Thailand Set to Improve Third-Class Trains with Air Conditioning and Seating Upgrades

[snoop1130]

 

The Thailand State Railway (SRT) plans to enhance its third-class train services and facilities by investing 780 million baht in new seating and air conditioning. For this project's initial phase, scheduled for next year, 130 of these carriages will be fitted with air conditioning.

 

Transport Deputy Minister, Surapong Piyachote, informed DailyNews that SRT is currently seeking contractors for this improvement project. The first part of the renovation will cover 130 out of the current stock of 400 carriages, with completion set for 2025.

 

Surapong shared that the project will be carried out in two stages. The first stage involves the upgrade of 50 third-class carriages, with 80 more to be completed by 2025. The estimated cost of upgrading each carriage is around 6 million baht, making the total budget for the first phase approximately 780 million baht.

 

This improvement plan came as a response to passenger's demand, according to Surapong. A study showed that passengers are more than willing to pay extra for improved services and facilities. The SRT currently provides nine million seats on air-conditioned trains annually, but the demand is double that number.

 

 

However, Surapong acknowledged that passengers will have to pay more for these enhanced third-class trains. The starting price may rise from 2 baht to 20 baht once the air conditioning is installed. But the SRT will take steps to protect less well-off passengers to make sure that the trains are accessible to everyone.

 

Surapong stressed that adjustments will be made in a way that won't disrupt daily commuting. Hence, only 130 carriages will be upgraded in the first phase. The aim is to eventually eliminate all trains without air conditioning.

 

Thai citizens have recently expressed concerns online about the complex ticket-booking system and costly fares. They stated that the necessity to rebook if there is an error on the ticket, pay 50% extra if they reschedule, and only receiving 30% back if they cancel their journeys is unfair. And while they are prepared to adhere to the rules, they seek improvement on the booking website from the SRT. They also suggested that short-distance travellers be permitted to book their tickets in advance, much like long-distance travellers are allowed.

 

By Petch Petpailin

Photo via Facebook/ ทีมพีอาร์การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย

 

-- 2024-07-09

 

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[Pouatchee]

before being a teacher i was a railway section man , and then a conductor. i can tell you first hand that the whole infrastructure is grossly not safe. havi9mg taken the train once to laos i can say i would never do it again for dear of my life. i walked/inspected the tracks, ties rotten to the core, so many nuts and bolts missing that it made me wonder how the track stayed connected together... hardly any fire extinguishers. had i never worked for a railway i would never have spotted all these dangerous flaws

[ikke1959]

The whole railway and trains are third class and need to be totally replaced with modern railways, stations, and trains so that we can get rid of this 19th century transport... Good for employment, good for the economy

[bkk6060]

Old lousy crap trains. 

Where are the high speed trains?

3rd world.

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

The whole railway and trains are third class and need to be totally replaced with modern railways, stations, and trains so that we can get rid of this 19th century transport... Good for employment, good for the economy

Thais love the cheap rural trains... 

[Incorrigible1]

Maybe they can partner with China😃

[Burma Bill]

2 hours ago, Incorrigible1 said:

Maybe they can partner with China😃

 

Yes indeed. China will probably get the refurbishment contract. 

[The Theory]

And it won't be for free I bet. It will cost passenger with higher ticket price.

[bannork]

Going back more than 10 years, the trains were in a bad way, frequently arriving late. But over the last decade I've noticed the night train to Udon/ Nong Khai invariably arrives on time. It's a comfortable sleep too with pillows,sheets and a blanket, £25 for second class sleeper.

I disagree with air-con though for the whole train. Open windows are great when passing through the countryside. You see so much more on a train compared to a highway where there's nothing but garages and shop houses next to the road.

 

[newnative]

Rolling right along, 20th century just ahead.

[BangkokHank]

If they add air conditioning and more comfortable seats, then it won't be third class anymore, will it? It will be second class conditions - at a second class price, no doubt.

[proton]

23 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

before being a teacher i was a railway section man , and then a conductor. i can tell you first hand that the whole infrastructure is grossly not safe. havi9mg taken the train once to laos i can say i would never do it again for dear of my life. i walked/inspected the tracks, ties rotten to the core, so many nuts and bolts missing that it made me wonder how the track stayed connected together... hardly any fire extinguishers. had i never worked for a railway i would never have spotted all these dangerous flaws

 

Unless it's a sleeper I am never going on a Thai train again. Last time 13 hours on an 'express' from Ubon to Bkk, carriages looked 70 years old. Stopped at almost every station for vendors to get on- then off, 45 mins down the line repeat. Window jammed fully open, guard could not move it. Bit of string over the open connect door at the end where a foreigner fell out of recently to his death, and all the doors tied back for some reason. They have that flashy new station, but the rest looks like it's still in the 1950's.

[Burma Bill]

1 hour ago, proton said:

 

Unless it's a sleeper I am never going on a Thai train again. Last time 13 hours on an 'express' from Ubon to Bkk, carriages looked 70 years old. Stopped at almost every station for vendors to get on- then off, 45 mins down the line repeat. Window jammed fully open, guard could not move it. Bit of string over the open connect door at the end where a foreigner fell out of recently to his death, and all the doors tied back for some reason. They have that flashy new station, but the rest looks like it's still in the 1950's.

For me, being a railway enthusiast, I find it very interesting reading about other people's Thai train travel experiences, some saying "never again" and others "great journey - will repeat". I respect both. My most recent journey, a couple or so years ago (post covid), was from Bangkok (DMK old station) to Chiang Mai in an all Third Class train - the only seats available.  I had flown in from Siem Reap. The journey took 14 hours, including overnight. The seat was surprisingly comfortable being leatherette padded - no wooden seats like days of old! The weather was warm and dry so I kept the window open throughout the entire journey - no air conditioning needed. I can spend hours watching the world go by, so the movement of passengers and the passing scenery, including the doubling of the track, interested me. The various vendors provided hot and cold food and drinks served at my seat - the lady with the cool box containing cans of Chang did well! I can still remember all the monkeys in and around Lopburi Station and the sunrise in the mountains between Uttaradit, Den Chai, Lampang and Lamphun.  Thesedays with my leg disabilities, I have to "Fly Thru" with Air Asia from Siem Reap to Chiang Mai using AA's wheel chair service at the airports.

[TimBKK]

I took a 3rd class from the new BKK station to Ayutthaya -  1 hour, 20b, thoroughly enjoyable experience.  

[dinsdale]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

The charm and the experience will be lost. Bit like the red buses. I love em. Some drivers scare the absolute sht out of me and when it rains the windows come down and it's terrible but it's all part of it. You want AC then pay extra. People shouldn't be forced to sit in freezing air-conditioning. They sprout tourism all the time but this will not help. Train journeys are fantastic and some of the best experiences don't come from cocooned, AC carriages. I travelled 3rd class in India. Someone stored their luggage in the dunny. That was a fantastic albeit painful at times experience. 

[bannork]

Regarding alcohol on the trains, it was wonderful in the past sitting in the buffet car, windows wide open to the night sky, eating lemon grass soup with shrimp and sipping a Sing or Leo as the train rocked along to morlam blaring out some speaker.

But there is a downside. Drunk people talk louder and don't know when to stop or consider other people, so quiet carriages that at present are only disturbed by snorers by 10.00 pm, could soon have unpleasant confrontations if drinking is again allowed on trains.

One solution could be drinkers only carriages where passengers could imbibe to their hearts' content, rolling and tumbling all night long.

Naturally these carriages would have to be at the end of the train.

[connda]

On 7/9/2024 at 5:23 PM, snoop1130 said:

The Thailand State Railway (SRT) plans to enhance its third-class train services and facilities by investing 780 million baht in new seating and air conditioning. For this project's initial phase, scheduled for next year, 130 of these carriages will be fitted with air conditioning.

...which will only work 30% of the time until it completely break.

Third-class A/C are called windows.