Thai Mass Transport Systems UPDATED 9/03/2553

May I safely presume that Lunar 2551=Gregorian 2008?

2551 is the buddhist date system in thailand.

I have recently updated my Thai Mass Transport Systems website with 2 new interesting topics.

1. SRT: The Queensland railways SX commuter carriages.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/08 ... muter.html

2. Free BMTA Bus and SRT rail travel.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/08 ... ravel.html

I hope you find the pictures and vehicles shown to be of interest if you view this please post some comments and feelings about the pictures.

Ex Queensland sx carriages are also used in Auckland , New Zealand . I think they have 8 of them . painted them up quite nicely .
What is the object of the free travel ? To promote public transport or is it just a goodwill gesture ???

I rode similar busses using front-engine truck chassis and double-clutch manual transmissions in Singapore and Taipei 20 years ago. Good photos.

I have recently updated my Thai Mass Transport Systems website with a new interesting topic.

1. A little extra BTS and SRT.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/10 ... d-srt.html

I hope you find the pictures and vehicles shown to be of interest if you view this please post some comments and feelings about the pictures.

I have recently updated my Thai Mass Transport Systems website with a new interesting topic.

1. SRT Cargo Trains and Chachoengsao Junction (Eastern Line).

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/10 ... ngsao.html

2. The Bangkok BRT (Bus Rapid Transit System) + Buses of Thaphra.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/10 ... ystem.html

I hope you find the pictures and vehicles shown to be of interest if you view this please post some comments and feelings about the pictures.

I still have 1967 vintage Public Timetables I obtained when visiting Thailand during that year.

Aside from well traveled tourist trail of an overnight journey Changmai to Bangkok (we had a more, shall we say, "heterosexual' name for the Capitol when i was in Service), I rode local services mostly with Hitachi DMU's, however one such service was steam powered and no doubt was the last ride I ever took behind steam in scheduled service.

Very interesting.

thaitransit, do you have anything on possible plans to connect Thailand's railroad network with those of nearby countries? Like Burma, China, and Vietnam. China and Vietnam connections will require going through Laos and Cambodia, and those countries' railroads are in bad shape, to the extent that they are functioning at all. And from Burma, any possible connection with India?

Burma system is actually not too bad but needs massive upgrades they suffer from rolling stock problems and low speed lines.

Alot of there rolling stock is over 60 years old and some cargo stuff is over 100 years old. The signal systems in Burma date back to the 19th century. New lines have been built in the last 10 years in Burma. But they where all built using prison labour and all by hand no large machines. (read forced slave labour). Burma has plans and i believe is building lines though the massive mountains area towards china and india. But due to mountains upto 6000 meters high this is going to be along way off on the china route.

To link it to thailand it will require rebuilding and upgrading the old kanchaburi to yangon railway service over some of the steepest mountains in the world. That railway was built in 1942 and claimed over 50000 lives to build. The grades are really bad around 1:30 or even worse with very tight curves lots of 15 kph speed sections. Plus to become a useful route curve easing and double tracking would be needed but a massive project on a scale similar to the original line.

The most promising route to china is likely to run from nong khai in north east Thailand via laos to southern china plans are underway for this route and the chinese are very interested in funding it. A second route is possiable via Ubon Ratchthani to Laos and Vietnam also is under consideration.

Laos hoping to open its 1st railway this year its a 4 km long line from nong khai to a station on the laos side of the river built by SRT rail thailand with Japanese bank loans. This line will form a part of any future line to china.

A old railway route via cambodia still exist but hasn't seen train service for 50 years and is in very poor condition. Its a total rebuild to make it usable. Parts of the cambodian system still operate with 100 year old rolling stock and very old german yard shunters pulling trains along the very poor track at 10 to 15kph making a 200 km trip into a 20 hour slog in very run down carriages. This line could be rebuilt and extended to saigon (tp ho chi minh) in Vietnam.

Almost all of south east Asias rail systems are 1000mm gauge meaning there will be a break of gauge at the Chinese boarder.

Thanx. I checked on Google Maps, and it now has Thailand's provinces, and Thai-alphabet versions of Thai place names.

Ubon Ratchthani is in eastern Thailand, and the closest sizable cities in Vietnam are Danang and Hue, across Laos.

As to Nong Khai (northeastern Thailand) - China, going northward would be about 400 km across rather mountainous terrain.

But going eastward from Nong Khai across Laos to Vinh, Vietnam would be easier - only about 130 km of mountains to cross.

Kanchanaburi is west of Bangkok, and the mountains there are further to the west.

I have recently updated my Thai Mass Transport Systems website with new interesting topics.

1. SRT: Kaeng Khoi Junction night shots and movies.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/11 ... s-and.html

2. SRT: Hin Lap Station and Curve + Dong Phraya Yen Pass.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/11 ... -dong.html

I hope you find the pictures and vehicles shown to be of interest if you view this please post some comments and feelings about the pictures.

I have recently updated my Thai Mass Transport Systems website with new interesting topics.

1. The Mega Victory Monument Metro Bus Terminal.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/11 ... o-bus.html

2. The Eastern Bus Terminal.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/11 ... minal.html

I hope you find the pictures and vehicles shown to be of interest if you view this please post some comments and feelings about the pictures.

I have recently updated my Thai Mass Transport Systems website with new interesting topics.

1. SRT: Cab Ride Mahachai Line: Bang Bon – Wong Wian Yai.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/12 ... g-bon.html

I hope you find the pictures and vehicles shown to be of interest if you view this please post some comments and feelings about the pictures.

I have recently updated my Thai Mass Transport Systems website with new interesting topics.

1. The Buses of Rangsit.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/12 ... ngsit.html

2. The Rangsit Metro Bus Terminal and Bus Depot.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/12 ... d-bus.html

3. The Buses of Pathum Thani.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/12 ... thani.html

I hope you find the pictures and vehicles shown to be of interest if you view this please post some comments and feelings about the pictures.

I have recently updated my Thai Mass Transport Systems website with new interesting topics.

1. SRT Northern Line: Paknam Pho Station and Yard.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/12 ... ation.html

I hope you find the pictures and vehicles shown to be of interest if you view this please post some comments and feelings about the pictures.