Thailand Plans To Run Chinese High-Speed Railway System

[malcyx]

i hope the other trains will still run..

last one i took was apparently first class ten hours to Khon Kaen lol..

stopped a hundred times at every station, lots of poor farmers selling food and stuff, was good experience ...

If this goes ahead, it will go through Burma eventually (thats my opinion not fact) and link to India and china up north, along with the new road thats getting built to link India and China right now...The chinese are coming and when they come it will be in there thousands,tens of thousands and the indians..North thailand will be over run in next ten twenty years maybe less...The chinese dnt hang around once they start invading countries lol, and no body has the balls to take them on, they are the most powerfull nation by far...cant fight them, just take there money n suffer later ....

thats my humble opinion of whats gonna happen in North thailand, burma too..

Has good points and bad... cant halt "progress"...

China doesn't need Thailand to get a railway to Burma.

Construction of China-Burma railway could start in December [2011]

http://www.nationmul...n-30163951.html

i never said china needed thailand..

the topic is about the train from bkk to chiang mai..

about linking countries n capitals , the big picture...

and my post is only my opinion of the future..

[OzMick]

Ticket prices anyone?

I am waiting to learn of the price for a ticket on the "high speed train" from Bkk to Pattaya, really East Pattaya, and have as of yet to find out. Bkk people do not want to give up their cars while here, and many others will not wish to part from the cheap 124 baht bus fares.

I can only imagine the price of the Bkk - CM fare relative to the cost of the SKytrain or an airplane flight. I cannot see the price as being competitive unless the government supports it.

To the poster who wrote about links to China, absolutely. Remember All Roads Lead to Rome? Te Chinese want to be able to export in every way possible and import food which they cannot grow. The high speed trains, although not cheap like diesel trains, will serve this purpose in some form.

Any ideas on prices?

Well, what ever the current prices are to the relevant places, you can at least double them. Here is a link to Seat 61, http://www.seat61.co...tm#.UMXLN-SoySo and the BKK to Nong Khai and BKK to CM currently.

BKK-Nong Khai from 258bht to 1,317 bht

BKK-CM from 271bht to 1,453bht

that is also a 12 to14 hour trip. at those prices for 4 hours you've got me.

Are you afraid of flying?

[rubl]

2012-12-25

"BEIJING — China on Wednesday opened the world's longest high-speed rail line that more than halves the time required to travel from the country's capital in the north to Guangzhou, an economic hub in southern China."

http://www.washingto...aa43_story.html

2012-10-19

"Picture a vast Chinese state institution with around two million staff, comprising a baffling array of units and sub-departments all scattered across the country. Under the guise of a sweeping, rapid modernization plan this institution's budget expands so quickly – to around $100 billion a year – that it is hard for anyone to keep track of how much is really being spent, or on what. All the while, the institution's sprawling nature and its near-autonomy mean that it operates almost entirely without accountability or oversight: There is only the money, and the many pockets into which it disappears."

http://thediplomat.c...what-about-pla/

[Buchholz]

Thai Transport Minister Chatchat Sitthipan said the Thai government has decided to go ahead with the multi-billion-U.S. dollar railway projects under which the so-called Hexie Hao or China Railway Highspeed train system will be used

China's Deputy Railway Minister Lu Chunfang has met with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to discuss the Sino-Thai railway cooperation project for the Bangkok-Chiang Mai route estimated at US$10 billion and the Bangkok-Nong Khai route which costs US$6.6 billion.

Seems now there's been a change of plans as Transport Minister today announced there would be bidding on the high-speed trains (presumably open to other countries) in March.

There's also a change in the budget from the projects from above US$16.6 Billion to now US$30 Billion

(900 Billion Baht).

.He said the high speed trains will have the capacity to run at a standard speed of 250 kilometers per hour.

.

Edited January 16, 2013 by Buchholz

[Ricardo]

Got to allow for 'extras' !

[Buchholz]

Got to allow for 'extras' !

Nearly a Trillion Baht is quite an allowance.

.

[Thait Spot]

If I'm right reading the introduction, suicides (pedestrian fatalities) are included. Given their relative important frequency in some countries, including them distort significantly the real risk of boarding a train.

Good point. My father was a NSW Railways engine driver and his count was 3 suicides by train. From a conversation with several of his workmates, this was not at all an unusual figure.

BTW high speed passenger services were much preferred.

High speed passengers? Quite a rate of acceleration I would have thought

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[dcutman]

Got to allow for 'extras' !

Nearly a Trillion Baht is quite an allowance.

.

Could be the new version of the rice pledging scam scheme,as pay days go anyway. They can milk that cow forever.

[Buchholz]

Thai Transport Minister Chatchat Sitthipan said the Thai government has decided to go ahead with the multi-billion-U.S. dollar railway projects under which the so-called Hexie Hao or China Railway Highspeed train system will be used

China's Deputy Railway Minister Lu Chunfang has met with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to discuss the Sino-Thai railway cooperation project for the Bangkok-Chiang Mai route estimated at US$10 billion and the Bangkok-Nong Khai route which costs US$6.6 billion.

Seems now there's been a change of plans as Transport Minister today announced there would be bidding on the high-speed trains (presumably open to other countries) in March.

There's also a change in the budget from the projects from above US$16.6 Billion to now US$30 Billion

(900 Billion Baht).

He said the high speed trains will have the capacity to run at a standard speed of 250 kilometers per hour.

It sure didn't take long for other countries besides China to become interested in Thailand's Trillion Baht Train Budget...

2013-01-18

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan is ready to participate in Thailand's infrastructure development in order to enhance economic cooperation with the Kingdom and Asean.

Japan was also interested in many other sectors, including high-speed rail

http://www.thaivisa....t/#entry6029527

[Buchholz]

Thailand to modernize rail systems to accommodate Chinese high-speed trains

Thailand’s rail systems will undergo a major reconstruction scheme that would include the use of China-made high-speed trains to service the increasing volume of cargoes and passengers throughout the country.

According to Chula Sukmanop, Ddirector of Thailand's Transport Ministry’s Transport and Traffic Policy & Planning Office, the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is committed to launching major reconstruction projects for the country’s rail systems starting later this year up to the year 2020.

Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Guan Mu recently disclosed that Chinese rail experts had already conducted surveys along a 677-km- long route connecting Bangkok to the northern city of Chiang Mai. Guan said that the route would use Chinese-made hi-speed trains, which can run 255 km per hour.

Continued:
http://www.nzweek.com/business/thailand-to-modernize-rail-systems-to-accommodate-chinese-high-speed-trains-53726/

Xinhua - March 11, 2013

.

[ratcatcher]

"Mummy, can I have a train set for my birthday?"

"Yes dear, we can get a nice one from the Chinese for a few billion baht"

[aussiebebe]

As a foreigner living here I am interested in how the Thais are choosing to develop their infrastructure; their choice to use Chinese trains illustrates the rate at which the Chinese are developing new technology. If you visit the website of the Chinese manufacturer BYD (Build Your Dreams) you might be as surprised as I am at how fast China is developing. BYD makes solar cells and energy storage and has fleets of electric taxis, police cars and even electric buses already in operation. Imagine electric Chinese buses in Bangkok or Chiang Mai - that would clear the air and with more solar farms like the one just opened in Chiang Rai, the electricity needn't come from fossil fuels. I'd say, trains included, the faster the Thais embrace Chinese technology, the better.

[Buchholz]

"Mummy, can I have a train set for my birthday?"

"Yes dear, we can get a nice one from the Chinese for a few billion baht"

.

.

with a "few" meaning 900.

.

.

There's also a change in the budget for the projects from the above.... to now US$30 Billion

(900 Billion Baht).

.

Edited March 11, 2013 by Buchholz

[ratcatcher]

As a foreigner living here I am interested in how the Thais are choosing to develop their infrastructure; their choice to use Chinese trains illustrates the rate at which the Chinese are developing new technology. If you visit the website of the Chinese manufacturer BYD (Build Your Dreams) you might be as surprised as I am at how fast China is developing. BYD makes solar cells and energy storage and has fleets of electric taxis, police cars and even electric buses already in operation. Imagine electric Chinese buses in Bangkok or Chiang Mai - that would clear the air and with more solar farms like the one just opened in Chiang Rai, the electricity needn't come from fossil fuels. I'd say, trains included, the faster the Thais embrace Chinese technology, the better.

Yes, the Chinese are indeed smart. Shanghai was the first city in the world to have a trolley bus system. However the equipment and technology was that good old British stuff. Probably because the Brits had some influence in China back then.

Now the Chinese have polished and developed what they learned.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolleybuses_in_Shanghai

[Buchholz]

Thailand to modernize rail systems to accommodate Chinese high-speed trains

According to Chula Sukmanop, Director of Thailand's Transport Ministry’s Transport and Traffic Policy & Planning Office, the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is committed

.

.

Chula Sukmanop also announced today that there will be a high speed train to Pattaya in five years.

He also said there will be three additional rail lines, a year later, to Korat, Phitsanulok, and Hua Hin.

Contenders for the huge contract will compete in an auction for these four projects in September. Companies from Japan, China, South Korea, France, Germany and Spain are expected to bid.

.

Edited March 11, 2013 by Buchholz

[Buchholz]

As a foreigner living here I am interested in how the Thais are choosing to develop their infrastructure; their choice to use Chinese trains illustrates the rate at which the Chinese are developing new technology.

Unfortunately, China's age-old stifling of the media in the face of the new technologies is cause for concern.

China Bullet Train Crash Cover-Up?

[Buchholz]

Chula Sukmanop also announced today that there will be a high speed train to Pattaya in five years.

He also said there will be three additional rail lines, a year later, to Korat, Phitsanulok, and Hua Hin.

.

There's no problem with rushing construction of these new high speed trains is there?

.

Edited March 11, 2013 by Buchholz

[rubl]

What's this about a high-speed rail link to Pattaya five years from now? That totally unnecessary as first we need a nice budget for the BKK - Pitsanulok and a year later to ChiangMai link. Finished as soon as possible around 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 or so. Remember, lots of poor Commuters in ChiangMai desperately waiting for this link

[Buchholz]

What's this about a high-speed rail link to Pattaya five years from now? That totally unnecessary as first we need a nice budget for the BKK - Pitsanulok and a year later to ChiangMai link. Finished as soon as possible around 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 or so. Remember, lots of poor Commuters in ChiangMai desperately waiting for this link

.

The nearly trillion baht budget should be ample to cover all the projects..... provided it's all spent on the projects.

.

Edited March 11, 2013 by Buchholz

[OZEMADE]

What's this about a high-speed rail link to Pattaya five years from now? That totally unnecessary as first we need a nice budget for the BKK - Pitsanulok and a year later to ChiangMai link. Finished as soon as possible around 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 or so. Remember, lots of poor Commuters in ChiangMai desperately waiting for this link

rubi Pattaya is where the money is now and all the graft and corruption and alleged where the first legal Casino will be. On top of that it will get rid of them robbing Taxi drivers, they can then flood bangkok with the usless ones in Pattaya. rubi look how many extra Taxi's you will have to take you to Chang Mai, they can then compete with the High Speed Busses. Roll on the High Speed train.

[rubl]

What's this about a high-speed rail link to Pattaya five years from now? That totally unnecessary as first we need a nice budget for the BKK - Pitsanulok and a year later to ChiangMai link. Finished as soon as possible around 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 or so. Remember, lots of poor Commuters in ChiangMai desperately waiting for this link

rubi Pattaya is where the money is now and all the graft and corruption and alleged where the first legal Casino will be. On top of that it will get rid of them robbing Taxi drivers, they can then flood bangkok with the usless ones in Pattaya. rubi look how many extra Taxi's you will have to take you to Chang Mai, they can then compete with the High Speed Busses. Roll on the High Speed train.

OK, nice to have more taxi's to choose from when I want to go to ChiangMai, but I'm hardly part of the target group for this HSRL. Months ago we had some government chap say the Bangkok - ChiangMai link is the important part as there are lots of poor commuters in ChiangMai almost begging for such link to Bangkok.

Of course I do agree that to help promote Thailands favorite tourists location and effect a multitude of extra tourists who really love to see all temples in Pattaya, spending a small amount of money is clearly justified

[Noistar]

Thailand to modernize rail systems to accommodate Chinese high-speed trains

Thailand’s rail systems will undergo a major reconstruction scheme that would include the use of China-made high-speed trains to service the increasing volume of cargoes and passengers throughout the country.

According to Chula Sukmanop, Ddirector of Thailand's Transport Ministry’s Transport and Traffic Policy & Planning Office, the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is committed to launching major reconstruction projects for the country’s rail systems starting later this year up to the year 2020.

Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Guan Mu recently disclosed that Chinese rail experts had already conducted surveys along a 677-km- long route connecting Bangkok to the northern city of Chiang Mai. Guan said that the route would use Chinese-made hi-speed trains, which can run 255 km per hour.

Continued:

http://www.nzweek.com/business/thailand-to-modernize-rail-systems-to-accommodate-chinese-high-speed-trains-53726/

Xinhua - March 11, 2013

.

Having won the contract to conduct surveys, presumably all the construction bids will be transparent. When the Chinese win, there will be clear reasons why their bid was the best for Thailand.

[rubl]

Thailand to modernize rail systems to accommodate Chinese high-speed trains

Thailand’s rail systems will undergo a major reconstruction scheme that would include the use of China-made high-speed trains to service the increasing volume of cargoes and passengers throughout the country.

According to Chula Sukmanop, Ddirector of Thailand's Transport Ministry’s Transport and Traffic Policy & Planning Office, the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is committed to launching major reconstruction projects for the country’s rail systems starting later this year up to the year 2020.

Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Guan Mu recently disclosed that Chinese rail experts had already conducted surveys along a 677-km- long route connecting Bangkok to the northern city of Chiang Mai. Guan said that the route would use Chinese-made hi-speed trains, which can run 255 km per hour.

Continued:

http://www.nzweek.com/business/thailand-to-modernize-rail-systems-to-accommodate-chinese-high-speed-trains-53726/

Xinhua - March 11, 2013

.

Having won the contract to conduct surveys, presumably all the construction bids will be transparent. When the Chinese win, there will be clear reasons why their bid was the best for Thailand.

You mean minor details as providing a lot of financing at easy terms like buying from the country which supplies the financing ?

[philw]

The people on here who complain about Chines high-speed trains have obviously never used them. They are better than anything that's available in the West, and tickets are much cheaper. For those that will refuse to use them here, well that is your choice. Live in the past if you want, but I'll definitely be using them, as will many others.

Two years seems very fast by Western standards, but in China these high-speed train lines are built very quickly. China will build over 10,000 km of high speed track in the next three years, so a few hundred km should be possible here in two years. Can't wait to use it. Hopefully I'll be on the first train.

yes, yes and thank you.

The constant neg for the sake of neg here is just too much.

[rubl]

The people on here who complain about Chines high-speed trains have obviously never used them. They are better than anything that's available in the West, and tickets are much cheaper. For those that will refuse to use them here, well that is your choice. Live in the past if you want, but I'll definitely be using them, as will many others.

Two years seems very fast by Western standards, but in China these high-speed train lines are built very quickly. China will build over 10,000 km of high speed track in the next three years, so a few hundred km should be possible here in two years. Can't wait to use it. Hopefully I'll be on the first train.

yes, yes and thank you.

The constant neg for the sake of neg here is just too much.

That's it, phil. All those negative waves. Don't people here know how lucky Thai are that this benovalent government is busy to make sure the high speed rail link all Thais have been hoping for will finally arrive in their lifetime. With the government not worrying about economical feasability or profit/loss calculations, but simply doing what all want?

Soon, like in 2018 or so Thai and even we farang will be able to experience this Chinese made wonder and at a price which will hardly put a dent in our wallet, although I must admit the latest figures I remember was THB 2000 single journey

[Bagwan]

As a foreigner living here I am interested in how the Thais are choosing to develop their infrastructure; their choice to use Chinese trains illustrates the rate at which the Chinese are developing new technology. If you visit the website of the Chinese manufacturer BYD (Build Your Dreams) you might be as surprised as I am at how fast China is developing. BYD makes solar cells and energy storage and has fleets of electric taxis, police cars and even electric buses already in operation. Imagine electric Chinese buses in Bangkok or Chiang Mai - that would clear the air and with more solar farms like the one just opened in Chiang Rai, the electricity needn't come from fossil fuels. I'd say, trains included, the faster the Thais embrace Chinese technology, the better.

Yes, the Chinese are indeed smart. Shanghai was the first city in the world to have a trolley bus system. However the equipment and technology was that good old British stuff. Probably because the Brits had some influence in China back then.

Now the Chinese have polished and developed what they learned.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolleybuses_in_Shanghai

Wikipedia seems to have got it's knickers in a twist over where the first trolley bus system was implement. According to Wiki it was Shanghai and it is reported that the service began in 1914. However Leeds and Bradford had a trolley bus system in 1911 and there were systems in Germany before this date.

[OzMick]

The people on here who complain about Chines high-speed trains have obviously never used them. They are better than anything that's available in the West, and tickets are much cheaper. For those that will refuse to use them here, well that is your choice. Live in the past if you want, but I'll definitely be using them, as will many others.

Two years seems very fast by Western standards, but in China these high-speed train lines are built very quickly. China will build over 10,000 km of high speed track in the next three years, so a few hundred km should be possible here in two years. Can't wait to use it. Hopefully I'll be on the first train.

yes, yes and thank you.

The constant neg for the sake of neg here is just too much.

Much of the negativity could be countered with the government study showing the estimated number of passengers, operating costs including maintenance, how long it would take for a return of capital, and expected financial gains for the country. Of course, there isn't one.

The only important considerations seem to be the status gain and how much money could be side-tracked. And lunch boxes.

Any sane person should realise that the government of a developing should not spend this amount of money on something it wants, and think long and hard before spending it on something it NEEDS.

[Robby nz]

Two years seems very fast by Western standards, but in China these high-speed train lines are built very quickly. China will build over 10,000 km of high speed track in the next three years, so a few hundred km should be possible here in two years. Can't wait to use it. Hopefully I'll be on the first train.

In order to do that they would likely have to import Chinese labor who are experienced at the job.

No way there are enough Thai's to do the job we have almost no unemployment.

Wont they be chuffed to be getting 300B a day must be far more than their usual wage.

[Skywalker69]

Hope Yingluck will have time enough to plan the meny to be served onboard.

Edited March 11, 2013 by Skywalker69

[OzMick]

Two years seems very fast by Western standards, but in China these high-speed train lines are built very quickly. China will build over 10,000 km of high speed track in the next three years, so a few hundred km should be possible here in two years. Can't wait to use it. Hopefully I'll be on the first train.

In order to do that they would likely have to import Chinese labor who are experienced at the job.

No way there are enough Thai's to do the job we have almost no unemployment.

Wont they be chuffed to be getting 300B a day must be far more than their usual wage.

You need lateral thinking Rob.

PTP stops paying the rice subsidy, which keeps all the economists happy and gives more money for HSR (and theft)

The rice farmers now unable to make a sustainable living are given HSR construction jobs at a reasonable wage.

And Thailand, now not growing any rice for 4 or 5 years, can eat the millions of tons of stockpiled rice that they can't sell.

Howzat?