PM Prayut expedites High-Speed Rail Project for tourism purpose

[Phil Water]

I have no strong opinions on Khun Prayut; good or bad. But pushing for major projects should probably wait until there is an elected government. I am saddened by the fact that Thailand still has not been able to join the world's economy in the way that it has so much potential to do. I believe that after the Viet-Nam war that the U.S. did Thailand a great disservice by not doing enough for Thailand. (There was a period when no one in America wanted to talk about SE Asia).

I believe that if handled properly in those post war years that Thailand could have become a Singapore on crack and by now would be heavily influencing China. Instead we are left with the other way around. Just my humble opinion.

[Lee4Life]

Why is this in the remit of a government which is merely in place to stabilise the country and hand it back over to democratic civilian control next year? Yes, it is a rhetorical question..

Rhetorical or not...it is a good question.

[Cent]

I can see the BKK-HuaHin route, but high speed BKK to Pattaya/Rayong? Most needed high speed route I would think would be for a Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

JMHO.

[Balance]

Headline in Bangkok Post date February 1, 2025

'High speed rail project announced in 2015 finished. New line will open to Hua Hin in October, but only go half way, then rest of the way by bus."

[Sudgirl]

If these plans do go ahead what about the operatives? Are the drivers of the trains, signalmen and all people involved going to be educated enough to operate the system? I' wouldn't be too keen on being a passenger, it's bad enough using a local taxi.

[davidmann]

why the China ,seems thailand is sleeping with the devil ,get france or Japan to build the train net work

[BSJ]

The PM must be taking some advice of some surreal people when it come to rail projects!

Maybe these guys???

[Estrada]

BKK-Pattaya-Rayong route will run alongside the existing Airport Rail Link...

This is the part I don't get. The Rail Link is fairly recent and they had planned for the possibility of extending it to Rayong when they built it. Why put up an entirely new link right beside it? Why not just extend the Rail Link and save billions? I'm guessing that the Rail link is probably not capable of going as fast as they want...but at what additional cost? The express is plenty fast going between the airport and downtown. They could probably make it go even faster.

I was involved in the planning for this project 20 years ago, when it took 3hours to get to Pattaya. At that time our proposal was a link from Don Muang via the future Suwarnaphum Airport to Pattaya. Siemens had an M.O.U. but there was a change Government. This time the Military Government are drooling at the mouth at the proposal to link Don Muang (Military Airport) via Suwarnuphum, Pattaya and Rayong,with U-Tapao (Navy Airport). As this Government is going to remain in power to reap the benefits, it is likely to get completed. Albeit 20 years late.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Estrada

[Estrada]

He said the Ministry had already conducted a study on the high speed train project but the report was sent back for reconsideration as the new project also involves tourism perspective, not only economic and social ones.

At every university in the world, any student who is studying tourism, would, when submitting such a term paper, fall through! Not pass the test! Inadequate! Brainless!

And the taxpayers even have to pay for this nonsense study?

In the past this would indicate that the MPs with the Tourism portfolio hadn't got their cut included in the negotiations. As a previous consultant to the Government and BMA, in my experience the taxpayer does not pay for the studies but the studies are funded by Foreign Governments with a vested interest in the projects going ahead to benefit their countries. Japan have J.I.C.A, France, the UK, Germany, USA etc all fund these aort of studies.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Estrada

[pkspeaker]

i dont think high speed rail does anything for thailand's 'tourism' they havn't even constructed light rails in cities like phuket and chaigmai, other countries like japan and china already had lightrail networks in their secondary cities before bothering to build a highspeed rail. most tourists have high speed rail in their own countries and like to ride the old trains like the open air one that goes to chaigmai, they come here to see the old thailand.. who even needs to travel between rayong and pattaya? if you do need to go to rayong from pattaya, there are plenty of busses and minibuses that will get there fast enough.. and bangkok to pattaya is only a 90 minute trip by car, there are 2 un-congested expressways that lead from bangkok to pattaya; one of which features the longest elevated expressway in the world, is a high speed to there REALLY necessary? how much more land is torn-up so they can build these high speed tracks, the environmental impact alone is worth scrapping the projects.. and this is the government that constantly obsesses over the rice pledging scheme's losses and then they build this useless thing.

[arrowsdawdle]

Travelers have luggage and anybody that has used the airport rail link knows that few travelers use it, mostly commuters.

[Estrada]

i dont think high speed rail does anything for thailand's 'tourism' they havn't even constructed light rails in cities like phuket and chaigmai, other countries like japan and china already had lightrail networks in their secondary cities before bothering to build a highspeed rail. most tourists have high speed rail in their own countries and like to ride the old trains like the open air one that goes to chaigmai, they come here to see the old thailand.. who even needs to travel between rayong and pattaya? if you do need to go to rayong from pattaya, there are plenty of busses and minibuses that will get there fast enough.. and bangkok to pattaya is only a 90 minute trip by car, there are 2 un-congested expressways that lead from bangkok to pattaya; one of which features the longest elevated expressway in the world, is a high speed to there REALLY necessary? how much more land is torn-up so they can build these high speed tracks, the environmental impact alone is worth scrapping the projects.. and this is the government that constantly obsesses over the rice pledging scheme's losses and then they build this useless thing.

Please advise where these un-congested expressways are from Bangkok to Pattaya. From the centre of Bangkok to Pattaya is 145km and takes 2hrs 25mins with traffic and 1hr 56min without traffic. When Bangna-Chonburi tollway was first opened, I have done Pattaya to Bangna in 1hr, but now the traffic is getting very congested. I came back from Pattaya during the last Thai holiday and the whole length of the expressway outbound from Srinakarin to Chonburi was one big carpark with traffic crawling at a snail's pace.

Light rails are going ahead in Pattaya and Changmai. They will be constructed to link to the new railways.

[Estrada]

Travelers have luggage and anybody that has used the airport rail link knows that few travelers use it, mostly commuters.

Everybody that uses the link know that the travellers use the Citi-Link, along with their luggage, to save money. The Airport link fare was originally too high. In any case the Airport Link has not been running for some time now due to lack of spare parts. The last time I tried to use the Citi-Link, it was arriving at Hua Mark Station jam packed with tourists(including Thai Tourists) along with their luggage. It was so packed that no passengers could get on the trains that arrived from the Airport for a long time.

[spectrumisgreen]

He must pushes for democracy and election.

Er.. what?.. Isn't that a line from 'Agadoo'?

[spectrumisgreen]

Personally, I'd still prefer the overnight sleepers.. sod a train trying to get ANYWHERE here in super-quick time!!.. enough of that with the minibus drivers periodically wiping out all their passengers!!!

[dominique355]

If it is made to attract tourists why is the high speed train avoiding the popular tourist destination Phuket like the devil holy water?

[stoli]

another white elephant tourists are not coming to Thailand anymore fix the scams and move into the 21 st century

Tourists aren't coming to Thailand anymore? Can you please show your statistics that you base this on?

[Fat Haggis]

Mr. general does not seem to understand what attracts tourists to Thailand.

Go ahead mr. general, make Thailand happy.

I thought you were there to maintain peace and order.

putting that plan into effect will cost you and your fellow generals credibility among most Thais.

Not only that, tourists will not take that train and your beloved project will go into bankruptcy the first year, leaving Thailand with yet another scam.

Just like the white elephant that was the tram system in Edinburgh that was to run from the airport through the city, it got grossly over budget and lots of routes were shitcanned into the bargain, so they dug up half the City for what?

This will be the Juntas rice scheme, watch those who sign off on this never face any actions once it fails and loses money hand over fist ?

[hawker9000]

'Sorry. The issues with tourism just don't really have much to do with high-speed rail transport to Hua Hin or Pattaya. If you're serious about fixing tourism, you're going to have to address the actual longstanding problems which have been festering over the last few decades. Nope - that's not going to be easy. Or quick. Or painless. 'Don't want to pay any heed to what the international community finds unacceptable? Then might as well forget it, just as they've begun to forget about you.

[kaorop]

Build factories and products manufactured here in Thailand. Instead of importing goods and levying a heavy tax, manufacture it here. Build the factories 50-70 kilometers away from Bangkok.

Umm, the corridor from laem chabang to rayong is booming with new factories,

new apartments, etc.

They do need a rail link between there, the roads are full of trucks and the roads get destroyed every few months

needing constant and costly repairs, having a good freight service would be money better spent,

but wheres the flash in that?

None

[ExPratt]

Thai high Speed Trains delivering at 300kph Millions of Quality Chinese Tourists to the Pearl of the Gulf , Nakhon Si Pattaya

Dare To Dream !!

[Jeremy50]

I don't know why anyone would want to move faster from one eye wateringly ugly city to another one, though I can see the attractions of not having to stare for hours on end at Thailand's over-cultivated deforested, fauna deprived countryside.

[newnative]

Once again, like the ridiculous Pattaya tunnel project, money is being carelessly spent when it could be put to much better uses. Not just tourists come to Pattaya. Many Bangkok residents come to the beach and they come mostly by car or van. Lots of tourists come in tour groups and they come by bus. The money would have been better spent to improve the roads--including a 21st century toll system that does not involve traffic stopping every few miles. Truck traffic could be segregated on separate lanes. The airport bus works pretty well for tourists but could be improved with newer buses, better bus stations, more frequent runs, etc.

[Jeremy50]

I don't know why anyone would want to move faster from one eye wateringly ugly city to another one, though I can see the attraction of not having to stare for hours on end at Thailand's over-cultivated deforested, fauna deprived countryside.

[Expat Brad]

I don't know but with all the proposed projects he's coming up with & the rice scheme payouts, where is the capital coming from. OMG Thailand is going to drown in debt. Then what about the return to happiness for the Thai people.

[cumgranosalum]

Building a railway needs some proper justification. It is NOT enough to suggest that just making Pattaya "easier to get to" is a good thing or is even necessary.

Building the railway will impact on all the land between Pattaya and wherever it starts.

It will cost

It may bring a load of tourists into a town whose infrastructure cannot cope

it may lead to rampant and unregulated development both in Pattaya and all along the line.

What is needed is a CLEAR WORKING DOCUMENT and public discussion, not some dictum from a military general who "thinks" it might be a good idea.

[mango66]

in my country we say if a politican dont know what to do,

you install a comitee ;

If something is wrong, it's the comitee !!

55555555555

[bkkcanuck8]

I can see the BKK-HuaHin route, but high speed BKK to Pattaya/Rayong? Most needed high speed route I would think would be for a Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

JMHO.

All routes are too low density to be a fiscally sound investment for high-speed trains. Thailand only has ONE city that meets this minimum requirement. It is a nice toy for the elite to coo over but it makes NO fiscal sense. That is why it was probably sent back (IMHO). Most Thais will not be able to afford it - a family of four buying tickets would only be able to if they are in the elite.... and they probably would not get out of their car anyways to join the "masses" on the train. You will have a few "tourists" on mostly empty trains taking it to their destination, the government will be trying to figure out why the numbers are so low.... and the ordinary Thais will be jumping on the back of some friends pickup or carpooling to get back home for a long weekend in a fiscally sound manner.... This scheme is a rice scheme for the rich....

[mango66]

Building a railway needs some proper justification. It is NOT enough to suggest that just making Pattaya "easier to get to" is a good thing or is even necessary.

Building the railway will impact on all the land between Pattaya and wherever it starts.

It will cost

It may bring a load of tourists into a town whose infrastructure cannot cope

it may lead to rampant and unregulated development both in Pattaya and all along the line.

What is needed is a CLEAR WORKING DOCUMENT and public discussion, not some dictum from a military general who "thinks" it might be a good idea.

For the distance BKK - Pattaya any normal fast train would be efficient and economical responsible;

In a price range for thai economy in the means of installing the train,

and a ticket price which will be acceptable for Thais ,

Chinese will be free of couse, but only separate chinese waggons with chinese toiletts !!

a high speed line will not bring any development or infrastructure along the line,

as max 3 stations Bangkok Airport, Rayong, Pattaya( Jomtien) maybee a connection for the General to Utapao Military airport )

if more than 1 stop,

it will not ba any more a High speed Rail,

the old one would be faster !!

[a99az]

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Why is this in the remit of a government which is merely in place to stabilise the country and hand it back over to democratic civilian control next year? Yes, it is a rhetorical question..

Aaaaaah, good question. This ever popular general or so he leave us to believe might have another agenda. As for the ATM train deal hate to imagine how much income it will generate for some.