Pheu Thai take swipe at Prayuth for lagging behind Laos in development of High Speed Rail

[webfact]

Picture: Sanook

 

Comparing Thailand unfavorable to its impoverished neighbor Laos always gets a rise out of the Thai population.

 

This is exactly what the opposition Pheu Thai party did after the opening of the China - Laos high speed rail system .

 

The line is 1,035 kilometers long and 414 kms of that is within Laos. 

 

Nong Khai MP Krissada Tantherdthit, who heads an economic committee, said that it only took 5 years to complete after being started in 2016.

 

In the last 2 years Thailand has only managed to complete 3.5 kilometers of line, he claimed.

 

He blamed Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha's government for being hopelessly slow and said that if it had been Laos Thailand would already have had high speed rail by now.

 

He called this a great shame for the nation, reported Sanook who went with a picture of a swanky new train and the caption "Thailand lagging behind Laos".

 

He said that Prayuth couldn't blame the Pheu Thai government of previous premier Yingluck Shinawatra.

 

This was a missed opportunity for Thailand and also a missed opportunity for Malaysia who, were it not for the stalling of Thailand's government, would be enjoying a high speed rail link to Thailand by now. 

 

ASEAN NOW notes that the main high speed rail projects in place at the moment area Bangkok to Nong Khai and the three airport rail link from Don Muang to U-Tapao on Rayong via Suvarnabhumi. 

 

Both have been beset by delays.

 

Other developments to improve Thailand's antiquated rail network include a dual track connection to Hua Hin from Bangkok.

 

Government rhetoric in recent weeks - especially that from the transport minister Saksayam Chidchob - has been that Thailand is pressing ahead with rail development.

 

But critics point to foot dragging to make these dreams a reality.

 

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[ourmanflint]

Just another 10 years before work starts. No problem

[trainman34014]

No worries; Yingluck said the HST from BKK to CNX would be up and running by 2016 and even designed the Lunch Boxes.   I'm still waiting for someone to tell me where to book tickets to get my 'in flight' Bento Box !

[josephbloggs]

.....as opposed to the PT party who accomplished essentially nothing whilst in power other than trying to pass resolutions to get Thaksin pardoned. 

 

Why does anyone care what this guy has to say exactly? 

[smutcakes]

8 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

.....as opposed to the PT party who accomplished essentially nothing whilst in power other than trying to pass resolutions to get Thaksin pardoned. 

 

Why does anyone care what this guy has to say exactly? 

Whilst they were pathetic they did spend 99% of their time fighting the courts, military, media and other agitators to try and not get disbanded or fall foul of some other concocted misdemeanor. Pretty understandable given what had happened to their previous incarnations and affiliates.

[it is what it is]

 

In the last 2 years Thailand has only managed to complete 3.5 kilometers of line, he claimed.

 

amazing what a bit of OT can achieve...

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Government rhetoric in recent weeks - especially that from the transport minister Saksayam Chidchob - has been that Thailand is pressing ahead with rail development.

Rather than "pressing" make that depressing rail development.

[fvw53]

All the time saved by the High Speed of the Train will be lost at the border check with Laos and then with China ....or can we expect that communist regimes will let this HST with 1000 pax or more enter without detailed passport and luggage check?

[zzaa09]

You know you're in the bottom of the heap when the lowly Lao whisk right by ya. ????

 

[newnative]

Slow with everything.  Just endless talk and endless committees. 

[Almer]

So if one wanted can you go HST from Nong Khai to China? If you wanted to of course

[Almer]

29 minutes ago, newnative said:

Slow with everything.  Just endless talk and endless committees. 

But is the cost not earmarked already?

[Almer]

3 hours ago, it is what it is said:

 

In the last 2 years Thailand has only managed to complete 3.5 kilometers of line, he claimed.

 

amazing what a bit of OT can achieve...

Is that finished or ground work done

[Albert Zweistein]

High speed rail at max. 160 KM/Hr. ?

[mithunonthenet]

Let's see what he says when Laos is unable to re-pay the Chinese loans.

[Damrongsak]

1 hour ago, Albert Zweistein said:

High speed rail at max. 160 KM/Hr. ?

There were steam locomotives in the late 1930's that could do 160 km/h.  Peak speeds of some were 200 km/h.

[spidermike007]

The fact that Thailand has not completed any high speed rail to date is an abomination. The lack of fast, alternative transportation here, puts Thailand in the league of Papua, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso. 

[Andycoops]

3 hours ago, mithunonthenet said:

Let's see what he says when Laos is unable to re-pay the Chinese loans.

I read a report that said the Lao treasury was already empty just paying off the interest incurred so far.

[Albert Zweistein]

11 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

There were steam locomotives in the late 1930's that could do 160 km/h.  Peak speeds of some were 200 km/h.

That's right but no one called them high speed rail.

[overherebc]

On 12/7/2021 at 3:56 PM, fvw53 said:

All the time saved by the High Speed of the Train will be lost at the border check with Laos and then with China ....or can we expect that communist regimes will let this HST with 1000 pax or more enter without detailed passport and luggage check?

Or even letting people out.

[zzaa09]

14 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The fact that Thailand has not completed any high speed rail to date is an abomination. The lack of fast, alternative transportation here, puts Thailand in the league of Papua, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso. 

Might add a selected highly superior and developed Western nations to that list, as quite a number within this cherished club don't have such high speed rail infrastructures and don't expect to have anytime in the near future. 

 

Beats me all to hell as to why a high speed super rail program has anything to do with a reflective advanced civilization. 

[MrJ2U]

That high speed rail might be the downfall of the Lao government.

 

There debt ratio of 60% and unfavorable terms and interest is going to be a slow and painful death.

 

 

[MrJ2U]

16 hours ago, Albert Zweistein said:

High speed rail at max. 160 KM/Hr. ?

If they built why not do it properly!

 

High speed it it certainly isn't.

[peterpaintpot]

4 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Might add a selected highly superior and developed Western nations to that list, as quite a number within this cherished club don't have such high speed rail infrastructures and don't expect to have anytime in the near future. 

 

Beats me all to hell as to why a high speed super rail program has anything to do with a reflective advanced civilization. 

In the UK the Inter City 125 was first introduced on the Western Region in 1976, it had an operating speed of 125 mph (200 kph). more than one was recorded at speeds around 140 mph (224 kph) Although they no longer on what was the Western Region they are still in use on other tracks in the UK today.

By the time the High Speed Trains are operational in Thailand they will still be approximately at least 50 years behind the UK.

[josephbloggs]

9 hours ago, peterpaintpot said:

In the UK the Inter City 125 was first introduced on the Western Region in 1976, it had an operating speed of 125 mph (200 kph). more than one was recorded at speeds around 140 mph (224 kph) Although they no longer on what was the Western Region they are still in use on other tracks in the UK today.

By the time the High Speed Trains are operational in Thailand they will still be approximately at least 50 years behind the UK.

Not sure why you're holding the UK up as an example (other than a misguided feeling of superiority).  The UK is at least 40 years behind Europe and other advanced nations like Japan, and light years behind China when it comes to rail networks.

The fact that the 125s are still in use is an embarrassment, not something to be proud of.

[jacko45k]

9 hours ago, peterpaintpot said:

By the time the High Speed Trains are operational in Thailand they will still be approximately at least 50 years behind the UK.

Wow, never imagined the UK being used as an example of good rail service.....

Aren't they  50 years behind France and even more behind Japan?

[StayinThailand2much]

Wow, that's gotta sting, being 2nd behind poor Laos, (once more)...