High-Speed Rail Service To Pattaya In 5 Years

[MEL1]

WHY? Wouldn't an extension of the airport rail link @160km/h be fast enough for the short journey, and many billions of baht cheaper?

Not enough graft in your second proposal!

-mel.

[akampa]

not a hope in hell

[MongersSyndicate]

A high speed Sexpat Express would sure be convenient, but it would also help to bring more of the regular type of people over here, so no thanks.

Also a Thai-managed high-speed train could be pretty dangerous when it crashes.

I read they also want nuclear plants lol. They really should focus on solar panels instead.

[smutcakes]

Instead of spending a huge amount of money on a high speed Pattaya- Bangkok rail road, they should put pressure on the SRT to pull their fingers out and upgrade the normal rail lines/trains etc- it would be far cheaper and normal train would be perfectly acceptable in terms of speed i expect.

[ginjag]

Does anybody at TV watch the Inchannel news? Because this morning they covered this topic. The BKK-Pattaya route is the first to be built. After which comes the HatYai-Chiang Mai route which links up with the Chinese line that passes through northern Myannmar. Though they mentioned the Pattaya route to be complete by 2018, no date was given for the trans-Thailand route.

They also said that they would set up a new organisation to manage the HSRs - that is, they don't trust SRT to run it,unsurprisingly

Be good for many more posters to get free psi tv and watch thai news in English, check it out it is free, IN channel

[mic59]

Just done a google search on the name Chula Sukmanob. Google only brings up 3 pages of entries, most of them within the last 24 hours. Googled Chula Sukmanop and got more than 10 pages of entries, a lot of which are when he was not a minister but a private businessman. So I would assume this is his real name. Still a comical name though. Unsure whether it was a typo or a joke that led to "Sukmanob" being used.

[ginjag]

Instead of spending a huge amount of money on a high speed Pattaya- Bangkok rail road, they should put pressure on the SRT to pull their fingers out and upgrade the normal rail lines/trains etc- it would be far cheaper and normal train would be perfectly acceptable in terms of speed i expect.

I assume that the rail will be the same NARROW width, If so -high speed on narrow track ???? hope there are no bends-

unless they heard wrond -it was announced same width ???? will have to see.

Edited March 12, 2013 by ginjag

[ginjag]

I have tried to EDIT many times and it will not let me, I cannot --but it tells me still to save changes, IS IT ME??? OR HAVE OTHERS GOT THE PROB----SORRY FOR MY TYPO on previous posts.

[dcutman]

Bangkok, April 1, 2028

After long delays, months of bloody riots by Taxi and Bus drivers and being over budget by Bt2,000,000,000,000 the Bangkok to Pattaya line makes its first official journey. The extension to Rayong has been cancelled due to budget constraints.

Edited March 12, 2013 by dcutman

[chivo]

won't the taxi mafias block or sabotage it?????

[ginjag]

won't the taxi mafias block or sabotage it?????

NO-- they will be driving and manning it.

[ginjag]

At the new Pattaya rail station, I would would expect 1000 of the 4 thousand BHT taxi's will be waiting for the new customers to rip them off, if you get into a bht taxi you just get on it and get off and pay the going 10 bht. if you ask the driver (like some do) you will pay private hire rate --meaning whatever he demands.

[Songhua]

WHY? Wouldn't an extension of the airport rail link @160km/h be fast enough for the short journey, and many billions of baht cheaper?

Because Mick, that would make too much sense. At airport rail-link speeds, passengers would still be in Pattaya fast enough for the first Viagra to take effect.

'Next station Pattaya. Attention, Attention .... would the sixteen gentlemen swordfighting in Car 4 please stop it immediately'

[Payboy]

High-speed rail service to Pattaya could be running within five years

I propose a name for this - Short Time Express.

[jackr]

Expect more of the same ambitious projects while you know who is pulling the strings and siphoning off the top.

[Bluespunk]

WHY? Wouldn't an extension of the airport rail link @160km/h be fast enough for the short journey, and many billions of baht cheaper?

I didnt know you were going to pay for the project

If you live here and work here you pay taxes. Taxes fund projects like this, so yes we do pay. We may have no real say but we sure as hell pay.

[LawrenceChee]

I am looking forward to its fruition ...should happen in 35 years hahahahah unless I call my friends Mr Lee ....Mr Zhang or Mr Chen from kunming

Then yes 3 years is a reality !

[RogueLeader]

WHY? Wouldn't an extension of the airport rail link @160km/h be fast enough for the short journey, and many billions of baht cheaper?

And more practical?

And less profitable for the corporations who suckle at the taxpayer's teat. That's the point of this project, and thousands of others: transfer of wealth from the public to the private sector.

Edited March 12, 2013 by RogueLeader

[inthefareast]

This is a pipe dream it will never happen. As mentioned the short distance makes no sense at all. I could see one to Chiang Mai but the amount of riders don't support a billion dollar project like that. These are not like cities in China that have millions of inhabitants in a close radius to the train stations.

It is just a pipe dream that will get funding to do "research" and line some government officials pockets then it will be called off after they get millions in payouts. Just corrupt Thailand being corrupt no surprise.

[ginjag]

WHY? Wouldn't an extension of the airport rail link @160km/h be fast enough for the short journey, and many billions of baht cheaper?

Because Mick, that would make too much sense. At airport rail-link speeds, passengers would still be in Pattaya fast enough for the first Viagra to take effect.

'Next station Pattaya. Attention, Attention .... would the sixteen gentlemen swordfighting in Car 4 please stop it immediately'

The Chinese won;t be using it as they mostly come in tour buses from BKK---so will it be for Europeans--because their numbers are falling drastic, the Russians are coming the opp direction from U-tapou-Sattahip--What will those blue and white buses do ?? every half hour from Ekamai ?? MMMMMMM

[OzMick]

WHY? Wouldn't an extension of the airport rail link @160km/h be fast enough for the short journey, and many billions of baht cheaper?

I didnt know you were going to pay for the project

I won't. But my children, grandchildren and succeeding generations will pay for these white elephant proposals that will never show a profit and drain the economy.

[rubl]

Apart from the Bangkok - Pattaya high speed rail link, we will soon get a government minister or other Pheu Thai spokesperson, or whoever tell us all about the need for a Bangkok - NongKai link and the advantages it will bring. As asked by our skyper:

He asked them to point out the benefits of mass-transit systems linking neighbouring countries like China and having high-speed trains linking such remote Northeastern provinces as Nong Khai.

[ginjag]

Apart from the Bangkok - Pattaya high speed rail link, we will soon get a government minister or other Pheu Thai spokesperson, or whoever tell us all about the need for a Bangkok - NongKai link and the advantages it will bring. As asked by our skyper:

He asked them to point out the benefits of mass-transit systems linking neighbouring countries like China and having high-speed trains linking such remote Northeastern provinces as Nong Khai.

Rubi, you don;t expect them to prioritise, they cannot--it's more like what money they can make on what routes,

Apart from the noise about Chiang M -needed RUBBISH--the most needed link is the link connecting 4 biggest cities in Thailand-yes BKK--Khorat-Khon Khen Udon-to Nong Khai and beyond-Laos-China

All other routes are -or will be useful.

[rubl]

Apart from the Bangkok - Pattaya high speed rail link, we will soon get a government minister or other Pheu Thai spokesperson, or whoever tell us all about the need for a Bangkok - NongKai link and the advantages it will bring. As asked by our skyper:

He asked them to point out the benefits of mass-transit systems linking neighbouring countries like China and having high-speed trains linking such remote Northeastern provinces as Nong Khai.

Rubi, you don;t expect them to prioritise, they cannot--it's more like what money they can make on what routes,

Apart from the noise about Chiang M -needed RUBBISH--the most needed link is the link connecting 4 biggest cities in Thailand-yes BKK--Khorat-Khon Khen Udon-to Nong Khai and beyond-Laos-China

All other routes are -or will be useful.

Till now any high speed rail link has been presented as 'people movers'. In that sense there is no solid business case ever presented apart from the remark that ChianMai had so many poor commuters who desperately needed the link to BKK.

Personally I think speeding up double tracking or even build new freight-only links will be of greater benefit to Thailand and therefor it's people. Keep in mind that here in Bangkok normal Thai prefer the simple busses over the BTS/MRT because of the price difference (assuming they have access to that type of public transportation. Will the high speed link BKK - CM with expected THB 2000 single trip fare in 2018/2019 be acceptable for those multitude of poor commuters?

[Potosi]

Oh my. A bullet train is as scary as a nucular power plant run by Thai staff. Not even considering that the railway has to cross a number of roads filled with drivers with no regards for red lights, unless they put it on stilts all the way.

[rubl]

Oh my. A bullet train is as scary as a nucular power plant run by Thai staff. Not even considering that the railway has to cross a number of roads filled with drivers with no regards for red lights, unless they put it on stilts all the way.

A high speed rail link will have a completely new track. Elevated or otherwise isolated from possible interference.

Edited March 12, 2013 by rubl

[Chittychangchang]

High speed rail service away from pattaya would be more appropriate...

[OzMick]

FYI the current rail service to Pattaya http://thairailways.com/img/east.gif

One train per day (which doesn't run on weekends), 3rd class only with a fare of B31 and a travel time of 3h 41m. Not hard to argue that the service could be improved, a 2nd class carriage would be a start. You could even run an express service stopping at only the main stations, once or twice a day, and perhaps a bus that gets passengers to Pattaya station 10m before the train departs. Or spend billions on HSR.

[samran]

why not a visa border run train to cambodia ?

Border runners wouldn't be able to afford it.

[samran]

Oh my. A bullet train is as scary as a nucular power plant run by Thai staff. Not even considering that the railway has to cross a number of roads filled with drivers with no regards for red lights, unless they put it on stilts all the way.

I'm sure you as a superior foreigner will be able to show how these simpleton locals could do it.