High speed train proposals ready for the next administration



BANGKOK, 12 Feb 2014, (NNT) - The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning has prepared four high speed train projects to be proposed to the next government despite the fact that the current administration’s 2.2 Trillion baht infrastructure development projects have been put on hold.

The office’s Director Chula Sukhamanop stated that the four projects include the construction of high speed train routes linking Bangkok to four prominent provinces in different regions which include Chiang Mai, Nong Khai, Hua Hin and Rayong.

Mr. Chula said that the plan had been established since the inception of the government's 2.2 Trillion baht loan bill, adding that, despite the mega projects being on hold at the moment, his office had decided to keep the prospect opened. Mr. Chula reported on the latest developments concerning the Bangkok-Chiang Mai high speed train route, saying that the route had been divided into two parts: Bangkok - Phitsanulok and Phitsanulok-Chiang Mai. He said that the office had completed public opinion polls and is orchestrating the Environmental Impact Assessment for the first stage. Mr. Chula said public feedback surveys are currently being conducted for the latter section.

The pre-construction surveys and studies for the Phitsanulok-Chiang Mai route are expected to be completed this year. Director Chula said his office would gradually complete the necessary studies for the projects, adding that once a new Transport Minister is installed the project would be ready for proposal and implementation.


-- NNT 2014-02-12

Chula Sukhamanop

Can I copyright that username?

despite the fact that the current administration’s 2.2 Trillion baht infrastructure development projects have been put on hold.

What that annoying detail has to do with it ? None of the 2.2 Trillion would have seen the project anyway.

Please, Khun Chula, keep conducting surveys, but never implement the project.

I dread the thought, of this powerful "weapon", being in the hands of Thais, and the people that will be killed.

Sooner or later Thailand is going to have to have a high speed rail system., I confess though its going to hard to imagine people getting the stalls out of the way in time like they are used to when its wooshing along at 200mph

Transparency of deals has got to come before sums this large are slipping through the hands of ANY politician ......

We must get the rice farmers to check what happens to this merchandise.

By the way, what kind of efficiency and safety standards are we to expect if this thing gets built?

If this goes ahead , understand I am not an economist or banker or wall street financer .

I am a average laymen that does not understand the financial markets

My question is if they borrow the money to build it how much then in total would Thailand dept be in us dollars ?

Wouldn't go next nor near it, never mind ON it!!!

We must get the rice farmers to check what happens to this merchandise.

By the way, what kind of efficiency and safety standards are we to expect if this thing gets built?

It will be up to the normal Thai standards of safety. You know, same as SRT, long dstance buses, container trucks and that bastion of safety, mini vans.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could just concentrate on clearing their depts. And find solutions to the education problem, before squandering more tax payer’s money.

"...saying that the route had been divided into two parts: Bangkok - Phitsanulok and Phitsanulok-Chiang Mai..."

Meaning of course that the hi-speed line will only run from Bangkok to Phitsanulok at first and then they will run out of money or get bogged down fighting corruption charges. I believe that the Bangkok - Nong Khai line will also only run to Khorat. Obviously no hope of any line South of Hua Hin while PT is in charge and Southerners don't vote for them.

Please, Khun Chula, keep conducting surveys, but never implement the project.

I dread the thought, of this powerful "weapon", being in the hands of Thais, and the people that will be killed.

Never mind. There is a huge lucrative industry in giving out contracts for surveys and feasibility studies at exorbitant fees to front companies set up by politicians.

Easy way to avoid corruption make it self financing as most private railroads were financed.

If you have to provide a viable share prospectus and expect folks to invest the scheme needs to have good numbers.

As others of commented the sheer scale of this budget will be surely matched by the abuse.

A double whammy as all modern economies need a mix of modern trasportation options.

As for Pilok,a brief look at the map would indicate the direct route ,and it'll require seperate fenced off tracks,would pass K Phet Tak and Lamphun I expect there are endless backroom deals which will have three drawbacks

1 Delay

2 Route,rolling stock,ticketing will not be optimized

3 Massive skims on quality ,procurement and concessions which will leave a huge liability.

Sooner or later Thailand is going to have to have a high speed rail system., I confess though its going to hard to imagine people getting the stalls out of the way in time like they are used to when its wooshing along at 200mph

Hopefully this latest little earner will be superseded by a long overdue upgrade of the appalling government hospitals in this country. Not to mention the antiquated civil service and dilapidated infrastructure every dam_n where here in Thailand. But hey! Gotta get more Chinese crap flooding markets all over this region and their godawful high speed disasters are the way to go

"The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning has prepared four high speed train projects..."

Then they can use the high speed train to transport the surplus rotten rice to fill in the the waterways to prevent Bangkok from going under water. Once again, Great Planning on the government's part.

Wouldn't go next nor near it, never mind ON it!!!

No Kidding !! Imagine if all these recent derailments had been on a high-speed train.

One would hope that the team to build and maintain this high maintenance project will have higher intelligence , than the previous and the present caretaker government Administrations.

Post containing derogatory remarks removed.

Thais do love their white elephants.

Thais do love their white elephants.

You mean like the MRT and the BTS?

At last a sound plan to drag the country up out of its much maligned third world status.

Now that they milked out the rice scam the shinamafia comes up with the next megascam. It must be mouthwatering to them thinking of how much they can steal with this plan. And this time there will not be one group that will be hit (the farmers) but all taxpayers.

Enjoy the ride.

Never like your hero Suthep has stolen to sutherner farmers during many years and never how the many military governments have stolen in more than 30 years of the new airport project ,without putting a single stone (billions of baht gone) , while Thaksin made it in just 5 years.

Without him, Thailand would still rely on the old Don Meuang

it took 40 years for Suvharnabumi to come out .... I am pretty sure it will take the same for the high speed train . I can only imagine all those greedy politician thinking about this and getting excited about corruption possibility.

One would hope that the team to build and maintain this high maintenance project will have higher intelligence , than the previous and the present caretaker government Administrations.

Yes, let 's hope so. Perhaps Thailand should import technicians, companies, businessmen, etc...from abroad like it's importing English teachers.

I' m not joking and I don't mean to offend Thais, but reality is reality, Thailand has clearly ways to go to become an efficient and developed country.

There is nothing bad to import experience ,competence besides technology where the country still lacks them.

Problem as I see it is security, most of Thailand's railways are fenced, and I do not think the government would be too concerned about a few pheasants and their off spring I doubt one of these trains is going to fair well against a full grown mature bull elephant who thinks he has right of way, better sticking the snail pace system with the man walking in front with a red flag.

I think I'll fly.

Continue dreaming.

...and here I thought buying sex toys is against the law...but if you are the government...you are the law!

Don't need no stinkin' train, don't need no stinkin' loan, don't need no stinkin' Shin's stealing the loan and making the Thai people pay it back for generations to come ! HELL NOOOOOOOOOOO !! I hope all 3 never happen.