Thai railway eviction saga: Low-income residents face displacement for high-speed project

[webfact]

 

The ongoing tale of the imminent relocation of the Bun Romsai community, along with over 100 other residents residing alongside a railway track in Phaya Thai district, Thailand, continues to unfold. Having called this area home for over two decades, community leader Chao Kerdaree candidly shares insights into the upcoming eviction, which has been instigated by the State Railway of Thailand, the rightful landowner, leaving the community with no alternative but to vacate.

 

One can gain access to the Bun Romsai community along Phetchaburi Soi 5, located approximately 800 metres from Phaya Thai BTS station. The neighbourhood finds itself lying in the path of the projected Don Mueang-Suvarnabhumi-U-Tapao high-speed rail route.

 

The high-speed rail project comes with a hefty sum of 224 billion baht and serves as a key component of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) scheme to link Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi Airport in Samut Prakan and U-Tapao Airport in Rayong. The group leading the consortium, Charoen Pokphand Group, received the contract for construction from SRT in 2019 under the name AERA1.

 

The Transport Ministry boasts expected boosts to economic development and the creation of over 100,000 jobs following the project’s completion in 2029. However, land clearance is required for the project to progress, meaning Bun Romsai, and two other communities dwelling along the Eastern Line railway, home to approximately 300 families in total, are set to be displaced, as directed by the SRT.

 

by Mitch Connor

Top Picture courtesy of Joshua Rawson-Harris, Unsplash

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thai-railway-eviction-saga-low-income-residents-face-displacement-for-high-speed-project

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-07-17

 

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[billd766]

It is all about money.

 

The people currently living there are poor, have no standing, have no influential low friends in high places and are in the way of "progress".

 

They simply don't matter. and are of no consequence to the government or the SRT.

 

They may even have squatters rights, but under the current mob running things they are simply a nuisance, and will have to go.

[Bert got kinky]

19 minutes ago, billd766 said:

It is all about money.

 

The people currently living there are poor, have no standing, have no influential low friends in high places and are in the way of "progress".

 

They simply don't matter. and are of no consequence to the government or the SRT.

 

They may even have squatters rights, but under the current mob running things they are simply a nuisance, and will have to go.

the State Railway of Thailand, the rightful landowner

[hotchilli]

16 hours ago, billd766 said:

It is all about money.

 

The people currently living there are poor, have no standing, have no influential low friends in high places and are in the way of "progress".

 

They simply don't matter. and are of no consequence to the government or the SRT.

 

They may even have squatters rights, but under the current mob running things they are simply a nuisance, and will have to go.

These people are actually squatting on the land abeam the current railway on land which is owned by the state railway.

Due to expansion plans of the rail network they are now being asked to move.

 

[flyingtlger]

Khlong Toei will be getting new residents.....

[thaibeachlovers]

17 hours ago, billd766 said:

It is all about money.

 

The people currently living there are poor, have no standing, have no influential low friends in high places and are in the way of "progress".

 

They simply don't matter. and are of no consequence to the government or the SRT.

 

They may even have squatters rights, but under the current mob running things they are simply a nuisance, and will have to go.

Are you saying that squatters have more right to the land than the legal landowners?

I do feel sorry for them, but if the railway needs the land that belongs to the railway then they do have a right to that land. What happens to the squatters is not the railway's concern, as they are not a housing agency.

Perhaps the squatters should have realised that it was just a temporary place to stay and done something about it many years ago, rather than waiting and hoping things would always stay the same- nothing stays the same forever.

[billd766]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Are you saying that squatters have more right to the land than the legal landowners?

I do feel sorry for them, but if the railway needs the land that belongs to the railway then they do have a right to that land. What happens to the squatters is not the railway's concern, as they are not a housing agency.

Perhaps the squatters should have realised that it was just a temporary place to stay and done something about it many years ago, rather than waiting and hoping things would always stay the same- nothing stays the same forever.

20 years is temporary?

 

Why did the the SRT not ask them to leave at the start, some 20 years ago?

 

After all the SRT have had decades to do so.

[Luuk Chaai]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

20 years is temporary?

 

Why did the the SRT not ask them to leave at the start, some 20 years ago?

 

After all the SRT have had decades to do so.

think of it as the same logic as  escalator maintenance ...... does not apply until it FUBAR

[spidermike007]

Though their plight is sad, but this needs to be done. High speed rail is an absolute necessity, especially in the greater Bangkok metro area. The roads are choked and are only going to get worse. 

 

Next, they need to build high speed rail and cargo nationwide. They have been putting this off for decades and the Thai rail network is deplorable. It is third world, for sure. 

[cracker1]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

20 years is temporary?

 

Why did the the SRT not ask them to leave at the start, some 20 years ago?

 

After all the SRT have had decades to do so.

I think SRT have been very kind in allowing these people to live on their land for 20 years (probably free) and am sure those living there are extremely grateful.

[Tropposurfer]

Of course the humane and community affirming, a sensitive dialogue and building relocation is far too much to contemplate! This would interfere with the out-of-kilter ultra-maximising of profits ????

[bignok]

High speed rail should go Rayong to Hua Hin

[thaibeachlovers]

18 hours ago, billd766 said:

20 years is temporary?

 

Why did the the SRT not ask them to leave at the start, some 20 years ago?

 

After all the SRT have had decades to do so.

Yes, temporary.

 

There are plenty of examples in every country of woods and forests that have existed for centuries being destroyed for mankind's use- why are some squatters of a couple decades of more importance than nature?

 

It's not up to the SRT to prove they have the right to the land over temporary visitors- it's already theirs.

If they allowed the visitors to use the land on a temporary basis that's good for them.

[thaibeachlovers]

17 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

Of course the humane and community affirming, a sensitive dialogue and building relocation is far too much to contemplate! This would interfere with the out-of-kilter ultra-maximising of profits ????

LOL.

 

The SRT is already, in my understanding, lacking in money, but some apparently want them to spend money building houses ( which is not their job ) for trespassers. If they had any spare money it would be put to better use double tracking the mainline.

 

Should they all gather round the camp fire and sing kumbaya to make the trespassers feel happier about moving on?

What a touchy feely world some live in up in their ivory towers!