Alcohol sale and drink will be banned on all trains in Thailand

[3NUMBAS]

no male employees on the train only female guards,#Indian trains have female only carriages due to the local indian males raping and killing passengers

[Kf6vci]

Let's see. One crazed murderer high on Meth happens to drink on the job. But now all passengers won't be able to buy even one beer?!?

That would mean they can fire some catering staff - or they will have less turnover and don't care as a government owned enterprise?

(Heard there are almost 1,000 schools without students - nothing new )

As tragic as this event was, this might be an over-reaction

[iphad]

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I predicted the response of some posters thinking not getting a beer on a train because of a rape/death of a 13 year old girl that they were the real victims.

That is not the point. The point is that the government's response is a knee-jerk reaction that doesn't address the problem but makes it look like they are doing something serious. Since rapes by drunken men can occur anywhere, not just on trains, why not ban alcohol altogether, everywhere? I'm sure there are politicians who would like to do so (remember Purachai?) but it wouldn't solve the problem and would just create others.

No one is saying the inconvenience of not being able to drink on the train is anywhere near equivalent to the horror of being raped. How you could get that from any of the responses so far is beyond me.

Since you feel my comment was directed at you & since I used "some of the posters" I guess you represent the farangness of some of the posters here .

ok I'll bite.

daoyai in post #4 "So now instead of one unfortunate victim, all those travelers that enjoy a drink on board the train are victims also."

theset2014 in post #6 "So why are they intent to punish all train travellers by banning alcohol consumption on trains?"

daoyai again in post #12 "If the trajedy was in any way connected to beer sales on trains the reaction would be understandable. The real victims are the people that live under a reactionary, predictably stupid govt. understand now?"

if the railway decides to ban alcohol..as a knee jerk action when everyone is demanding action.............to protect passengers......I think kinda fits....

Probably also because of other problems before so this was the time to clamp down.

But listening to whiners say they can't bear to be on a train without alcohol is a knee jerk reaction too..blaming Thai people,or that the railway needs money from alcohol sales etc....

If you don't like it..take a bus,fly, put your beer in a brown bag,drink before you go,drink vodka from a water bottle.

Just because you are farang & think you have the right to drink wherever you are in a foreign country, whenever you want, then whine because you are demanding action but the action is going to hinder your rights.

you are not citizens of this country..you can't vote..

you're just alcoholic whiners.

Grow up..read a book on the train if you must travel that way..

you won't die from being sober for 10 hours.

[louse1953]

The concept refers to unaccompanied females and is not mandatory, jeeze!!!

This is exactly right. If you find yourself sleeping alone when your wife is in the ladies only car maybe you need to assess your marriage?

Unless you are a tight arse and share the top bunk with your missus you will always sleep alone on a train.

[louse1953]

it's a sad day,i used to enjoy my overnight train journeys,mostly spent in the restaurant car eating some half decent thai food washed down with a few heinekens,hopefully they'll get around it..

I got a feeling that the food quality will remain half decent, and you're free to bring a few cans of Heineken to wash it down with.

But if you are seen drinking by an offical,you will be "invited" to leave.Do you normally flaunt the law?Train food and hot Heiny's,no thanks.

[chooka]

How about a ban on all employees from drinking and taking drugs whilst working. Introduce drug and alcohol testing for employees. This train service relies on tourists and if you are going to punish them because a company failed to monitor/supervise their staff then I bet your customers drop off.

[impulse]

Train food and hot Heiny's,no thanks.

Hot heiny's? I like hot heiny's.

Who doesn't like hot heiny's, even with train food?

What, you say that's heiny's with a capital H? Never mind.

[ClutchClark]

How about a ban on all employees from drinking and taking drugs whilst working. Introduce drug and alcohol testing for employees. This train service relies on tourists and if you are going to punish them because a company failed to monitor/supervise their staff then I bet your customers drop off.

Tourists are not going to quit taking the train because they now have to drink discreetly.

[canarysun]

Dear Viewers!

As a frequent " Train traveller " here in Thailand.Firstly the trains for me are the only " real way " to explore Thailand.The roads are boring,dangerous and totally uninteresting.With the trains they are very cheap,the route that they take is far more scenic and a delight with the window down and stopping at all the " beautiful train stations " with the freshly watered flowers and excellent service offered by all " the station masters " ( i have met most of them! ) it is an absolute delight to travel by train in Thailand.

I do NOT drink alcohol ( it makes me fall asleep viewers..) But why would anybody " have to drink booze " on a small train journey anyway? If you cannot board a train for example from " Pattaya to Bangkok " and sit on the train without the need of a " can of beer " for just a few hours then you must be living on the edge of being " an alcoholic " It should be noted that i am happy with just a small bottle of water but i guess some of you would " struggle with that idea " ......

Have a lovely day viewers!

Farang Jaidee

[ClutchClark]

Dear Viewers!

As a frequent " Train traveller " here in Thailand.Firstly the trains for me are the only " real way " to explore Thailand.The roads are boring,dangerous and totally uninteresting.With the trains they are very cheap,the route that they take is far more scenic and a delight with the window down and stopping at all the " beautiful train stations " with the freshly watered flowers and excellent service offered by all " the station masters " ( i have met most of them! ) it is an absolute delight to travel by train in Thailand.

I do NOT drink alcohol ( it makes me fall asleep viewers..) But why would anybody " have to drink booze " on a small train journey anyway? If you cannot board a train for example from " Pattaya to Bangkok " and sit on the train without the need of a " can of beer " for just a few hours then you must be living on the edge of being " an alcoholic " It should be noted that i am happy with just a small bottle of water but i guess some of you would " struggle with that idea " ......

Have a lovely day viewers!

Farang Jaidee

The photo certainly supports your delight with train travel.

Adding alcohol would be like throwing gasoline on a fire ;-)

[TechnikaIII]

This will be bad news for quite a few obnoxious backpackers ;-)

... and very good news for many others, including me.

[timewilltell]

I predicted the response of some posters thinking not getting a beer on a train because of a rape/death of a 13 year old girl that they were the real victims.

If the trajedy was in any way connected to beer sales on trains the reaction would be understandable. The real victims are the people that live under a reactionary, predictably stupid govt. understand now?

The issue of rampant alcohol use and associated behavior has been an issue on the trains for quite awhile.

It is short-sighted to think this decision was made in a knee-jerk fashion.

Besides, if anyone read the article, it says alcohol consumption out of public view is still allowed. They are simply saying be discreet instead of the typical obnoxious behavior of the backpacker crowd who are completely oblivious to everyone else but themselves.

You have partly exposed the point I was going to make. The low life who attacked this girl was taking drugs and getting drunk in a staff area not accessible to the public as I understand it. There are many issues that need looking at but none of them are about passengers drinking in full view of others. That may be an issue but totally unrelated to the event that triggered the response.

The poor girl lost her life because if systematic failures in Thai society in part and national and private business ethics and practices as well as personal behaviour and responsibility generally.

1. He was taking drugs and getting drunk in a staff area where other employees must have seen him since. Why did no one warn his manager and appropriate action taken? Are there lots of SRT employees getting drunk and drugged up? Was he reported and no action taken

2. Are SRT employees screened and are records kept of previous offences?

3. Since an almost identical event happened to another woman in 2001 - why were controls not put in place then to prevent it happening again?

4. What measures are taken to secure compartments where people are sleeping? Its of course possible the others traveling with her left the door unlocked and maybe had left her alone at that time - if so would it be possible to secure the door from outside to protect those left behind? The feasibility of that given the usability.

5. Are there ever random checks on Employees to check for alcohol or drug use by the railway? If not why not? Is it even seen as wrong for company employees to be drinking and using drugs whilst on duty, or even after coming off duty and still on the train?

6. Referring back to the previous event in 2001 where the woman is now living abroad because of the trauma, why some 13 years later gas the railway still not paid the 4 million compensation she was awarded as damages?

7. What is wrong with a justice system that can leave a rape victim 13 years without closure?

And those are just off the top of my head!

Why is it that so often the real problems are blind to the people who should be tackling them? Are the managers and bosses all infected with an irrelevancy gene or is it some deeper psychological malaise that affects society?

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[louse1953]

The ladies only carriage idea is a good one.

In theory is a great idea if all staff are only female as well. What's the point if staff still male ?

Just wondering.

The point is it's discriminating against all men.All men are not potential rapist/murderers.Yaa bar is an evil drug.

[ClutchClark]

I predicted the response of some posters thinking not getting a beer on a train because of a rape/death of a 13 year old girl that they were the real victims.

If the trajedy was in any way connected to beer sales on trains the reaction would be understandable. The real victims are the people that live under a reactionary, predictably stupid govt. understand now?

The issue of rampant alcohol use and associated behavior has been an issue on the trains for quite awhile.

It is short-sighted to think this decision was made in a knee-jerk fashion.

Besides, if anyone read the article, it says alcohol consumption out of public view is still allowed. They are simply saying be discreet instead of the typical obnoxious behavior of the backpacker crowd who are completely oblivious to everyone else but themselves.

You have partly exposed the point I was going to make. The low life who attacked this girl was taking drugs and getting drunk in a staff area not accessible to the public as I understand it. There are many issues that need looking at but none of them are about passengers drinking in full view of others. That may be an issue but totally unrelated to the event that triggered the response.

The poor girl lost her life because if systematic failures in Thai society in part and national and private business ethics and practices as well as personal behaviour and responsibility generally.

1. He was taking drugs and getting drunk in a staff area where other employees must have seen him since. Why did no one warn his manager and appropriate action taken? Are there lots of SRT employees getting drunk and drugged up? Was he reported and no action taken

2. Are SRT employees screened and are records kept of previous offences?

3. Since an almost identical event happened to another woman in 2001 - why were controls not put in place then to prevent it happening again?

4. What measures are taken to secure compartments where people are sleeping? Its of course possible the others traveling with her left the door unlocked and maybe had left her alone at that time - if so would it be possible to secure the door from outside to protect those left behind? The feasibility of that given the usability.

5. Are there ever random checks on Employees to check for alcohol or drug use by the railway? If not why not? Is it even seen as wrong for company employees to be drinking and using drugs whilst on duty, or even after coming off duty and still on the train?

6. Referring back to the previous event in 2001 where the woman is now living abroad because of the trauma, why some 13 years later gas the railway still not paid the 4 million compensation she was awarded as damages?

7. What is wrong with a justice system that can leave a rape victim 13 years without closure?

And those are just off the top of my head!

Why is it that so often the real problems are blind to the people who should be tackling them? Are the managers and bosses all infected with an irrelevancy gene or is it some deeper psychological malaise that affects society?

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

Her sleeping compartment was not in a cabin, it was in the open "bunk" design where the two opposing seats fold into a bed and the upper bunk is lowered from the ceiling. The only security is the curtain.

[Thai at Heart]

Utter nonsense to 'ban alcohol' on these trains ! ! In fact, I don't drink, but I fail to see the connection between paxes "drinking" and an employee raping/killing a pax.

There's only one (1) factor important here, and that the screening-process (or the lack thereof) by the SRT.

The one thing I don;t understand is this: How did this "animal" gain such unhindered access to this poor 13 year old kid, who was traveling with THREE (3) companions, one of which was her older sister ? ? ? ? ? What I specifically mean is: WHERE WERE THESE 3 PEOPLE WHEN THIS LITTLE GIRL WAS RAPED & KILLED ? ? ? ? ?

I find this truly amazing.

They were asleep.... it was the middle of the night and on a sleeper express where passengers usually sleep.

More on topic though.

Banning alcohol on trains is no different to banning petrol and diesel to stop road deaths, or banning cigarette lighters to stop lung cancer.

Pathetic response and nowhere near the root of the cause of this monstrous crime.

The two major failing here are both from the SRT...

1... they let a maniac with drug previous through their non existent screening.

2. They are covering up their inefficiency by wrong blaming alcohol that is consumed by passengers on what their employee was allowed to do.

'If I resign will it help???'..... Actually you are clearly fighting calls to resign which makes you look worse.... So it would be advisable. Indirectly, your ineptitude at your position led to this poor girl's untimely and horrific end.

I hope a smart lawyer starts to negotiate with them at 100mn or see you in court for corporate negligence.

Taking drugs and boozing on the.job can't be policy can it.

[meatboy]

no mention of banning yaba readly available anywhere.

I have been travelling on some of these state railways and buses for some 30yrs.have you noticed the state[condition] of them,the last time I went from bkk.to cha am the seat collapsed under my 17stone.

[louse1953]

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The ladies only carriage idea is a good one.

And keep lady boys away from all carriages.

Why?Scared you may not be able to control yourself after consuming alcohol in the dunny.

[soalbundy]

no mention of banning yaba readly available anywhere.

I have been travelling on some of these state railways and buses for some 30yrs.have you noticed the state[condition] of them,the last time I went from bkk.to cha am the seat collapsed under my 17stone.

The seats were designed for human beings

[louse1953]

What is their line of thinking? It was not another passenger who got drunk and raped this poor little girl! It was one of their employees who did it. So why are they intent to punish all train travellers by banning alcohol consumption on trains? This may be a reactionary response but the action does not suit the terrible crime committed by that employee and surely it would not prevent another employee from bringing whiskey on a train to drink after everyone is asleep. The SRT is punishing the passengers for their own mistakes by other employees allowing this man to drink while on duty.

since this is the LOS we're talking about, one is very much inclined to believe that NO THINKING was involved at all.

Clearly you must be from LOS land.

[louse1953]

Pathetic.Coincidentally this monster was on a train. Stopping the sale of alcohol is good enough. You're welcome to board the train under the influence though and discretely get inebriated quietly in a corner to ponder your dark thoughts. And well let you off at a stop in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night regardless of your age where is also safe from loud drunk people. We're not going to pay for more security though.

Well Tom, these are the chances you take.Being responcible for ones self would be a priority one would think.

[meatboy]

no mention of banning yaba readly available anywhere.

I have been travelling on some of these state railways and buses for some 30yrs.have you noticed the state[condition] of them,the last time I went from bkk.to cha am the seat collapsed under my 17stone.

The seats were designed for human beings

who rattled your cage?

[louse1953]

no mention of banning yaba readly available anywhere.

I have been travelling on some of these state railways and buses for some 30yrs.have you noticed the state[condition] of them,the last time I went from bkk.to cha am the seat collapsed under my 17stone.

Are you the same bloke that broke the cinema seat.If so i think you should remain standing,for your own safety.

[Benmart]

Read past the headline, several actions are proposed: ban alcohol sales, scrutinize employee backgrounds and a consideration to female only carriages - get over the headline.

Nice put...minus the " - get over the headline".

[soalbundy]

no mention of banning yaba readly available anywhere.

I have been travelling on some of these state railways and buses for some 30yrs.have you noticed the state[condition] of them,the last time I went from bkk.to cha am the seat collapsed under my 17stone.

The seats were designed for human beings

who rattled your cage?

must have been the floor vibrating as you walked past,30 kg overweight doesn't mean you are fat its probably your big bones

[iphad]

Dear Viewers!

As a frequent " Train traveller " here in Thailand.Firstly the trains for me are the only " real way " to explore Thailand.The roads are boring,dangerous and totally uninteresting.With the trains they are very cheap,the route that they take is far more scenic and a delight with the window down and stopping at all the " beautiful train stations " with the freshly watered flowers and excellent service offered by all " the station masters " ( i have met most of them! ) it is an absolute delight to travel by train in Thailand.

I do NOT drink alcohol ( it makes me fall asleep viewers..) But why would anybody " have to drink booze " on a small train journey anyway? If you cannot board a train for example from " Pattaya to Bangkok " and sit on the train without the need of a " can of beer " for just a few hours then you must be living on the edge of being " an alcoholic " It should be noted that i am happy with just a small bottle of water but i guess some of you would " struggle with that idea " ......

Have a lovely day viewers!

Farang Jaidee

I love the train too...actually my first choice of travel in Thailand ...the clatter & shaking going down the tracks,getting up & walking around,the scenery..all great for me...

never had a bad train trip that I can remember.

Yes maybe dangerous but so is a car,tuk tuk,motorcycle,bus plane etc...

if I wanted to avoid all danger I would stay home & never go out.

and for the price in Thailand compared to back home for train travel it's an almost total joy.

[gerrythepoet]

The ladies only carriage idea is a good one.

So who gets in on what basis age or first come first served. Are you going to have a carriage half empty when the families want to stick together.

No this is just the first idea to be made their answer.

The facts are clear that SRT have been aware of staff drinking while passengers are asleep so no one can see.

The passengers are not to blame they act accordingly to the rules if drunk and abusive the inspector can ask them to leave the train.

I am still having doubts about what really happened.

He was drinking with others and managed to turn the lights off with NO ONE reacting.

This looks to me like a gang rape but i have no evidence only a hunch that the others that were drinking with him would also have taken the drugs and have been doing on other occassions for it seems a former drug peddler could still make money by using the train as a means of supplying his drugs.

So many loose ends with this story and the other two women did not report him not for reprisal but for embarrasement.

[kerrysum]

Personally I like the old trains, guess I like the click-clack, and no I go between cars to smoke. Maybe Thailand is trying to be PC. I always liked the train stops, before. They would come on with grilled chicken, some drinks, and time to make a bathroom stop. I used to take it from the North, to the South. It always reminded me of the, Traveling Willbury's song. Well it's alright.... But some how it has changed.

Just a thought! kilosierra....

[chiang mai]

The ladies only carriage idea is a good one.

So who gets in on what basis age or first come first served. Are you going to have a carriage half empty when the families want to stick together.

No this is just the first idea to be made their answer.

I see some folks are having difficulty with concepts, let me help a little:

the concept of a ladies only carriage is a voluntary option, it is not mandatory, just like ladies only parking at some shopping malls is a voluntary option designed to provide additional safeguards for those who feel at risk. And just like the parking spaces, if they fill up then more are allocated, that means a single ladies carriage could be extended to a second carriage. I hope that explains a very basic concept that's really not too difficult to grasp!

[meatboy]

no mention of banning yaba readly available anywhere.

I have been travelling on some of these state railways and buses for some 30yrs.have you noticed the state[condition] of them,the last time I went from bkk.to cha am the seat collapsed under my 17stone.

Are you the same bloke that broke the cinema seat.If so i think you should remain standing,for your own safety.

so it was you who was sitting behind me,i never had chance to thank you for picking me up,i couldn't get out quick enough

as everyone was laughing except me.so once again thank you.

I am a bit lighter now that is down to having to keep my mouth shut.

[harrry]

How about a ban on all employees from drinking and taking drugs whilst working. Introduce drug and alcohol testing for employees. This train service relies on tourists and if you are going to punish them because a company failed to monitor/supervise their staff then I bet your customers drop off.

Alcohol

Alcohol is not served on any V/Line service and you're not permitted to drink alcohol while on board any V/Line service.

The above is the rule enforced by your mates in the VIctorian Railway Police.