PM Yingluck vows to develop Thai trains, uplift Thais' living standards

[webfact]

PM vows to develop Thai trains, uplift Thais' living standards
By English News



BANGKOK, Aug 10 - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday vowed to develop Thai rail transport for the country's development and to uplift the peoples' living standard.

The premier expressed this wish in her weekly televised programme “PM Yingluck Government Meets the People,” following a meeting on a railway development plan on Thursday where she led cabinet ministers to travel by a special train sortie from Bangkok to Nakhon Pathom.

She said the meeting agreed that travelling by train is important to the public and the services of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) should be uplifted in accord with the Bt2 trillion infrastructure development budget.

Ms Yingluck said the train trip was to help her understand the real problems and to try to find short and long-term solutions so that the public can benefit from Thai train stations' services.
The pilot project of a new train station was considered. More revenues will be generated apart from ticket fees such as Thailand's OTOP (One Tambon One Product) local products to be sold at train stations.

Regarding SRT's debt problems, the premier said although it has significant debts, it also has potential to generate income, which must comply with how to serve the public when they use the train services to their satisfaction. Moral support for SRT's officials must also be boosted as motivation to perform good work, she said.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Chatchart Sittipan said the government's investment in Thai railways might not generate financial returns but instead foster connectivity and development in the region.

He said logistics costs would also be lowered by rail than by roads. Areas to be developed as train stations will be prioritised at land owned by the government. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-08-10

[Pimay1]

uplift Thais' living standards

Where have I heard this before. She forgot to mention "in six months".

[gl555]

Infrastructure upgrades! That means PTP cronies are going to be able to buy that new Ferrari and build that new summer house. Definitely uplifting someone's living standards!

[Payboy]

I read the article but do not find the term "high speed". Is something wrong?

[toenail]

The PM did follow her campaign promises in providing "discounts" for those who never owned an automobile before; tablets in the schools up north; subsidies (??) for rice.... so if she takes her word seriously, maybe a railroad upgrade will be made--- with more cronies making profit off the projects. (How many disrail trains have we had this summer up in Changmai?)

Edited August 10, 2013 by toenail

[Ricardo]

uplift Thais' living standards

Where have I heard this before. She forgot to mention "in six months".

or "within 90 days" !

[GentlemanJim]

The pilot project of a new train station was considered. More revenues will be generated apart from ticket fees such as Thailand's OTOP (One Tambon One Product) local products to be sold at train stations.

So here we have a measure of her business acumen by considering that spending 2.2 trillion is ok as revenues will be generated from selling OTOP products at train stations.

Mods can we please have a 'banging your head on the brick wall' smiley in the drop down menu, thanks.

[Thai at Heart]

Did the interviewer dare to ask, "do you think people want to but otop stuff at train stations?"

[MaiChai]

Financial prudence is a responsibility of all governments. Thailand does not need expensive, difficult to implement high speed trains. It needs to first upgrade to a dual track international standard system. That should be the priority. Also high speed trains need straight long tracks and That's difficult to implement in mountainous regions like Chiang Mai.

[Thai at Heart]

I thought these trains were going to be built by the Chinese and be outside the control of the SRT?

[poohy]

I do use the train reasonably frequently from home in Phrachaup to Bangkok and Langsuan to Phrachaup most are dismal, others marginally better.

However my point is, a friend stayed with me recently who know about engines trains etc he's a mechanical engineer, his comment was, from what he saw most engines evidently were 45 years old some over 50.

So it seems this proposed investment funded by dried fruit and other odd stuff sold in the station shop is well over due!

[billd766]

I live 65 km south west of Khampaeng Phet.

The nearest railway station is 125 km southeast in Nakhow Sawan or 180 km northwest in either Pichet or Phitsanulok.

The SRT network covers less than 40% of the countryside which is why there are so many bus routes criss crossing the country and they are cheaper and faster than the trains.

If you take into account the difference in passenger miles between the two buses may even be safer.

[fakename]

So the PM has never ridden on a train? After this little ride, she will understand all about how to develop the railway system? And, this was a "special" train, so she will still not have any knowledge of railway travel. Its like when government officials travel by limo, the road is cleared by a brigade of police, so these people have no knowledge of the traffic problems of everyday people.

[Bakseeda]

I read the article but do not find the term "high speed". Is something wrong?

Did you mean "Got High on Speed" ?

[clockman]

Stop stealing the 18-20 percent of the countries G.D.P.!

[Skywalker69]

I read the article but do not find the term "high speed". Is something wrong?

Take it easy, the design of the lunchboxes and menu first.........then the speedtrain. Seriosly she vows more tan she can swallow. Yingluck why dont you go and play with your Barbie dolls?

[Skywalker69]

uplift Thais' living standards

Where have I heard this before. She forgot to mention "in six months".

Problem is, i don´t think she can count to six.

[bubblegum]

I wish she vowed to attend parliamentary meetings !

[Pimay1]

I wish she vowed to attend parliamentary meetings !

She stated she would attend the amnesty debate in parliament. As usual what she says and what she does are not always the same.

[nong38]

I think for her to really understand the problems they should had a de -railment and as for raising Thai living standards isnt that another way for saying things are going to cost more? Still her heart is in the right place, she has made the statement, next week another one and off we go into the sunset.

[tomross46]

Infrastructure upgrades! That means PTP cronies are going to be able to buy that new Ferrari and build that new summer house. Definitely uplifting someone's living standards!

That new summer home in Kaw Yai national park.

[planr]

I thought these trains were going to be built by the Chinese and be outside the control of the SRT?

The Chinese have expressed varied interests from financing (high interest sof loans), to aiding in construction, to providing rolling stock and other associated systems. Regardless of the operational model chosen if HSR gets built, Thailand will own at least 51% (if a PPP or JV of sorts)... no foreign country / entity, be it Chinese, Japanese, or otherwise will have a majority stake. I believe the off-budget bill working its way through parliament will also mean that most of funding will be from domestic sources, likely some combination of the Ministry of Finance and commercial lenders.

[Globeman]

Stop stealing the 18-20 percent of the countries G.D.P.!

When did they reduce the percentage?

[jollyman]

Sorry I forget I said we can make Thailand trains easy, very qwick

[upena]

Will these trains stay on the tracks?

[xavierr]

I understand the sarcastic comments. But this is a deadly serious issue. A decent railway system is something Thailand sorely needs and it should not be taken lightly. Here in Chiang Rai there are large billboards with the image of a smiling Yingluck and a train entering a station named Chiang Rai. I fear the matter is being taken too lightly and the promise of those expensive high-speed trains does not help, it makes the whole issue look like a distant dream.

A good conventional railway network should not be made the issue of one party or the promise of a prime minister that gets elected for a few years. This is a long-term project that is vital for Thailand as a whole and all the succeeding governments of the nation should work towards it.

[slapout]

Sorry I forget I said we can make Thailand trains easy, very qwick

Doing business in Thailand is similar to China, 'quick' only describes the actions on the way to or at the dinner table or knocking back a shot of whiskey.

These projects take time as each cabinet reshuffle has to be allowed to add new 'bells and whistles' so gruatitues can be dispersed, before they are rooted out of the buffet line. Specifications for the system have yet to be decided, but rumor has it the group who submit spec's will be drawn via a lottery system, from those in 'inactive ' posts and a select few individuals who reside outside Thai borders, as they are experienced travlers..

[jollyman]

if we make thees trains in Chine sure they weill stay on the Tracks,.,but will crash, probbaly at great speed

[Payboy]

Yingluck why dont you go and play with your Barbie dolls?

Hey, nothing wrong if she wants a choo choo set to play with the boys now.

[ginjag]

Yingluck why dont you go and play with your Barbie dolls?

Hey, nothing wrong if she wants a choo choo set to play with the boys now.

Employ a Spanish driver to drive the new trains. narrow rail track and high speed and carrying heavy goods along with kamakazi passengers. Of coarse only 1 track.

Scrap the whole idea, build European gauge width, new rolling stock, and double track. similar to the 125 type in the U.K.--and save money.

Edited August 10, 2013 by ginjag