaya and land on one of those heliports I see towards Pratumnak hill.  Just seemed like it would be fun.  Then sanity returned and I looked at how much I can buy with that money in Pattaya on vacation and I took the 139Baht bus from BKK to Pattaya, sometimes splurging on Bell Bus and its door to door mini van drop off.

[DrTuner]

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

Trains in the UK are comparable to this.  Virgin from Euston to Liverpool Lime Street goes a similar speed (200-220 kmph) and is about 250km.  It stops several times along the way.  Why can't this one?  Why does stopping at stations (a train's raison d'etre) make it a low speed train???

It's called average speed. We used to do calculations in primary school like if a train travels at 250km/h for 250km, how long does it take. Now add 20min more for decelaration/acceleration for one extra stop and 20min to dis/embark more passengers (likely 1h as TiT). What's the average speed? It ain't "high speed". That's just a buzzword for fools. 

[fforest1]

If they think that masses of Thais are going to submit to being factory farm slaves in the new EEC factory farm they had better think again..Thailands not China......So a high speed train will not really be needed....

[fforest1]

Also it took them 4 years to build Pattayas 2 mile underpass...And the high speed train is how many miles?......

Lets just say its going to take waaaaaay longer than 5 years to build...

[justin case]

why not a high speed train to pattaya, for a quick in & out

[30la]

What is the point of investing such a sum to connect three airports? There are certainly more important and useful projects for the Thai people.

[josephbloggs]

38 minutes ago, 30la said:

What is the point of investing such a sum to connect three airports? There are certainly more important and useful projects for the Thai people.

Its primary purpose is not to link the airports.  It's primary purpose is to serve the EEC and to link provide a quick and efficient link to Bangkok.

 

Being able to ferry aging Russian sexpats from U Tapao to Pattaya makes sense though, as does having a link between DMK and BKK.  If you are going to build a line out along the EEC then of course it makes sense to continue to the airport - people would be screaming about their stupidity on here if they didn't.

 

It makes a lot more sense building a quick train along here than building one to Nakhon Ratchasima if you ask me. 

[Fred31]

14 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

That should keep the trough nicely topped up with swill ...

Like in your country....you guys know all about it

[monkeycu]

12 hours ago, scorecard said:

Elite don't travel by train slow and fast.

I was referring to the elite tourists who think Pattaya is heaven

[chang1]

9 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

It is not for people wanting to travel from U Tapao to Don Mueang is it. No-one is going to get a flight from one and transit to the other.  That's not the point of it.  That's pretty obvious isn't it?  

 

It is a railway serving the EEC and connecting it to Bangkok.  There is a massive EEC development plan under way and this is a major component of it.

 

You really think it's being built to transfer passengers from Suvarnaphumi to U Tapao?  

"You really think it's being built to transfer passengers from Suvarnaphumi to U Tapao?"

It is a passenger train with stations at Swampy and U Tapao - what else can it do?

But seriously, on such a short distance, a decent modern normal train will do if it doesn't stop anywhere else. The time difference will be not worth the expense and can also be used for freight. Have extra trains so there is less waiting. 

[Estrada]

14 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Why would anyone want to get a train from Swampy/Don Muang, to U-Tapau?

Just the same as we do in any other country. Such as Heathrow to Gatwick. There will be many flights to and from U-Tapao. I will take it. Great for a day trip.

 

[Estrada]

Decent modern trains are all they are providing with top speeds that were standard 50 years ago. These are not bullet trains but they are pretending they are very High Speed 

[scorecard]

12 minutes ago, monkeycu said:

I was referring to the elite tourists who think Pattaya is heaven

Gotcha.

[wgdanson]

24 minutes ago, Estrada said:

Just the same as we do in any other country. Such as Heathrow to Gatwick. There will be many flights to and from U-Tapao. I will take it. Great for a day trip.

 

A day trip to U Tapao. I cannot think of anything more exciting.  LOL

[josephbloggs]

28 minutes ago, Estrada said:

Decent modern trains are all they are providing with top speeds that were standard 50 years ago. These are not bullet trains but they are pretending they are very High Speed 

Who's pretending what?

 

They quite clearly state it is 250km/h, they are not claiming it goes faster.  Yes, there are faster trains in the world but 250km/h does classify it as high speed rail, especially in a country that's used to train speeds of around 60km/h.

[NoBrainer]

How does the Cabinet operate now, when it comes to approving these mega-infrastructure projects?

 

I thought that many of them had already resigned to become senators, or did they only tender a resignation for some future date?

[geoffbezoz]

15 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Why would anyone want to get a train from Swampy/Don Muang, to U-Tapau?

That is an irrelevant point from a Junta's point of view surely ? Isn't the main issue here is how 30 to 40 % of 68 billion is going to go in their supporters and Elites already full  pockets rather than something that is of use to the Nation as a whole  ?

[jimmyyy]

And the taxi mafia is going to be happy when all of there customers take the train to pattaya verses a taxi.  Dont know how safe that train will be.  

[RJRS1301]

15 hours ago, Samuel Smith said:

And the rich get richer!  Why high speed on such short distances?

Time, efficiency and tourism come to mind

[josephbloggs]

2 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

And the taxi mafia is going to be happy when all of there customers take the train to pattaya verses a taxi.  Dont know how safe that train will be.  

Oh my God you're right!! The taxi drivers will probably blow up the train just like they blew up all the busses and coaches that go from suvarnabhumi to Pattaya and everywhere else, just like they blew up the new electric taxis, passenger vans and AOT limousines. 

 

No doubt I've just been lucky that the ARL hasn't exploded yet but that attack is probably imminent too. Think I'd better find a different way of getting to work before the taxi drivers come! Thanks for the warning! 

[Chang_paarp]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

The proposal will be sent for cabinet approval on May 28, EEC Secretary-General Kanit Sangsubhan told reporters.

 

How convenient, just before the new elected ( ???? ) government takes over.

 

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The EEC project, worth $45 billion, is the centerpiece of the government’s policy to boost investments in hi-tech industrials, as it transitions from those reliant on cheap labor.

 

However during this magical transition, who is going to build the railway? Expect all sorts of concessions for imported labour.

[Assurancetourix]

13 hours ago, steven100 said:

This is great news for Thailand and Bangkok specifically.

Khun Prayut Chan O Cha continues to create infrastructure and create jobs.

Farangs just want to whinge about anything and everything, for god sake get a life and stop complaining.... lol

 

  It's better to read that rather than be blind ;

We have already read a similar article last year ...( 2008 february 27 )

link in french

 

https://www.thailande-fr.com/actu/60723-projet-de-tgv-reliant-don-mueang-suvarnabhumi-u-tapao-approuve-gouvernement 

[watcharacters]

15 hours ago, GaryAdriaenssens said:

These people throw away money like water instead of creating more responsible social programs for the needy and poor in Thailand. Some Thais such as construction workers will benefit due to the creation of jobs but that would be only temporarily of course. What a waste.

 

Let's see.     What did that once soon to be headless queen say about the poor outside the palace walls?

 

 

[TMNH]

Any attempts to curb congestion should be welcomed...and if the fares are in line to the average Thai's income, then why would one not welcome this alternative? It does not matter where the route is, what matters is that it affords a "reasonable' means of transportation without the obvious risks of vehicles that cause daily deaths. Less pollution due to less vehicles emitting cumulative exhaust...less extortion of taxi drivers...less safety risks due to careless drivers.

 

Other cities utilize the same for different reasons....the best case study is Singapore where they put an added price (a big one as well as a lottery to be able to even own a car) on vehicle ownership. Why? Because they realize congestion if they allowed vehicles as well as added pollutants if not for the restrictions. Common sense to me...and of course the infamous taxis would oppose any alternative means of transportation. Either you conform to non-third world country thinking, or you will fall by the way side. A country that depends on tuk tuks (just like India), grifter taxis, and inefficient buses will eventually fail in many ways. A speedy alternative (as proposed) will not only afford the average Thai the opportunity to travel within their means, but allow more disposable income due to lower costs of transportation.

 

And to any Thai taxi proponents (I'd like to think that you're merely attempting to make a living, but when you refuse to engage your meter? F..k you). You either are a proponent of "good" change for the general population, OR you're too ignorant or greedy to even understand:)

[Srikcir]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

CP is headed by Thailand’s richest man, Dhanin Chearavanont

While he is Thailand's publicly-known richest man, he is not Thailand's richest man.