Chao Phraya Express Boats – The New Pak Kret Service.

While on my way to Photograph buses at Saphan Taksin, Sanam Luang and Nonthaburi. I rode the Chao Phraya Express boats between these locations. After photographing the buses at Nonthaburi. I waited to ride and photograph the new Chao Phraya Express Pak Kret peak hour service.

A little background on the Chao Phraya Express boats and the Pak Kret service.

The Chao Phraya Express boat service is Bangkok’s most important mass transport boat service carrying over 100,000 people per day. With boats departing every 3 minutes during peak periods. There are a number of different stopping patterns for the boats. These are as outlined below:

The Blue flag boats operate from Sathorn to Nonthaburi making only a few stops at peak travel times on weekdays. This is the fastest Chao Phraya Express boat.

The Yellow flag boat operates from Ratburana to Nonthaburi making 10 stops on route. Again this service only operates during peak periods on weekdays.

The Orange flag boat operates from Wat Rajsingkorn to Nonthaburi making 20 stops on route. This boat operates 7 days a week.

The boat with no flag operates from: Wat Rajsingkorn to Nonthaburi stopping at every single pier. This boat only operates during peak periods on weekdays.

The Orange flag express boat costs 13 baht per trip regardless of distance. The Yellow flag express boat costs 18 baht per trip regardless of distance. At some piers you pay before boarding i.e. Sathorn Pier. At all other piers you pay on board the boat.

An all day pass is available at Sathorn Pier for 120 baht per day. However you would need to make at least 8 one way trips in a single day before it is worth buying. Most people rarely make more than 4 trips in a single day even as visitors.

The Chao Phraya Express boat does suffer from rather bad overcrowding throughout the day and even on weekends. This means that standing is likely if you board at some major piers. The maximum allowed to be carried per boat is about 90 people. Often over 100 people will be on a boat as no passenger counting is done by staff.

Chao Phraya Express Boat – Pak Kret Extension.

The new Pak Kret service is marked with a Green and Yellow Flag and operates from Sathorn to Pak Kret Pier. This new boat service operates from 6.15 am until 8.05 am inbound and 4.05 pm to 6.05 pm outbound. This is a weekday only service.

The trip takes about 65 minutes to complete the whole journey from Sathorn Pier to Pak Kret Pier. This traveling time is about 40 to 60 minutes faster than going by bus between the two points. The main reason for this service is to provide a faster traffic free option for people living in Pak Kret.

Pak Kret Express Boat timetable:

To Sathorn Pier depart at: 06.15, 06.35, 06.50, 07.05, 07.20, 07.40 and 08.05 only.

To Pak Kret Pier depart at: 16.05, 16.25, 16.45, 17.05, 17.25, 17.45 and 18.05 only.

The new piers on the Pak Kret express boat route extension are:

Pak Kret N 33: located next to the new Rama 4 road bridge in Pak Kret town.

Wat Klang Kret N 32: located at the end of Phumwet road near Wat Klang Kret.

Wat Khae Nok N 31: located at the end of a Soi on Sanambin Nam road.

The Pak Kret Chao Phraya Express boat operates as a 20 minute long extension of the normal Nonthaburi route. Only 7 boats in each direction travel to Pak Kret each day. The tickets cost 12 baht per trip from Nonthaburi to Pak Kret.

Before 1997 there was a full time Chao Phraya Express boat service to Pak Kret. However the service fell victim to the Asian economic collapse in 1997 and was withdrawn. The peak hour service that operates today was not restored until early 2008 over 10 years later! With the latest economic problems effecting Thailand one does wonder if the Pak Kret service will be affected again.

In the future an additional stop will be added at Rattana Thibet road in Nonthaburi to allow connections to the new Bang Bua Thong MRT line that is planned to open in 2013. After this pier is introduced it is understood that a full time Pak Kret express boat service will commence.

Chao Phraya Express boat section: Sathorn (CEN) – Tha Chang (N9).

1. This is a shot of the Ratchawongse (N5) express boat pier. This boat pier is serviced by all orange, yellow and no flag express boats. This is the pier for the Chinatown area. Taken from the boat on approach to the pier.



2. This is a shot of the Tha Din Daeng cross river ferry. Taken looking north from the boat on departure from Ratchawongse Pier. This cross river ferry provides the fastest way from Wong Wien Yai to Chinatown.



3. This is a shot of a larger capacity Chao Phraya Express boat. This type of boat is used on peak hour yellow flag services. During off peak periods the larger boats are used on tourist shuttle boats to Banglamphu. The boats hold about 150 people.



4. This is a shot of the Memorial Bridge (N6) pier. Taken looking north from the boat as it was approaching. This pier is the place to transfer for khlong boat services into Thonburi and for access to the Phahurat area. Note: all the boat piers are steel floating platforms that move with the river levels.



5. This is a shot of the Wat Arun cross river ferry. Taken as it was loading passengers at Tha Tian Pier. This pier is only serviced by no flag boats during peak periods. This cross river ferry is popular with visitors to Wat Pho and Wat Arun.



6. This is an inside shot of a rather overcrowded Orange flag express boat. Taken during the off peak, looking towards the rear of the boat. This is a typical loading for a Chao Phraya Express Boat.



7. This is an image of the Tha Chang (N9) pier. Taken looking north from the boat as it was approaching the pier. This pier is the best stop for the Grand Palace and Sanam Luang area. This pier is one of the busiest piers on the Chao Phraya River.



8. This is a shot of an Orange flag express boat. Taken as it was powering across the river from the Siriraj Hospital (N10) pier. Boat number 168. Notice the nice urban view behind the boat. Sometimes the waves from the river do spray water into the boat.



9. This is another angle of Chao Phraya Express Boat number 168. Taken from Tha Chang Pier as it was approaching Tha Chang pier on a southbound trip. This boat had a large load on board at this point.



10. This is a short movie of Chao Phraya Express Boat number 168 as it arrived at Tha Chang Pier to take on a huge load of passengers heading south toward Sathorn. Note: the amount of people on the boat there would have been well over 100 on board before this stop. The whistles that can be heard are for the rope man and driver to communicate with each other.



Chao Phraya Express boat section: Tha Chang (N9) – Nonthaburi (N30).

11. This is a shot of an orange flag express boat. Taken looking towards Banglamphu area as it was pushing its way through a patch of green water plants. Boat number 180. All Chao Phraya Express Boats are non aircon.



12. This is another angle on Chao Phraya Express boat 180. Taken as it was turning to approach Pink Lao (N12) pier. This section of the Chao Phraya Express boat service is used as a cross river ferry between Pink Lao and Banglamphu. Thus is often very overcrowded in this section.



13. This is an image of Phra Athit (Banglamphu) (N13) pier. Taken looking north east from the boat as it was approaching the pier. This pier is for access to Banglamphu area and the Khao San Road Backpacker district.



14. This is a shot of a yellow Golden Dragon bus passing over the Krungthon Bridge. Taken from the boat looking north as it approached Krungthon Pier (N16).



15. This is a shot of Chao Phraya Express Boat 191. Taken as it was heading south with a reasonable off peak load. Note: This style of boat has a larger raised section at the rear for standing room than on other boats. All boats have a wooden body and frame.



16. This is a shot of Paya Up (N18) Pier. Taken from the boat as it was approaching the pier. This pier is best for access to the mid section of Samsen road. Beyond Thewet (N15) pier the usage levels drops off and most of the piers are rather minor with no major attractions near by. This pier is serviced by orange flag and no flag boats only.



17. This is an image of Kiak Kai (N21) pier. Taken from the boat as it was approaching the pier. This pier is mainly used by people to access the upper section of Samsen road and for the Thai army complexes. It is only serviced by orange flag and no flag boats.



18. This is an image of Bang Pho (N22) pier. Taken from the boat as it prepared to stop at this pier. This pier provides a faster way into the lower section of Bang Sue district. Almost all boats stop at this pier and it is busy during peak times as it saves a good 30 mins over the bus trip.



19. This is a shot of Chao Phraya Express boat 163. Taken near the Rama 5 Bridge as it made its way south towards Sathorn with a small load of off peak passengers. All of the boats are powered by inboard diesel engines. There has been talk of converting them to CNG in the future.



20. This is a shot of the boat I rode on from Tha Chang pier departing from Nonthaburi Pier (N30) after it had let off all the passengers. Some of the boats are moored on the western side of the river 500 meters north of Nonthaburi pier.



21. This is a shot of the Chao Phraya express boats waiting to depart from Nonthaburi pier. Passengers walk through the other boats to board the outermost boat for the next trip to Sathorn pier an hour away.



22. This is a shot of Chao Phraya Express boat 189 with a large load of peak hour passengers. Taken as it was arriving at Nonthaburi Pier and its journeys end. During peak times standing loads occur from Sathorn to Nonthaburi.



23. This is a short movie of the final approach to Nonthaburi Pier. Filmed from the Chao Phraya Express boat. This pier is the end of the line for almost all Chao Phraya Express boats. Note how the rope man ties up the boat to let off a large number of passengers.



Chao Phraya Express Boat section: Nonthaburi (N30) – Pak Kret (N33).

24. This is an image of the boat I caught to Pak Kret. Taken as it was about to dock at Nonthaburi Pier and let out about half its passengers. Thus leaving some seats free for the trip to Pak Kret.



25. This is an inside shot on the Pak Kret boat. The loadings between Nonthaburi and Pak Kret are rather light when compared to boats south of Nonthaburi. However this was the 5pm trip from Nonthaburi to Pak Kret. This is the 1st outbound trip of the day.



26. This is a movie of a ride on the Pak Kret Chao Phraya express boat. Filmed on approach to the Phra Nang Klao Bridge. Note the river side housing and the loading on the boat. Also towards the end of the video the boat passes under the twin bridges that carry Rattana Thibet road. It will be interesting how the new elevated metro line will fit around these bridges.



27. This is a shot of the new bridge over the Chao Phraya River. This bridge was built to provide extra road capacity on Rattana Thibet road which provides access to the western Nonthaburi area.



28. This is a shot of Wat Khae Nok (N31) pier. This is a new pier for the Pak Kret express boat service. This pier allows access to Sanambin Nam road and the Ministry of Commerce. Although it would be a long walk to the Ministry of Commerce.



29. This is a movie of the final approach to Wat Khae Nok pier. Note how the rope man has to jump on and off the boat to tie it up to the pier. Also passengers tend to jump the gap before the boat has stopped. It saves time though when they do this.



30. This is a general view of the Ministry of Commerce office complex. Taken from the Pak Kret boat as it was passing by. It would be more logical to provide a boat pier directly in front of this building rather than 1 km away. Therefore increasing usage of the boat service.



31. This is a shot of a bulk sand cargo boat convoy heading south down the river. Unlike in many western countries where rivers only carry passengers the Chao Phaya River still carries large volumes of bulk cargo down it every single day. The small boat at the front provides all the towing power.



32. This is a video of the Pak Kret boat entering the Ko Kret bypass route. Note the amount of water plants in the river. This seems to be slowing down the boat greatly. Also good examples of river side housing can be seen from the boat. A Ko Kret Cross river ferry can be seen waiting for the boat to pass.



33. This is an image of a Ko Kret cross river ferry. Taken from the Pak Kret express boat as it passed by. Note: This cross river ferry is not the main Ko Kret ferry but the connecting one for the Pak Kret Boat.



34. This is a short movie of the final approach to Wat Klang Kret pier. Note how the rope man has to do a great jump to tie up the boat at this pier. A few passengers can be seen jumping the gap before the boat fully stops. The people on the pier where not waiting for the Pak Kret boat but another local boat.



35. This is a shot of Wat Klang Kret (N32) pier. Taken from the boat as it was departing for the last stop at Pak Kret. Unlike the piers south of Nonthaburi these Pak Kret section piers do not have large pier name signs.



36. This is a shot of the ancient temple on the north eastern corner of Ko Kret. In the foreground are some of the horrible green water plants. The temple area is popular with tourists on weekends.



37. This is a video of passing by the main cross river ferry terminal and the ancient temple on Ko Kret. Note the river side homes and the high speed school boat that ripped past at full tilt. The temple area on Ko Kret appears to have been recently upgraded.



38. This is a shot looking towards the Pak Kret (N33) pier. In the background is the new Rama 4 Bridge and elevated way. This pier is the final stop of this boat service. A cross river ferry operates from Pak Kret as well as a Khlong boat service to Bang Bua Thong.



39. This is a movie of the final approach to Pak Kret pier. The boat has to do a U - turn before docking at the rather poorly laid out pier. Note the cross river ferry under the new bridge making its way to the western side of the river. As soon as the boat nears the pier the passengers get up and move to the back of the boat.



40. This is a shot of Chao Phraya Express boat 179 reversing into the pier at Pak Kret. Taken looking towards Ko Kret and the hazy sinking sun. By around 7pm there will be 7 boats moored here.



41. This is an image of the passenger information at Pak Kret pier and the sign on the pier. This pier appeared to be still under construction as workers where busy welding away on the exit walkway’s roof and hand railings.



42. This is a shot of the tickets used on the normal Chao Phraya Express boat (red tickets) and the new Pak Kret Express boat (green ticket). These tickets are very similar to the BMTA bus ticket in the lower left side of the image.



An earlier topic related to the Chao Phraya Express Boats is available here:

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/03/mass-transport-boats-of-bangkok-chao.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.

The Buses of Nonthaburi.

Last week while on my way to ride the new Pak Kret Chao Phraya Boat service. I stopped at Nonthaburi and photographed the buses of the area and the busy Nonthaburi cross river ferry service. Nonthaburi is the main northern terminus of the Chao Phraya express boat service. However there is a recently introduced extension to Pak Kret.

A little Background on Nonthaburi.

Nonthaburi is located about 20 km north west of inner Bangkok. The area is home to over 1.1 million people. It is administered under a separate city council to the main Bangkok area. This means that issues like mass transport and urban planning are managed differently in Nonthaburi than in Bangkok.

Nonthaburi is made up of two sections of unequal size. The larger (70%) section is the lower density area on the western side of the Chao Phraya River and the smaller (30%) highly built up eastern section that directly merges into Bangkok’s middle suburban area. However the density on the western side is rapidly increasing.

The transport system of Nonthaburi in the past was almost totally water borne transport. In fact many of the large main roads in Nonthaburi were once klongs as was also the case in most of Bangkok. These klongs were filled in to allow roads to be built after World War 2.

Before World War 2 there was a minor 750mm gauge interurban commuter railway operating from the Bang Phlat District of Bangkok to Bang Bua Thong and Pathum Thani. Nothing remains of this rail corridor today. It is understood that some of the minor roads of western Nonthaburi were built directly on top of the old railway in the 1950s. I do wonder if any of the rails are still laying in place under the roads of Nonthaburi today.

Today the mass transport system in Nonthaburi is made up of a number of lower frequency local “Nonthaburi metro routes” plus a large number of high frequency BMTA and private bus routes coming in from Bangkok and Pathum Thani.

In addition to the bus system in Nonthaburi there is a direct connection to Inner Bangkok via the Chao Phraya express boat service. Also at Pak Kret a Klong boat service operates to Bang Bua Thong in western Nonthaburi. No rail based mass transport is available in the Nonthaburi area.

In the future a new elevated heavy rail metro line will be built from Bang Bua Thong to Bang Sue on the edge of inner Bangkok. This line will greatly help to ease the traffic problems of Nonthaburi as is passes though some of Nonthaburi’s most chronically congested areas.

The main bus terminal in Nonthaburi is located on a dead end road at Nonthaburi pier. This area is the transfer point for passengers from boat to bus. Tens of thousands of passengers transfer boat to bus and bus to bus at Nonthaburi pier. This area is considered the old city centre of Nonthaburi as a lot of more recent development has occurred north and west of the old city centre.

Like a lot of bus terminals in Bangkok this one has zero information for passengers but unlike other bus terminals the Nonthaburi bus terminal is simple as there is one major stop in front of the pier for both directions. Plus a few sub stops along the road from Talat Nonthaburi. So at Nonthaburi it’s just a matter of waiting for your bus to approach as they pass the one stop.

1. This is a shot of a Route 64: Sanam Luang – Nonthaburi bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number 64 – 12. Bus type unknown.



2. This is a shot of a Route 203: Sanam Luang – Nonthaburi bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number unknown. Bus type Merc mini. This is a very high frequency 24 hour route.



3. This is a shot of a Route 30: Nonthaburi – Southern Bus Terminal bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number 30 – 14. Bus type unknown.



4. This is an image of a Route (Nonthaburi) 3: Nonthaburi pier – Wat Sangkhathan truck – bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Truck – bus number 17005 – 6. Truck type Isuzu. The temple at the end of this route is very famous for meditation.



5. This is an image of a Route 114: Nonthaburi – Lam Lukka Junction bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number BMTA 7 – 55047. Bus type Isuzu aircon.



6. This is a shot of a Route 97: Victory Monument – Nonthaburi pier bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number unknown. Bus type Merc mini. These mini buses do not operate via Bang sue MRT station.



7. This is a shot of a Route 97: Victory Monument – Ministry of Public Health bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number BMTA 7 – 55054. Bus type Isuzu aircon. Note this is a 24 hour service.



8. This is an image of a Route 1053: Nonthaburi – Muang Tong Thani bus. Taken as it was about to turn into Nonthaburi Sai 1 road. Bus number 1053 – 9. Bus type UD non aircon. This route is part of the Nonthaburi metro bus system.



9. This is an image of a Route 1: Nonthaburi – Sanambin Nam bus. Taken as it was turning into Nonthaburi Sai 1 road. Bus number 1 – 18. Bus type Merc Non aircon.



10. This is a shot of a Route 30 bus. Taken as it was overtaking a Samlor on Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number 30 – 7. Bus type unknown mini.



11. This is a shot of a Route 175: Nonthaburi – Talat Phlu bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number 175 – 26. Bus type unknown.



12. This is an image of a Route (Nonthaburi) 1: Talat Nonthaburi – Rama 5 Bridge truck – bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Truck – bus number unknown. Truck type unknown.



13. This is an image of a Route 63: Victory Monument – Nonthaburi bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number BMTA 7 – 50462. Bus type Isuzu non aircon. Note: this is a 24 hour service.



14. This is an image of a Route 203 bus. Taken looking east along Krungthep – Nonthaburi road. Bus number BMTA 7 – 50352. Bus type Isuzu non aircon.



15. This is a shot of a Route 1024 Nonthaburi – Bang Bua Thong bus. Taken as it was about to turn into Nonthaburi Sai 1 road. Bus number 1024 – 28. Bus type unknown. This bus is the only route that crosses the Rama 5 Bridge.



16. This is a shot of a Route 97 bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number BMTA 7 – 50493. Bus type Isuzu non aircon. Note: this is a free bus. This bus will terminate at Taopoon.



17. This is a shot of a Route 114 bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number BMTA 7 – 55089. Bus type Isuzu aircon. This was the last series of aircon buses introduced by BMTA.



18. This is a shot of a Route 203 bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number Unknown. Bus type UD mini. This style of mini bus is taller than the merc mini buses.



19. This is an image of a Route 545: Nonthaburi – Samrong bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number 93 – 217. Bus type unknown. This route appears to be made up of parts of other routes aimed at creating a cross town route. The end result is a very indirect and slow cross town route.



20. This is an image of a Route 117: Nonthaburi – BMA office centre 2 bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number BMTA 8 – 80317. Bus type Mitsubishi non aircon.



21. This is a shot of a Route 30 bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number 30 – 20. Bus type unknown. Prior to conversion to NGV these buses were known as coal fired buses due to the thick and constant clouds of Black smoke that used to pour out of them.



22. This is a shot of a Route 114 bus. Taken as it was approaching Nonthaburi pier terminus. Bus number BMTA 7 -50369. Bus type Isuzu non aircon. This bus will terminate at Wat Pra See.



23. This is a shot of a Route 203 bus. Taken as it was approaching the terminus at Nonthaburi pier. Bus number BMTA 7 – 3070. Bus type Isuzu aircon. This bus was photographed earlier at Sanam Luang thus taking over 2 hours to cover 25km.



24. This is a shot of a Nonthaburi – Kasetsart University van. Taken as it was approaching its final stop at Nonthaburi pier. Van type Toyota. These van services operate via normal roads to provide an additional and quicker service over the buses.



25. This is a shot of a Route 545 bus. Taken as it was approaching the terminus at Nonthaburi pier. Bus number unknown. Bus type Higer KLQ6120G. This is recently imported CNG powered bus.



26. This is a short movie showing the amount of buses that pass through Nonthaburi pier bus terminus in less than a minute. There is a bus every 5 seconds on average passing. This was filmed just before the start of peak hour. Note the open doors on some of the buses as the pass by.



27. This is a shot of a Route Nonthaburi 1 truck – bus. Taken as it was doing a u turn in the middle of Nonthaburi Sai 1 road. Truck – bus number 17005 – 2. Note the comfort levels on this truck.



28. This is an image of the Nonthaburi cross river ferry getting underway with a reasonable load. Taken looking west from Nonthaburi pier. This cross river ferry is one of the busiest due to a long distance between bridges in this area.



29. This is an inside shot of the Nonthaburi cross river ferry showing a large standing load of mostly school students crossing over to the western side of the Chao Phraya River. The whole time I was at Nonthaburi the boats depart full like this.



30. This is a movie of a ride on the Nonthaburi cross river ferry. Filmed from inside the busy boat as it traveled from Nonthaburi to the western side of the river. Note the large number of people and the river side view. Also a number of different types of passengers and cargo boats can be seen crossing the ferries path.



31. This is a shot of the Nonthaburi cross river ferry on the western side of the river. Taken looking north along the river from the boat pier. The boats depart every few minutes all day long.



32. This is a shot looking east across the river to Nonthaburi pier where two cross river ferries can be seen departing with a large load on board. Each boat can take 120 passengers. Due to little or no counting of passenger numbers overloading does occur at peak times.



On the western side of the river to Nonthaburi is a smaller bus terminal that has a number of truck – bus routes and semi rural bus routes. The buses operate less frequently in this area some only every 15 – 20 mins. This side of the river at Nonthaburi has a rural feel about it.

33. This is an image of a Thanam Non pier – Moo Ban Yaowapan truck – bus. Taken as it was waiting to depart from the cross river ferry pier on the western side of the river. Truck type Nissan.



34. This is a shot of a Route 1003: Bang Bua Thong – Thanam Nonthaburi pier bus. Taken as it was waiting to depart from the terminus in Thanam Nonthaburi road. Bus number 1003 – 38. Bus type Hino non aircon.



35. This is a shot of two Route 1003 buses waiting to depart from the terminus in Thanam Nonthaburi road. Route 1003 appears to operate every 7 to 10 minutes.



36. This is a shot of the rear Route 1003 bus pulling out to depart on a trip. Bus type unknown. Bus number unknown. Note the condition of this bus. These buses would date back to the late 1960s or early 1970s.



37. This is an image of a Route 1002: Bang Yai – Thanam Nonthaburi pier bus. Waiting to depart from the terminus in Thanam Nonthaburi road. Bus number 1002 – 28. Bus type Isuzu. Note the smashed front window on this bus.



38. This is an image of a Thanam Nonthaburi pier – Wat Suan Kaew truck – bus. Taken as it was passing the bus terminal in Thanam Nonthaburi road. Truck – bus number unknown. Truck type Mitsubishi.



39. This is a general view shot of the Tuk Tuk stand in Thanam Nonthaburi road just outside the boat pier. The fare to use these Tuk Tuk’s must be agreed on 1st before departing as there is no meter.



40. This is a general view shot of the motorbike taxi stand in Thanam Nonthaburi road just outside the boat pier. The fare to use these motorbikes must be agreed on 1st before use but they all tend to operate to the same fare regardless of which one you take.



41. This is a shot of a Route 1002 bus. Taken as it was about to do a U turn outside the boat pier in Thanam Nonthaburi road. Bus number 1002 – 34. Bus type Merc non aircon. Unlike most non aircon buses in Thailand this bus has sliding windows rather than lift up windows.



42. This is another angle on the Route 1002 bus. Taken just after it had turned around at the boat pier in Thanam Nonthaburi road. This bus does not have any doors that can be closed. This means do not sit near the door when it’s raining or you will be soaked.



43. This is a shot of the Nonthaburi cross river ferry as it was makings its way west across the Chao Phraya river. Taken looking east from the western side of the river. The famous Nonthaburi clock tower can be seen in the background.



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.

The Buses of Sanam Luang and Tha Chang.

Last week while on my way to ride the new Pak Kret Chao Phraya Boat service. I stopped by Sanam Luang to photograph the buses of the area. I also documented the cross river ferries at Tha Chang.

A little Background on the Sanam Luang and Tha Chang area.

The area that surrounds Sanam Luang is the oldest district in Inner Bangkok. This area is considered the true heart of Bangkok as it was the starting point for the entire city. The Sanam Luang area is steeped in royal and government history dating back well over 200 years to the founding of Bangkok.

The Sanam Luang area is located near the Chao Phraya River and is home to the world famous Grand Palace. It is also home to around 14 major government offices and 2 major universities. The area also sees a number of major royal ceremonies such as royal funerals which brings in hundreds of thousands of extra people.

At the centre of the area is a large open space that is home to the 2nd largest metro bus terminal in Bangkok. This open area is called Sanam Luang it is the namesake for the entire area. This public space is more than just a bus terminal it is used for everything from royal funerals to Buddhist ceremonies. Also it has been the home to many major political protests over the years.

The Sanam Luang area was never actually designed to be a major bus terminal it was actually built for special events such as mentioned above. As the area was set aside over 200 years ago it predates most of Bangkok’s current mass transport system. When the Sanam Luang area was set up all transport was by water or foot with no land based mass transport system available.

Just to the south west of Sanam Luang is a small and congested bus interchange and major boat pier known as Tha Chang or elephant pier. This pier is one of the busiest Chao Phaya Express boat stops as well as the busiest cross river ferry service on the whole river with 2 separate cross river routes from the one pier.

As a transport interchange and terminal the Sanam Luang area rates rather poorly due to chronic traffic congestion and frequent shut downs for special events that can disrupt the entire bus terminal for a day or more at a time. There is also zero information as to where to wait for buses around the rather spread out Sanam Luang terminal. The bus terminal area is about 300 meters wide by 700 meter long with an open space in the middle of this area.

The Sanam Luang Bus terminal is broken up into 8 disjointed sections. Some are serviced by the same bus a few times before leaving the area others just once before leaving. There is no order to which stop services which direction within the loop roadway of Sanam Luang. Always ask if the bus is heading where you want to go when boarding at Sanam Luang.

1. This is a shot of a Route 203: Nonthaburi – Sanam Luang bus. Taken looking east along Na Phra Lan road in front of the Grand Palace. Bus number BMTA 7 – 50253. Bus type Isuzu non aircon. Note: this is a free bus and a 24 hour service.



2. This is a shot of a Metrobus Route 25: Siam Park – Sanam Luang bus. Taken looking east along Na Phra Lan road in front of the Grand Palace. Bus number (Metrobus) 25 – 13. Bus type unknown Chinese import. Note this bus is driver only with single front only boarding which is at odds to the rest of the bus system. Also Metrobus uses a flat fare structure regardless of distance.



3. This is an image of a Route 203 aircon bus. Taken looking east along Na Phra Lan road in front of the Grand Palace. Bus number BMTA 7 – 3070. Bus type Isuzu aircon.



4. This is an image of a Route 82: Sanam Luang – Phra Pradaeng bus. Taken looking east along Na Phra Lan road in front of the Grand Palace. Bus number BMTA 5 – 40511. Bus type Hino non aircon. Note: this route is a 24 hour service.



5. This is a shot of a Route 203 bus. Taken looking north east along Na Phra Lan road in front of the Grand Palace. Bus number BMTA 7 – 50542. Bus type Isuzu non aircon. This bus was originally designed to be air conditioned. It appears they ran out of money to complete all the buses with aircon units.



6. This is a shot of two Route 80: Wat Sri Nuan Thum Vimon – Sanam Luang buses. Taken looking north along Na Phra That road (western loop of Sanam Luang). Bus numbers unknown. Bus type Merc mini bus. Note: this route is a 24 hour service.



7. This is a shot of a Route 33: Sanam Luang – Pathum Thani bus. Taken as it was rounding the south west curve on Na Phra That road. Bus number 33 – 1. Bus type unknown. Note this bus has the engine at the rear and has been recently refurbished into the new pink colour scheme. Also this bus has unusual outward opening plug style doors.



8. This is a shot of a Route 203 bus. Taken as it was rounding the south west curve on Na Phra That road. Bus number unknown. Bus type Hino mini bus. In the background a Route 70 bus can be seen.



9. This is an image of a Route 64: Nonthaburi – Sanam Luang bus. Taken as it was rounding the south west curve on Na Phra That road. Bus number 64 – 7. Bus type unknown. Note: This is a 24 hour service.



10. This is a shot of a Route 30: Nonthaburi – Southern Bus Terminal bus. Taken as it was rounding the south west curve on Na Phra That road. Bus number 30 – 12. Bus type unknown.



11. This is a shot of a Route 203 bus. Taken as it was rounding the south west curve on Na Phra That road on a Nonthaburi bound trip. Bus number BMTA 7 – 3070. Bus type Isuzu aircon.



12. This is a shot of a Route 124: Mahidol University (Salaya) – Sanam Luang bus. Taken as it was rounding the south west curve on Na Phra That road. Bus number 124 – 4. Bus type unknown.



13. This is an image of a Route 80 bus. Taken as it was rounding the south west curve on Na Phra That road on an outbound trip. Bus number BMTA 6 – 56064. Bus type Isuzu aircon.



14. This is an image of a Route 30 bus. Taken as it was passing the Royal Institute on Na Phra That road. Bus number 30 – 21. Bus type unknown. Note the doors are open as usual while running.



15. This is a shot of a Route 503: Rangsit – Sanam Luang bus. Taken as it was passing the Royal Institute on Na Phra That road. Bus number BMTA 1 – 1031. Bus type Merc O405 NGV.



16. This is a shot of a Route 33 bus. Taken as it was passing the Royal Institute on Na Phra That road. Bus number 33 – 7. Bus type unknown. This bus will probably undergo a refurbishment soon.



17. This is a shot of a Route 32: Wat Pho – Pak Kret bus. Taken as it was passing the city campus of Thammasat University on Na Phra That road. Bus number BMTA 7 – 50527. Bus type Isuzu non aircon. Note this is a free bus.



18. This is an image of a Route 201: Victory Monument – Taling Chan bus. Taken as it was passing the city campus of Thammasat University on Na Phra That road. Bus number 201 – 10. Bus type unknown.



19. This is an image of a Route 70: Sanam Luang – Pracha Niwet 3 bus. Taken as it was passing the city campus of Thammasat University on Na Phra That road. Bus number BMTA 7 – 55154. Bus type Isuzu aircon.



20. This is a shot of a Route 51: Sanam Luang – Pak Kret bus. Taken as it was waiting to turn into Phra Chan road in front of Thammasat University. Bus number 51 – 23. Bus type Isuzu non aircon. Note: this route was extended from Bang Pho to Saman Luang a couple of years ago.



21. This is a shot of a Route 6: Phra Phadaeng – Banglamphu bus. Taken as it was heading north along Ratchadamnoen Nai road. Bus number 6 – 71. Bus type Merc mini bus. Note: the doors cannot be closed automatically on these buses.



22. This is a shot of a Route 70 bus. Taken as it was heading north along Ratchadamnoen Nai road (eastern loop of Sanam Luang). Bus number BMTA 7 – 50479. Bus type Isuzu non aircon.



23. This is a shot of a Route 15: Mall Thapha – Banglamphu bus. Taken as it was passing the Ministry of Justice on Ratchadamnoen Nai road. Bus number BMTA 5 – 40165. Bus type Hino non aircon.



24. This is an image of a Route 201 bus overtaking a Route 6 bus outside the Ministry of Justice on Ratchadamnoen Nai road. Bus number 201 – 15. Bus type unknown.



25. This is an image of a Route 9: Soi Gamnunman – Mochit 2 bus. Taken as it was heading north along Ratchadamnoen Nai road. Bus number 9 – 13. Bus type unknown.



26. This is a shot of a Route 64 bus. Taken as it was passing Thammasat University on Phra Chan road. Bus number 64 – 21. Bus type unknown. This road has a rather nice tunnel of green effect on it despite the busy location.



27. This is a shot of a Route 201 bus. Taken as it was passing Thammasat University on Phra Chan road. Bus number 201 – 15. Bus type unknown. A large number of Sanam Luang area routes use this narrow and often jammed road to turn around.



28. This is a shot of a Route 53: Innercity loop service – Thewet bus. Taken as it was heading west past Thammasat University on Phra Chan road. Bus number 7 – 50284. Bus type Isuzu non aircon. Note: this is the most convoluted and indirect bus route in Bangkok.



29. This is an image of a Route 203 bus. Taken as it was passing Thammasat University on Phra Chan road. Bus number unknown. Bus type unknown. This route has high number of these mini buses that operate in addition to the larger buses. Giving sub 30 second route headways at peak times.



30. This is an image of a Route 124 bus. Taken as it was passing Thammasat University on Phra Chan road. Bus number unknown. Bus type Merc non aircon.



31. This is a shot of a Route 203 bus. Taken as it was passing Thammasat University on Phra Chan road. Bus number BMTA 7 -50274. Bus type Isuzu non aircon.



32. This is a shot of a Route 524: Bang Khen – Sanam Luang bus. Taken looking east along Phra Chan road outside Thammasat University. Bus number 524 – 10. Bus type Merc 0305 aircon.



33. This is a shot of a cross river ferry just about to dock at Tha Chang. Note how people start to leave the boat before it has fully docked. Each boat carries 90 people but its likely more are carried than allowed during peak times as no counting is done by staff.



34. This is a shot of the Wat Rakhang cross river ferry. Taken looking west as it was powering across the Chao Phraya River. This cross river ferry is the lighter loaded of the two cross river ferries at Tha Chang.



35. This is a shot of the Siriraj Hospital cross river ferry. Taken looking west across the Chao Phraya River towards the Hospital from Tha Chang. This cross river ferry suffers from chronic overcrowding.



36. This is an image of the Wat Rakhang cross river ferry as it was docking at Wat Rakhang. Taken looking west across from Tha Chang. This temple is rather famous with locals.



37. This is a short movie of the Wat Rakhang cross river ferry as it approaches and docks at Tha Chang. Note the loading in the ferry and how people start to leave even before it has fully docked i.e. jumping the gap. These cross river ferries operate from 5am to 11pm 7 days a week.



38. This is a short movie of the busier Siriraj Hospital cross river ferry as it approaches and docks at Tha Chang. Note: the larger load on this ferry and the mostly standing load design on the ferries. Again passengers start to disembark before the ferry has fully docked. These cross river ferries cost 3 baht per trip.



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.

The Buses of Saphan Taksin.

Last week while on my way to ride the new Pak Kret Chao Phraya Boat service. I stopped by Saphan Taksin for lunch and while there I also photographed the buses around the Saphan Taksin area. This area is also known as Sathorn or Bangrak.

A little Background on the Saphan Taksin area.

The Saphan Taksin area is located next to the Chao Phraya River in inner Bangkok. The area is named after the modern road bridge that links the Sathorn and Khlong San areas of Bangkok. Saphan Taksin is the current terminus for the BTS elevated metro and the most important boat pier on the Chao Phraya express boat service.

The Saphan Taksin area is one of the older inner city suburbs of Bangkok that was founded in the 19th century as an extension of the Chinatown area. As it’s a rather old area the street layout is poor with a lot of narrow roads which do not cope with today’s traffic loadings leading to massive traffic jams on almost every major and minor road in the Saphan Taksin area at peak times.

As this is an inner city area it is very densely built up with everything from 2 story stone shop houses to 60 story office and condo buildings all fighting for space. This density doesn’t help the transport task of the area as road space is limited and additional elevated rail hard to build.

If one takes a direct bus from Wong Wien Yai to Silom which crosses the Taksin Bridge. At peak times it takes between 60 and 90 minutes to travel the three short kilometers. Giving an average journey speed of just 2 kph! This jam occurs from 5am to 10pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 10pm weekends.

The jam is made worse by 3 major junctions just after the Taksin bridge that cannot be grade separated due presence of other major structures. These junctions operate all day at far above there physical maximum capacity leading to long jams. One broken down car will gridlock the area for hours. Only heavy rail metro can ease this areas traffic problem now.

Saphan Taksin is a major transport interchange for tens of thousands of people every hour that pass though the area either by bus, boat, motorbike taxi or BTS. As Saphan Taksin is the terminal for the BTS as well as the Chao Phraya Express Boat there is a huge volume of passenger transfer in this area.

For the bus passengers things are not as good as it is for the boat and BTS passengers as there is a number of rather disjointed and very congested metro bus stops on both sides of the Chao Phraya River that often leaves passengers with a long and uncomfortable walk between modes of transport.

Many of the bus passengers must also take the Taksin cross river ferry to transfer to the BTS or other Boat service to complete there journey. The cross river ferry handles around 3500 people per hour at peak with boats leaving every 2 minutes.

The day I photographed the area the traffic on Charoen Krung road was rather light and with a reasonable flow which was good for a change in this area.

1. This is a shot of a Route 120: Mahachai – Khlong San bus. Taken as it was approaching the bus stop in Krung Thonburi road. Bus number 120 – 14. Bus type unknown.



2. This is a shot of a Route 6: Phra Pradaeng – Banglamphu bus. Taken as it was heading south along Charoen Nakhon road. Bus number unknown. Bus type unknown.



3. This is an image of a Route 111: Talat Phlu – Bukkhalo (loop service) bus. Taken as it was heading south along Charoen Nakhon road. Bus number BMTA 5 – 40116. Bus type Hino non aircon. Note this is a free bus.



4. This is a shot of a Route 84: Om Yai – Khlong San bus. Taken as it was turning into Charoen Nakhon Road. Bus number BMTA 6 – 50099. Bus type Isuzu non aircon.



5. This is a shot of a Route 84n: Aue Arthon Village (Salaya) – Khlong San bus. Taken as it was turning into Charoen Nakhon road. Bus number BMTA 6 – 56114. Bus type Isuzu aircon.



6. This is an image of the Taksin cross river ferry waiting to depart from the thonburi side of the Chao Phaya River. Each boat holds 110 people. During peak periods boats depart stuffed full every 2 minutes. Off peak boats depart every 5 – 10 minutes. Taken looking east across the river.



7. This is an inside shot of the Taksin cross river ferry. Note how the inside is designed to maximize the total capacity through the use of mostly standing room. The trip is only 3 to 4 minutes long.



8. This is a movie of a ride on the Taksin cross river ferry. Filmed as it departed from the Thonburi side. Note how the boat bangs into the pier on departure from Thonburi and the rather high water level in the river.



9. This is a shot of a Route 1: Thanon Tok – Tha Tian bus. Taken as it was passing the Robinson shopping centre on Charoen Krung road. Bus number unknown. Bus type Merc mini bus. Note this bus route is a tram replacement service.



10. This is a shot of a Route 77: Mochit 2 – Central Rama 3 bus. Taken as it was heading south along Charoen Krung road. Bus number BMTA 4 – 44193. Bus type Hino aircon.



11. This is a shot of a Route 35: Sao Chingcha – Phra Pradaeng Junction bus. Taken as it was heading south along Charoen Krung road. Bus number 35 – 25. Bus type Hino non aircon.



12. This is a shot of a Route 1 bus and a Route 1271: Wat Phai Nguen – Lerdsin Hospital truck – bus passing each other. Taken looking north along Charoen Krung road. Note the BTS track and road bridges in the background.



13. This is an image of a Route 35 bus. Taken as it was heading south along Charoen Krung road just south of the Taksin Bridge. Bus number 35 – 7. Bus type Hino non aircon. Note the golden dragon route 504 bus heading the other way.



14. This is an image of two Route 17: Victory Monument – Chaeng Ron buses. Taken looking north along Charoen Krung road. Bus numbers unknown. Bus type Merc mini bus.



15. This is a shot of a Route 75: Wat Buddha Bucha – Hualamphong bus. Taken as it was heading south along Charoen Krung road. Bus number BMTA 5 – 40154. Bus type Hino non aircon.



16. This is a shot of a Route 1 bus. Taken as it was heading south along Charoen Krung road. Bus number BMTA 4 – 40499. Bus type Hino non aircon.



17. This is a shot of a Route 504: Rangsit – Thanon Tok bus. Taken looking north along Charoen Krung road. Bus number 504 – 14. Bus type Golden Dragon.



18. This is a shot of the Taksin cross river ferry. Taken from the Chao Phraya Express boat looking north along the river. This cross river ferry operates from 5am to 11pm 7 days a week.



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.

SRT: Bua Yai Line and Chong Samran.

After spending a night in Kaeng Khoi. I was up at 5am and I made my way to the station to board rural commuter train number 433 at 5.28am. This train will take me via the Bua Yai line which branches of the main line at Kaeng Khoi. The Bua Yai line is an alternative route into Issan and is rather scenic.

A little background on the Bua Yai line.

The Bua Yai line was built as an alternative rail route into northern Issan. This alternative route is less steeply graded than the main line to Korat. Therefore making it easier and faster for large cargo trains to traverse the line. This is due to having only a short 20km section of steep grade with the rest of the line only lightly graded.

The Bua Yai line was built in 3 stages from 1956 until fully complete in 1967. The line runs between Kaeng Khoi Junction and Bua Yai Junction on the Nong Khai line that comes up from Korat. The Bua Yai line is 250.80 km long and is 100% single track. The Bua Yai line uses semaphore signals throughout the line.

Between Pa Sak Jolasid Dam Station (162.38 km) and Saranarai Station (185.80 km) the line crosses the massive man made lake of Pa Sak Jolasid Dam. The line crosses it via 5 long concrete bridges and a series of long rock and earth embankments. This section of the line is one of the most scenic in all of Thailand.

Between Khok Khli Station (240.87 km) and Ban Wa Tabaek Station (263.14 km) the line climbs over 300 meters in elevation up a steeply graded escarpment and onto the Korat plateau of the Issan area. The view from the train as it climbs the escarpment is spectacular. Just before Chong Samran Station there is a curved tunnel of about 230 meters in length. This is the only rail tunnel in the north east of Thailand.

A little background on Chong Samran.

Chong Samran is a minor station located roughly at the middle of the Bua Yai line. Chong Samran is the mid way point on the steeply graded section of the Bua Yai line. The station is the dividing line between central Thailand and Issan.

Chong Samran station is 250.62 km from Bangkok and is about 200 meters above sea level. The station consists of a single platform and a 3 track loop of which only 2 tracks are in use. The station uses semaphore signals which are controlled from the station building using a series of levers and pulleys.

The Chong Samran area very rural and rather remote but does have a highway nearby. The people who live in the area are very friendly but are basically low income farmers. If you are visiting the area it is advised to bring food and water with you from Kaeng Khoi or Bangkok as there is very little food available at Chong Samran.

Chong Samran Station only sees two trains a day in each direction. These trains are 3rd class only rural commuter trains. There are no direct trains to Bangkok from Chong Samran. To access Bangkok one has to transfer at Kaeng Khoi Junction to another train.
Train Timetable at Chong Samran.

Trains to Bua Yai Junction depart at 07.46 and 14.11 only.

Trains to Kaeng Khoi Junction depart at 08.17 and 15.13 only.

Make sure you don’t miss the last train as there is no hotel of any kind at Chong Samran to stay overnight.

Wednesday 7th January 2009 5.28 am at Kaeng Khoi Junction (125.10 km).

1. This is a shot of DMU 1032 waiting to depart from Kaeng Khoi Junction with the 5.28 am rural commuter train to Bua Yai Junction. DMU type: RHN made by Hitachi & Nippon in 1971. Taken looking west along platform 3.



2. This is a shot of the tickets used on the trip from Kaeng Khoi to Chong Samran. Unlike most tickets I have bought the ticket officer decided to print the whole ticket in English rather than bi lingual as most other tickets.



Wednesday 7th January 2009 5.33 am at Ban Chong Tai Loop (128.80 km).

3. This is a movie of a night time cross between train ORD 433 and train EXP 70 at Ban Chong Tai loop and station. Train EXP 70 was over 180 minutes late at Ban Chong Tai. This cross helped to delay ORD 433 by 30 minutes. It was unusually very cold at Ban Chong Tai.



Wednesday 7th January 2009 5.52 am at Hin Son (147.90 km).

4. This is a short movie filmed between Hin Son and Khao Sung in the early morning twilight on ORD 433. Note how weak the light from this DMU is it hardly lights up the track. This section of track climbs a small grade the track is rather bumpy in this section.



Wednesday 7th January 2009 6.10 am at Pa Sak Jolasid Dam Station (162.38 km).

5. This is a shot looking south along the platform at Pa Sak Jolasid Dam station. This was taken from the front of the train looking back in the early morning light. This station is very popular with local tour groups on weekends.



6. This is movie of the final approach to Pa Sak Jolasid Dam station. Filmed from the side of the train in the early morning light. Note the sunflowers near the station. This station has no crossing loop.



Wednesday 7th January 2009 6.10 am – 6.21am between Pa Sak Jolasid Dam (162.38 km) and Khok Salung (176.55 km) stations.

7. This is a movie of crossing the first rail bridge over Pa Sak Jolasid Lake. Note how long the bridge is and the curved nature of the bridges and the view around the train. Filmed from the side of the train in the early morning light.



8. This is a short movie of crossing the second rail bridge over Pa Sak Jolasid Lake. Note the size of the lake and the unprotected level crossing at the end of the video. Filmed from the side of the train in the early morning light.



9. This is a slightly grainy image of the third rail bridge over Pa Sak Jolasid Lake. Taken from the side of the train while crossing the bridge. A number of these bridges are greatly curved such as this one.



10. This is a movie of crossing the third rail bridge over Pa Sak Jolasid Lake. These bridges bring a welcome cool breeze on hot afternoons. However as this was the cold season in Thailand it was very cold on the train while crossing these bridges. People can be seen fishing from small boats near the bridges.



11. This is a movie of crossing the forth rail bridge over Pa Sak Jolasid Lake. Unlike the other bridges this one has a double curve. These bridges along with this part of the line were built in 1999 over dry land as the lake had yet to fill. The scale of the lake can be seen as it stretches to the horizon. This is last bridge before Khok Salung Station.



Wednesday 7th January 2009 6.21 am at Khok Salung Station (176.55 km).

12. This is a shot of two rural commuter trains crossing at Khok Salung Station. Taken looking forward in the distance a semaphore signal can be seen. This station is built on a man made island in the middle of Pa Sak Jolasid Lake.



13. This is another angle of two rural commuter trains crossing at Khok Salung Station. Taken looking towards the rear of the train. Note the number of school kids boarding the train from the track level as there is only one platform at Khok Salung.



14. This is a short movie of the departure of train 433 from Khok Salung station after crossing another train and taking on a load of school kids. Note how the windows are closed on the other train this is due to very cold weather. Around 16 C instead of 25 C.



Wednesday 7th January 2009 6.21 – 6.33 am between Khok Salung (176.55 km) and Saranarai (185.80 km) Stations.

15. This is slightly grainy shot of the 5th rail bridge over Pa Sak Jolasid Lake. Taken as the train was approaching the bridge. Note the curved nature of the bridge and the semaphore signals on the bridge and track side cables.



16. This is a movie of crossing the fifth rail bridge over Pa Sak Jolasid Lake. Note the semaphore signals as the train crosses the bridge and the communications wires on the bridge. This is the last major bridge. The trains normally cross these bridges between 50 and 70 kph.



17. This is a movie of passing over a long section of earthen embankment over Pa Sak Jolasid Lake. This is last part of the lake before Saranarai Station. Note: all of these videos where shot from the side due to very dirty windows on the front of the train making filming very hard from the cab.



Wednesday 7th January 2009 6.33 am at Saranarai Station (185.80 km).

18. This is a general view of Saranarai Station. Taken from the train as it waited for a cross by another train. Like most of the stations on the Bua Yai line there is only one platform.



19. This is a shot of SRT loco number 4513 with a Bangkok bound intercity rapid train. Taken as it passed train 433 in the loop at Saranarai Station. Loco type Hitachi. Note the great steam engine imitation this loco is doing with the huge cloud of black smoke.



20. This is a short movie of SRT loco 4513 with the Bangkok rapid train crossing the rural commuter train at Saranarai station and loop. The Bangkok train is a free service indicated by the white signs on the side. Also note the semaphore signals in the distance.



Wednesday 7th January 2009 7.00 am at Lam Narai Station (208.80 km).

21. This is an image of SRT loco 4554 with a southbound LPG cargo train. Taken at Lam Narai Station as the train approached. Loco type newer style General Electric.



22. This is a shot of the Bua Yai end of the platform at Lam Narai Station. Note the well looked after gardens. Also the semaphore signals can be seen.



23. This is another angle on Lam Narai Station this time looking along the platform as the train was approaching the station. Again note the gardens.



Wednesday 7th January 2009 7.12 am at Ban Ko Rang Station (220.35 km).

24. This is a short movie going over the Lam Narai steel rail bridge between Lam Narai and Ban Ko Rang Stations. Note the design of the bridge with the smaller spans each side and the centre larger and fancier span. Filmed from the side of the train.



25. This is an image of Ban Ko Rang Station with a small number of passengers boarding the train. This station is one of a number of very minor stations on this section of the line. This type of station has no crossing loop or ticket office.



Wednesday 7th January 2009 7.19 am at Phaendin Thong Station (226.45 km).

26. This is a shot of the Bua Yai end of the platform at Phaendin Thong Station. Note the hazy mountains in the background and the basic platform at this station.



27. This is another angle on Phaendin Thong Station looking back along the train. Note the well kept gardens of the station office at this station. Most of these stations are only serviced by slow rural commuter trains that stop at almost all stations.



Wednesday 7th January 2009 7.29 am at Ban Chongko Station (236.65 km).

28. This is a shot of the very rural and isolated Ban Chongko Station. This station doesn’t even have a basic shelter or a timetable just a rough platform and a sign. But seems well used by locals as there were 10 people waiting for the train.



Wednesday 7th January 2009 7.34 am at Khok Khli Station (240.87 km).

29. This is an image of the Bua Yai end of Khok Khli Station. Not far past this station is the massive wall of the mountains. This is another minor rural and rather remote station with well kept platform gardens.



30. This is another angle of Khok Khli Station this time looking back along the train. Note the amount of people using the train here and the really nice looking flowering tree on the platform. After this stop the train starts the long climb up to Chong Samran some 200 meters higher up.



31. This is a movie of the departure from Khok Khli Station and the start of the steep climb up to Chong Samran. This section of track is quite rough with some tight curves and max speed is 50 kph. Note the semaphore signals along the track.



32. This is another movie of the steep climb up to Chong Samran. This section of track feels like you are taking off on an airplane as there is huge drop off to one side with a wide valley giving the impression of take off. The track on this section is made up of short rail lengths which makes the train jolt up and down every 10 meters or so.



33. This is the final movie of the steep climb up to Chong Samran. This last section of the track passes through the Khao Pang Puai Tunnel. This tunnel is 230.60 metres long and is curved. Note the tight curves and track condition after the tunnel. Also the outer semaphore signals of Chong Samran can be seen.



Wednesday 7th January 2009 7.45 am at Chong Samran Station (250.64 km).

This last section of photos where taken in and around Chong Samran Station between 7.45 am and 3.13 pm.

34. This is a general view shot of the station building at Chong Samran. The area closest to the track is where the control levers for the semaphore signals are kept.



35. This is a shot of DMU 1013 waiting at Chong Samran Station for another train to pass. DMU type: RH made by Hitachi in 1967. This was the train that I rode from Kaeng Khoi to Chong Samran. Its 3rd class only with crappy seats.



36. This is another wider angle on DMU 1013 waiting at Chong Samran Station for a Kaeng Khoi bound DMU. To the left of the DMU is a wagon used to carry spare rails for track repairs. This train was 30 minutes late.



37. This is a shot of the train timetable at Chong Samran Station. There are only 2 trips to Bua Yai and Kaeng Khoi each day. The only trains that service this station are rural commuter trains.



38. This is a shot of the 08.16 rural commuter DMU to Kaeng Khoi Junction. Taken as it was approaching Chong Samran Station. The people on the platform are waiting for this train.



39. This is an image of DMU 1017 and DMU 1013 waiting at Chong Samran Station side by side. DMU 1017 is heading towards Kaeng Khoi Junction. DMU type: RH made by Hitachi in 1967.



40. This is a close up shot of DMU 1017 as it was about to depart from Chong Samran Station. DMU type: RH made by Hitachi in 1967. Taken looking north along the platform. After this train there was a gap of 4 hours until the next train at Chong Samran.



41. This is a shot of the platform sign at Chong Samran Station. The next stations in each direction are shown below the station name. Also shown is the distance in kilometers to next station.



42. This is an image of the signal control levers for the semaphore signals and the points at Chong Samran Station. They are connected via steel cables to the signals.



43. This is a shot of the track and signal layout board at Chong Samran Station. The status of each signal is shown and the path of the train though Chong Samran is shown with coloured lights.



44. This is a close up shot of the signal control levers. Each lever is labeled in Thai to indicate which signal or set of points it operates. The cloth is used by the signalman when moving the levers.



45. This is an image of a pair of train notification units at Chong Samran Station. These units sound a bell as a train approaches Chong Samran Station. As far as I can tell one unit is for each direction. The actual name for these units is unknown.



46. This is a close up shot of a typical semaphore signal at the Kaeng Khoi end of Chong Samran loop. The signals also have a light for night time use.



47. This is shot of a typical signal mast for the semaphore signals on the Bua Yai line. Taken just after the level crossing at the Kaeng Khoi end of Chong Samran loop. On the mast the track speed for DMU and Loco hauled trains is shown.



48. This is a shot of typical totally unprotected road level crossing that can be found throughout Thailand. There isn’t even a sign on the road to indicate a level crossing. The white sign next to the track is a whistle post for trains.



49. This is a shot of the semaphore signal for the Bua Yai direction on approach to Chong Samran. Taken from the track looking towards Chong Samran Station. The 15kph limit is for entering the loop when crossing another train.



50. This is an image of a warning signal on approach to Chong Samran Station. This signal is the furthest signal from the station and would be over 500 meters away. It is of a different style to the others.



51. This is a close up shot of the warning signal outside Chong Samran Station. It appears to have two settings “green/up” and “orange/side”. Its purpose seems to be to warn trains that they will have to stop at Chong Samran Station.



52. This is a shot of the Chong Samran end of Khao Pang Puai Tunnel. This tunnel was built in the late 1960s and is of a modern design. The tunnel is on a curve and is 230.60 meters long. Taken from track level in front of the tunnel. The tunnel is located at 249.03 km.



53. This is an inside shot of the Khao Pang Puai Tunnel at Chong Samran. The signal and communications cables run along the wall of the tunnel. This tunnel has refuge areas in the event one gets stuck inside when a train comes. One can be seen on the right of the image.

Note: If visiting the tunnel check with the signalman at Chong Samran to find out when the next train is due to avoid being on the track when the train is coming.



54. This is a shot of a track workers trolley as it was coming to a stop at Chong Samran Station. The workers are often out and about during gaps in the train service.



55. This is a close up shot of the signal wires and pulleys used to operate the semaphore signals at Chong Samran Station. They turn 90 degrees here to head for the signal control room.



56. This is an image of a small rail trolley used to carry lengths of rail behind a track workers trolley. At Chong Samran there appears to be a fare bit of spare rails and other items for track work.



57. This is a shot of DMU 1115 as it was passing though Chong Samran Station at speed on its way to Udon Thani. DMU type: THN made by Hitachi & Nippon & Tokyu in 1983.



58. This is a shot of DMU 1231 as it was slowing down to pass a book to the station master at Chong Samran Station. DMU type: Hitachi & Nippon made in 1985.



59. This is another angle on DMU 1231 as it was powering up on its way to Bangkok on an express train. DMU type: Hitachi & Nippon. Taken looking north along the platform at Chong Samran.



60. This is an image of DMU 1016 as it was approaching Chong Samran Station on a Bua Yai bound rural commuter train. DMU type: RH made by Hitachi in 1967. Unlike the earlier rural commuter trains this one is a 4 car unit.



61. This is a shot of DMU 1025 as it was departing from Chong Samran Station on its way to Bua Yai Junction. DMU type: RHN made by Hitachi & Nippon in 1971. The passengers on the platform had just got off this train.



62. This is a shot of SRT loco 4554 on an LPG cargo train to Issan. Taken as it was pulling into the loop at Chong Samran Station. Loco type: newer style General Electric.



63. This is another angle on loco 4554 as it passes the station building and a signal flagman at Chong Samran. The flagman is giving a “Green” flag signal to the loco driver.



64. This is another angle on loco 4554 and the LPG tank train at Chong Samran. This time the flagman is giving a “Red” flag to the loco driver to stop the train. Taken looking north along the platform.



65. This is an image of DMU number 1013 on approach to Chong Samran Station. To the right is Loco 4554 and the LPG train that DMU 1013 is crossing at Chong Samran Station.



66. This is the final shot of DMU 1013 as it pulls up to a stop at Chong Samran Station. DMU type RH made by Hitachi in 1967. This is the train that I took to leave Chong Samran and begin the epic journey back to Bangkok.



This draws to a close an epic 45 hour long rail fan and photographic trip in the Kaeng Khoi area and on the Bua Yai line. The last part of this trip is a rather drawn out 250.64 kilometer long trip back to Bangkok. I departed Chong Samran at 3.13pm and arrived in Bangkok on time at 3.15 am, 12 hours and 02 minutes later! That is an average journey speed of just 20.8 kph!

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.

SRT: Kaeng Khoi Junction in the Daylight.

Last week I undertook a 45 hour long rail photographing trip to Kaeng Khoi Junction and Chong Samran in the highlands of Issan. This is the second time I have visited Kaeng Khoi. This time around I could photograph the various trains and workshop area in full daylight rather than at night as per the first trip to Kaeng Khoi. This also meant I could get a proper sleep albeit in a non aircon “3rd class hotel room” with shared bathrooms not far from the station at Kaeng Khoi.

Kaeng Khoi Juction is a much better place for daylight rail photography than for night photograph. As the station has a nice mountainous backdrop to the east and there is a good covered footbridge over the middle of the rail yard allowing for some great elevated angle photos. As the station is east – west orientated late afternoon shots to the west will not be possible due to the angle of the sun. The footbridge is hardly used by people to cross the tracks locals cross via the yard at grade.

A Little Background on Kaeng Khoi Junction.

Kaeng Khoi Junction is located 125km from Bangkok at the foot of the Korat plateau. Kaeng Khoi is the junction for 3 lines. These are the Ubon Ratchathani, Bua Yai and Klong 19 lines. This junction is the gateway to Isarn and is part of an important cargo train bypass route around congested Bangkok.

The station at Kaeng Khoi consists of 5 platforms. Two of the platforms are siding platforms off the main line. The other 3 platforms are on the main through running lines. To the right of the passenger train platforms is a 9 track cargo train holding and shunting yard. About 500 meters to the south east of the cargo yard is the Kaeng Khoi workshop area.

The workshop area is mainly used to refuel locos and DMUs plus undertake minor repairs to cargo wagons and locomotives. Locos and DMUs are stored inside the large timber workshop building. There was once a hand operated turntable at Kaeng Khoi Junction. However this was removed around 2000 as part of a major double track upgrade project in the Kaeng Khoi area.

Tuesday 6th January 2009 6:40am – Hualamphong Station Bangkok (0 km).

1. This is a shot of SRT loco 4531 waiting to depart Hualamphong with the 6.40am Ubon Ratchathani train. Loco type: newer series General Electric. Taken looking south along the platform.



2. This is a shot of SRT loco 4137 waiting to depart Hualamphong Station with the 6.20am Ubon Ratchathani train. Loco type Ahlstrom. Taken looking south from between the tracks. In the background on the left is SRT loco 4531. Note this 6.20am train is an additional service for the New Year super peak travel period.



3. This is an image of the 2nd class non aircon seats on the 6.40am Ubon train. Unlike many other rapid trains this train provides 2 full carriages of 2nd class seats rather than just half a carriage as is common. Advanced bookings are a must for these seats.



4. This is a shot of the tickets used on the trip to and from Kaeng Khoi Junction. Note the horrible departure and arrival times of the return trip. 3.15am was not a great time to arrive at Hualamphong. Both directions were 2nd class non aircon seats.



Tuesday 6th January 2009 9:26am – Kaeng Khoi Junction (125.10 km).

From approximately 10am until 5.30pm I spent the day in and around the station and yard area at Kaeng Khoi photographing trains and various other railway related items.

5. This is a shot of the train control offices and staff offices located on platform 1 at Kaeng Khoi Station. The staff seem to spend a great deal of time watching TV.



6. This is an image looking west of Platform 1 and 2 at Kaeng Khoi. These two platforms are in a siding off the main through lines. Mainly used for rural commuter trains and commuter trains to Bangkok.



7. This is an image of the station masters office on the opposite side of the yard to the main station buildings. It looks very much like it was once a signal box due to the design and location.



8. This is a shot of the train wash bay at Kaeng Khoi. Taken looking west through the wash bay. This section of track is constantly used for shunting locos and DMUs to access other tracks. It is rarely used to wash the trains as they are rather dirty.



9. This is a shot of the fuel storage tanks and loco fuel point just west of the workshop area at Kaeng Khoi Junction. SRT seems to waste a lot of fuel oil as the ground is saturated in black oil in this area.



10. This is a general view of the Kaeng Khoi Railway workshop and yard. This yard is about a 10 min walk west along the track from the main station. Minor repairs are undertaken here and the rural commuter DMUs are stored here.



11. This is a shot of DMU unit number 1025. Taken looking north east from in the yard area. DMU type: RHN made by Hitachi & Nippon in 1971.



12. This is a shot of SRT loco number 4420. Taken from within the yard area. Loco type Ahlstrom. Note this loco has appears to have undergone a refurbishment recently.



13. This is an image of a miniature steam loco on display in front of a staff rest area inside the Kaeng Khoi workshop. It appears to be a model of the full size SRT steam engines. Its unknown if the miniature steam engine can actually be operated. The workshop staff where very proud of it and were eager for me to photograph it.



14. This is a shot of DMU unit number 1017. Taken looking into the workshop shed at Kaeng Khoi. This DMU was being prepared for a trip out later in the day. DMU type RH made by Hitachi in 1967.



15. This is a general view shot of the inside of the Kaeng Khoi workshop. Taken looking east from just inside the western end of the workshop shed.



16. This is a shot of a maintenance platform used to work on locomotives at the back of the Kaeng Khoi workshop.



17. This is another general view shot of the inside of the Kaeng Khoi workshop. Like most other SRT workshops I have seen there is a large number of train wheels left laying around and other equipment that has long since past its use by date.



18. This is a shot of SRT loco 4308. Taken outside the workshop entrance looking west. Loco type Ahlstrom.



19. This is another angle on SRT loco 4308. Taken outside the workshop looking north west.



20. This is a shot of DMU 1038. Taken looking north west from inside the workshop yard. DMU type RHN made by Hitachi & Nippon in 1971. This type of DMU is used on rural commuter trains that operate out of Kaeng Khoi Junction.



21. This is a general view of the Kaeng Khoi workshop yard looking west. Note the tower between the tracks this appears to be used for access to the roof of locos and DMUs.



22. This is an image of the various engine and train parts left in a pile next to the workers rest area. There appears to be all kinds of things from hoses to electric motors and large batteries.



23. This is an inside shot of an RHN DMU used on rural commuter trains. These DMUs are around 40 years old and are well past it. The seating is not great on this type of DMU as the seat bottoms suddenly come apart leading to nasty surprise.



24. This is a shot of the drivers cab on the RHN DMU. Note the great condition of the cab and how worn out it is after 40 years of daily use.



25. This is a shot of a small wagon storage area next to the Kaeng Khoi workshop and loco fuel point. Taken looking east from the track.



26. This is a general view of Kaeng Khoi Junction looking west from the eastern end of the yard. On the left is the cargo holding yard and on the right are the passenger platforms.



27. This is another general view of Kaeng Khoi station. Taken from platform 3 looking north east. Note how there is a fence along part of platform 1 but a gap was left for a crossing right in the middle making the fence rather pointless.



28. This is a shot of DMU number 1038 arriving in platform 2 at Kaeng Khoi Station with a packed to the doors rural commuter train from Bua Yai Junction. DMU type: RHN made by Hitachi & Nippon in 1971.



29. This is an image of an Ahlstrom loco on a Preng Bound TPI Cement cargo train. Taken looking east as it was approaching Kaeng Khoi Station. The loco number is unknown.



30. This is another angle on DMU number 1038 as it unloads passengers on platform 2 at Kaeng Khoi. DMU type: RHN made by Hitachi & Nippon in 1971.



31. This is a short movie of a DMU shunting on to the workshop siding at Kaeng Khoi Junction. DMU type: RH made by Hitachi in 1967. This type of DMU is the oldest remaining in daily service with SRT. Note the poor visibility pedestrian crossing next to the station masters office.



32. This is a general view shot of the Kaeng Khoi workshop area. In the foreground a RH DMU can be seen making its way towards the workshop area.



33. This is a shot of the Preng Bound TPI Cement cargo train waiting in the cargo yard at Kaeng Khoi Junction. Taken from footbridge looking south west.



34. This is an image of DMU number 1017 making its way past the station master’s office building at Kaeng Khoi. Taken from footbridge looking south east. DMU type: RH made by Hitachi in 1967.



35. This is a shot of a 4 car intercity express DMU train on its way to Issan. Taken as it approached platform 3 at Kaeng Khoi Station. DMU numbers unknown. DMU type Hitachi & Nippon in 1985 (non aircon units) and Tokyu Car Corporation in 1985 (aircon units).



36. This is a shot of a 5 car intercity express DMU train on its way to Issan. Taken as it approached platform 3 at Kaeng Khoi Station. DMU numbers unknown. DMU type Hitachi and Tokyu.



37. This is another angle on the 5 car intercity express DMU taken as it was departing from Kaeng Khoi. Photo taken from footbridge looking north east.



38. This is a shot of DMU unit 1017 taken as it was arriving into platform 2 at Kaeng Khoi Station. This DMU was due to form a rural commuter train to Bua Yai Junction. DMU type RH made by Hitachi in 1967.



39. This is a shot of DMU unit 1017 taken as it was departing from platform 2 at Kaeng Khoi station. Image taken looking south east from platform 1. This the oldest type of DMU still operating in Thailand today.



40. This is a shot of another 4 car intercity express DMU taken as it was arriving at Kaeng Khoi station on an Isarn train. DMU type Hitachi and Tokyu.



41. This is another angle on the 4 car intercity express DMU this time looking north east from the footbridge. Taken as it was departing from Kaeng Khoi station. DMU type Hitachi and Tokyu.



42. This is an image of the 4 car intercity express DMU looking down from the footbridge and east along the platform. Note: the aircon on the Tokyu unit are the worst of all SRT DMUs. I.e. doesn’t cope at all during the afternoon and results in a sauna in the carriage.



43. This is an image of a 4 car intercity express DMU heading towards Bangkok. Taken looking north east from the foot bridge at Kaeng Khoi. DMU type Hitachi and Tokyu.



44. This is a short movie of the departure of a 4 car intercity express DMU service heading towards Bangkok. Note the sounds of the DMUs and the condition of them.



45. This is a general view looking east along the back section of the Kaeng Khoi yard. This part of the yard is mainly used to store old cargo wagons mostly 4 wheelers and old bogie wagons.



46. This is a shot of SRT loco 4024 taken as it was stored in the back road of Kaeng Khoi yard. Loco type older style General Electric. These locos have been operating for over 50 years and are the oldest mainline locos that SRT own.



47. This is a shot of an SRT bogie brake van parked in the back roads of Kaeng Khoi Yard. SRT wagon number BBV 50009.



48. This is an inside shot of Brake Van BBV 50009 at Kaeng Khoi. Note the poor condition of it. It appears that this brake van is no longer used.



49. This is a shot of the maker’s plate on the side of a LPG tank wagon stored in the sidings at Kaeng Khoi. This LPG wagon was built in May 2008 by Unimit Engineering.



50. This is a shot of SRT loco number 4402 making its way though the train wash bay as it prepares to shunt onto another track. Loco type Ahlstrom.



51. This is a shot of SRT loco number 4124 with an ordinary train to Lam Chi. Loco type Ahlstrom. Taken from the foot bridge. Note this train is a free service until end of Jan 2009.



52. This is a video of the departure of SRT loco 4124 with the free ordinary train to Lam Chi in Isarn. This train is 3rd class only and often overcrowded. Also station announcements can be herd as the train departs.



53. This is another angle on SRT loco 4124 on the ordinary train. Taken as it was departing Kaeng Khoi station on its way to Lam Chi.



54. This is an image of SRT loco number 4308 taken as it was stopped outside the station masters building at Kaeng Khoi. Note the poor visibility foot crossing just in front of the loco. Loco type: Ahlstrom.



55. This is a shot of SRT loco 4308 and a passing cement train at Kaeng Khoi Junction. Taken from the track level looking east towards the mountains. Loco 4308 were hauling two oil tank wagons.



56. This is another angle on SRT loco 4308 taken just after it had passed through the train wash with two crude oil tank wagons.



57. This is a short video of SRT loco 4308 with two oil tank wagons. Filmed from track level as the train pulling away from inside the train wash shed. Note: the sounds of the loco and the condition of it. This train appears to be a repaired wagons transfer.



58. This is a shot of SRT loco 4106 with an inbound cement train. Taken as it was passing through Kaeng Khoi station. Loco type Ahlstrom. The cement train is made up two different styles of cement wagons.



59. This is a short movie of SRT loco 4106 with a cement train bound for Bangkok. Filmed from within the cargo yard as it was powering through the yard of Kaeng Khoi Junction. Note the sounds of the loco and the wagons.



60. This is an image of a 6 car intercity express DMU taken from track level as it approached Kaeng Khoi station on a Bangkok bound intercity train from Isarn. DMU type Hitachi and Tokyu.


61. This is a movie of the departure of the 6 car intercity express DMU on its way to Bangkok with a full load. DMU type Hitachi (non aircon units) and Tokyu (aircon unit) Note: the sounds of the DMU and the condition of the DMU.



62. This is a shot of one of the doors on the 6 car intercity express DMU taken at Kaeng Khoi Station. Note how many people have to stand on this train every door on the train was packed like this. These people will be standing for at least 3 hours more.



63. This is a shot of a train notification unit used on the Bua Yai line. This signal device is used with semaphore signals a bell rings when a train approaches a section of track and the signaler changes the signals to allow the train through there section. I’m unsure of its actual name. This unit is located at Kaeng Khoi.



64. This is a shot of signal relay reset units inside the train control office at Kaeng Khoi Junction. A key for the locks on each unit is kept in a glass case near by. These units were imported from Westinghouse Signal in Australia.



65. This is a shot of DMU unit number 1026. Taken as it was passing the station masters office. DMU type RHN made by Hitachi & Nippon in 1971.



66. This is an image of DMU 1026 passing though the train wash shed as it prepares to shunt to form the 17.00 rural commuter train to Lam Narai. Note how both ends are sticking out of the shed.



67. This is a short movie of the arrival of DMU 1026 and 1038 into platform 2 at Kaeng Khoi to form the 17.00 rural commuter train to Lam Narai. Note the condition of the DMUs and the sounds of the engines.



68. This is an image of DMU 1026 waiting on platform 2 at Kaeng Khoi waiting to depart with the 17.00 rural commuter train to Lam Narai. Note the amount of rust on these 40 year old DMUs.



69. This is a video of the departure of DMU 1026 and 1038 with the Lam Narai commuter train. Note: how all the doors are left open on departure and well after it has got up to speed. Often the doors need to be forced open to board or leave these DMUs due to rust in the door mechanism.



70. This is a shot of SRT loco 4024 reversing along the back yard at Kaeng Khoi with two crude oil tank wagons. Loco type Older style General Electric. These oil wagons were removed from a train of 7 oil wagons.



71. This is another angle on SRT loco 4024 and the oil tank wagons. Taken from the footbridge at Kaeng Khoi. These wagons where pushed right into the work shop building.



72. This is a wide view shot of a Hitachi Locomotive shunting into the yard for refueling at the Kaeng Khoi workshop. This type of Locomotive is the most modern that SRT own.



73. This is a shot of SRT loco number 4212 on an 11 car Bangkok bound rapid train. Taken from the foot bridge as it was pulling into Kaeng Khoi station 100 minutes late and overcrowded. Loco type Ahlstrom.



74. This is a shot of the passenger carriages on the rapid train. Note: how people have to stand on the steps just to be able to get on this train. This train has another 3 hours to go and arrived over loaded from Muak Lek an hour away.



Tuesday 6th January 2009 5.30pm at Kaeng Khoi Junction (125.10km) – time to rest.

This brings to a close the 1st part of my 45 hour long rail photographing trip. The day at 5am I was at the station to take a rural commuter train to Chong Samran and that’s a topic for my next post.

In my last visit to Kaeng Khoi Junction I took only night shots and movies so to see what Kaeng Khoi looks like at 2am please visit this link.

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/11/srt-kaeng-khoi-junction-night-shots-and.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.