Thai Transport Min tells train agency to improve service, rather than raising fare

[webfact]

TRAIN SERVICE
Train agency told to improve service, rather than raising fare
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt on Wednesday put a brake on the State Railway of Thailand's proposal to raise the economy-class fares, fearing that it could affect poor passengers.

At the meeting with the SRT over the fare structure, he said that most passengers of the class are poor. As such, the government needs to consider this proposal thoroughly. He admitted that the SRT is operating at a loss due to the low fare. For the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima route, a ticket costs Bt50 while the actual cost is Bt200.

Chadchart however viewed that the SRT

The SRT claimed that it could raise the fare by 10 per cent to improve its balance sheet. This would raise its annual income by Bt190 million. The fare has been maintained through the past 20 years.

Chadchart noted that the SRT should look into new ways to boost the revenue, including the improvement of services which will attract more passengers.

If the number of passengers increases by 10 per cent on improved services, this would be better than raising the fare and witness a 10 per cent loss of passengers, he said.

"The SRT will need to consider this thoroughly," he noted.

He also referred to comments from passengers collected during the special train trip to Nakhon Pathom last week. Most of them are still dissatisfied with the services, mostly concerning dirty toilets, impolite on-duty staff and smoking on the carriage.


-- The Nation 2013-08-14

[lee b]

WOW this guy must have gone to school to make a statement like that

[Pib]

...a ticket costs Bt50 while the actual cost is Bt200....The fare has been maintained through the past 20 years.

I can understand why the SRT is running a loss each with fares this low....Assuming the fare wasn't grossly overpriced to begin with (doubtful) and not raising the fare for the past 20 years the fare must indeed be a money loser...not even coming close to breaking even.

[Mampara]

WOW this guy must have gone to school to make a statement like that

Does he really deserve sarcastic remarks for his statement? or is the statement made from somebody that just woke up and crawled out from under a slimy rock?

[lungbing]

I came back home by overnight train from Bangkok last week. I arrived at 7pm for a 8pm departure and the train was already there with its motors running. It finally left at 8.45pm and lost another hour on the way up country too. Perhaps if they turned off the engines when waiting in Bangkok station they could at least save the cost of the fuel. And leaving on time might help their reputation.

[OzMick]

Not raising the fare as a populist policy would cost B190 million. Compared to the annual losses of the rice scam, that would be at least 1000 times cheaper and probably affect more of the population.

OTOH how does a pollie make a sly buck out of it?

BTW the fastest way to improve services might well be some new rolling stock - but I doubt that has occurred to the Minister.

Edited August 14, 2013 by OzMick

[apetley]

One of the easiest ways to improve the infrastructure and service would be to sell off all the superfluous real estate SRT own and reinvest in updating track and rolling stock.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[scotinsiam]

Try stopping the trains falling off the tracks might save money - pathetic train service but with investment could be a goldmine for the country

[Pib]

Try stopping the trains falling off the tracks might save money - pathetic train service but with investment could be a goldmine for the country

Don't worry....the proposed high speed train service will fix all of that....won't it be neat falling off the tracks at a couple hundred kilometers-per-hour.

[MikeOboe57]

Let's have a look at the minister's calculation:

We assume that 100 passengers pay 50 THB each for a trip that actually costs 200 THB. On the basis of 100 passengers this sums up to 20.000 THB. So the SRT loses (20.000 - 5.000) = 15.000 THB

1. Increased fare 55 THB, only 90 passengers = 10% less: (90 x 55 THB) = 4950 - an actual loss of 1%: (20.000 - 4.950 THB) = 15.050 THB loss

2. "Improved Service" (10% increase in costs), 110 passengers = 10% more: (110 x 50 THB) = 5.500 THB: (22.000 - 5.500 THB) = 16.500 THB loss.

And this is based on the optimistic assumption that increasing the costs by 10% to improve the service will lead to an increase in passenger numbers by 10%.

And of course the dear Minister fails to grasp that the current appalling condition of the Thai Railway was caused by artificially keeping the fares low for political reasons without increasing subsidies.

[Thai at Heart]

I an so glad that basic economics is so strong in this country.

[ginjag]

...a ticket costs Bt50 while the actual cost is Bt200....The fare has been maintained through the past 20 years.

I can understand why the SRT is running a loss each with fares this low....Assuming the fare wasn't grossly overpriced to begin with (doubtful) and not raising the fare for the past 20 years the fare must indeed be a money loser...not even coming close to breaking even.

Instead of buying 4 new passenger jets, have the Thai A340s that are costing a bomb (same the rice) standing on tarmac. Use the money for the Rail network-rolling stock, lines +++

[lemonjelly]

I came back home by overnight train from Bangkok last week. I arrived at 7pm for a 8pm departure and the train was already there with its motors running. It finally left at 8.45pm and lost another hour on the way up country too. Perhaps if they turned off the engines when waiting in Bangkok station they could at least save the cost of the fuel. And leaving on time might help their reputation.

It takes more fuel to start one of those beasts than to let it idle for an hour and idling it incurs less wear on bearings, cylinders etc….. and no train operator will fire up an engine in a station….. way too smokey.

[Jay Sata]

None of these government people have ever been on a Thai train let alone used the toilets.

Yingluck would enjoy taking a dump en-route to Korat.

With the current rolling stock falling of the tracks and the mai penrai attitude of the country folk

what will happen when the high speed train hits the low speed buffalo upcountry.

The other question is where in the train will the som tam vendors ply their trade?

[Robby nz]

Fares have already gone up for 2nd class sleepers.

The Mrs got a ticket from BKK to Hat Yai about 3 weeks back but wasn't sure how long she would have to stay.

Got that sorted and last week went and got a ticket to come back.

Price has risen by 200b in that time.

[chainarong]

Minister , if you gave them something decent to work with maybe they could improve there performance ,the country goods and passenger service are using equipment that was second hand thirty years ago from the generous west , if you spent more money on infrastructure over the years, instead of on other waste of space programs, you wouldn't be trying to raise 2.2 tn Bht , to improve service and perhaps some bank accounts.

[stoli]

Not raising the fare as a populist policy would cost B190 million. Compared to the annual losses of the rice scam, that would be at least 1000 times cheaper and probably affect more of the population.

OTOH how does a pollie make a sly buck out of it?

BTW the fastest way to improve services might well be some new rolling stock - but I doubt that has occurred to the Minister.

I did not read where the customers complained about the age of the cars. I read that their were dirty toilets, rude customer service, and smoking being allowed. All personnel problems. A new train, with the same employees, wouldn't solve this much, would it? Get some new managers to make sure the employees do their jobs.

[cutieloudmouth]

amazing that so few farang know that most/many of the third class ordinary trains are free for thai passengers..

the free trains isaan or korat to bkk are often standing room only so upping an additional 10% passengers is not an option. whereas additional carriages would be welcomed. farang still must pay minimal fee though. whereas the free bkk metro buses are free for farang too. thais must pay a fee for the free trains if they have commercial luggage but the luggage fee is still minimal.

free trains that go south usually have enough seats week days. holidays or long weekends are a different story

rude service is the exception rather than the rule. dirty toilets is standard thai practice. i have more issue with some of the cleaning chemicals being used or that were used to mop the floors that didnt need mopping.

Edited August 16, 2013 by cutieloudmouth

[OzMick]

Not raising the fare as a populist policy would cost B190 million. Compared to the annual losses of the rice scam, that would be at least 1000 times cheaper and probably affect more of the population.

OTOH how does a pollie make a sly buck out of it?

BTW the fastest way to improve services might well be some new rolling stock - but I doubt that has occurred to the Minister.

I did not read where the customers complained about the age of the cars. I read that their were dirty toilets, rude customer service, and smoking being allowed. All personnel problems. A new train, with the same employees, wouldn't solve this much, would it? Get some new managers to make sure the employees do their jobs.

Those were the complaints referred to by the Minister, who might just be selective in his referral. I'm fairly sure none of those mentioned were observed on the PM's special train trip, what there was of it. Perhaps she'd like to try Hat Yai to Surat Thani, 3rd class only, all stops, next time and find out what real Thai rail passengers endure.

As a regular user of rail services, I am complaining about worn out and obsolete rolling stock (which includes the locomotives), far older than that in Malaysia and Oz where I also use trains.

[cutieloudmouth]

cant really agree. i prefer the fresh air old worn out third class trains for short trips to the enclosed air con or sprinter trains. of course i pay the extra for lower sleeping for long distance overnight.

with these, sometimes the fumes from the under carriage diesel motor get into the enclosed carriages when stopped at the station with the doors open for too long.

one thing malaysia has is sleeping during the day. thais want you, sometimes demand you, to sit on your sleeper, i much prefer to lie down with the curtain closed . have seen in the past, trains in malaysia that were possibly older and more decrepit than even thai trains but these were only used on the line that goes up the middle of the peninsular not on the coastal route or to singapore. malaysias new level smooth track is wonderful. some places thai track resembles a fair roller coaster swaying violently from side to side or up and down even.

Edited August 16, 2013 by cutieloudmouth

[gemini81]

Look at his mug, and tell me doesn't look like a crook from a gangster flick??!!