Thailand Drives Forward with Singapore-Kunming Rail Link Initiative

[NoDisplayName]

25 minutes ago, Alexjkr said:

Think how long it is going to take to do the 1000km from Bangkok to the Malaysian border.

 

Chinese would be better off, both in terms of cost and time, running the line down through Myanmar, then building a 600km bridge to Malaysia.

[sandyf]

11 hours ago, Alexjkr said:

I read that as construction starting in 2031. Six years from approval to construction start?

Not unusual, the UKs High Speed Rail took about 10 years to get construction started.

It is not until approval is granted the real problems come to light, unfortunately time does not stand still during the proposal stages.

The 3 airport HSR is a classic example, land no longer available so tunnel required, another project!!

[sandyf]

10 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Chinese would be better off, both in terms of cost and time, running the line down through Myanmar, then building a 600km bridge to Malaysia.

The Chinese look to the long term, the route planned has much greater potential as a trade route.

When I was in Luang Prabang there was regular services between there and Hanoi. South Vietnam and Cambodia are within fairly easy reach of Bangkok.

Whole situation will be completely different by the end of the century.

[Alexjkr]

6 hours ago, sandyf said:

Not unusual, the UKs High Speed Rail took about 10 years to get construction started.

It is not until approval is granted the real problems come to light, unfortunately time does not stand still during the proposal stages.

The 3 airport HSR is a classic example, land no longer available so tunnel required, another project!!

Yes it did take a long time to get initial approval however the Thai rail ling has already started. It is only the next stage. Mind you the UK has ****ed up the last 5 miles from Old Oak to Euston. A bit like ending the Thai link at Rangsit then everybody piling onto a commuter train.

[Alexjkr]

6 hours ago, sandyf said:

Whole situation will be completely different by the end of the century.

The Victorians got the whole of Britain connected by rail in a lot less than a century. Using Thai expertise how long would the US have taken to connect the East and West coasts?

[UserC923]

I want to become a citizen of another country. What should I do? I think the disaster is coming.

[RayOday]

The key for the Thais is to let the Chinese build it with no Thai involvement. The Chinese build fast with many prefabricated components. They also do not tolerate corruption. I know it sounds like my head is up my ass. I lived in China for +15 years and watched and used the build out of China's  incredible high speed rail network. Initially there was corruption under the railroad administration of Liu Zhijun resulting in a crash which killed 40 people. Liu was not directly responsible as railway minister yet was sentenced to a suspended death sentence for allowing corruption. In China a suspended death sentence usually means life in prison. I have taken the high speed railway including the Kunming line and it is excellent and on time.

Now in Thailand you have corruption being blamed for the collapse of the new State Audit Office. Fingers point outwardly of course.  That's right the government office that audits (integrity) is the office that collapses allegedly due to corruption. Keep the construction and it's components strictly under the Chinese and any failures under their legal system. Most likely impossible in Thailand. 

 

P.S. I am no shill for the Chinese. I am aware of the corruption issues. I have 35 years of experience in global supply chains and logistics. 15 of those years in China with a lot of government interface. I initially showed up in China to work on fraud and corruption for foreign companies undertaking Chinese M&A. In dealing with government officials I was never asked for a bribe even in difficult situations. They do have what may be considered ethical lapses with dinners and entertainment. The risk is too high with Xi. Corruption was rife at lower township levels. Then again, as they say in China, "Heaven is high and the emperor is far away"(天高皇帝远)

 

[sandyf]

17 hours ago, Alexjkr said:

Yes it did take a long time to get initial approval however the Thai rail ling has already started. It is only the next stage. Mind you the UK has ****ed up the last 5 miles from Old Oak to Euston. A bit like ending the Thai link at Rangsit then everybody piling onto a commuter train.

Not sure what you mean in first sentence.

[sandyf]

17 hours ago, Alexjkr said:

The Victorians got the whole of Britain connected by rail in a lot less than a century. Using Thai expertise how long would the US have taken to connect the East and West coasts?

You can hardly compare Victorian railways to modern day systems, they effectively started with a blank canvas rather than negotiating existing infrastructure.

The HSR in the OP is part of the Trans-Asian Railway Agreement, Thailand pays China for materials and expertise.