Thread: High-Speed Hua Hin Rail Line Design Finalised

Bangkok Post
May 22, 2015
Writer: Amornrat Mahitthirook

Design work on a proposed high-speed rail route from Bangkok to Hua Hin is now complete. Transport authorities are now drafting the terms of reference (ToR) and will call for bids among prospective investors, Transport Minister Prajin Juntong said yesterday.

The bidding is expected to be held in early August this year, following preparation of the ToR. Then, the private company which is awarded the project can start building the route with the work likely to take two-and-a-half to three years, ACM Prajin said.

So far, three Thai firms have expressed interest in investing in the project. They are Bangkok skytrain operator BTS Group Holdings, agro-industrial conglomerate Charoen Pokphand (CP) and TTC Group, the parent company of Thai Beverage Plc.

Companies from Germany, China, Japan and Hong Kong are also eyeing the project, but the government will give priority to domestic firms, ACM Prajin said. "Thai companies can join hands with whoever, but we want to see Thais lead the project," he said, adding that he does not want to see Thais serving as nominees for foreign investors.

The cost of the 206km Bangkok-Hua Hin route is initially estimated at 90 billion baht.

The cost is cheaper than another high-speed train project connecting Bangkok, Pattaya and Rayong, which would cost about 100 billion baht, ACM Prajin said. Though this route, which is now being designed, covers a shorter distance of 190km, it is more expensive because the track passes mountains and river basins.

Parts of the Bangkok-Pattaya-Rayong route may also overlap with the Thai-Chinese rail road project linking Map Ta Phut in Rayong and Saraburi's Kaeng Khoi district. These problems may slow the design work, but ACM Prajin expects it to be finished in two months.

The Bangkok-Pattaya-Rayong route will go through the same stages as the Bangkok-Hua Hin line, with construction also likely to start early next year.

High-speed Hua Hin line design finalised | Bangkok Post: news

If ever a project was pointless and simply a revenue device it must be the high speed link to Hua Hin. A link for no one, to nowhere, where nothing happens for most of the year and where there is little or no development, industry or even people beyond geriatric farang and Bangkok weekenders a few times during the year.

That they could waste their money on this nonsense and yet fail to modernise and fund their public health schemes, develop a modern sewage systempractically anywhere in Thailand and invest in properly qualified teachers is just typical of the way this society works.

Indeed this is a pointless project.

The past few years has seen the highway from Bangkok to Hua Hin upgraded and the journey can now be completed in about two hours, there really is no need for a high speed rail link.

The fares on such a rail link would of necessity be too expensive for most Thais and the wealthier Thais will always travel in the comfort of their cars or family mini buses.

Thailand would benefit from high speed freight links from the Bangkok ports to Laos and on up to China, but this Hua Hin link will only benefit the Thai companies contracted to construct it.

adding that he does not want to see Thais serving as nominees for foreign investors.

where nothing happens for most of the year and where there is little or no development, industry or even people beyond geriatric farang and Bangkok weekenders a few times during the year.

Well you obviously havent been here for quite a while have you.

The town is awash with development, as is the 30kms stretch between Cha Am and Hua Hin and the coast south of the town. Many of the developments are condo units in the 1.5m - 3.0m baht range, an oversupply surely, but many are being bought by mid range earning Thais to use as vacation homes. There are brash shopping centres and tacky theme attractions sprouting up everywhere and at weekends the town is jammed. Of course this has changed the nature of the town and makes it hard for full time residents as the traffic is awful, the restaurants full and the pavements bursting with Bangkok trendies shrieking, giggling and selfieing all over the shop. It is sadly no longer the quiet backwater it was even a few years ago.



But whether this rail system will actually ever get built is another matter, I suspect and hope it wont.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

If ever a project was pointless and simply a revenue device it must be the high speed link to Hua Hin. A link for no one, to nowhere, where nothing happens for most of the year and where there is little or no development, industry or even people beyond geriatric farang and Bangkok weekenders a few times during the year.

I must agree with you Gent.

A waste of 90 Billion Baht.

I would love to take the high speed train to Hua Hin and ride a starving pony on the beach. Will this train stop at Premium Outlet on the way back?

Only if the "starving pony" thinks you're a handsome man and you give her a large tip.

That's great, I hope she's up for a good whipping, too.

Only if you will plait her tail first.

Of course, that's one of the essentials of a stable relationship.

Blimey if that size of development is going on in HH they would be better off investing in a huge desalination plant , I would think with the current water shortage in that area to add lots more is gonna lead to huge problems

Hua Hin, Cha-am see condo glut after demand drops

Somluck Srimalee
The Nation,
Hua Hin December 5, 2014 1:00 am


Several residential projects in resort area undersold after numerous launches since 2012

Residential projects in Hua Hin and Cha-am have been stuck with huge stocks of unsold units after demand dropped, according to a survey by The Nation.

Presales at eight condominium projects averaged 64 per cent, even though some of them were launched two years ago.




The Energy Hua Hin by Baan Rajprasong Co, which was offered in 2012, has sold 70 per cent of 5,997 units in its first phase, which has already been completed and transferred to buyers this year. The 529-unit second phase will kick off next year.

The Trust Hua Hin by Confidence Co, a subsidiary of Quality Houses, showed presales of only 50 per cent since its debut last year. Construction has finished and units were transferred in the second half of this year.

Of the 171 units at The Crest Santora Hua Hin by SC Asset Corporation, 80 per cent have been presold since last year. Transfers will begin next year.

Malibu Kao Tao by M Talay Co, which is owned by the Malinond family, is 62 per cent sold out since 2012.

Pairoj Wattanavorodum managing director of The Confidence Co, said the market had been oversupplied since 2012, when developers from Bangkok expanded to this resort destination.

Most of the demand comes from Bangkok, where people are looking for a condo to be their second home rather than their first home. When the economy slowed down, that directly hit demand for property in this location.

However, demand has showed signs of recovering this quarter and will better next year, if the economy grows at least 4 per cent as forecast by the government, he said.

A survey by Colliers International (Thailand) shows that the condo inventory in the general Hua Hin area will be 16,000 units next year. This would take 18 months to sell out even if no more residential projects were launched in the location.

Some 8,800 units are expected to be completed this year, with nearly 5,000 units in the Cha-am area and about 1,880 in the Hua Hin coastal area. The rest are split evenly between the Hua Hin inland and Pran Buri areas of northern Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

Many condo projects cannot be completed by the expected date, because of the shortage of construction workers.

Many listed developers plan to launch condos in Cha-am and Hua Hin.

LPN Development has already occupied land in the Hua Hin area, but had to delay the launch of its condo project from this year to 2015 when it saw the glut in the market.

"We have to wait and see the demand in the market," managing director Opas Sripayak said.

According to Colliers, the average take-up rate at the end of last year was 73 per cent, around 5 percentage points higher than for the previous six months. This was due to the high take-up rate at some new condo projects launched during the year, especially by listed developers.

Although the market has a supply overhang, Property Perfect launched its first condo project last month, the Bt1.6-billion Bella Costa Hua Hin-Kao Tao. With a starting price of Bt2.95 million, the project is 15 per cent booked in terms of value.

"Although the market has shown signs of oversupply, we have confidence that our condominium project will meet customer demand," said Wongsakorn Prasitvipat, deputy chief business development officer.

Land prices rising

With the investment by listed property firms since 2012, the price of land close to the beach has more than doubled, despite the glut.

The Confidence Co's Pairoj said land close to the beach had soared from Bt40 million per rai (Bt250 million per hectare) in 2012 to Bt100 million per rai. Land close to the main road has shot up from Bt4 million in 2010 to between Bt8 million and Bt10 million, depending on location.

"The prices of locations near the main road are rising now that the availability of land near the beach is limited," he said.

The high prices and lack of sites have forced property firms to expand far from downtown Hua Hin to Khao Tao, said Sunchai Kooakachai, senior manager of Colliers International (Thailand) Co.

According to Colliers, seven condo projects worth up to Bt10 billion have sprung up in Khao Tao, a beach village south of the city.

Land and Houses is developing Wan Vayla worth nearly Bt3 billion and Kao Tao Bay View Resort Co the Celeste Hua Hin-Kao Tao worth Bt1.7 billion.

"This is also boosting land prices on Khao Tao since last year from Bt40 million per rai for sites in the beach area to Bt80 million per rai," he said.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/busi...-30249156.html



but still they continue building more.

Originally Posted by taxexile

if the economy grows at least 4 per cent as forecast by the government

more problems ahead