Thailand's high-speed train project underway

Local Hua Hin and regional Thailand news articles and discussion.
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hhfarang
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Re: High-speed train bids to start in 2013

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My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
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Re: High-speed train bids to start in 2013

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Who is actually controlling the spending on this kind of thing?
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Re: High-speed train bids to start in 2013

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France seeks slice of Thailand's railway projects
France is the latest major economic power to become attracted to Thailand's dual-track high-speed railway projects.
Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula told reporters that during a meeting with the French ambassador to Thailand, Thierry Viteau, yesterday he learned that France was interested in investing in the projects.

Earlier, China, Japan and Germany voiced interest in the projects.

Thailand has signed initial agreements with Japan and China for collaboration on the construction of several dual-track railway projects, while this week Germany showed interest in the Bangkok-Hua Hin route.

Pridiyathorn said he told the French ambassador that both the Chinese and Japanese governments had been discussing this project with Thailand for a long while, and that France had never previously voiced any interest.

He said the government had instead asked France to participate in bidding for an operation licence for urban-rail lines, with the auction expected to take place this year, as France had the technology relevant to electric trains.

The deputy prime minister said the government should at this time consider project bids from only those countries it had already signed agreements with, as the military government's tenure was coming to an end.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/busines ... 54100.html
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Re: Thailand's high-speed train project underway

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Difficulty in implementing high-speed train to resort provinces

Difficulty in implementing high-speed train to resort provinces
Experts said on Saturday, Feb. 14, that an idea floated recently by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to construct high-speed train service to popular resort provinces in an attempt to boost Thailand’s tourism industry would be difficult to implement.

They say it would take several years before an environment study could be completed while the private sector would also be reluctant to enter into a joint investment with the state. Therefore, the government may have to invest by itself if it wanted the program to materialize.

Gen Prayut came up with the idea to develop short distance high-speed train to Pattaya in Chonburi province and Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan province with the objective of boosting tourism in the two provinces.

The Transport Ministry’s Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning had conducted environmental studies on both routes. For instance, for the route passing Pattaya, a train would start from Bangkok to Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong with a total distance of 193.5 kilometers.

Total construction costs would be Bt152 billion while the economic internal rate of return (EIRR) would be 13 percent and construction would take about 54 months.

As for the route passing Hua Hin, the Office study showed that the route would pass five provinces, starting from Bangkok.

Total distance would be 209 kilometers with an investment cost of about Bt98.40 billion and EIRR of 8.11 percent.

Sources close to the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning said it would be difficult to implement and it would not receive interest from the private sector to jointly invest in the projects due to high investment costs and difficulty in turning a profit.

However, other studies conducted in the country and overseas suggested that implementation of high-speed trains would benefit the country’s economy by raising land value along the rail line, creating new jobs and boosting the tourism industry.

http://www.pattayamail.com/business/dif ... nces-45065
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Re: Thailand's high-speed train project underway

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Well for most HH expats its all theoretical. If it happens it will take probably 10-20 years to implement.
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Re: Thailand's high-speed train project underway

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....an idea floated recently by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to construct high-speed train service to popular resort provinces in an attempt to boost Thailand’s tourism industry would be difficult to implement.

They say it would take several years before an environment study could be completed....
In other words, we'll keep doing an environmental study until General Prayut has retired!
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Re: Thailand's high-speed train project underway

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Of course in China,they dont have to worry about environmental issues, whether they own the land,what the local govt or people want--If they decide to build a railway line--Just keep out of the way. If we have to knock your house down, too bad.
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Re: Thailand's high-speed train project underway

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Hallo Friends and fellas of HHAD oop's I mean HH a Forum!

It seems like the High Speed Rail project to Hua Hin & Pattaya is gaining pace! It looks like CP & and Chang Beer's parent ThaiBev are tipped as investors for both lines or one of these Lines! Here lady's and Gentleguys is the full report in the Bangkok Post.

http://m.bangkokpost.com/latestnews/492650

What say you friends and fellas in Hua Hin about this latest development?

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Re: Thailand's high-speed train project underway

Post by Terry »

So – Hua Hin is to get its’ own HST.
Let’s look at the logic here.
Distance BKK to HH in round figures – 200Km
TRUE HST speed 250 - 300 kph.
Journey time – well under one hour.
Great
……………………………………………………………….
But this means the train does not stop.
………………………………………………………………
So what about those folk in Cha Am, Petchaburi, Samut Somkram, Samut Sakon – the folk who would ‘benefit’ from living along the route.
Don't see any benefit
OK – build the stops in those places.
Journey time now 1 ½ hours allowing for the stoppages.
Allow say 30 minutes each end from HH or BKK stations to your residence
Now journey time is 2 ½ hours
You can do this in your own car (or taxi) – door to door in the same time
Even less in a mini bus if you live to tell the story
Where’s the logic in High Speed rail to Hua Hin
Save the money – invest in a good 150kph modern electrified railway, double tracked with no level crossings and decent rolling stock.
This could also handle through freight - High Speed Tracks cannot
Could probably be built at less than 50% of the cost
AND JOE SOAP PUBLIC WOULD BENEFIT

But I'm only being logical :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
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Re: Thailand's high-speed train project underway

Post by Pleng »

Why would you need to stop in Cha-Am? it's a 30 minute drive from HH. I'm not familiar with Samut Somkram and Samut Sakon but if they're also only 30 minutes apart you only need the one stop there so that would leave HH, Petchaburi and one of the the Samut's as stations - so you're probably still able to the journey in less than an hour.

Not everybody has their own car, the mini bus still has the "two and from stations" issue, and comparing a train with a 1800bt taxi ride is just absurd.
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Re: Thailand's high-speed train project underway

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Hallo there Hua Hin lovers out there!

I'm not a Train expert but. From Bangkok to Hua Hin I believe it would take two stops at best. From Bangers directly full speed (200 km/h) to Petchburi and from PetchtBeee with 160 klicks with courtesy stop in Cha Am than from Cha Am to Hua Hin in cruising speed rolling into Hua Hin. More stops would not be feasible and would prolong the Journey to Bangers it would be not an hour I swear to y'all!

Those Big Companies should they invest in a project of that scale the invite the german rail company DB or france's SNCF to join in the Project as well they have the expertise to built and superwise this Highspeed lines.

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Re: Thailand's high-speed train project underway

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If there are only one of two stops, surely if they are going to run a 'regular' service, it'll be running almost empty. Are there really enough people travelling Hua Hin to Bangkok to fill a regular service?

From what I see, a few catch the current trains at Hua Hin, A mini bus leaves about every 15 minutes, the airport bus takes a maximum of 28(ish) every couple of hours and there's the blue bus. If I drive my car to Bangkok, it's usually because public transport isn't suitable.

If the service isn't regular, what's the point? It will simply be a huge, expensive white elephant.
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Re: Thailand's high-speed train project underway

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Where in Bangkok is it planning to set-down? I'd imagine it would want to be somewhere on the Airport Rail link to be viable
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Re: Thailand's high-speed train project underway

Post by Dannie Boy »

To make it viable as has been mentioned, it would really need to continue South to connect to Malaysia/Singapore, otherwise it will need to stop at more stations in between HH and BKK to get sufficient passengers, but then that defeats the concept of "high-speed". Could be another white elephant!!
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Re: Thailand's high-speed train project underway

Post by usual suspect »

The last few posts do indeed have some valid (negative) points about implementing a HSR to H.H.
If they DID go ahead with the scheme..can you picture a modern line with super-sleek rolling stock gliding into town..the pride of the SRT.. :thumb:

THEN observe the original line that will still have to be in use..noisey, smokey sluggish engines pulling clapped-out/dirty/tatty carriages.. :(
At the moment when I am waiting on Chomsin Rd at the crossing for a train to pass..IMO less & less folk seem to be on these trains..? There may have to be a big push to get folk back onto the trains I think.

What 'tourists' are they expecting to use this new H/S line..? BKK folk need their cars down here so they can drive all around town each night/day at 15kph looking for somewhere to double-park. :banghead:
The westerners (I think) are happy with the airport bus, or their own private taxis.
Ah, that of course leaves the 'eastern' tourist sector, the Chinese, Japanese, & Korean masses..maybe THAT's the real
need for the line..??

As a footnote..I'm all in favour & do indeed praise the service of the airport bus, but this being Thailand I'm amazed another identical bus-service has not started up yet..they DO tend to copy very quickly if anything is working/selling well.
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