Kabula Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 I look forward to seeing it completed. However, I'm concerned about derailments at those speeds. I hope they construct steel reinforced, concrete walls, with 6 inches of space, between the safety wall and the train, while still keeping the window views. If there is a derailment the cars will not roll over across the fields, bridges, or city streets. I've seen high speed trains with 1/4 walls on each side of the cars in other countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogo51 Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 This will end up bankrupting the country. How the hell are they gonna pay for this? I'm dreamin, dreamin my life away!!!! You were right Cliff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wabothai Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Hands off general, it is up to the citizens of Thailand whether they want a fast train or not. Grandeur will cost you dearly. They might want to give priority to other things, like better education, a better water system and better financial care for the elderly, just to mention a few. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulic Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 I shake my head, what is wrong with a safe, reliable, efficient, cost effective, two track system for Thailand. Walk before you run my little padawan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klauskunkel Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 The prime minister assured that the Ministry of Finance has confirmed the nation has the funds to complete the project and the Ministry of Justice has confirmed there is justice in Thailand and the Ministry of Commerce has confirmed that foreign investor confidence his high and the Ministry of Education has confirmed that the average IQ of students continues to soar and the Ministry of Labor has confirmed there is no shortage of skilled workers in Thailand and the Ministry of Tourism has confirmed that tourist are the safest in Thailand ... and the Ministry of BS has confirmed that everything is BS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waldroj Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Following the lead of KKUP (#16 above): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Dye Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Stick the car purchase tax up from 300 to 400% ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakling Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 How about take this money to improve existing rail lines, add/improve rail lines to container ports, establish container handling yards at the larger Issan cities and the border crossings to Laos and Cambodia. Then ensure the transport rates are low enough that a majority of the current heavy truck traffic is reallocated to rail transport. This would greatly reduce the amount of non-agricultural heavy traffic from the roads reducing bus and passenger vehicle travel times while improving road safety. It would also reduce the damage to road surfaces that is currently being done by overloaded trucks. In all honesty how many Thais headed home to Issan for songkran will be able to afford a high speed rail ticket and how many wealthy Thais go to Korat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredNL Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 (edited) To finance it, they just seized the first 300 million THB... Link: 74kg of ice worth 300 million baht seized on train south of Hua Hin Edited March 24, 2016 by FredNL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Loh Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 This will end up bankrupting the country. How the hell are they gonna pay for this It is only about 500 B Bt and with budget already in deficit, I guess it will be an off budget loan. Unless the loan is syndicated by Thai banks and in local currency, it will have to borrow off-shore and left to the mercy of fluctuating currency rates just like 1997. It will also increase the debt to GDP ratio and hope it will not create a loss in our credit rating. There must be good reasons why China drop this project suddenly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bark Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 any mention of Thai bus drivers being hired to drive the trains? RIP Mr. High Speed Rail Link. We Hardly Knew Ye. China only contributing to its construction and setting up the route’s technology. What will Thailand do ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enoon Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 To speculate on 2 queries raised in preceeding posts: 1. Why discussions in July about finance? No money from China, we will start thinking then how we get the money to fulfill the answer to query 2. 2. What will be the route now? Bangkok - Korat. To save face we've got to build something (and present it as a great technical achievement and co-operative project with China) so even if we can't get any foreign investment we might be able to afford that symbolic section by cutting budgets for everything else. Possibly on hold until July so as to give time for the big event, which will require everyone respectfully sitting on hands for a year, by which time it will have been forgotten and/or other events will be preoccupying the nation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironbark Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 I think an even more basic question needs to be answered first. "Is the proposed line meant to be predominately a freight line or a passanger line". The line is ultimately going to connect to a line through Laos to China. From an economic conference I went to in Kunming a number of years ago China sees ports, rail and road infrastructure in Laos Thailand and Cambodia critical to its long term plan to expand its market in SE Asia. It has already lent many billions of dollars to Laos and Cambodia. Is there really a need for a high speed passenger service to China. Who would use it, Thai or Chinese? A high speed passenger service has fares not much less than air fares and stations hundreds of km apart in major urban centres only. Is the Thai middle class large enough to make such a service profitable.? I think not yet. I think the rail would only be economic if it were predominately transporting long distance goods which means a major expansion of Chinese trade and all the economic implications for that. It also proscribes the type of rail technology used and freighting goods long distance dont need "bullet trains". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtycash Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 what has happened to all the talk about bkk - pattaya high speed train ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominique355 Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Funded by "the Thai government "? You probably mean "by the Thai taxpayer", who BTW has no saying here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Srikcir Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 China would not be investing in the railway and would only be contributing to its construction and technological installations. After the Prayut government's fiasco of being unable to finalize costs and financing for the Chinese dual rail project after more than ten negotiating meetings over a two-year period, the Chinese probably insisted on a more risk-free arrangement with the Prayut regime in this high speed project. And it comes with no surprise that the Prayut government isn't going to share the cost with private investors - they're gone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyHanscomb Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 This will end up bankrupting the country. How the hell are they gonna pay for this? They have lots of money since they stopped the corruption. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yimlitnoy Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 This will end up bankrupting the country. How the hell are they gonna pay for this? Can't you read? "The prime minister assured that the Ministry of Finance has confirmed the nation has the funds to complete the project,". Would you rather borrow from the Chinese government? I would rather see this government complete all projects themselves at their own pace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lannig Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 (edited) I'm really wondering who would be the targeted customers for such a train. Due to the enormous amount of money it will cost in investments, I'm guessing that ticket prices aren't going to be cheap. Operation and maintenance are going to be costly too. With trains speeding at 250km/h, no corners can be cut or it will be a massacre. Operating costs will be higher if run by the a government company. Same kind of situation with the TGV here in France. So: poor people will still take buses or coaches because it's way cheaper. Wealthy people will still prefer riding their Ford Everest or flying. Trains are not fashionable anyway. Edited March 24, 2016 by Lannig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgesAbitbol Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 So there will be no foreign investor to complain about the draft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taony Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 When I road my bicycle over the SRT track at yammarat yesterday, a top layer of one of the rails was peeling off. I had always assumed a rail was one solid piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisY1 Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 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, I don't think I'll be around when this white elephant get's going.....in fact, I don't think it ever will get going!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandalf12 Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 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? And they are letting the Chines build it? That has to be a joke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkok Barry Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 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? Trains in Germany travel at 300 kph. I don't know what gauge they use - standard European whatever that is. From Google: The Intercity-Express (ICE). The fastest breed of DB Bahn trains in Germany and Europe. The Intercity-Express (ICE) is the fastest and most comfortable way to travel on the DB Bahn network, reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h, and new standards of excellence. Which means, of course, that Thailand's high-speed train service will still be slower and many years behind Europe. And by the time it's built the difference will possibly be even greater. Where the world leads, Thailand follows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pib Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Guess this means Thailand could not convince China to give a close to zero interest loan and Thailand also didn't want to give China any property rights along the line. I expect the line will take much, much longer to complete than expected and may never be completed....or completed as a low speed line. Remember the billions upon billions of baht that was supposed to be spent on water construction projects--that grand plan also is taking much longer and much less is being spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldkater41 Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Woow, really great. People don't have water, mostly horrible roads outside of BKK, but Thailand needs a Highspeed train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tartempion Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 (edited) Sungai Kolok to Bangkok to Nong Khai dual track, that's what Thailand needs. 120kmh would be fine. Expected when? Edited March 24, 2016 by tartempion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overherebc Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 I do not really see why everyone is so negative, this can only be good for the country. Asking this in the nicest possible way, Have you ever been involved in QC ( quality control ) when it comes to Chinese technology ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overherebc Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 When I road my bicycle over the SRT track at yammarat yesterday, a top layer of one of the rails was peeling off. I had always assumed a rail was one solid piece. Chinese steel ????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dtaw Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Article says Chinese will work on the construction of it. That means that Thailand will be employing hundreds and possibly thousands of Chinese from China to come work in Thailand. Idiots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now