Thailand puts high-speed rail project on track with land pledge

MARIMI KISHIMOTO, Nikkei staff writer

 

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, center, applauds after signing a contract Oct. 24 for a high-speed rail line connecting three Bangkok-area airports. (Photo by Eri Ishii)

 

BANGKOK -- Thailand finally reached an agreement for construction of a high-speed rail line linking three airports serving Bangkok, after making a unusual pledge to secure all land for the builders in a timely fashion.

 

A consortium led by Charoen Pokphand Group, Thailand's biggest conglomerate, signed a contract with the State Railway of Thailand in fall 2019 to build the line linking Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang International and U-Tapao International airports. The route, expected to reduce travel time to one hour, is due to partially open in 2023.

  

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha smiled and clapped at the signing ceremony, where he was next to CP Group CEO Suphachai Chearavanont. But the negotiations that produced the agreement for the 224.5 billion baht ($7.39 billion) project were far less chummy.

 

CP's consortium won an intense competition against BTS Group Holdings, an urban railway operator, for the priority right to negotiate with the SRT. But a final deal was postponed repeatedly.

 

Full story: https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Transportation/Thailand-puts-high-speed-rail-project-on-track-with-land-pledge

 

Nikkei: 2020-01-19

 

It will never get built and the taxpayer will end up coughing up obscene sums in damages for non delivery of land. CP will get what they always wanted which is the 100 rai or so around Makkasan for commercial development. No one will be held to account as they all scurry of with millioms in their pockets... mark my words..

 

High Speed Rail is a massive sinkhole for money unless it connects cities of more than 5 million people who commute to the others.  Airports don't fit in this description.

The citizens of Thailand will suffer greatly because this money should be spent on building dams and reservoirs to control the annual droughts and floods.

Unfortunately, the average Thai citizen doesn't matter.

Money would be better spent upgrading the existing train system into the 20th century

Certainly there is no history of land access being managed properly to allow timely railway construction, too many vested interests and lack of willingness to use compulsory purchase where pooyais are involved. 
 

Let’s see what the military, not commercially, based Government can do this time.

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

after making a unusual pledge to secure all land for the builders in a timely fashion.

That statement right there is a "beware" statement. No wonder after the highly publicized show yesterday of police and military joined in unison for the first time ever on a parade field, and the show of the new and old new toys they have acquired, I don't reckon anyone gonna say no you can't have my property. Just wish they get more than full market value for the acquisition. BTW, those new armored carriers in the parade look pretty nice and packed with fire power. Wonder how they will eventually use them since they never have wars.

18 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Money would be better spent upgrading the existing train system into the 20th century

And even then its at least 20 years behind, as we now live already in the 21st!

Last train we got was an 'express' which took 11 hours to do 300 kilometers, stopped at every station to fill up with vendors selling the same stuff as the previous stop 30 minutes before. Window would not close, good thing it was not the rainy season, and as the last carriage it was just open at the back onto the tracks with a bit of string across it. Don't expect the 21st for a long time.

There you go, all that was needed was a promise, one among many, and all will be well.

 

Pretty easy this prime minister sh|t isn't it?

1 hour ago, Is this real said:

The citizens of Thailand will suffer greatly because this money should be spent on building dams and reservoirs to control the annual droughts and floods.

Unfortunately, the average Thai citizen doesn't matter.

I think you have a point, more good at the moment from a decent water infrastructure

Met some Chinese people whose only cheap flight options from their cities into Thailand were through the junta airport in Rayong.  Guessing that will be the rub and the need for the train.  

 

You can find out a lot when you talk to Chinese people.  

  My goodness this is STILL dragging on?  I thought this was all sewn up months ago.  I imagine in a few more months we'll have yet another news item saying much the same thing as this one.  Construction is planned to start soon.  Real soon.  Just you wait.  It's going to start.  Any day now.  Just a few more things to finalize.  Very minor.  Get ready because high speed is coming!  Soon.  Maybe.  Talk, talk, talk.  Nothing but talk. 

2 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

Certainly there is no history of land access being managed properly to allow timely railway construction, too many vested interests and lack of willingness to use compulsory purchase where pooyais are involved. 
 

Let’s see what the military, not commercially, based Government can do this time.

what makes you think the current government isn't commercially based?

Well at least the dual track project seems to be going well.  At least on the southern line.

The boys have just won the Lotterie here, I bet the Merc agent in Bangkok is rubbing his hands here 

May I know which country benefits from this linking of the 3 airports?

 

Never heard of U-Tapao airport, what's the difference betwen this and the rest?

Rewards for the sponsors.

38 minutes ago, EricTh said:

U-Tapao airport, what's the difference betwen this and the rest?

U-Tapao is deemed as the Pattaya airport..its owned by the military same as the rest.

7 minutes ago, johng said:

U-Tapao is deemed as the Pattaya airport..its owned by the military same as the rest.

That's not even in greater Bangkok, why would they want to connect it with Don Mueng and Suvarbumi

my mia Noi owns land right on the path of the projected new rail route  to u tapao she expects a big payday and is busy planting durian trees all over the land  as evry crop and plant on the land adds  1k baht to the price ,, so far she reckon land is worth 2.2m and the crops another 1.4m  for compensation ,, her total cost is actually 410k ,, all the locals near utapao are very clued up on the regulations

5 minutes ago, liddelljohn said:

my mia Noi owns land right on the path of the projected new rail route  to u tapao she expects a big payday and is busy planting durian trees all over the land  as evry crop and plant on the land adds  1k baht to the price ,, so far she reckon land is worth 2.2m and the crops another 1.4m  for compensation ,, her total cost is actually 410k ,, all the locals near utapao are very clued up on the regulations

Keep us posted.

I will be dead in about 15 years so will have no clue what happened.

2 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

what makes you think the current government isn't commercially based?

Because they don't have a commercial as in economic or business education. 

"after making a unusual pledge to secure all land for the builders in a timely fashion."

How is this to be understood? The government buys the land for CP with what kind of money (actually it is our taxpayers funds)? And how is CP putting its little fingers onto those land plots? Will it be a governmental joint-venture with CP whereby the government chips in the land? Just wondering ..... 

I'm asking more as some might remember Banharn Silpa-Archa's daughter sold off a plot of land to the Ministry of Finance's mint which she had acquired earlier on at a considerably cheaper price. It was co-incidential, that her father was PM at that time - luck just stroke then BIG time! 

12 minutes ago, Andycoops said:

Because they don't have a commercial as in economic or business education. 

i was thinking 'commercial' in using offices and favors to make a buck.

Trade war winding down—-but Baht still rising.  Yeah right, high speed train is the right solution now....not.

If you've bought land on the train route clap your hands, If you've bought land on the train route clap your hands, If you've bought land on the train route, land on the train route, land on the train route clap your hands !!!

Another nice deal for the military bootlickers with U - Tapao. Of course none of this money will be invested in trying to solve the annual floods, droughts and now pollution.

 

I just can't see the value in this project apart from the people who are landing in BKK or DMK and then travelling to P Town. Is there really such a huge demand to link these airports together? 

7 hours ago, asanee said:

And even then its at least 20 years behind, as we now live already in the 21st!

20 years! Your having a laugh. Have you travelled on a train in Thailand and I don't mean sky train or subway, I mean the trains that take 12+ hours to go 800km. Having used them many times I would say more like 50/60 years out of date. 40 years ago I remember using British Rail going home on leave and the trains then were far more modern than Thai. Note: I do like travelling by Thai train as feel safe in 1st class (stopped using second class when someone tried to cut my wallet out of my pocket while sleeping). 

3 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

"after making a unusual pledge to secure all land for the builders in a timely fashion."

How is this to be understood? The government buys the land for CP with what kind of money (actually it is our taxpayers funds)? And how is CP putting its little fingers onto those land plots? Will it be a governmental joint-venture with CP whereby the government chips in the land? Just wondering ..... 

I'm asking more as some might remember Banharn Silpa-Archa's daughter sold off a plot of land to the Ministry of Finance's mint which she had acquired earlier on at a considerably cheaper price. It was co-incidential, that her father was PM at that time - luck just stroke then BIG time! 

Bangkok post had a article i think last year,the government buys the land,who ever wins the bid(CP has now won this)pays to build and maintain and run the railway,after 50 years(its like a lease)the government gets back all rights to the railway,so in effect the government only pays for building the land,but I'm sure there will be government loans at cut rates for parts of the infrastructure.

I guess time will tell how it all goes.

9 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Money would be better spent upgrading the existing train system into the 20th century

what train system ????!!!