Junta chief derails railway leadership

By Sasiwan Mokkhasen, Staff Reporter

 

State Railway of Thailand Gov. Wutthichat Kalayanamit poses in May 2016 at the Bangkok Railway Station at Hua Lamphong.

 

BANGKOK — With a stroke of his pen, junta Chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday removed the entire board of the State Railway of Thailand.

 

Saying the action was taken to improve the unpopular state enterprise’s performance, Prayuth used his self-granted absolute power under Article 44 to replace its board of directors and Gov. Wutthichat Kalayanamit.

 

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/transpo/2017/02/23/junta-chief-derails-railway-leadership/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2017-2-23

6 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Saying the action was taken to improve the unpopular state enterprise’s performance,

 

Don't restrict it just to the railways.

Those words made famous by POTUS. YOUR FIRED.

To run Thailand's rail system , it would take more than dismissing the board, experience and modern equipment would be handy ,the main line second hand loco's are at least 40 years old, placing priorities,  cancel the subs and tank orders and get the country on a firmer footing before buying toys for the boys ...........................................................

Fully support this, about time. Whether the new board can affect any change in these enormous mafia like organisation is another matter.

And this junta railway head honcho will now transform the decrepit Thai railway system into a new modern world recognised transit rail system in the blink of an eye. This military government is a laugh a minute.

It was needed!  I know that it's hard to run a railway with profit but we have the train coming once a day and still they spend millions upon millions on renovating the tracks for a service that's too expensive:

There is a factory located next tracks that in the past got about 200 containers a week from BKK harbour by train, today they get those 200 containers by truck because it's too expensive to use SRT.

The daily train from here to BKK is about double the price compared to the 15 daily buses we have (sometimes BKK Airways have promotions and is cheaper than the train...) and add to that that a bus ride to BKK is about 1.5 hour shorter than taking the train!?!?

2 hours ago, Kasset Tak said:

It was needed!  I know that it's hard to run a railway with profit but we have the train coming once a day and still they spend millions upon millions on renovating the tracks for a service that's too expensive:

There is a factory located next tracks that in the past got about 200 containers a week from BKK harbour by train, today they get those 200 containers by truck because it's too expensive to use SRT.

The daily train from here to BKK is about double the price compared to the 15 daily buses we have (sometimes BKK Airways have promotions and is cheaper than the train...) and add to that that a bus ride to BKK is about 1.5 hour shorter than taking the train!?!?

Profitable rail passenger service is not hard it is impossible. There is none anywhere in the world. To make it at all economic takes huge volumes that outside Bangkok don't exist. The country should concentrate on freight service to West China, Issan and the North. 

I suspect running a railway, competently, profitably or not is a side issue if an issue at all.

SRT sits on a lot of land much of it potentially very valuable. What's more the projects for various high speed rail and other infrastructure investments beckon.
There will be an urgent need for the board to be made up from people from the right backgrounds, with skill in making investments and managing budgets.

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

With a stroke of his pen, junta Chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday removed the entire board of the State Railway of Thailand.

 

Clearly, the stroke of his pen is of great service to the nation.

Was the board removed the one he installed after the Coup?

2 hours ago, JAG said:

I suspect running a railway, competently, profitably or not is a side issue if an issue at all.

SRT sits on a lot of land much of it potentially very valuable. What's more the projects for various high speed rail and other infrastructure investments beckon.
There will be an urgent need for the board to be made up from people from the right backgrounds, with skill in making investments and managing budgets.

 

I presume people knowing how to run a railway would be better as investment and management types?

1 hour ago, smutcakes said:

Was the board removed the one he installed after the Coup?

I don't know. Is there anything to support your claim that he replaced the SRT board after the coup?

How about the PM did the same with the Royal Thai Police? Now that would be a popular move.

This announcement comes hard on the heels of the announced upgrade/restoration of the online railway booking system. Maybe the boards decision was going to impact (financially) on a lot of important people in the travel industry.

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Saying the action was taken to improve the unpopular state enterprise’s performance,

An entirely different reason from another news source:

Prayut exercised his superpower via Article 44 of the interim charter on Thursday on grounds that he had received many complaints about non transparency in SRT’s bidding and procurement process

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/breakingnews/30307127

Article 44 - when you don't bother with any judicial due process of law.

Junta SOP.

 

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Prayuth used his self-granted absolute power under Article 44 to replace its board of directors and Gov. Wutthichat Kalayanamit.

And out comes the magic wand again. Poof! your gone. 

19 hours ago, khwaibah said:

Those words made famous by POTUS. YOUR FIRED.

Easy this guy is turning into a quick study. 

12 hours ago, pegman said:

Profitable rail passenger service is not hard it is impossible. There is none anywhere in the world. To make it at all economic takes huge volumes that outside Bangkok don't exist. The country should concentrate on freight service to West China, Issan and the North. 

In my home country the passenger services are as you say not profitable but to go by train is about 25-50% more expensive than the bus but then the train is 35-75% faster compared to here where a 6.5 hour bus ride from Sukothai takes 8 hours by train and it's 75-100% more expensive than the bus.

 

As I said, the freight services are to expensive too so many companies choose to do them by truck instead.

 

My example here was the company that today gets 200 containers a week by truck but in the past used the railway and by doing the switch they save about 20% on the transportation cost from BKK harbour to Sukhothai... That means they can ship 2000 containers more a year for the same price! And the same goes for transportation of rice, corn and so on from the north to BKK too.

6 hours ago, hansnl said:

I presume people knowing how to run a railway would be better as investment and management types?

 

It went straight over your head didn't it?

 

 

Edited February 24, 20179 yr by Enoon

2 hours ago, Srikcir said:

An entirely different reason from another news source:

Prayut exercised his superpower via Article 44 of the interim charter on Thursday on grounds that he had received many complaints about non transparency in SRT’s bidding and procurement process

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/breakingnews/30307127

Article 44 - when you don't bother with any judicial due process of law.

Junta SOP.

 

 

Travel A44 today:

 

"The First-Class way to Fast-Track your Family and Friends".

 

 

 

On 24/2/2017 at 8:57 AM, NanLaew said:

I don't know. Is there anything to support your claim that he replaced the SRT board after the coup?

He didn't make a claim. 

He asked the question. 

Wasn't that the board that was installed after the coup? ?

If the above article is correct, and that board was installed 2 years ago. 

Then I guess the answer is "yes" .

 

SRT sits on a lot of land much of it potentially very valuable.

 

Junta Operations for $100 Alex.

 

In the form of a question please...

 

Sometimes a cigar is not a cigar...

 

Just in time to make sure there is no corruption - wink, wink, nudge, nudge - in letting these "contracts".