News Forum - Thai leg of the high speed rail to Laos and China will be completed by 2028

[Thaiger]

The government has stated that by 2028, it will have finished their part of a long-delayed high-speed rail system connecting Thailand with China and Laos. The 434 billion baht project’s first of two phases will be completed by 2026, according to officials. According to the director-general of the Department of Rail Transport, Pichet Kunadhamraks, 12% of the first stage is built, and Thailand hopes to have a test run by 2026 and an official opening in 2027. The tracks in Thailand will cover a distance of 609 kilometres, from Bangkok to Nong Khai, a province on the country’s northeastern border […]

The story Thai leg of the high speed rail to Laos and China will be completed by 2028 as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Shade_Wilder]

“There were some procedural steps which have caused some delays but we’re making constant progress. The Thai government emphasises the importance of this project as we support regional connectivity.”

What a clusterf**k.

One side promises a railroad line without tracks or cars, and the other promises submarines without engines.

It's a match made in heaven.

 

[Stevejm]

2 hours ago, Shade_Wilder said:

“There were some procedural steps which have caused some delays but we’re making constant progress. The Thai government emphasises the importance of this project as we support regional connectivity.”

What a clusterf**k.

One side promises a railroad line without tracks or cars, and the other promises submarines without engines.

It's a match made in heaven.

Sounds good to me. My brother will be able to visit when it’s done ( he won’t fly)

[EdwardV]

 

The Southeast Asian country of Laos is discussing oil purchases with sanctions-hit Russia, the Nikkei reported, citing local media. It's the latest Asian country after bankrupt Sri Lanka to face serious economic challenges from a huge debt pile, an acute fuel shortage, and rising inflation. Long queues have been forming at gas stations in the Laotian capital city of Vientiane as motorists scramble for fuel. Gas stations in the city typically shut around 9 p.m. but are now closing up around 4 p.m. after they run out of fuel, the Nikkei reported. The crisis has been brewing for months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine exacerbated an ongoing global energy crunch. Regular gas prices in Laos have risen 40% in the four months since Russia invaded Ukraine, per the Nikkei. That's in part due to the local currency falling almost 40% against the US dollar — the dominant currency for international trade — in the last year.

Laos is also the latest Asian country to face a debt crisis as public borrowing hit $14.5 billion last year, according to a World Bank report published in April. The country held $1.3 billion in reserves in December 2021 — but has to repay debts of around the same amount every year until 2025, according to the World Bank. Half of the debt is to China for major infrastructure projects, including a high-speed rail link to the east Asian economic giant that opened in December. Ratings agency Moody's last month downgraded Laos credit rating further into junk territory, citing "severe liquidity stress." The country is "on the brink of default" Anushka Shah, a vice president and senior credit officer at Moody's, told Bloomberg in June. Landlocked Laos, with a population of 7.5 million, is one of the least developed countries in Asia with a GDP of $18.8 billion in 2021, according to the World Bank. In comparison, Indonesia — Southeast Asia's largest economy — had a GDP of $1.2 trillion.

A Fuel Shortage Is Driving Debt-Ridden Laos to Seek Cheap Russian Oil (businessinsider.com)

At least they can take the train. 

 

 

[Bluesofa]

5 hours ago, Thaiger said:

The government has stated that by 2028, it will have finished their part of a long-delayed high-speed rail system connecting Thailand with China and Laos

2028

Remember this on 22 December 2017:

THE government has set a new target to call for construction bids for the Bt179-billion, 252-kilometre Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed railway by the end of next year, according to Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittay-apaisith.

Arkhom said a total of 13 construction contracts for the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima route would be open for bidding in 2018 so that construction could be completed and the system become operational in 2021

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30334497

 

[HolyCowCm]

54 minutes ago, EdwardV said:

The Southeast Asian country of Laos is discussing oil purchases with sanctions-hit Russia, the Nikkei reported, citing local media. It's the latest Asian country after bankrupt Sri Lanka to face serious economic challenges from a huge debt pile, an acute fuel shortage, and rising inflation. Long queues have been forming at gas stations in the Laotian capital city of Vientiane as motorists scramble for fuel. Gas stations in the city typically shut around 9 p.m. but are now closing up around 4 p.m. after they run out of fuel, the Nikkei reported. The crisis has been brewing for months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine exacerbated an ongoing global energy crunch. Regular gas prices in Laos have risen 40% in the four months since Russia invaded Ukraine, per the Nikkei. That's in part due to the local currency falling almost 40% against the US dollar — the dominant currency for international trade — in the last year.

Laos is also the latest Asian country to face a debt crisis as public borrowing hit $14.5 billion last year, according to a World Bank report published in April. The country held $1.3 billion in reserves in December 2021 — but has to repay debts of around the same amount every year until 2025, according to the World Bank. Half of the debt is to China for major infrastructure projects, including a high-speed rail link to the east Asian economic giant that opened in December. Ratings agency Moody's last month downgraded Laos credit rating further into junk territory, citing "severe liquidity stress." The country is "on the brink of default" Anushka Shah, a vice president and senior credit officer at Moody's, told Bloomberg in June. Landlocked Laos, with a population of 7.5 million, is one of the least developed countries in Asia with a GDP of $18.8 billion in 2021, according to the World Bank. In comparison, Indonesia — Southeast Asia's largest economy — had a GDP of $1.2 trillion.

A Fuel Shortage Is Driving Debt-Ridden Laos to Seek Cheap Russian Oil (businessinsider.com)

At least they can take the train. 

Yea they maybe can take the O (il) train, But taking the A train is more Fun. 

https://youtu.be/cb2w2m1JmCY

 

 

 

[Rookiescot]

8 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Yea the my can take the O (il) train, But taking the A train is more Fun. 

https://youtu.be/cb2w2m1JmCY

 

 

Wait? This is a song about a girl taking on a train of guys?

Is this kind of filth allowed on here? 

[HolyCowCm]

12 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

Wait? This is a song about a girl taking on a train of guys?

Is this kind of filth allowed on here? 

Fastest way to Sugar Hill?

Hurry, get on, now it's coming.
Listen to those rails a thrumming.

All board! Get on the "A" train.
Soon you will be on Sugar Hill in Harlem.

[Stevejm]

46 minutes ago, Bluesofa said:

2028

Remember this on 22 December 2017:

THE government has set a new target to call for construction bids for the Bt179-billion, 252-kilometre Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed railway by the end of next year, according to Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittay-apaisith.

Arkhom said a total of 13 construction contracts for the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima route would be open for bidding in 2018 so that construction could be completed and the system become operational in 2021

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30334497

Maybe they hired some HS2 consultants from UK to speed things up?

[HolyCowCm]

@Stevejm. 

Joking  about: 

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn - Take the "A" Train

[HiuMak]

Train load of Chinese will come to Thailand now

[Bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, HiuMak said:

Train load of Chinese will come to Thailand now

I remember reading about different countries ambitions in the past when building an 'international' railway.
One of the reasons was the future opportunity to easily move troops and heavy weapons into that country.

Will the gap between the carriages be known as a chink in the train?
Will the wake with an 'o' minority group be on to me now?

[HiuMak]

10 minutes ago, Bluesofa said:

I remember reading about different countries ambitions in the past when building an 'international' railway.
One of the reasons was the future opportunity to easily move troops and heavy weapons into that country.

Will the gap between the carriages be known as a chink in the train?
Will the wake with an 'o' minority group be on to me now?

A sinister possibility

[Stevejm]

43 minutes ago, HiuMak said:

Train load of Chinese will come to Thailand now

That’s the idea isn’t it?

[Stevejm]

33 minutes ago, Bluesofa said:

Will the wake with an 'o' minority group be on to me now?

No point. You said it yourself. Sadly it’s not even a clever remark

[Leeshard]

This will be a financial millstone around the Thai government’s neck. Maybe of limited use as a freight line although due to incompatible gauge it cannot interconnect with the rest of Thailand’s meter gauge. The cities in Thailand and Laos which it will serve have tiny populations and Udon Thai and Vientiene are already served by airlines with flight times of a mere 60 minutes for 1,000 baht or less. The line will eventually connect with Kunming in China but that’s about a 6-7 hour journey by train and can be done by air in about 100 minutes. Still the scenery through Laos is spectacular if you can afford the time.

[Stevejm]

2 hours ago, Leeshard said:

This will be a financial millstone around the Thai government’s neck. Maybe of limited use as a freight line although due to incompatible gauge it cannot interconnect with the rest of Thailand’s meter gauge. The cities in Thailand and Laos which it will serve have tiny populations and Udon Thai and Vientiene are already served by airlines with flight times of a mere 60 minutes for 1,000 baht or less. The line will eventually connect with Kunming in China but that’s about a 6-7 hour journey by train and can be done by air in about 100 minutes. Still the scenery through Laos is spectacular if you can afford the time.

It might do well carrying freight and could be an interesting trip for tourists. I wonder what level the fares will be set at. The Laos China leg has carried 400k passengers and carried over 600k Tonnes of freight in the first 6 months of operation according to this article in the Nation

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40016510

[palooka]

22 hours ago, EdwardV said:

At least they can take the train. 

Solly, no Kip, stay village.

[palooka]

Trains run an average of six times a day, with a maximum of eight journeys a day, when a maximum of 5,000 passengers can be carried.

Laos has a population of 7mil + so they will not be Laotians who cannot afford the train ticket so who is the market for these 5,000 a day travellers.

Not Laotians that's for sure on the average annual salary of US$7000 per annum, think that figure is over stated too.

[Stevejm]

8 minutes ago, palooka said:

Trains run an average of six times a day, with a maximum of eight journeys a day, when a maximum of 5,000 passengers can be carried.

Laos has a population of 7mil + so they will not be Laotians who cannot afford the train ticket so who is the market for these 5,000 a day travellers.

Not Laotians that's for sure on the average annual salary of US$7000 per annum, think that figure is over stated too.

Shouldn’t you find out what the fares are before you write it off?

https://laotiantimes.com/2021/12/01/laos-china-railway-confirms-passenger-fares/

[Stevejm]

21 minutes ago, palooka said:

Solly, no Kip, stay village.

Is that the most intelligent thing you have to say?

[palooka]

9 hours ago, Stevejm said:

Is that the most intelligent thing you have to say?

I don't know if you have ever really been to Laos but a high percentage of villagers never even get to Vientiane or Luang Prabung in their lifetime.  They may have a new train line but how do they get to it?

The train line goes through a small percentage of the country and the rest is serviced by bad roads often impassable during the wet season and some even during the dry season due to poor maintenace.

As for the fares a lot of poor Lao would not part with that amount of money for a ticket to anywhere, for

a lot if they cannot walk there, they don't go.

The line is only a  service for the Chinese and a few Lao wealthy.  

[HolyCowCm]

40 minutes ago, palooka said:

I don't know if you have ever really been to Laos but a high percentage of villagers never even get to Vientiane or Luang Prabung in their lifetime.  They may have a new train line but how do they get to it?

The train line goes through a small percentage of the country and the rest is serviced by bad roads often impassable during the wet season and some even during the dry season due to poor maintenace.

As for the fares a lot of poor Lao would not part with that amount of money for a ticket to anywhere, for

a lot if they cannot walk there, they don't go.

The line is only a  service for the Chinese and a few Lao wealthy.  

And train fares rides only cause more spending than the fare as they must rent a place to stay and eat, and these compounded onto the rail cost is never going to happen for the majority of the Laotion folk

[Stevejm]

1 hour ago, palooka said:

I don't know if you have ever really been to Laos but a high percentage of villagers never even get to Vientiane or Luang Prabung in their lifetime.  They may have a new train line but how do they get to it?

The train line goes through a small percentage of the country and the rest is serviced by bad roads often impassable during the wet season and some even during the dry season due to poor maintenace.

As for the fares a lot of poor Lao would not part with that amount of money for a ticket to anywhere, for

a lot if they cannot walk there, they don't go.

The line is only a  service for the Chinese and a few Lao wealthy.  

I realize that but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the railway is useless.