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

[PhilipCook]

The SRT is plagued with plenty of problems and challenges and a thorough review of the enterprise needs to be conducted. Banning the sale of alcoholic beverages only creates a larger burden for taxpayers as the SRT is a black hole of red ink.

[soalbundy]

I predicted this reactionary response, millions of uneventful trips completed by passengers on the rail, millions of beers consumed. An awful, tragic event...reaction? no more beer sales or consumption. So now instead of one unfortunate victim, all those travelers that enjoy a drink on board the train are victims also.

Hmmm! Ban the alcohol because drunks commit crimes. Seems to be the same logic as ban the gun because crimes are committed using guns.

Yes i would ban guns,what civilized country needs a gun toting citizenry,the days of the wild west have gone

[alanrchase]

Take a bottle of readymix if you need a discrete drink, ie bottle of pepsi/ orange juice or whatever with your favourite tipple added.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[iphad]

The ladies only carriage idea is a good one.

So what if you are married? I think this internal problems, what do you think?

Maybe a young girl alone, then make cars for the young ones. To keep them separated, from other people.

Does one have a problem with this? Just asking? There was never this problem before.

Kerry

all this means is there would be a car available only for women..if they so choose..doesn't mean all women have to sit in the back of the bus.

[wabothai]

Ban of alcohol is totally irrelevant. The girl war raped and nobody saw or hears anything. Didn't the girl screem? Strange story.

[soalbundy]

For those who can't go without a drink for 12 hours,.....get on the train already drunk,problem solved.

[wabothai]

Besides on these long stretches a beer or two are very welcome.

TAT where are you?

[iphad]

failing to see the point. one would assume that employees were already required to remain sober while working.

Perhaps a review of SRT's employment policies would be more in order than this knee jerk reaction.

Segregation seems like an excellent idea though. very forward thinking indeed.

personally i cant see how anyone could tolerate the train sober

"personally i cant see how anyone could tolerate the train sober "

Perhaps you are far too high above Thai people.

Shame on you for such a statement.

I think you are letting your PC indoctrination get out of control. I travel 4 or 5 times a year on Thai trains for long distances,they aren't tolerable drunk or sober,uncomfortable,smelly,noisy,late and generally dirty,and that's the air-con carriages.

take the bus then or better yet fly..

personally I love the train.

[Iumentum]

Haha, this topic goes to 67 comments in shorter time than topic about the fact that we might face water problems get 15 comments.

Sorry guy, but you have to bring your own alcohol on your visa run to Laos, but at the end of the day, it wont matter much since you're slowly running out of visa runs :-P

[ClutchClark]

I like a beer when I'm on an overnight train trip. But I mind my manners and do not disturb my fellow passengers.

Just another knee jerk reaction and not very well thought out.

If you read the article you will see that your evening cocktail will not be a problem.

You will just have to bring your own.

[ClutchClark]

Haha, this topic goes to 67 comments in shorter time than topic about the fact that we might face water problems get 15 comments.

Sorry guy, but you have to bring your own alcohol on your visa run to Laos, but at the end of the day, it wont matter much since you're slowly running out of visa runs :-P

This is only your #6 post?

Some guys are naturals.

I see "Mod" in your future.

[Iumentum]

I like a beer when I'm on an overnight train trip. But I mind my manners and do not disturb my fellow passengers.

Just another knee jerk reaction and not very well thought out.

If you read the article you will see that your evening cocktail will not be a problem.

You will just have to bring your own.

Reading past headline doesn't seem to be strong suit for quite a few commenters here.

[Iumentum]

Haha, this topic goes to 67 comments in shorter time than topic about the fact that we might face water problems get 15 comments.

Sorry guy, but you have to bring your own alcohol on your visa run to Laos, but at the end of the day, it wont matter much since you're slowly running out of visa runs :-P

This is only your #6 post?

Some guys are naturals.

I see "Mod" in your future.

I tried to keep silent long enough in this forum.

The reaction from the commenters in this topic, clearly show that me having an issue about keeping my mouth shut, is nothing compared to being shacked up by not being able to buy some alcohol.

Edited July 9, 2014 by Iumentum

[khh]

gender segregated carriages are found in brazil, egypt, japan, malaysia, taiwan, indonesia, and india. if you include buses then also mexico and israel. the uk abolished them in 1977 due to gender equality laws. (thanks wikipedia)

it might seem like a good idea... but first of all in practice it's going to be a women-and-children carriage because how can you separate a mother from her small child just because the child is a boy? so then where do you draw the line? will there be teenage boys using fake id's to deflate not inflate their age? and what about disabled men and their helpers (as in japan)? and what about kathoeys who haven't had their id's adjusted?

and more importantly, would these carriages actually be that much safer? in the other countries that have them, the idea always seems to be to prevent harrassment and groping in overcrowded commuter trains, not abduction and rape/murder in sleeper trains. we don't know exactly how this incident unfolded but the guy probably found a pretext to lure the victim out of the carriage first. if you've got a staff member telling you to step out of the carriage then what difference does it make which carriage you step out of?

also thai sleeper trains are often sold out in advance. making a certain number of tickets unavailable to men would not help that.

as for alcohol, if you're disorderly on a plane you get in trouble, right? they should just enforce the same standard on trains and let the majority continue to enjoy responsibly if they choose. plus it's easier to have the train make a quick stop for the police to pick up rowdy passengers before moving on than to do the same thing with a plane...

[Lancelot]

The SRT is plagued with plenty of problems and challenges and a thorough review of the enterprise needs to be conducted. Banning the sale of alcoholic beverages only creates a larger burden for taxpayers as the SRT is a black hole of red ink.

I always bought a couple of bottles of beer, some ice and a coffee -later used it for my beer- at 7-11 before the journey.

I have long suspected that SRT employees sometimes buy beer at 7-11, then resell it to passengers at inflated prices. This past May I was quoted 150 baht for a Large Leo. Good work if you can get it

[iphad]

Haha, this topic goes to 67 comments in shorter time than topic about the fact that we might face water problems get 15 comments.

Sorry guy, but you have to bring your own alcohol on your visa run to Laos, but at the end of the day, it wont matter much since you're slowly running out of visa runs :-P

LOL...it's a proven fact you can go 3-5 days without drinking water ...but for many drunk farang try & go 15 minutes without a drink...8-10 hours would worse than hell.

I too am guessing many are visa runners since they can't afford a plane ticket

[hansnl]

The ladies only carriage idea is a good one.

Please be so kind as to explain to readers, and me, why a ladies only carriage is a good one.

Please also explain to me where in the train such a carriage should be placed to stop travellers and staff to go through the train?

The only really safe place would be in front of the train directly behind the locomotive, guarded by female staff or female railway police at both ends of the carriage..

Very costly, I guess.

I do wonder in this day and age if it is really necessary to go back in time?

Is it really necessary to guard the "weak sexe" to those beastly men?

As to the slurs on drunken farang and travellers taking the train because they can not afford a plane ticket, I can only say that drunkenness is not solely the prerogative of the western people, but seeing the statistics Thai people also have a great ranking.

As for taking the train, indeed it might be cheaper as being stowed, cattlewise, in a flying object.

But it is definitely much more comfortable lying down in, for example, a first class bed.

But if I remember right, it was a Thai staff member who did the wrong?

So why the slur on so-called stereotyped drunken farang?

There are always people feeling better when they can dirty their own nest.

Edited July 9, 2014 by hansnl

[wabothai]

If some people are upnoxious because of alcohol put them off the train the next stop. Easy !! Why this stupid regulation? May be more travellers Will take the bus. Or are you not telling us something? Second agenda?

[ClutchClark]

So many responses that proper background checks would have prevented this attack.

The guy was hired to do laundry. He had a conviction for selling yaba from six years earlier when he was a teenager.

Do you think laundry workers are screened for top secret clearance?

There was nothing in his record (thus far made public) that would have suggested previous assaults or the propensity for this crime.

Ergo, the employer was not remiss in the hiring of this employee (based on current background information).

A couple of questions I have:

Were his drinking buddies in any way involved or aware of his intent?

How did he know where the girl slept? How did he know the girl was on the train?

It could just be a chance encounter as he went back to his car. Or it could be another train crew mentioned something over beers? Or it could be the kids were up running around the dining car?

The Police did some great police work so far and are surely looking at all aspects of this heinous crime.

Edited July 9, 2014 by ClutchClark

[ClutchClark]

The ladies only carriage idea is a good one.

Please be so kind as to explain to readers, and me, why a ladies only carriage is a good one.

Is it really necessary to guard the "weak sexe" to those beastly men?

As to the slurs on drunken farang and travellers taking the train because they can not afford a plane ticket, I can only say that drunkenness is not solely the prerogative of the western people, but seeing the statistics Thai people also have a great ranking.

So why the slur on so-called stereotyped drunken farang?

I really can't believe someone is so dense as to make the above comments on gender.

As for drunken farang--I was the first to bring it up. Its not a stereotype--if you took the trains regularly as I do then you would see first hand that drunken reveler backpackers are everywhere. Not just the dining car but in the 2nd Class A/C Sleepers, etc.

Edited July 9, 2014 by ClutchClark

[kennypowers]

Good call. Nothing worse than sitting next to someone stinking of beer or whisky all trip. Drinking shouldn't be allowed around children anyway.

I remember the time I got sat next to a "Pattaya Farang" on the plane. He ordered beer after beer for 13 hours. After the third, he took of his leather jacket to reveal his unwashed vest and unleash his BO, and then proceeded to slurp and burp before falling asleep and snoring.

[BudRight]

Good call. Nothing worse than sitting next to someone stinking of beer or whisky all trip. Drinking shouldn't be allowed around children anyway.

I remember the time I got sat next to a "Pattaya Farang" on the plane. He ordered beer after beer for 13 hours. After the third, he took of his leather jacket to reveal his unwashed vest and unleash his BO, and then proceeded to slurp and burp before falling asleep and snoring.

That was me. I did it just to piss you off.

Edited July 9, 2014 by BudRight

[spermwhale]

It's well documented that the SRT is one of the most poorly managed of the state's enterprises. Gross mismanagement of funds, overstaffing, poor maintenance and despite having a policy of conducting background checks, they apparently failed to catch this rapist murderer who had been arrested for drugs in the past. And I agree with the many other posters about this knee jerk reaction. It was not a fellow passenger who got drunk and raped the girl, it was a staff member who was also taking yaba. Thailand is one of the few countries in the world that fails to put safeguards in place to avert tragedy. It's only after the fact.

[soalbundy]

Good call. Nothing worse than sitting next to someone stinking of beer or whisky all trip. Drinking shouldn't be allowed around children anyway.

I remember the time I got sat next to a "Pattaya Farang" on the plane. He ordered beer after beer for 13 hours. After the third, he took of his leather jacket to reveal his unwashed vest and unleash his BO, and then proceeded to slurp and burp before falling asleep and snoring.

That was me. I did it just to piss you off.

Why do i believe this ?

[SymS]

They should ban passengers on trains, this would surely fix it...

[Iumentum]

It's well documented that the SRT is one of the most poorly managed of the state's enterprises. Gross mismanagement of funds, overstaffing, poor maintenance and despite having a policy of conducting background checks, they apparently failed to catch this rapist murderer who had been arrested for drugs in the past. And I agree with the many other posters about this knee jerk reaction. It was not a fellow passenger who got drunk and raped the girl, it was a staff member who was also taking yaba. Thailand is one of the few countries in the world that fails to put safeguards in place to avert tragedy. It's only after the fact.

I find it hard to believe that this decision is solely made based on this one incident alone.

Edited July 9, 2014 by Iumentum

[in off the beans]

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..

[anotheruser]

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?

[bannork]

As someone who uses the second class sleeper, non air, every month, let me explain about the carriage sleeping arrangements.

There is one official whose job is to make the beds, close the windows- that requires strength as many are old, stuck or semi jammed. When the carriage doors are locked about 11pm when the buffet car has closed, he sleeps in a little room at the end of the carriage. He knows where everyone sleeps having checked their tickets and made the beds. The non air carriages are noisy when going at speed, everyone has drawn the curtains around their beds, so an intruder, ie the official would not be seen by anyone in the middle of the night, and with the noise of the train moving, no one would hear a muffled scream.

I've found 90% of these officials to be helpful but it's undeniable some of the train staff/ police, drink on duty.

The point is, once the carriage doors are locked, only a fellow passenger or the carriage official could steal from or hurt the passengers, so the latter needs to be trustworthy and of good character.

Tragically the checks failed here.

[Iumentum]

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.