PM Prayut reveals high speed rail link to be funded by Thai government alone

[webfact]

PM reveals high speed rail link to be funded by Thai government alone



BANGKOK, 24 March 2016 (NNT) – The Prime Minister has explained that the Thai government will be completing the Bangkok-Nakhonratchasima historic high-speed train route on its own with China only contributing to its construction and setting up the route’s technology.

Speaking to the press while inspecting the project, Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha revealed that he recently spoke to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on the high-speed rail link between Bangkok and Nakhonratchasima.

He reportedly told the Chinese premier that Thailand would continue constructing the rail line, which can handle trains traveling up to 250 kilometers per hour, with discussions on investment and funds to commence in July and the project expected to be completed this year.

The prime minister assured that the Ministry of Finance has confirmed the nation has the funds to complete the project, which is considered a historic connection between the central and northeastern regions.

Gen Prayuth affirmed that China would not be investing in the railway and would only be contributing to its construction and technological installations.

He said the line would be the first of numerous future railways connecting the regions of the country and allowing existing train routes to be devoted fully to the transport of goods.


-- NNT 2016-03-24

[pinkpanther99]

This will end up bankrupting the country. How the hell are they gonna pay for this?

[leeneeds]

I look forward to using the service once

and then see what ticket prices settle at,

joining the mile long club may be a quick affair,

[Tomtomtom69]

I wish them good luck and hopefully the Lao will look into the increasing number of attacks on Chinese interests in central Laos - just yesterday a Kunming-Vientiane bus was attacked near Kasi on the new Kasi-Muang Nan road to Luang Prabang by a mob of 20 and given the number of recent attacks, I can only imagine the security concerns along the Lao portion of the railway if this violence is not brought under control. While it won't affect the Thai sector as long as the trains are on the Thai side, I'm becoming very concerned about the increasing regularity of this violence on the Lao side.

[NCC1701A]

any mention of Thai bus drivers being hired to drive the trains?

RIP Mr. High Speed Rail Link. We Hardly Knew Ye.

[carstenp]

as i was writing in another topic about this is that Somkid invites Korean businessmen to invest in new rail projects and water projects in Thailand

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/905108-somkid-invites-korean-businessmen-to-invest-in-new-rail-projects-and-water-projects-in-thailand/

my questing was

Sometimes i wonder, with all the talking from last year, with all the project there has begin in the beginning off this year, to make economic grow. None as i know and read about in the past, has been contracted out yet.

Is this government out of money , because every time we hear other peoples/investors money has to come first

So somehow this is positive.

[JAG]

So in railway parlance it has been "caped"!

The old fashioned telegraphic code on British Railways for cancelling a train.

[Strangebrew]

Is it April Fool's already?

[worgeordie]

I think it would be better if Thailand got the slow trains running safely first,

then venture into High Speed Trains,trains hurtling up and down the country,

sound like an accident waiting to happen,unless all crossing are fitted with

safety gates,across the full width of the roads on both sides,so motorbikes

are even cars could not squeeze around,because you just know, given the

chance thats what they will do

"with discussions on investment and funds to commence in July and the project expected to be completed this year". that cannot be correct?

regards worgeordie

[jamesbrock]

Queensland Rail's tilt train is currently the fastest train in Australia and the fastest 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge train in the world, setting a record at 210 km/h, with standard operating speeds 160 km/h - is this new rail line going to be some kind of record-breaking technological marvel, or are they going to build it standard gauge?

[leeneeds]

Queensland Rail's tilt train is currently the fastest train in Australia and the fastest 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge train in the world, setting a record at 210 km/h, with standard operating speeds 160 km/h - is this new rail line going to be some kind of record-breaking technological marvel, or are they going to build it standard gauge?

Mate from memory it is standard gauge 1.435m but don't hold me to that its sort of been filtered from my mind

[jaywalker]

This will end up bankrupting the country. How the hell are they gonna pay for this?

Agreed. If they got the cash for this, why not set up some 'high speed' water management projects instead?

[jaywalker]

any mention of Thai bus drivers being hired to drive the trains?

RIP Mr. High Speed Rail Link. We Hardly Knew Ye.

It might work out for the best. Riding on the roof of a 150 kph train is probably infinitely safer than riding in a 150 kph bus...Then again, you never know. Those pesky brakes might fail.

[kmj]

Ohh dear have the Chinese left you high and dry...

[jerojero]

Wasted billions while education system for millions of children is so lacking. The future of the country is in the next generation of citizens, not a bunch of trains!

[kkup]

Only a few pieces missing here and there. Should be a winner.

[Lupatria]

After his daily session watching SK patriotic soaps, he must have switched to the channel reporting about Chinese greed at the shrimp buffet.

When (if?!) the locusts leave,there remains no leaf on the branch.

[mesterm]

any mention of Thai bus drivers being hired to drive the trains?

RIP Mr. High Speed Rail Link. We Hardly Knew Ye.

"Trust me. We are Thai."

[Hawk]

Tanks, submarines, trains, missiles, these things are for economic growth.

[HOOD Robin]

This will end up bankrupting the country. How the hell are they gonna pay for this?

SIMPLE answer : If they really want they'll find enough corruption funds...

[technologybytes]

I do not really see why everyone is so negative, this can only be good for the country.

[Ricardo]

"with discussions on investment and funds to commence in July" and yet ... "Gen Prayuth affirmed that China would not be investing in the railway"

There appears to be a basic contradiction, within the same brief article ?

Also that the OP describes this as a high-speed route from Bangkok to Nakorn Ratchatsima, the picture shows a passenger-train, yet the Chinese proposal is surely a medium-speed freight-route from Laem Chabang to the north of Bangkok, and on to the border with Laos & northwards to southern-China, it's almost as though the PM is discussing something totally different here ?

[bark]

In the year 2075

[arithai12]

I do not really see why everyone is so negative, this can only be good for the country.

The fact that China dropped the idea of being an investment partner should give you a clue.

[quandow]

This will end up bankrupting the country. How the hell are they gonna pay for this?

Perhaps they could sell their submarine? They're not getting any use out of it.

[quandow]

Wasted billions while education system for millions of children is so lacking. The future of the country is in the next generation of citizens, not a bunch of trains!

Thailand spends more money on education per student than any other country. It's not about the money, it's about the All-Pass System.

[oxo1947]

Is it April Fool's already?

I was living here in 97...... & Yes every bar fly agreed Thai's can't build a high speed intercity Sky train amid the collapse in the financial sector.

I had moved south by the time people were explaining to me that they was no way the Thai's could build an underground rail system in BKK.

And had already moved to Issan by the time everyone was saying that the silly Thai's couldn't build what ---(now that they have linked the sky train to it)--is now rated among one of the top airports in the world.**

They are just stupid people --& us farangs have to accept that & make allowances for it............... Think I'll have another Heineken.................

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**“SKYTRAX” หรือ “SKYTRAX World Airport Awards” From “SKYTRAX” or “SKYTRAX World Airport Awards”, Suvarnabhumi Airport was voted the fifth best airport for service among airports handling 40-50 million people in year 2015. The ranking was based on the votes of about 13 million travellers all around the world.

The World's Best Airport in 2015

1. Incheon Airport, South Korea

2. Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia

3. Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, Spain

4. San Francisco International Airport, United States

5. Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand

[ratcatcher]

"with discussions on investment and funds to commence in July" and yet ... "Gen Prayuth affirmed that China would not be investing in the railway"

There appears to be a basic contradiction, within the same brief article ?

Also that the OP describes this as a high-speed route from Bangkok to Nakorn Ratchatsima, the picture shows a passenger-train, yet the Chinese proposal is surely a medium-speed freight-route from Laem Chabang to the north of Bangkok, and on to the border with Laos & northwards to southern-China, it's almost as though the PM is discussing something totally different here ?

The present track from Laem Chabang (Chonburi) is metre gauge and goes up to Chachoengsao jct where it branches north to Kaeng Khoi Jct where it again joins the Bangkok northeastern lines to Nong Kai and Ubon..

I don't think anybody has really explained clearly just what these plans involve. If anyone can provide a link or map of proposed lines, it would be useful.

[tartempion]

Project expected to be completed this year....

Project not started yet, but ready soon, easy Thai talking.

[jaywalker]

I do not really see why everyone is so negative, this can only be good for the country.

Let's see....Joining ASEAN/AEC/whatever where English is the official language & pay English teachers 50,000 baht a month?

Spend BILLIONS on something else?

Country in chronic drought then flood mode?

Spend BILLIONS on something else?

Country in chronic "constitution-writing" mode for 80+ years?

Spend BILLIONS on something else?

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Sure it would all be great if they could first locate their buttocks with both hands.