Bangkok-Pattaya high speed rail link gets "green light"

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Re: Bangkok-Pattaya high speed rail link gets "green light"

Post by Gaybutton »

tree wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2020 10:35 pm This article says "The trains will operate at maximum speeds of 250 kpmh" (155 mph)
Thank you very much. That certainly is good enough for me. And no getting stuck in traffic jams.
Jun

Re: Bangkok-Pattaya high speed rail link gets "green light"

Post by Jun »

250 km/h is certainly sufficient for a 100~150 km journey.
Assuming they also run a good service in all other respects.
For example, a train every 20 minutes, running ON time.
Quick connection to the monorail, via ONE short escalator at the terminal.
Easy ticketing, via web, stored value card or ticket machines. Including purchasing through tickets using Skytrain, MRT & monorail.

Normally in Thailand, of course such projects are about pouring millions of tonnes of concrete, with little regard to the quality of service or connectivity. So I don't have high hopes.
However, SRT relinquishing control is a good sign, since a proper business run by capitalists should at least try to attract customers to the service.
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Re: Bangkok-Pattaya high speed rail link gets "green light"

Post by Gaybutton »

Why am I not surprised?
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Cold water poured on rail projects

Study finds 2 routes 'not worth the cash'

28 Jul 2020

The 101-billion-baht extension of the high-speed train system linking Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-Tapao airports may not be worth investing in, the State Railway of Thailand has said, citing findings from a market sounding exercise in a feasibility study on the proposed extension.

The entire study into Phase 2 of the high-speed train project which will stretch 190 kilometres long from U-Tapao to Trat province through Rayong and Chanthaburi will be concluded in August, said Suchip Suksawang, the chief engineer of the SRT's special projects and constructions.

The results of the study will be forwarded to the government's committee on special development of the eastern special area development policy and finally to the cabinet for endorsement, he said.

Representatives of the chamber of commerce of the provinces concerned have pointed out that the government should rethink the investment plan.

They suggested the government take into consideration the fact that demands for the high-speed train service on the planned route extension may not be very high, he said.

The number of passengers may surge only during the high tourism season, he noted.

The SRT also has a plan to construct a new double-track train project between Si Racha in Chon Buri and Map Ta Phut in Rayong, which will require far less investment but will serve not only passengers but also cargo transport, the market sounding exercise was told.

The proposed extension was largely opposed by many participants who were concerned that this option would require a larger amount of funding in the end.

Also in Phase 2, the project will run through 11 districts of Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat and comprise four stations, namely Rayong, Klaeng, Chanthaburi and Trat, said Mr Suchip.

Some potential investors participating the market sounding exercise had also raised concern over the likelihood of the extension facing a long delay due to encroachment on the land to used for the project as well as land expropriation, he said.

Meanwhile, Chaiwat Tongkamkoon, the permanent secretary for transport, said the SRT was expected to be able to hand over land to the CP-led consortium contracted to build the first part of the 224-billion-baht high-speed railway from Suvarnabhumi airport to U-Tapao airport in February next year.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... l-projects
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Re: Bangkok-Pattaya high speed rail link gets "green light"

Post by gerefan »

Nothing is going to happen while there’s a threat of Covid 19
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Re: Bangkok-Pattaya high speed rail link gets "green light"

Post by Bangkokian »

gerefan wrote: Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:11 pm Nothing is going to happen while there’s a threat of Covid 19
Nothing is going to happen even when Covid-19 is over.
Just look back at the grandiose schemes over the years that came to nothing.
Jun

Re: Bangkok-Pattaya high speed rail link gets "green light"

Post by Jun »

Thailand has built lots of stuff in the last 10 years or so.

For example:
New Metro lines in Bangkok. There are new stations almost every year.
Motorways -plenty around Bangkok and in the north of the country.
Rail upgrades under construction in the North towards Nong Khai and going South towards Hua Hin

However, it looks like the objective is to prop up concrete manufacturers, rather than provide the best possible service to customers. So we see huge over sized stations and bridges, yet they fail on service frequency, rolling stock capacity, ticketing and interconnection to other lines.

Even considering such failings, whatever public transport they install is usually an improvement.
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Re: Bangkok-Pattaya high speed rail link gets "green light"

Post by gerefan »

gerefan wrote: Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:11 pm Nothing is going to happen while there’s a threat of Covid 19
What I should have said is that nothing will happen if Thailand introduces draconian rules for tourists and thus converts Pattaya ( and other cities) into Ghost Towns.
Jun

Re: Bangkok-Pattaya high speed rail link gets "green light"

Post by Jun »

gerefan wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 3:25 pm What I should have said is that nothing will happen if Thailand introduces draconian rules for tourists and thus converts Pattaya ( and other cities) into Ghost Towns.
Correct. However, it will reach a time when the Thai government will realize that this is not feasible, considering the effect on the economy, people's jobs and so on.

Currently, they ignore various other causes of premature deaths, yet clamp down to an extreme extent on Covid. So far total Covid deaths in Thailand amount to 1~2 days road traffic deaths.
It's odd that Covid is treated like the worst plague in history, yet they don't bother with road traffic safety. No consistency.
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Re: Bangkok-Pattaya high speed rail link gets "green light"

Post by Gaybutton »

gerefan wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 3:25 pm nothing will happen if . . .
Maybe it will. Maybe a lot of those people who lost jobs will find employment on the high speed railway construction and the monorail construction. After all, wouldn't that be typical - hiring completely unskilled and inexperienced people to do that kind of construction? Come to think of it, if the road construction in Pattaya is an example, isn't that what they do anyway . . . ?
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Re: Bangkok-Pattaya high speed rail link gets "green light"

Post by bkkguy »

Jun wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 7:59 pmIt's odd that Covid is treated like the worst plague in history, yet they don't bother with road traffic safety. No consistency.
the road toll has been a problem for so long that everyone is just blase about it - everyone knows how bad it is, everyone knows the risk factors (alcohol, speed, fatigue, poor driver training, unsafe practices - no seat belts, people in pickup trays, no helmets), any time anyone tries to do something about it it doesn't make any difference because the effort is half-hearted and this is the way we have always done it and/or it is expensive to change, and everyone thinks it is not a problem for them today - they will not have an accident today if they do something unsafe

how does the government fix the road toll? public education to achieve a change in attitude and acceptance of personal responsibility for actions, reform of the police and judicial system to reduce corruption, to see enforcement of the law and public respect for this enforcement. these are generational changes that are not going to be popular or easy to achieve - even in western democracies the impact of seat belts, helmets, speeding, drunk-driving have not been overnight successes

Covid-19 is new, unknown, not well understood, and is perceived as having enormous potential for disease and death - just look at what it has done in so many other countries, and it reminds Thai people of SARS and avian flu etc and they know how that was managed in the past

how does the government fix Covid-19? declare a health emergency supported by an emergency degree, introduce draconian restrictions supported by respected expert "talking heads" (with media support) scaring the shit out of people - you get fairly good wide-spread compliance in a fairly short time frame - a short-term win for any government

OK yes the economic effect may cause problems in the longer term, and yes on-going compliance relaxes over time as well, but why are you so surprised at this "inconsistency"?
I can’t even be bothered to be apathetic these days!
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