Thread: Land expropriation proceeds for the Thai-Chinese high-speed train project

A Royal Decree on Land Expropriation in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces has been published in the Royal Gazette, to pave way for the construction of the first stage of the Thai-Chinese high-speed train mega project, running from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima in the north-east.


In Bangkok, land will be expropriated in parts of Chatuchak, Lak Si and Don Mueang districts. In Pathum Thani the land is in Lam Luk Ka, Thanyaburi, Muang and Khlong Luang districts. In Ayutthaya province, the areas include Bang Pa-in, Muang, Uthai and Phachi districts.


In Saraburi province, the areas to be expropriated cover parts of Nong Saeng, Sao Hai, Muang, Kaeng Khoi and Muak Lek districts while, in Nakhon Ratchasima, the areas include parts of Pak Chong, Sikhio, Song Nern and Muang districts.


The Thai-Chinese high-speed train project is part of Pan-Asian rail network, linking Beijing with Singapore, and is a long envisioned element in China’s Belt and Road initiative.


The first section, from Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province, to the Laotian capital of Vientiane, has been completed and has been operational since last December. The next section, from the Thai border province of Nong Khai, opposite Vientiane, to Bangkok is yet to be built.

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Took 'em long enough.

the bigger the project the longer it takes to finalise the correct oiling of palms for land and for land to have been recovered by officials (having been sold on without title), so that said officials can then get the best price for their land from their Govt, having received the appropriate back handers for selling Govt land back to the Govt; generating unusual wealth is a complicated process.

Those passport runs will be done in a jiffy.

Originally Posted by malmomike77

the bigger the project the longer it takes to finalise the correct oiling of palms for land and for land to have been recovered by officials (having been sold on without title), so that said officials can then get the best price for their land from their Govt, having received the appropriate back handers for selling Govt land back to the Govt; generating unusual wealth is a complicated process.

Precisely. First you find out where it's going to go and keep it quiet. Then you go and purchase the land which doesn't seem to be inherently expensive.

Then you announce the project and Hey! Presto! miraculously it goes through land you now own.

Bingo!

Originally Posted by cyrille

Those passport runs will be done in a jiffy.

I heard 1 hour 40 minutes quoted, Korat to Bangkok. I could have an argument with the wife over breakfast and be sat in a Sukhumvit bar by lunchtime!

It seems strange that they're still expropriating land for the project... I took a train trip to Bangkok two years ago and the construction of some parts of the new high speed line alongside the existing line was quite far advanced.

Building the line is the least of it. Now, watch Thai news and at least weekly there is a bus or pickup T boned by a train for variously, not using a crossing, using a crossing when the light is red, not noticing 120 tonnes of vehicle is on the same track as you or stopping for a much needed picnic on the line or creating their own crossing because driving 240 yards to a real one is outragious. In short these unforseen accidents are bad for the road vehicle so its not going to be great at 250KPH. I reckon it'll take 3 times longer to build a Somchai proof fence either side of the line.

^ There won't be any crossings like that, apparently. They are building flyover bridges for vehicles to drive over the railway lines.

Yep, but you just know the ingenious Thai won't want to drive 5KMs to get to a flyover. A night in a tawan daeng with a few mates and the bolt cutter will be out.

The railway link is redundant in Thai taxpayer terms. It’s primary function is to ensure a land bridge from China to the East/West seaway strategically located in Singapore giving the Chinese commie scum effective control over one of the world’s greatest commercial routes. The proposed rail link will ensure the PLA will have the means to deploy rapidly mechanized armoured divisions into the very heart of SE Asia.

the secondary purpose is of course the personal enrichment of the usual Thai cliques as they connive in creating this ludicrous white elephant of a project.

Thai prefer to drive or bus it and if they have the dosh then they will fly.

Originally Posted by Mendip

I heard 1 hour 40 minutes quoted, Korat to Bangkok. I could have an argument with the wife over breakfast and be sat in a Sukhumvit bar by lunchtime!

It seems strange that they're still expropriating land for the project... I took a train trip to Bangkok two years ago and the construction of some parts of the new high speed line alongside the existing line was quite far advanced.

I saw building work back in 2017 mate

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

The railway link is redundant in Thai taxpayer terms. It’s primary function is to ensure a land bridge from China to the East/West seaway strategically located in Singapore giving the Chinese commie scum effective control over one of the world’s greatest commercial routes. The proposed rail link will ensure the PLA will have the means to deploy rapidly mechanized armoured divisions into the very heart of SE Asia.

the secondary purpose is of course the personal enrichment of the usual Thai cliques as they connive in creating this ludicrous white elephant of a project.

Thai prefer to drive or bus it and if they have the dosh then they will fly.

LMAO yea because we have all seen how useful tanks are nowadays. You just can't help yourself can you, don't become a general anytime soon.

Originally Posted by Mendip

If you live on the east side of Korat it can take an hour just to get through town and on to the open road towards Bangkok.

Surely the ring road is a far better option than driving through the town. There's hardly any traffic on it and it emerges on to the main road well out of the city.

I remember in 2017 the government said the Bangkok-Korat section would be running by 2021.