Thailand Sees Potential As Regional Hub With Future Hi-Speed Train

[bluesmith]

I think is will get done and in the near future hi have been in Thailand for the past 18 years and worked in most Asian Countries it is well developed and getting better.

[Payboy]

Hubba Hubba

[Sayonarax]

You must have a hub for a head, cause you don't appear to be getting any connections. Hub hub hub...

[sunkist]

I think a new "Panama Canal" across the peninsula would be a better investment and all they need to build it is shovels, dozers ec... Cut Singapore out of some shipping "hub" action. Remember you saw it first here. Maybe should wait until August.

[weegee]

I think a new "Panama Canal" across the peninsula would be a better investment and all they need to build it is shovels, dozers ec... Cut Singapore out of some shipping "hub" action. Remember you saw it first here. Maybe should wait until August.

I think a new "Panama Canal" across the peninsula would be a better investment and all they need to build it is shovels, dozers ec... Cut Singapore out of some shipping "hub" action. Remember you saw it first here. Maybe should wait until August.

Hey this was discussed years ago....cut a channel from Songkhla straight west...It will never happen!

[KeyserSoze01]

Cheap & Dangerous Chinese high speed railway infrastructure plus corrupt management a given.

This capricious scam will not end well.

Life is cheap in Thailand. Mai bpen rai.

[Thai at Heart]

I think a new "Panama Canal" across the peninsula would be a better investment and all they need to build it is shovels, dozers ec... Cut Singapore out of some shipping "hub" action. Remember you saw it first here. Maybe should wait until August.

Um, just drive to dawei, same same but different. Anyway, Thailand deep sea port can't handle the large boats that Singapore can.

[KeyserSoze01]

Typicaly negative TV responses.

A high speed train will be running in Thailand in the near future and it will continue Thailands status as a hub of the region.

Whats so dificult to comprehend?

To quote The Shawshank Redemption "Are you being deliberately obtuse?"

When pigs fly.

As far as the Shawshank quote, it's not being obtuse, it's being realistic. Which obviously is a trait sorely lacking in Thailand.

How can Thailand be the hub of hi-speed rail when they don't even have one, nor do they design, engineer or manufacture any hi-speed rail equipment?

What is hard to comprehend is your belief that this will actually come to pass.

[Cuban]

The other thing is, do these idiots think that the average Thai person can afford that ride?

What about infrastructure problems? Floods?

But Thais travel free !

As for floods: No, the government said that won't happen again.

"Lessons have been learnt..." said a spokesman.

[Unkomoncents]

Yep, put a high-speed rail line in a country known for its lawlessness and corruption, and suddenly all will be forgotten and all those multinational corporations (like IBM, which chose Thailand as it's regional headquarters and within a couple of years had moved to Singapore) that chose Singapore a decade ago will be desperate to experience Thailand's polluted, incompetent, and scam-friendly atmosphere.

[LuckyLew]

Great ... a Thai company doing a research on Thailand

and saying that Thailand has potential ...

What else are they suppose to say?

[Reasonableman]

Great ... a Thai company doing a research on Thailand

and saying that Thailand has potential ...

What else are they suppose to say?

More studies are needed to confirm the pilot study and they're gonna cost ya bigtime.

[Payboy]

The Thai government is to build four high-speed rail lines -- Bangkok-Chiang Mai at 745km (costing Bt229 billion), Bangkok-Nongkhai at 615km (Bt201 billion), Bangkok-Rayong at 221km (Bt72 billion), and Bangkok-Padang Besar at 982km (Bt297 billion). (MCOT online news)

Easy, just a minor extension of SRTs existing super-efficient airport express line in all directions.

[jerrysteve]

I think more like a Flat Tire...If they intend on being a "Regional Hub" they need to clean up their act! That May Take More Than Chalerms

90 days to clean up the Mafia...and that was a joke too.

[mrtoad]

In 1677 a plan was drawn up to build a canal linking the Indian ocean and the Gulf of Thailand, that project is still on the books. or the alternative to that, the "Land Bridge" proposed, around year 1900.

They are only over 100 years behind schedule.

Perhaps Yingluck could give the task to Chalerm and we'd see all of these grand plans come to fruition later this year.

Well if Chalerm is put in charge it will be done in 90 days. But he already has a lot on his plate.

Poor old Chalerm, I think he's just so good, that he's getting far too much work, but with his reputation for getting things done in 90 days, He might be able to make start at the beginning of the new year.

[jerrysteve]

Singapore would be the best bet...they all speak English fluently + the IDIOMS & understand the NUANCES...that puts them

way ahead of Thailand well over 200 years etc etc etc

They can't even make a decision without flip floping. and that just doens't cut it.

[jerrysteve]

Regional Hub!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!In A Pig's Rectum!!!!! Thats about as remote as seing Haley's Comet Twice in 76 Years. I'll one thing

Thailand certainly has a sense of humor

[Noistar]

Typicaly negative TV responses.

A high speed train will be running in Thailand in the near future and it will continue Thailands status as a hub of the region.

Whats so dificult to comprehend?

To quote The Shawshank Redemption "Are you being deliberately obtuse?"

I must be obtuse -but not deliberately.

What are you saying?

Do you believe the vision of Thailand as a high-speed rail hub, or are you being sarcastic?

[khaowong1]

Build the tracks , buy the train and let see what happen. No need to put the carriage before the horses. I have already seen so many hub project and none has never succeed. Fashion hub , Book hub , Airport Hub etc ...etc ...etc ....

Now we have the China Hub..

[Woodcaulk]

TDRI Distinguished Fellow Chalongphob Sussangkarn

After reading what he hd to say I would be more inclined to describe him as a senile old sod

[khaowong1]

Great ... a Thai company doing a research on Thailand

and saying that Thailand has potential ...

What else are they suppose to say?

More studies are needed to confirm the pilot study and they're gonna cost ya bigtime.

Maybe they should put the "Hi-speed rail hub" problem on the new students tablets and let the children have a go at it.

[rayfork]

They'll never get beyond the squabbling-for-bribes stage.

[marstons]

Typicaly negative TV responses.

A high speed train will be running in Thailand in the near future and it will continue Thailands status as a hub of the region.

Whats so dificult to comprehend?

To quote The Shawshank Redemption "Are you being deliberately obtuse?"

When pigs fly.

As far as the Shawshank quote, it's not being obtuse, it's being realistic. Which obviously is a trait sorely lacking in Thailand.

How can Thailand be the hub of hi-speed rail when they don't even have one, nor do they design, engineer or manufacture any hi-speed rail equipment?

What is hard to comprehend is your belief that this will actually come to pass.

the statement in the Shawshank redemption was realated to fraud, corruption amongst goverment officials and mysterious deaths, sounds appropriate.

[marstons]

I think is will get done and in the near future hi have been in Thailand for the past 18 years and worked in most Asian Countries it is well developed and getting better.

thats a lot of countries since there are 52-53 countries in Asia, better at what? at 18 years living here nearly upto 4 post per year.

[Unkomoncents]

Typicaly negative TV responses.

A high speed train will be running in Thailand in the near future and it will continue Thailands status as a hub of the region.

Whats so dificult to comprehend?

To quote The Shawshank Redemption "Are you being deliberately obtuse?"

The difficult part to comprehend is how you've somehow come to perceive Thailand as Southeast Asia's regional hub (you said "a hub", so perhaps you mean somewhat significant country?)?! You must not be paying attention. Thailand is very politically unstable; Carrefour pulled out last year completely. A number of other companies have done likewise. Singapore is home to most, if not all, multinational corporations operating in SE Asia. Everyone knows that. If you want to develop a career or work with large companies, you want to be in Singapore (if you want a bevy of prostitutes and the associated scams, then Thailand is paradise). SIngapore also has the region's only good universities, unless you're including Hong Kong. Right now, there are no plans, nor is there capital, to add cars to the BTS system to coping with rapidly increasing demand. If you think there will be a high-speed rail in Thailand in the next 10+ years, you're insanse. If you think there'll be one in 20+, you're an optimist. In that timeframe, even talking about this is practically absurd for most of TV's posters.

Edited July 31, 2012 by Unkomoncents

[endure]

How can a feudal country like Thailand hope to be the hub of anything modern and technical with neighbours like Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea?

[Reasonableman]

The only way it will happen is if the Chinese build it and pay for it as a neighbourly gesture, then closely oversee whoever runs it. Still cannot see it as being any priority for Thailand with so much basic national infrastructure still needing to be developed, repaired, updated and maintained. Insatiable egos may have to postpone photo-ops with their shiny new toy train... For quite a while longer, all being well. Perhaps a meccano set in the interim?

[lensta]

Finally...the hub statement of the month, thought we were going to have a July without one.

Yes, we've now had the "Hub" surely a "crackdown" will soon follow.

[Thaddeus]

Finally...the hub statement of the month, thought we were going to have a July without one.

Yes, we've now had the "Hub" surely a "crackdown" will soon follow.

A crackdown on speeding trains is too obvious though.

[hellodolly]

It s my understanding that the first high speed train is going to be launched by Yingluck's 21 year old grand son.