News Forum - China-Laos-Thailand railway already ‘exceeded expectations’

[Thaiger]

Former Thai Deputy PM Pinit Jarusombat believes the extension of the China-Laos Railway into Thailand “has exceeded expectations” and will provide the kingdom with a number of investment and business opportunities. The China-Laos Railway, which opened only six months ago, connects Kunming in China with the Laotian capital Vientiane and stretches out around 1,035 kilometres. The route has delivered more than 4 million tonnes of freight as of the end of May, handled over 3.2 million passenger trips, and goods have been delivered to 21 Chinese regions since December last year. The former deputy PM says the China-Laos route has provided […]

The story China-Laos-Thailand railway already ‘exceeded expectations’ as seen on Thaiger News.

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[palooka]

Once it is completed, a transportation corridor through all three countries will significantly increase the speed of movement of people and goods between Southeast Asia and China.”

Sorry suspicious mind ---- maybe armed forces also.

Locally we have a lot of Chinese companies trying to buy large tracts of land for rubber plantations an Durian orchards.

Worry is that the Chinese want to bring in Chinese to work these plantations, so nothing in it for Thais.

The railway to Vientiane built with imported Chinese labour, it started with some Lao workers, but some 'supposed' disputes saw the Lao cut out of the project.

This railway has one function only, Chinese interests.

[Poolie]

6 minutes ago, palooka said:

Once it is completed, a transportation corridor through all three countries will significantly increase the speed of movement of people and goods between Southeast Asia and China.”

Sorry suspicious mind ---- maybe armed forces also.

Locally we have a lot of Chinese companies trying to buy large tracts of land for rubber plantations an Durian orchards.

Worry is that the Chinese want to bring in Chinese to work these plantations, so nothing in it for Thais.

The railway to Vientiane built with imported Chinese labour, it started with some Lao workers, but some 'supposed' disputes saw the Lao cut out of the project.

This railway has one function only, Chinese interests.

So there's two of your thought processes that so far have turned out groundless? Do you check under your bed before sleep as well?

[Smithydog]

The figures are a bit misleading as to the benefits for Laos. It is noted that the Laos section of the railway has only reached 380,000 passenger trips. This is still not an insignificant number but the rest apparently are all all internal within China and these represent 88% of the trips, with no benefit direct to Laos.

http://english.www.gov.cn/news/internationalexchanges/202205/24/content_WS628c9e48c6d02e533532b3c2.html

Let's see what happens now after the novelty period has worn off and identify the actual freight coming out Laos to better understand the benefits it is proclaiming. Freight into Laos only benefits China's trade position.

[palooka]

49 minutes ago, Poolie said:

So there's two of your thought processes that so far have turned out groundless? Do you check under your bed before sleep as well?

Yep, say good night always to the yellow peril and monsters, feed them occasionally to make them feel a little love and not abandon me.

[Poolie]

10 minutes ago, palooka said:

Yep, say good night always to the yellow peril and monsters, feed them occasionally to make them feel a little love and not abandon me.

I'm sure they won't.

[Rookiescot]

Thailand. Selling its soul a little bit at a time all in the interest of brown envelopes. 

[Guest1]

2 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Former Thai Deputy PM Pinit Jarusombat believes the extension of the China-Laos Railway into Thailand “has exceeded expectations”

Thats somehow right, Lazada orders from China needing a lot longer, since/if they are not coming by plane any longer. That is exceeding (my) expectations a lot!

[JJJ]

2 hours ago, Smithydog said:

The figures are a bit misleading as to the benefits for Laos. It is noted that the Laos section of the railway has only reached 380,000 passenger trips. This is still not an insignificant number but the rest apparently are all all internal within China and these represent 88% of the trips, with no benefit direct to Laos.

http://english.www.gov.cn/news/internationalexchanges/202205/24/content_WS628c9e48c6d02e533532b3c2.html

Let's see what happens now after the novelty period has worn off and identify the actual freight coming out Laos to better understand the benefits it is proclaiming. Freight into Laos only benefits China's trade position.

And at that what is the benefit to Thailand at the moment? The high speed ends at Vientiane right. 

Im not an expert but I didn’t think there’s much in terms of existing train freight within Thailand. So how could this be possibly benefiting Thailand at this time? 

I’m not sure if the government knows but Thailand has a lot of coast and a lot of the value added manufacturing is near the coast. 

[KaptainRob]

IMO the route is losing money hand over fist, quite normal for a new service relying primarily on low value freight.  Successful ... yes, the train runs, it's comfortable and inexpensive.  But successful for Thailand ... no, not yet.  Imports of cabbage @ 1 baht per kg (from memory) destroyed almost all Mae Hong Son's harvest income.

9 hours ago, JJJ said:

And at that what is the benefit to Thailand at the moment? The high speed ends at Vientiane right. 

It is to be extended into and across Thailand with the Nong Khai Mekong bridge construction already approved > https://www.railway-technology.com/news/srt-bridge-nong-khai-laos/

[Morpheus]

I wonder how long it will take for china to own Thailand under its wolf diplomicy/belt and road con.

[Smithydog]

Initially, I'll admit, that I was supportive of China supporting less developed nations under the Belt and Road Initiative. Of course there was always a political element, but what world initiative doesn't have that. Other countries provide grants and loans so why shouldn't the Chinese?

But after a series of news articles on it and now this study, I feel my initial support was wrong and that the real reason is potentially more sinister. 

https://docs.aiddata.org/ad4/pdfs/Banking_on_the_Belt_and_Road_Executive_Summary.pdf

But it can be argued that China does not have a great track record of transparency. So, how much debt is actually out there and how freely is the credit actually being supplied? Hence my current hesitancy and growing concern on "nation building projects", potentially with low rates of return.

Seeing less developed nations carrying a much higher debt load, yet not using the funding to deliver better immediate needed services for the citizens, raises a lot of concerns. One can only hope this does not turn out to be a flop.

 

 

[JJJ]

6 hours ago, KaptainRob said:

IMO the route is losing money hand over fist, quite normal for a new service relying primarily on low value freight.  Successful ... yes, the train runs, it's comfortable and inexpensive.  But successful for Thailand ... no, not yet.  Imports of cabbage @ 1 baht per kg (from memory) destroyed almost all Mae Hong Son's harvest income.

It is to be extended into and across Thailand with the Nong Khai Mekong bridge construction already approved > https://www.railway-technology.com/news/srt-bridge-nong-khai-laos/

Right and how long will that take? A decade? 

[Poolie]

1 hour ago, JJJ said:

Right and how long will that take? A decade? 

Not really, if you look at where China was with its railways ten years ago. It depends on the Thai government.

[JJJ]

8 hours ago, Poolie said:

Not really, if you look at where China was with its railways ten years ago. It depends on the Thai government.

So definitely longer then

[Naanlaew]

The  Durian Express !  will be hauling tons of pungent fruit to China from the Chinese  plantations.

[Davidbuk]

Where can I see a map of the route of the new Sino-Thai railway track? 

[Morpheus]

On 6/10/2022 at 9:11 AM, Smithydog said:

Initially, I'll admit, that I was supportive of China supporting less developed nations under the Belt and Road Initiative. Of course there was always a political element, but what world initiative doesn't have that. Other countries provide grants and loans so why shouldn't the Chinese?

But after a series of news articles on it and now this study, I feel my initial support was wrong and that the real reason is potentially more sinister. 

https://docs.aiddata.org/ad4/pdfs/Banking_on_the_Belt_and_Road_Executive_Summary.pdf

But it can be argued that China does not have a great track record of transparency. So, how much debt is actually out there and how freely is the credit actually being supplied? Hence my current hesitancy and growing concern on "nation building projects", potentially with low rates of return.

Seeing less developed nations carrying a much higher debt load, yet not using the funding to deliver better immediate needed services for the citizens, raises a lot of concerns. One can only hope this does not turn out to be a flop.

The CCP has one agenda, to dominate the world any way it can. The CCP are nothing more than Mafia thugs. I am hoping before I die I see the Chinese people rise up and terminate the CCP for good only then will China develop into a great nation under a democratic government.

[Fanta]

33 minutes ago, Morpheus said:

The CCP has one agenda, to dominate the world any way it can

Ooh.. the yellow peril! Over 20% of the world’s population is Chinese and you expect them not to have any global influence? 
Considering modern day China, as we know it, is only about 40 years old they haven’t done too bad a job raising living standards in China.

“Since 1981, 853 million Chinese people have lifted themselves out of poverty thanks to large-scale interventions from both the Chinese state and the Communist Party of China (CPC); according to the data of the World Bank.”

https://mronline.org/2021/07/08/china-pulls-itself-out-of-poverty-100-years-into-its-revolution/ 

[Morpheus]

On 6/20/2022 at 11:45 AM, Fanta said:

Ooh.. the yellow peril! Over 20% of the world’s population is Chinese and you expect them not to have any global influence? 
Considering modern day China, as we know it, is only about 40 years old they haven’t done too bad a job raising living standards in China.

“Since 1981, 853 million Chinese people have lifted themselves out of poverty thanks to large-scale interventions from both the Chinese state and the Communist Party of China (CPC); according to the data of the World Bank.”

https://mronline.org/2021/07/08/china-pulls-itself-out-of-poverty-100-years-into-its-revolution/ 

Quote all you like. The netcitizens are not problem its the mafia scum ruling them.