Thai Mass Transport Systems

SRT: Hualamphong Station by Night + Overnight Trains.

2010-03-28T21:42:00.005+07:00

Last week I visited Hualamphong station in central Bangkok. While there I tried out taking some night time pictures and videos with fairly reasonable results. Why I tried out night shots at Hualamphong station? It is simple its one of only a handful of locations with good lighting and a large number of trains which remain static for more than a few minutes. Therefore allowing time to take time delay night shots.

A little Background of Hualamphong station.

Hualamphong Station is the main terminal for SRT rail services in Bangkok. The station and its heritage building dates back to the early 1900s and is of European style and design as was common in that era. Hualamphong station is terminal station with no onward rail connections south of the station. However in 2004 the MRT subway opened which allows an onward rail connection but is not physically connected to the SRT system.

The station consists of a single large covered booking and waiting hall at the southern end of the station with 12 covered platforms some under the European style train hall roof but most platforms are under modern canopies. Most of the platforms are long enough to handle 24 carriage loco hauled passenger trains. All of the platforms are at track level meaning passengers have to climb up steps to get on the trains. This layout means people can cross between platforms at any point rather than just at the southern end.

Within the stations booking hall there is a food court and a number of fast food outlets that service departing and arriving passengers. On some platforms there are small food and drinks stands that sell directly to trains waiting to depart from that platform. Located just outside of the booking hall on platform 3 is the advanced booking office. Tickets for same day travel are purchased from the ticket windows at the northern end of the booking hall. However in practice one can purchase advanced booked tickets from any location on the SRT system.

Hualamphong station is one place in Bangkok where time has mostly stood still with very few major changes to the stations or platforms since the station opened 100 years ago. It provides a point of reference to view the changes to Bangkok over the years. Considering when it was built the station was located in the outer suburbs of Bangkok today it is considered an innercity area. Even the way things are done are a blast from the past such as loose shunting of passengers carriages onto platforms.

Today Hualamphong station has become increasingly crowded and delays to departing trains are common. These delays arise from the 3 following issues.

1. Overcrowding in the booking hall during peak periods leading to trains being held for passengers unable to buy tickets in time.

2. Traffic congestion blocking the level crossing at Yommarat and Chitlada this can delay arriving and departing trains by up to 30 minutes. Sometimes the police have been known to block these level crossings for VIP convoys and other reasons.

3. Loco breakdowns and carriage problems that occur at the last minute and can delay a trains departure from Hualamphong by any ware from a few minutes to an hour or more.

There are plans to move the entire station north to Bang Sue Junction. This new station would provide for an increased capacity and reduced delays due to being 8 km north of the current location and away from the traffic problems. Also as the new station will be very close to the locomotive workshop at Bang Sue this should mean running repairs to trains should be completed faster. Also with the current MRT connection and three future metro lines converging at Bang Sue (Purple Line: Bang Sue – Bang Yai), (Red Line: Bang Sue – Rangsit), (Red Line: Bang Sue – Taling Chan). This new station will service middle suburban and innercity Bangkok more effectively than the current arrangement.

The new Bang Sue station will have 12 platforms for intercity trains and 4 to 8 platforms for commuter trains. This is a project I strongly support as it will make the SRT train system a lot more reliable and allow for additional services in the future. However it due to open in 2015 but is very likely to take at least 10 years to be built due to the glacial nature of infrastructure projects and planning in Thailand.

As for what will happen to the current station it is likely most of it will be sold off or leased out for redevelopment as the land that Hualamphong station sits on is prime innercity land and has MRT access at the southern end making it highly valuable for almost any kind of project. However any project has to retain the heritage main station building. A likely use for that building is a museum or convention centre as its has a lot of open space inside.

As this topic relates to night time images therefore overnight trains are worth a mention.

There are basically 2 standards of sleeper car on SRT night trains. These are aircon 1st class sleeper which consists of two beds in a small room with a hand basin and a toilet at the end of carriage.

Then there are the aircon 2nd class sleeper these consists of about 40 beds arrange in upper and lower bunks down each side of the carriage. There are curtains around each bed for privacy but everyone is in the same room unlike 1st class. As the 2nd class sleepers are around half the price of the 1st class sleepers they are by far the most popular with a price range of 600 baht to 1000 baht per trip.

This is an image of a typical 2nd class sleeper carriage (Day mode).

This is an image of a typical 1st class sleeper twin berth cabin (Night mode).

The best overnight trains by route. (All trains below have 1st and 2nd class aircon sleepers)

Bangkok – Chiang Mai:
Special Express 1: Depart BKK: 6.00pm Arrive Chiang Mai:7.15am.
Special Express 13: Depart BKK: 7.35pm Arrive Chiang Mai: 9.45am.

Chiang Mai – Bangkok:
Special Express 2: Depart Chiang Mai: 5.50pm Arrive Bangkok: 7am.
Special Express 14: Depart Chiang Mai: 4.30pm Arrive Bangkok: 6.40am.

Bangkok – Nong Khai:
Express 69: Depart BKK: 8pm Arrive Nong Khai: 8.25am.

Nong Khai – Bangkok:
Express 70: Depart Nong Khai: 6.20pm Arrive Bangkok: 6.25am.

Bangkok – Ubon Ratchathani:
Express 67: Depart Bangkok: 8.30pm Arrive Ubon: 7.25am.

Ubon Ratchathani – Bangkok:
Express 68: Depart Ubon: 6.30pm Arrive Bangkok: 5.50am.

Bangkok – Hat Yai:
Special Express 35: Depart Bangkok: 2.45pm Arrive Hat Yai: 6.18am*.
Special Express 37: Depart Bangkok: 3.10pm Arrive Hat Yai: 7.18am**.

Hat Yai – Bangkok:
Special Express 36: Depart Hat Yai: 6.55pm Arrive Bangkok: 10.50am+.
Special Express 38: Depart Hat Yai: 6.05pm Arrive Bangkok: 9.40am++.

Notes: (Hat Yai – Bangkok)
* = Extends to Butterworth (Penang) arriving at 11.55am.
** = Extends to Sungai Golok arriving at 11.25am.
+ = Commences from Butterworth (Penang) departing at 1.15pm.
++ = Commences from Sungai Golok departing at 2.20pm.

Bangkok – Nakhon Sri Thammarat:
Express 85: Depart Bangkok: 7.30pm Arrive Nakhon Sri: 10.35am.

Nakhon Sri Thammarat – Bangkok:
Express 86: Depart Nakhon Sri: 3pm Arrive Bangkok: 5.35am.

Bangkok – Trang:
Express 83: Depart Bangkok: 5.05pm Arrive Trang: 7.55am.

Trang – Bangkok:
Express 84: Depart Trang: 5.20pm Arrive Bangkok: 8am.

Note: Trains can be delayed up to 3 hours for any reason so do not book tight onward connections.

Now onto the night time pictures and videos from around Hualamphong station. As these images where taken at night they will be a lot darker than normal for images on this site.

1. This is a shot of the 6.30pm train to Nong Khai. Taken as it was about to depart from Hualamphong station platform 11. Train type DMU Hitachi THN. This train has a single aircon carriage in the middle of the train otherwise its all 3rd class non aircon seats.

2. This is a movie of the departure of the 6.30pm DMU express train to Nong Khai. Note this train has a recently refurbished aircon carriage with aircon that actually works. The train takes about 11 hours to reach Nong Khai.

3. This is a movie of SRT loco number 4115 running light engine towards a set of carriages on platform 9. Loco type Alsthom Class 41 produced in 1975. This loco will operate the 6.55pm train to Ubon.

4. This is a general view of Hualamphong Station looking south along platforms 8 and 9. Taken just after sunset. In the middle of the shot is the 6.55pm train to Ubon.

5. This is a close up shot of loco 4115 on the 6.55pm train to Ubon Ratchathani. Loco type Class 41 Alsthom. Taken as it waits to depart from platform 9 at Hualamphong station.

6. This is a wider angle shot of loco 4115 taken looking south along platform 9 as it waits to depart for Ubon Ratchathani.

7. This is a movie of the departure of the 6.55pm train to Ubon Ratchathani. Note the white flashing lights this is to signal to the driver that it is safe to depart the station. Filmed from the northern end of platforms 8 and 9 at Hualamphong station. This train has no sleeper carriages and is mostly 3rd class seats very uncomfortable for overnight travel.

8. This is a shot of SRT loco 4407 taken just after it had arrived on a train from northern Thailand. Loco type Alsthom Class 44 produced in 1985. As the platform this loco is on is a terminating platform it will have to reverse with the train to run around to the northern end of the train.

9. This is a shot of a Daewoo aircon express DMU waiting to depart on the 7.20pm special express train to Chiang Mai. Taken from the southern end of the platform looking north. In the foreground are train cleaning and maintenance staff taking a rest. SRT DMU number 2528

10. This is a shot of a Daewoo aircon express DMU waiting to depart on the 7.20pm train to Chiang Mai. Taken from the tracks between platforms looking south. This type of DMU offers no sleeper accommodation but are the fastest trains that SRT operate with a top speed of 120kph. SRT DMU 2532.

11. This is an image of the Daewoo DMU and a Hitachi DMU Taken looking south along the platform. The Hitachi DMU THN1123 had just arrived at Hualamphong and was about to depart. The Daewoo aircon DMU will form the 7.20pm Chiang Mai train.

12. This is a movie of DMU 1123 departing as an empty cars train to the rail car servicing yard just north of Hualamphong station. Note how the doors where left open while running empty to the yard. This train is 3rd class non aircon.

13. This is a shot of DMU 2532 taken from a very low angle looking south along the platform at Hualamphong. DMU type: Daewoo. This type of DMU are the most comfortable that SRT operate.

14. This is a shot of DMU 2532 taken as it waits to depart on the 7.20pm train to Chiang Mai. These DMUs come in different lengths. 2 car, 3 car and 5 car.

15. This is a movie of the departure of 7.20pm special express train to Chiang Mai. Train type Daewoo DMU. Note how quiet this DMU is compared to other Thai trains. Also note how there are small openable windows despite the train being completely air conditioned. This is just in case the aircon fails on route.

16. This is an image of the 7.35pm Special Express train to Chiang Mai. Loco type Class 44 Alstrom. This train is very unusual in that it operates with two locos rather than one like on all other SRT trains including cargo.

17. This is a short movie of the departure of the 7.35pm double headed special express train to Chiang Mai. It appears the 2nd loco was not powering on departure but will be started later in the journey as needed. Loco type Alstrom Class 44.

18. This is a short movie of the departure of the 7.30pm express train to Nakhon Sri Thammarat. Loco number GEA 4549. Loco type general electric 2nd generation. Built in 1995. This type of loco are the most powerful that SRT operate. This train is the longest passenger train that SRT regularly operates with at least 22 carriages.

19. This is a movie of Loco 4003 on night time shunting duties. Filmed as it was moving a set of carriages onto platform 6 at Hualamphong. Loco type General Electric Generation 1. Built 1964.

20. This is an image of the 7.50pm DMU train to Sala At. Taken as it waits to depart from platform 11 at Hualamphong station. DMU number 1128. DMU type: Hitachi THN built in 1983.

21. This is an image of the 7.50pm DMU to Sala At. Taken from a closer position as it was about to depart from platform 11.

22. This is a movie of the departure of the 7.50pm DMU to Sala At. On the left hand platform a rather delayed 2 car DMU from Surat Thani was arriving. On the right is the Sala At train as it was departing. The Sala At DMU is mostly 3rd class non aircon with a single aircon car.

23. This is a shot of the 2 car Daewoo DMU set taken after it had arrive rather late from Surat Thani. This is the only daytime train from southern Thailand to Bangkok. DMU number 2520.

24. This is a movie of Loco 4003 Shunting some carriages onto platform 10 at Hualamphong station. In the foreground a station staff member can be seen putting the carriage number on each carriage as it passes by at a fair speed and sometimes having to chase after the carriage in the dark if he misses.

25. This is a short movie of Loco 4003 heading back to the rail yard north of Hualamphong station to collect more carriages for later trains. Filmed from on the tracks at northern end of Hualamphong station.

26. This is a movie of Loco 4213 running light engine down platform 8 to couple up to the 8.45pm express train to Nong Khai. Loco type Class 42 Alsthom built in 1980.

27. This is a movie of Loco 4555 running light engine down platform 9 to couple up to the 8.30pm express train to Ubon Ratchathani. Loco type 2nd generation General Electric built in 1995.

28. This is a shot of Loco 4555 on the 8.30pm express train to Ubon Ratchathani. Taken as it waits to depart from platform 9 at hualamphong station. Loco type 2nd generation General Electric.

29. This is a closer shot of Loco 4555 as it waits to depart on the 8.30pm Ubon Ratchathani express train. This locomotive is one of the newest in the SRT fleet and the most powerful.

30. This is a movie of the departure of the 8.30pm express train to Ubon Ratchathani. Filmed looking south along platforms 8 and 9 at Hualamphong station. Note the former JR sleeper carriages at the rear of this train. These offer the highest standard of 2nd class sleeper accommodation on SRT. The layout is in 4 berth cabins.

31. This is an image of the 8.45pm express train to Nong Khai. Taken as it waits to depart from platform 8 at Hualamphong station. Note the staff member cleaning the outside of the locomotive's windows. The SRT workers uniforms are not the best colour for night duties as it makes them blend into the darkness.

32. This another angle on Loco 4213. Taken as it waits to depart from platform 8 with the 8.45pm Nong Khai train. Loco type: Class 42 Alsthom built in 1980.

33. This is a shot of Loco 4044 taken as it waits to depart on the 8.55pm Phitsanulok rapid train. Loco type 1st generation General Electric built in 1966. This train is an all 3rd class seat service. These locos are the oldest in regular service.

34. This is a general view of platforms 3 to 6 under the European style train hall roof. Taken looking north along the platforms. When there are trains waiting to depart this area quickly fills up with diesel fumes that can become very thick.

35. This is a general view of the booking hall inside Hualamphong station. Taken looking toward Rama 4 road. This is the only station in Thailand with such a large enclosed air conditioned waiting area.

36. This is a general view of the booking hall at Hualamphong Station. Taken looking towards the platforms. Note the new electronic departure screens above the ticket offices. The picture in the middle is King Rama 5 who set up the SRT rail system over 110 years ago.

37. This is a closer view of the ticket booking offices at the northern end of the booking hall at Hualamphong station. Note the new flat screens above each ticket window that show which train they sell tickets for.

38. This is a close up view of the new train arrival information screen above the ticket offices. Note there are a few trains are running late. Rapid 112 from Denchai is a whopping 2 hours and 50 minutes late!

39. This is another view of the new train arrival information screen this time in Thai language. Both versions give the same information.

40. This is a shot of the new platform train information signs. These signs used to be manually changed plastic signs. Its a real step forward to change to coloured flat screen electronic signs.

I hope you enjoyed the images and information about Hualamphong station at night. If you have any comments or questions about this topic please post some comments below.

The Mass Transit of Mukdahan.

2010-03-09T21:32:00.003+07:00

In the middle of February while visiting friends in Mukdahan I took a few hours to go and photograph the local mass transit and intercity buses around Mukdahan's bus terminal.

A little background on Mukdahan.

Mukdahan is a small Issan town of about 30000 people. Situated right on the Mekong river facing Savannakhet (Laos). Mukdahan is about 650 km north east of Bangkok. It is only accessible by bus either directly from Bangkok or via Ubon Ratchathani or Khon Kaen. The town is linked directly to Savannakhet via a 1.5km long road bridge about 10km north of Mukdahan.

Mukdahan is an important frontier and trade town in north east Thailand. Its importance grew with the opening of the Thai – Lao bridge that allowed for direct road access to Vietnam and China via Laos. A number of large hotels were built to service the Thai – Lao – Vietnamese trade in the area. Close to the river front in central Mukdahan is a large international trading market where people from Laos, Vietnam and Thailand trade products of all kinds. This market is an importance source of economic activity in Mukdahan. The rest of Mukdahan's economy supports government services and the surrounding low income rural areas.

There have been plans recently drawn up to build a 4 lane highway right from Central Vietnam to Burma via Mukdahan for ease of international trade and cargo shipments by road. If this is built it will greatly help Mukdahan grow and improve the employment prospects for locals in the Mukdahan area.

The mass transit system of Mukdahan consists of Lao style motor trike taxis and a few Truck – bus services that operate around the town and out into the rural hinterland. All of Mukdahan's mass transit and intercity buses converge on a central terminal about 1.5 km from the centre of the town. This bus terminal consists of about 30 departure platforms arranged in a typical island layout with the ticketing hall at one end.

If your heading to Bangkok from Mukdahan there are a number of VIP buses that depart between 7pm and 8pm every night. As well as a day VIP bus at 8.30am. Please see the VIP and Intercity bus guide for details on VIP buses and Thai – Lao bus services out of Mukdahan. If your travelling to Vietnam take a bus to Savannakhet (Laos) from Mukdahan then take a bus to Vietnam these are most likely to depart in the morning from Savannakhet so an overnight stop in Savannakhet is recommended.

Now onto the photographs of Mukdahan and its bus system. The first section of images show general overview of Mukdahan with the mass transit photographs to follow.

1. This is a general view of Mukdahan taken from the 10th floor of a hotel. The white fancy looking building is the Mukdahan City council office in the foreground are government apartments.

2. This is another general view angle of Mukdahan taken looking north towards the Thai Lao bridge. The white trusses of bridge can be seen close to the horizon.

3. This is a shot looking east across the Mekong river into Laos. The town in the background is Savannakhet Laos. Before the bridge opened the only way across was by ferry.

4. This is another general view angle of Mukdahan taken looking south towards the centre of Mukdahan. The tower with a dome on the top is an observation platform. In the foreground is a brand new government apartment building.

Now onto the mass transit images from Mukdahan.

5. This is a shot of a Route 927: Bangkok – Mukdahan VIP bus. Taken on arrival at Mukdahan bus terminal early in the morning. Bus number 927 – 870. Bus type Volvo B12B double deck aircon VIP intercity bus.

6. This is a shot of a Route 820: Korat – Mukdahan bus. Taken as it waits to depart from Mukdahan bus terminal. Bus type IRIZAR. Bus number 820 – M301. Note this is a rather unusual bus make for Thailand.

7. This is an image of a couple of Route 4525: Mukdahan – Kumcha E truck buses. Taken as they wait to depart from Mukdahan bus terminal.

8. This is a shot of a Route 278: Mukdahan – Khon Kaen bus. Taken as it waits in the bus holding area at Mukdahan bus terminal. Bus number 278 – 11. Bus type unknown.

9. This is a shot of a Route 4: Mukdahan – Savannakhet Thai – Lao international bus. Taken as it waits in the bus holding area at Mukdahan. Bus type Hyundai – Granbird. Note this bus is left hand drive. These international buses tend to carry a lot of extra cargo than normal buses do.

10. This is a general view of a group of intercity buses waiting in the bus holding area at Mukdahan bus terminal. The two buses on the left are transport company VIP buses and the buses on the right area 2nd class intercity buses.

11. This is another angle on the waiting intercity buses in the holding area at Mukdahan bus terminal. The nearest bus is a Route 928: Bangkok – Mukdahan bus.

12. This is an image of the bus ticketing counters inside Mukdahan bus terminal. The counters on the right side are for the transport company who offer the best VIP bus service from Mukdahan to Bangkok.

13. This is a shot of a Route 235: Udon Thani - Mukdahan – Ubon Ratchthani bus. Taken as it was arriving at Mukdahan bus terminal. Bus number: 235 – 5. Bus type: Hino 1st class aircon.

14. This a general view of the bus departure area inside Mukdahan bus terminal. Taken looking away from the ticketing hall. In the middle of the bus platform are ticket booths for some short distance intercity buses.

15. This is a shot of a Route 1: Mukdahan – B.P.B local truck – bus. Taken as it was approaching Mukdahan bus terminal. Truck number 1 – 1. Note the overcrowding on this truck bus.

16. This is a shot of a Route 278 bus. Taken as it was turning into the Mukdahan bus terminal. Bus number 278 – 31. Bus type unknown. Note as usual the doors are left open while running.

17. This is an image of a Route 4239: Mukdahan – Don Tan truck bus. Taken as it was leaving Mukdahan bus terminal. Truck number 4239 – 5. Truck type Isuzu.

18. This is an image of a Mukdahan local motor taxi trike. Taken as it was leaving Mukdahan bus terminal. These motor trikes can be found all over the border provinces in north east Thailand. They cost between 40 and 60 baht per trip around town.

19. This is another shot of Bus number 235 – 5. Taken as it was departing Mukdahan bus terminal. Despite its green colour this is a 1st class intercity aircon bus.

20. This is a shot of a Route 1 truck bus. Taken as it was approaching Mukdahan bus terminal with a light load. Truck number unknown.

21. This is a shot of a Route 927 bus. Taken as it was approaching Mukdahan bus terminal. Bus number 927 – 914. Bus type Volvo B12B double deck 1st class aircon.

22. This is a shot of a Route 927 bus. Taken as it was leaving Mukdahan bus terminal on its way to refuel. Bus number 927 – 22. Bus type unknown 2nd class aircon.

23. This is a shot of a Route 4525 truck bus. Taken as it was departing Mukdahan bus terminal. Truck number 4525 – 5. Truck type unknown.

24. This is an image of a Route 927 bus. Taken as it was waiting in the bus holding area at Mukdahan bus terminal. Bus number 927 – 1. Bus type Volvo B12B double deck VIP. This is the other VIP bus company that links Bangkok with Mukdahan.

25. This is another angle on Bus 927 – 22. Taken on its way to the other bus holding area at Mukdahan. Note these 2nd class aircon buses are not worth taking as the legroom is terrible and they often have standing loads on route. Also they stop in a million places on the route.

26. This is a shot of a Route 820 bus taken as it was arriving at Mukdahan bus terminal. Bus type IRIZAR. Bus number 820 – M309. Operated by an offshoot of NCA company.

27. This is an image of a Route 555: Mukdahan – Nakhon Phanom bus. Taken as it was leaving the bus terminal. Bus number 555 – 45. Bus type Merc 2nd class aircon.

28. This is a shot of a Route 278 bus. Taken as it was arriving at Mukdahan bus terminal. Bus number 278 – 20. bus type unknown 2nd class intercity. Again running with doors open.

29. This is a shot of a Route 4 Thai – Lao international bus. Taken as it was heading for the bus platforms at Mukdahan. Bus number 4 – 003. Bus type Hyundai – Granbird.

30. This is a shot of a Route 278 bus. Taken as it was leaving Mukdahan bus terminal. Bus number 278 – 5. Bus type unknown 2nd class aircon.

31. This is another angle on the Route 820 bus. Taken as it was departing Mukdahan. Bus number 820 – M301.

32. This is a shot of a Route 4 Thai – Lao international bus. Taken as it was entering the bus terminal. Bus number 2nd class (4 – 1). Bus type Merc aircon. Note: right hand drive bus.

33. This is a shot of a Route 256: Ubon Ratchathani - Nakhon Phanom bus. Taken as it was entering the bus terminal. Bus number 256 – 7. Bus type unknown.

34. This is a shot of a Route 928: Bangkok – Mukdahan bus. Taken as it waits in the bus holding area. Bus type unknown 2nd class intercity. Bus number 928 – 2.

35. This is a general view of a couple of left hand driver Hyundai Thai – Lao international buses. Taken as they wait in the Mukdahan bus holding area.

36. This is a shot of a Route 927 bus. Taken as it was arriving at the bus departure platforms at Mukdahan. Bus number 2nd class (927 – 1). Bus type Merc 2nd class intercity.

37. This is a shot of Route 555 bus. Taken as it waits to depart from Mukdahan bus terminal. Bus number 555 – 30. Bus type Very old Merc non aircon. Note this route has both aircon and non aircon buses.

38. This is an inside shot of driver seat on bus number 555 – 30. Note the condition of this bus. This bus is over 40 years old.

39. This is another inside shot of the passengers seats on bus number 555 – 30. Note the condition of the seating and the 2 + 3 layout. Which was common 30 years ago in most rural buses.

40. This is another angle on bus number 555 – 30. Taken as it waits to depart Mukdahan. Note on this bus the engine is at the front next to the driver rather than at the rear. This is a real classic bus.

41. This is an image of a Route 278 bus. Taken as it waits in the bus holding area. Bus number 278 – 31. Bus type unknown. Note how the engine cover has gone missing. Unlike on a lot of Metro buses in Melbourne a lot of Thai buses have extra ventilation around the engine due to chronic overheating.

42. This is a shot of a Route 829: Mukdahan – Mae Sot bus. This bus runs right across the centre of Thailand to the Burmese border town of Mae Sot over 1000km away. Bus number 829 – 1. Bus type Scania double deck 1st class aircon.

Now for something completely different.

Here is a video taken at the Transport company bus departure platforms at Mochit 2 at 9pm on a Tuesday night. Even on this mid week night its hard to find a place to sit down while you wait for your bus. On a Friday night just finding a place to stand in hard any ware near your bus platform due to huge numbers of people. Really despite over 150 bus departure platforms Mochit 2 is now too small for the ever growing demand placed on it. Despite it being only 15 years old.

I hope you enjoyed the images and information on Mukdahan's mass transit system. If you have any comments or questions about this topic please post some comments below.

Thai VIP Intercity Buses + Thai - Lao International Buses.

2010-02-21T16:41:00.003+07:00

Thai VIP Intercity Buses: Route and Timetable information.

This is a listing of the route and timetable information for the highest standard VIP buses covering many different parts of Thailand. These buses have a 1 + 2 seating layout with much wider seats and more legroom. All 24 and 32 seat VIP buses have on board toilets and are air conditioned.

Some buses also have massaging seats and in seat video screens. Most of these VIP buses provide drinking water and snack food on board. I recommend these 24 and 32 seat VIP buses as a more comfortable way of getting to rural Thailand from Bangkok. The ticket costs for these VIP buses ranges from 500 baht to 1200 baht per person per single trip depending distance traveled.

This is an image of a 32 seat double deck VIP intercity bus. Bus type Volvo/Cherdchai B12B. Bus number 927 – 870.

This is an image of the seating and interior of a 32 seat VIP intercity bus. Note the 2 + 1 seating layout for extra comfort. The TV is only used during daylight trips and while waiting to depart the bus terminal.

This is a close up image of the seating on the 32 seat VIP intercity bus. Note the wider seats and extra legroom.

This is an image of the contents of a snack box provided to passengers on the VIP buses. It contains some sweet snacks and items for making coffee.

This is an image of another example of a snack box provided to passengers on the VIP buses. This one also contains a small drink as well as sweet snacks and coffee making items.

Below is a listing of the Best VIP buses services to selected destinations across Thailand. To a large number of these listed destinations there are other private bus companies that offer VIP buses to Bangkok. However some of these companies are substandard and you should be careful when booking if there prices are far lower than the other companies offering VIP buses from that destination then its likely their standard is lower too. Both of the companies listed below I have personal experience with and they are of a high standard with clean safe buses.

Nakhon Chai Air bus company. (NCA)

This is a private bus company that operates 24 seat VIP (2+1 layout) and 32 seat (2+2 layout) buses. This is the best of the private VIP bus companies in Thailand. Below is a listing of the timetable and routes. They confusingly market there 24 seat VIP buses as “First class”. When booking check that you are on the 24 seat VIP bus and not on the 32 seat bus.

Call Centre: 02 936 0009 (Thai language only)

Bangkok to Chieng Mai (9.5 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2) : 10.30am 8.20pm 10.45pm.

Chieng Mai to Bangkok
Depart CM : 10.30am 9.20pm 10.45pm.

Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani (8.5 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 10.15am 9.45pm.

Ubon Ratchathani to Bangkok.
Depart Ubon: 10.15am 9.45pm.

Bangkok to Khon Kaen (6 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 11.15am 11.15pm 12.15am.

Khon Kaen to Bangkok
Depart KK : 11.15am 11.15pm 12.15am.

The Transport Company.

This is a government run bus company that provides services to most parts of Thailand. This company has the largest network of 24 and 32 seat VIP buses in Thailand. They also operate 46 seat 2nd class buses and 40 seat 1st class buses to most destinations. They have a large all in one booking office at each major bus terminal in Bangkok.

They have two types of VIP buses that they market as VIP buses these are 32 seat and 24 seat buses. Both types offer the same standard of comfort. The 32 seat VIP buses are double deck where as the 24 seat VIP buses are single deck. Both offer a 2 + 1 seating layout. This company offers a 10% discount for return ticket bookings but be careful as you cannot change your date or time of travel for the inbound ticket after using the outbound ticket.

Call Centre 1490 (Thai language only)

Bangkok to Thung chang (11.5 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 8pm Depart Thung chang: 7.30pm.

Bangkok to Chiang Rai (11 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 8pm Depart Chiang Rai: 7pm.

Bangkok to Chiang Mai (9 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 9am, 8pm, 9pm (express) Depart Chiang Mai: 9am, 8pm, 9pm (express).

Bangkok to Mae Sot (7 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 9.15pm, 10.30pm Depart Mae Sot: 9.15pm, 10.30pm.

Bangkok to Mae Sai (12.5 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 7.30am, 7.40pm (express) Depart Mae Sai: 7am, 5.40pm (express).

Bangkok to Uttaradit (7.5 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 10pm Depart Uttaradit: 9pm.

Bangkok to Phitsanulok (5.5 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 11.58pm Depart Phitsanulok: 11.30pm.

Bangkok to Phrae (8 hours)
Depart BKK(Mochit 2): 8.30pm Depart Phrae: 8.45pm.

Bangkok to Lamphun (9 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 8.30pm Depart Lamphun: 7.30pm.

Bangkok to Nong Bua Lamphu (8 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 10pm Depart Nong Bua Lamphu: 8.30pm.

Bangkok to Nong Khai (10 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 8.30pm, 10pm Depart Nong Khai: 7.30pm, 8pm.

Bangkok to Roi Et (7 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 10pm Depart Roi Et: 9.30pm.

Bangkok to Nakhon Phanom (11 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 7.30am, 6.15pm, 7pm, 8.15pm, 8.30pm (express) 8.45pm.

Depart N Phanom: 7.30am, 6.00pm, 6.01pm, 6.02pm, 6.03pm, 6.30pm (express).

Bangkok to Renu Nakhon (10.45 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 7.30pm Depart Renu Nakhon: 5.45pm.

Bangkok to Kalasin and Somdet (8 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 10pm Depart Somdet: 9pm.

Bangkok to Sakhon Nakhon (10 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 8.10pm, 8.30pm, 9pm Depart Sakhon Nakhon: 7.30pm, 7.45pm, 8.30pm.

Bangkok to Loei and Chiang Khan (9 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 10pm Depart Chiang Khan: 6.30pm.

Bangkok to Kalasin and Huai Pung (8 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 8.30pm Depart Huai Pung: 8pm.

Bangkok to Surin (7 Hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 10pm Depart Surin: 9.30pm.

Bangkok to Ban Pang (12 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 8pm Depart Ban Pang: 5pm.

Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani (11 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 9pm Depart Ubon: 7.30pm.

Bangkok to Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani (8 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 9.30pm Depart Ubon: 6.30pm.

Bangkok to Mukdahan (10 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 8.45pm, 9pm, 9.30pm Depart Mukdahan: 8.30am, 8pm, 8.15pm.

Bangkok to Yasothon(8 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 8.50pm Depart Yasothon: 8.30pm.

Bangkok to Amnat Charoen (8 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 9pm Depart Amnat Charoen: 7pm.

Bangkok to Ko Samui (12 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 7.15am, 7.15pm Depart Ko Samui: 7.30am, 4pm arrive Mochit 2.

Bangkok to Phuket (12 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 6.25pm Depart Phuket: 6.05pm arrive Mochit 2.

Bangkok to Hat Yai (13 hours)
Depart BKK (Mochit 2): 5.30pm Depart Hat Yai: 3.40pm arrive Mochit 2.

The following VIP buses all depart from the New Southern Bus Terminal on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River.

Bangkok to Phang nga (12 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 8pm Depart Phang nga: 5.30pm.

Bangkok to Phuket (12 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 7.30am, 5.30pm, 7.30pm, 8pm.
Depart Phuket: 7.30am, 6.30pm, 6.40pm, 7pm.

Bangkok to Dannok (14 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 7pm Depart Dannok: 3.40pm.

Bangkok to Sungai Kolok (15 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 5pm Depart Sungai Kolok: 12pm.

Bangkok to Thup Lamu (12 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 7.30pm Depart Thup Lamu: 5.30pm.

Bangkok to Kanom (11 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 8pm Depart Kanom: 5.30pm.

Bangkok to Ranong (8 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 8pm Depart Ranong: 8pm.

Bangkok to Krabi (12 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 7pm Depart Krabi: 5pm.

Bangkok to Nakhon Sri Thammarat (12 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 7pm Depart N Sri Thammarat: 6pm.

Bangkok to Trang (12 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 7pm Depart Trang: 5pm.

Bangkok to Yala (14 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 5.30pm Depart Yala: 2pm.

Bangkok to Satun (13.5 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 6pm Depart Satun: 4pm.

Bangkok to Ko Samui (12 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 7.30am, 7pm, 7.30pm, 8.20pm, 8.30pm.
Depart Ko Samui: 7.30am, 3.30pm, 4.30pm, 5.30pm.

Bangkok to Ko Phangan (12 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 7.50pm Depart Ko Phangan: 5pm.

Bangkok to Hat Yai (12.5 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 8pm Depart Hat Yai: 7pm.

Bangkok to Songkhla (13 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 6pm Depart Songkhla: 5pm.

Patcharapon Tour.

This is a small private bus company that operates VIP buses between Chumphon and Bangkok. They operate 32 seat double deck VIP buses and provide a food stop on route with free thai food. There standard of service is similar to that of the transport company. On some timetabled trips this company operates 2 or more buses.

Call Centre: 02 894 6200 or 077 502929, 077 503666 (Thai language only)

Bangkok to Chumphon (7 hours)
Depart BKK (Southern): 11am, 9.30pm.
Depart Chumphon: 11.30am, 9.30pm.

The above listing does not represent all VIP bus services in Thailand. Some destinations may have VIP buses provided by other private companies that are not serviced by any of the above companies. E.g. Udon Thani and Surat Thani. But its best to check at the bus terminal as to weather a VIP bus is running to your destination.

Thai Lao International Intercity 1st and 2nd class Bus services.

This is an image of a Mukdahan – Savannaket Thai – Lao bus. Bus number 4 – 003 Bus type Hyundai. Note this bus is Left hand drive.

This is an image of the inside of a Mukdahan – Savannaket Thai – Lao bus. Note the 2 + 2 seating layout.

Below is the Bus timetable and Route information for the Thai – Lao cross border international bus services. All service operate from North Eastern Thailand to Laos. These buses are NOT VIP buses but are either 46 seat 2nd class aircon or 40 seat 1st class aircon buses.

Ubon Ratchathani to Pakse (Laos) 1st class aircon 40 seat bus.
Depart Ubon: 7.30am, 9.30am, 2.30pm, 3.30pm.
Depart Pakse: 7.30am, 9.30am, 2.30pm, 3.30pm.

Cost: 200 Baht per trip. Journey time: 3 hours.

Nong Khai to Vientiane (Laos) 2nd class aircon 46 seat bus.
Depart Nong Khai: 7.30am, 9.30am, 12.40pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm, 6pm.
Depart Vientiane: 7.30am, 9.30am, 12.40pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm, 6pm.

Cost: 55 Baht per trip. Journey time: 2 hours.

Udon Thani to Vientiane (Laos) 2nd class aircon 46 seat bus.
Depart Udon: 8am, 10.30am, 11.30am, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm.
Depart Vientiane 8am, 10.30am, 11.30am, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm.

Cost: 80 Baht per trip. Journey time: 3 hours.

Khon Kaen to Vientiane (Laos) 2nd class aircon 46 seat bus.
Depart KK: 7.45am, 3.30pm
Depart Vientiane: 7.45am, 3.30pm

Cost: 180 Baht per trip. Journey Time: 4 hours.

Korat to Vientiane (Laos) 2nd class aircon 46 seat bus.
Depart Korat: 7.30am
Depart Vientiane: 7.30am

Cost: 320 Baht per trip. Journey Time: 6 hours.

Mukdahan to Savannaket (Laos) 2nd class aircon 46 seat bus.
Depart Mukdahan: 8.15am, 9am, 9.45am, 10.30am, 11.15am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm, 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 7pm.

Depart Savannaket: 8.15am, 9am, 9.45am, 10.30am, 11.15am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm, 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 7pm.

Cost: 45 Baht per trip. Journey Time: 1 hour.

Visas for Laos cost USD$30 obtainable at the border checkpoint on arrival or from the Laos embassy in Bangkok before travelling. Most nationalities require a Visa to enter Laos for any reason. Thai Citizens are exempt from Laos Visa requirements Thais just need show their passport.

NOTE: All of the above information is accurate on the date of 22 February 2010. This information is subject to change without any notice and I strongly recommend reconfirming the information at the time of booking.

Udon Thani's Mass Transit System.

2010-02-10T21:49:00.004+07:00

After returning from Vientiane Laos. I stopped at Udon Thani for a few days to meet with local friends before returning to Bangkok. During my time in Udon Thani I managed to get some photographs of the local and intercity buses that operate out of Udon Thani.

Background information on Udon Thani.

Udon Thani is a major rural city located approximately 50 km from the Lao border in North East (Isarn) Thailand. The name Udon Thani means “Northern City” It has a population of over 150,000 in its urban area. Udon Thani started out as a small trading outpost which during the 1960s rapidly grew due to a large US air force base being built outside of Udon Thani. This air force base is no longer used by the US but still sees use by the Thai air force and Singaporean air force for training purposes.

Today Udon Thani is growing again with a number of new hotels and shopping centres all opening in the last few years. The urban area is rapidly increasing in density as the economy of Udon Thani improves. Part of Udon's economic growth comes from increasing numbers of older foreigners who relocated to Udon Thani from the US and Europe to retire. They are attracted to Udon Thani by the far lower living costs than Europe as well as access to modern urban infrastructure like shopping centres and hospitals. Many of them are also attracted to Udon for the better climate and ease of finding a local companion to live with them.

Despite its popularity and economic growth Udon Thani has to compete with two other Issarn cities these are Khon Kaen and Korat. Both of these cites are larger than Udon Thani in population with quite different economies. They are less reliant on tourists and older retired foreign residents. Khon Kaen is a education and research hub for the Issarn region. Where as Korat is more of a manufacturing base for the Issarn region.

The urban layout of Udon Thani is fairly typical for a rural Thai city with a spread out innercity commercial area with large mostly residential area around the innercity. But like most Thai cities there is no defined central business area. The city has a fairly high urban density for its small size.

The mass transit system of Udon Thani is made up of mostly high frequency “truck – bus” services with only one full size bus route that uses very old non aircon buses. Besides the urban mass transit Udon Thani has two large bus terminals that service its large rural hinterland and link Udon Thani to other cities in Issarn as well as Bangkok. The main bus terminal is located in the innercity and provides service to all parts of Issarn as well as Bangkok. The other bus terminal is located a 20 minute bus ride to the north west of Udon Thani. This bus terminal provides service to Chiang Mai and other northern Thailand destinations as well as Loei. This terminal is fairly quiet compared to the main terminal.

As with the Vientiane Laos topic I will start by posting some images of Udon Thani itself so people can see what the city looks like before going into the Mass transit images of Udon Thani.

1. This is general view of the innercity area of Udon Thani. Taken from the 8th floor of a hotel in the centre of Udon Thani. The modern shopping centre is clearly evident.

2. This is another general view of the innercity area of Udon Thani. Taken looking towards the older section of the city. As can be seen the urban density is fairly high in this part of Udon Thani.

3. This is a night shot of Udon Thani's innercity. Taken from the 8th floor of a hotel in the centre of Udon Thani.

4. This is a shot of a typical suburban area in Udon Thani taken from the top of small suburban hotel about 5 km out from the centre of Udon Thani. The water in the foreground is a small natural pool with quite a lot of fish in it.

Now onto the photographs of Udon Thani's Main bus terminal and surrounding area. This bus terminal is located in the centre of Udon Thani and is where all buses to Bangkok and other parts of Issarn depart from.

5. This is a shot of the bus departure and waiting area at Udon Thani's main bus terminal. This image was taken around 10am on weekday morning looking toward the back of the terminal.

6. This is a general view of a number of buses lined up waiting to depart from the right side of the bus terminal. Most of these buses service rural areas around Udon and also link Udon to other parts of Issarn.

7. This is another general view of Udon Thani's main bus terminal. This time looking at the left side of the bus terminal.

8. This is a shot of a Route 231: Udon Thani – Nakhon Phanom bus. Taken as it waits to depart from the bus terminal. Bus number 231 – 50. Bus type Volvo 2nd class aircon intercity.

9. This is a shot of a Route 296: Udon Thani – Kham Ta Kla bus. Taken as it waits to depart from the bus terminal. Bus number 296 – 14. Bus type Merc non aircon intercity.

10. This is a shot of a Route 230: Udon Thani – Sakhon Nakhon bus. Taken as it waits to depart from the bus terminal. Bus number 230 – 39. Bus type Merc aircon 2nd class intercity.

11. This is an image of a Route 20 Udon Thani – Khon Kaen – Bangkok bus. Taken as it waits to depart from the bus terminal. Bus number 20 – 17. Bus type Scania Double Deck VIP aircon intercity.

12. This is another angle on the Route 20 Scania double deck VIP bus. The seating on this bus is 1 + 2 layout. Some of these buses have seat back entertainment systems similar to aircraft.

13. This is a shot of a Route 241: Udon Thani – Sakhon Nakhon – Ubon Ratchthani bus. Taken as it was departing the bus terminal. Bus number 241 – 2. Bus type unknown 1st class aircon.

14. This is a general view of the motor taxi trike's waiting for customers at Udon Thani's main bus terminal. These are the same type as found in Vientiane Laos.

15. This is an image of a Route 268: Udon Thani – Khon Kaen – Udon Ratchthani bus. Taken as it was arriving at the bus terminal. Bus number 268 – 23. Bus type Merc 1st class aircon intercity.

16. This is an image of a Route 211: Udon Thani – Korat bus. Taken as it was arriving at the bus terminal. Bus number 211 – 30. Bus type Unknown 2nd class aircon intercity.

17. This is an image of a Route 268 bus taken as it was heading to the bus holding area outside of the bus terminal. Bus number 268 – 32. Bus type Merc aircon 2nd class intercity.

18. This is another angle on bus number 268 – 32 taken as it was leaving the rear entrance to the bus terminal on its way to the holding area.

19. This is a shot of a Route 4381: Udon Thani – Wang Sam Mo bus. Taken as it was departing the bus terminal. Bus number 4381 – 11. Bus type Merc non aircon intercity.

20. This is another angle on the Route 4381 bus. Taken as it was rounding the curve at the back of the terminal.

21. This is a shot of a Route 262: Udon Thani – Korat bus. Taken as it was arriving at the bus terminal. Bus number 262 – 13. Bus type unknown 2nd class aircon intercity.

22. This is a shot of a Route 296 bus. Taken as it waits to depart from the bus terminal. Bus number 296 – 1. Bus type unknown non aircon intercity.

23. This is an image of a Route 22: Udon Thani – Bangkok bus. Taken as it waits to depart the bus terminal. Bus number 22 – 3. Bus type Unknown 2nd class aircon intercity.

24. This is an image of bus number 230 – 39. Taken as it was departing the bus terminal. Note how the door is still open as they drive off. Bus type Merc 2nd class aircon intercity.

25. This is an image of Route 562 bus arriving at the bus terminal ready to load up the next trip. Bus number 562 – 4. Bus type Merc non aircon intercity. Note on these buses the doors are never closed while running.

26. This is a shot of a number of Route 4604 : Udon Thani – Kumphawapi truck buses. Taken in the soi being the bus terminal. They appear to store a large number of these truck buses in this soi. Most of them are Isuzu or Toyota pick trucks.

27. This is a shot of a Route 230 bus. Taken as it was parked in the bus waiting area behind the bus terminal. Bus number 230 – 28. Bus type Merc aircon 2nd class intercity.

28. This is a shot of a Route 226: Udon Thani – Khon Kaen bus. Taken while it was being cleaned in the bus holding area behind the bus terminal. Bus number 226 – 10. Bus type Merc aircon 2nd class intercity.

29. This is a shot of a Route 22 bus. Taken as it was parked in the bus holding area behind the bus terminal. Bus number 22 – 26. bus type unknown 2nd class intercity.

30. This is a shot of a Route 943: Bangkok – Bangkarn bus. Taken as it was parked in the bus holding area behind Udon Thani's main bus terminal. Bus number 943 – 8. Bus type unknown 1st class aircon intercity bus. Note this bus is operated by the “407” company.

31. This is a general view of a number of buses stored in the bus holding area behind the bus terminal. The bus in the foreground is an old Merc Non aircon intercity bus.

32. This is another shot of a group of Route 4604 truck buses. Taken as they where stored at the back of the bus holding area at Udon Thani's main bus terminal.

This next section of the topic is devoted to the Udon Thani urban mass transit system. This is mostly made up of truck bus services and a single full size bus route. These services are frequent throughout the day but stop running at 7pm. As to why they do is unknown but these services do start as early as 3am daily. If you need local transport after 7pm you have to take a motor trike taxi which have no fixed fares but start from 40 baht a trip.

33. This is a shot of a Route 9: Chiang Yuen – Sam Praw truck bus. Taken as it travelled along a main street of Udon Thani. Truck number 9 – 23. Truck type Nissan.

34. This is a shot of a Route 1371: Udon Thani – Nong Khai truck bus. Taken as it travelled along a main street of Udon Thani. Truck number 1371 – 45. Truck type Isuzu.

35. This is an image of a Route 2: New Udon Thani bus terminal – Big C bus. Taken as it was heading towards Big C. Bus number 2 – 5. Bus type Merc non aircon metro bus. Note this route is the only one in Udon that uses full size buses all others use truck buses.

36. This is a shot of a Route 4344 Udon Thani – Non Som Boon truck bus. Taken as it was heading south along a main street of Udon Thani. Truck number 4344 – 27. Truck type Isuzu.

37. This is a shot of another route 2 bus. Taken while passing through the innercity of Udon Thani. Bus number unknown. Bus type UD non aircon metro bus.

38. This is an image of another route 2 bus. Taken while passing though the innercity of Udon Thani. Bus number 2 – 23. Bus type UD/Hino non aircon metro bus.

39. This is a shot of a Route 15 truck bus. Taken while passing through the suburban area of Udon Thani. Truck number 15 – 42 . Truck type unknown.

40. This is a shot of another route 2 bus. Taken whole passing through the suburban area of Udon Thani. Bus number 2 – 3. Bus type unknown.

41. This is a shot of a Route 1371 truck bus. Taken in the eastern suburbs of Udon Thani as it was heading into town. Truck number 1371 – 41. Truck type Isuzu.

42. This is a shot of a Route 2 truck bus. Taken in the eastern suburbs of Udon Thani as it was heading into town. Truck number 2 – 20. Truck type Isuzu.

43. This is another shot of a Route 2 bus. Taken in the eastern suburbs of Udon Thani as it was heading toward the new bus terminal. Bus number 2 – 4. Bus type Merc non aircon metro bus.

44. This is an inside shot of a Route 2 bus. Taken looking towards the front of the bus. Note the condition of the bus.

45. This is an inside shot of the drivers seat on a Route 2 bus. Note the condition of it and the location of the engine at the front of the bus. All Thai buses have some kind of Buddha image or royal image inside them.

46. This is a short movie of a ride on a Route 2 bus through the streets of Udon Thani. Note the sounds of the engine and the condition of the non aircon bus.

This last section of the topic is devoted to the new Udon Thani bus terminal in the north western suburbs of Udon Thani. This bus terminal serves routes towards northern Thailand such as Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. As well as Loei area. Compared to the main terminal the new one is very quite despite its larger size.

47. This is a general view of the bus departure and waiting area at the new bus terminal. This terminal is lot more spacious than the main terminal in the city centre.

48. This is another general view of the new bus terminal with a number of buses waiting to depart. Taken looking south towards the main road.

49. This is a shot of a Route 515: Udon Thani – So Phisai – Bueng Kan bus. Taken as it waits to depart from the new bus terminal. Bus number 515 – 3. Bus type Merc non aircon intercity.

50. This is an inside shot of the bus 515 – 3. Note the horrible 2 + 3 seating layout. Not so good if you are larger than a slim Thai guy.

51. This is an inside shot of the drivers seat area of bus 515 – 3. Note the condition of it also the engine on this bus is located at the front next to the driver.

52. This is a shot of a Route 220: Udon Thani - Loei bus. Taken as it lays over at the new bus terminal. Bus number 220 – 6. Bus type Merc non aircon intercity.

53. This is an image of a Route 220: Udon Thani – Loei bus. Taken as it waits to depart from the new bus terminal. Bus number 220 – 4. Bus type Unknown 2nd class aircon intercity.

54. This is a shot of two VIP buses waiting to depart from the new bus terminal in Udon Thani. The bus on the left is a Route 636: Udon Thani – Chiang Mai bus. Sometimes VIP buses are not 1 + 2 layout but extra legroom 2 + 2 layout. So check before booking.

55. This is a shot of a Route 6: New Bus Terminal – Rang Si Ma truck bus. Taken while it lays over at the new bus terminal. Truck number 6 – 26. Truck type Isuzu.

56. This is a shot of two Route 224: Udon Thani – Nakhon Phanom buses. Taken while they are laying over at the new bus terminal. Bus numbers 224 – 8 and 224 – 21.

57. This is another angle on bus 224 – 21. Taken while it was laying over at the new bus terminal. Bus type unknown.

58. This is a shot of a couple of Route 2 metro buses laying over at the new bus terminal. In the background is a 2nd class aircon bus that is from the central region and is likely to have be purchased by a bus company in Udon Thani for one of there routes.

59. This is a shot of a Route 661: Chiang Rai – Nakhon Phanom bus. Taken while it was laying over at the new bus terminal in Udon Thani. Bus number 661 – 4. Bus type Merc 2nd class aircon intercity.

60. This is an image of a Route 636: Udon Thani – Chiang Mai bus. Taken while it was in the bus holding area undergoing repairs. Bus number 636 – 1. Bus type Scania Double deck aircon VIP intercity.

61. This is a shot of a Route 221: Udon Thani – Nong Khai bus. Taken as it was arriving at the new bus terminal. Bus number 221 – 3. Bus type unknown aircon 2nd class intercity.

I hope you enjoyed the images and information on Udon Thani's mass transit system. If you have any comments or questions about this topic please post some comments below.

The Mass Transit of Vientiane Laos.

2010-02-08T22:25:00.004+07:00

Right from the start. I had always allowed for topics on mass transport from other South East Asian countries. But until recently I never had the chance to document the mass transport in other South East Asian countries. This is mostly due to not having a suitable camera while visiting other countries or not enough time to actually go out and get photos in other countries. Now I have the chance to put the transport of Vientiane Laos under the microscope.

Background Information on Vientiane and Laos.

Laos is a small totally landlocked country bordered by Thailand, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma. It has a land area equivalent in size to the state of Victoria in Australia. Laos is mostly made up of mountainous land with a narrow fertile lowland area along the Mekong river. It is also one of the least densely populated South East Asian countries with a population of approximately 6 million. The people of Laos mostly live in rural areas and make a living from agriculture. It is estimated that only 10% of Lao people live in urban areas.

Culturally Laos is very similar to the Isarn (North East) area of Thailand. It is so similar in fact that people from both areas speak the same local language but Thailand's Isarn people cannot read or write Laos written language. Religion wise Laos is a strongly Buddhist country and obverses a very similar style of Buddhism to Thailand. The majority of Lao people cannot speak even basic English and the Lao language is a difficult to learn tonal language similar to Thai that is only used in Laos and north eastern Thailand.

Vientiane is the capital city of Laos but is one of the worlds smallest capital cities with a population of about 200,000 people. Vientiane has only one very small and recently built shopping centre. There are no major supermarkets or western style fast food outlets in Vientiane. Almost all packaged food and household items are imported either from Thailand or China which are Laos major trading partners. Most people do there shopping at local “wet markets” and small privately run minimarts around Vientiane.

The urban layout of the city is totally mixed land use with no real city centre but is extremely low density for a major capital city in Asia with most buildings less than 5 stories tall. The standard of living in Laos is considerably lower than Thailand. Therefore making it not viable for large shopping malls and condo towers to be built in Vientiane at this stage. The rural areas are even worse off financially with large numbers of people living on less than US$5 a day.

Laos past has a lot to do with its current situation. During the 1960 and 1970's Laos was one of the most heavily bombed countries in the world as it was regularly a battle ground for side battles in the Vietnam war. This has left a long legacy of unexploded bombs and stifled economic growth right up until the early 1990s. Today Laos is run by a stable communist government which is very slowly trying to adopt the Chinese model of socialism and economic growth. But its small population and very limited infrastructure makes it hard to compete with Vietnam and Thailand economically.

The people of Laos are some of the friendliest in world. The country popular with Eco tourists and backpackers due to its untouched rural areas and low living costs. The other main source of tourism comes from people obtaining visas for Thailand in Vientiane and Thai people who cross over the Mekong river for cheap fresh food and Beer Lao. Beer Lao is known throughout South East Asia as on of the best beers.

The mass transport system in Vientiane is a 100% bus operated system. The buses come in two types “full size rigid” and “Mini buses”. The buses are all operated by the government. In addition to the government buses is a network of privately owned small mass transit truck – buses. The other form of mass transit in Vientiane are Motorised taxi trike's and Korean made aircon taxi vans. The fares for vans and trikes are by negotiation as there are no taxi meters in Laos.

This process can be complicated as 3 different currencies are used in Vientiane at the same time. These are US dollar, Thai Baht and Lao Kip. The Lao Kip comes in units of 1000. This means a short motor taxi trike ride would be 10,000 to 20,000 kip (40 to 80 Baht) (1.20 to 2.40 USD).

The aircon Korean van taxis which can be rented anywhere around Vientiane and from the immigration checkpoint at the Thai – Lao friendship bridge 25 km outside Vientiane. They cost between 300 and 600 baht for half a days use including any waiting time.

If your heading to Vientiane Laos from Thailand I recommend using this van taxi service.

Mr Teng's Minibus and taxi service: Phone 020 649 4973 (inside Laos) +856 20 649 4973 (outside Laos) Note the staff only speak (Lao/Issarn) Languages.

Now its onto the photographs from Vientiane Laos. Unlike in past topics the 1st section of this topic will show some street view and interesting local sites before going into the mass transit photos.

1. This is a view of the street outside the hotel. Taken looking north. The pink building is the hotel. All over Laos one will see the yellow signs of the Beer Lao company.

2. This is a shot of the Mekong river front just around the corner from the hotel. The Vientiane government is filling in a huge section of the river with sand to build a river front park and some 5 star hotels. In the background is Nong Khai province Thailand.

3. This is a close up of some of the equipment used in the land filling works. All day long trucks bring in sand to build up the land.

4. This is a close up of a sand pump used to help move wet sand to a higher level. All I can say is that this construction work is creating a lot if disruption to the few km long river front area.

5. This is a shot of a typical street in the centre of Vientiane. At the entrance to this soi there are larger shophouse style building followed by standalone houses with small gardens.

6. This is a general view of the river front road looking west. In the background is the river and the land filling works. All along the river front are small roadside restaurants that serve local Lao food and drinks.

7. This is a general view of a larger more commercial street in central Vientiane. This street has a number of hotels and restaurants. Most of the restaurants appear to close between 2 and 6pm which is unusual compared to Thailand where they are open all day.

8. This is a shot of the ornate entry gate to a typical Lao temple with a new hotel in the background. It shows the changes that are under way in Vientiane as it becomes more popular with tourists.

9. This is a shot of the drum tower and Lao style Buddha image with 6 Naga outside the main temple building in central Vientiane.

10. This is a shot of the main temple building of a temple in central Vientiane. In the foreground are Buddhist monks. Note the ornate detail on the front of the temple building.

11. This is a shot of another temple near the Doi Chan palace hotel. Note the detailed Buddhist images painted on the outside of the building.

12. This is a close up shot of the detailed Buddhist artwork painted on the outside of the temple building. On the steps are 5 Lao guys taking a mid morning nap. One thing that is different to Thailand is that most of the Buddhist temples in Vientiane appear to lock up the main building of the temple.

Now onto the Mass transit photograph of Vientiane Laos. Unlike in the other Thai topics I will not be able to give detailed information regarding destinations of buses due to Lao written script being different to Thai script.

13. This is a shot of an old Hino metro bus. Taken as it was heading east along a main road in Vientiane. This bus appears to operate on a longer distance service. Not the poor condition of the bus.

14. This is shot of town service “truck – buses” laying over after the morning peak. These are truck buses are either based on small Korean or Japanese pick up trucks that are converted into mass transit buses.

15. This is a shot of a Thai style tuk tuk used as a town truck – bus service. It is noticeable that most mass transit in Laos tend to be stuffed full. This is partly due to much lower service frequency than in Thailand.

16. This is an image of a modified Mitsubishi Rosa on a intercity service. Taken looking west along a street in Vientiane. Note the 3 piece windscreen. It seems to have been rebuilt at some point after an accident.

17. This is a brand new Aircon Chinese intercity bus. This bus is used as a tour bus for group tours around Vientiane. Taken outside of the Laos national museum. Bus type high floor Seikwang.

18. This is a shot of a town service “truck bus” stuffed full on a trip to the outer suburbs of Vientiane. Taken in front of major government building.

19. This is a shot of a couple of buses passing each other on a major street in Vientiane. The bus in the background is an old Hino. The foreground is most likely a Mitsubishi Rosa.

20. This is a shot of bus number 030 taken as it heads east along a major street in Vientiane. This bus appears to operating on route 19. Note the ladder and roof storage rack. These roof racks are very common on Vientiane buses.

21. This is a shot of bus number 056 taken as it waits to depart the Vientiane bus terminal on a route 32 service. Bus type Mitsubishi Rosa.

22. This is an image of an older Toyota coaster taken as it waits to depart the Vientiane bus terminal. This bus is non aircon appears to operate on an intercity service.

23. This is an image of a strange small bus taken as it was departing the Vientiane bus terminal. As it appears fairly clean id say it is used on a town service. Make unknown.

24. This is a shot of bus number 009 taken as it waits to depart Vientiane bus terminal on a route 52 service. Bus type Hino non aircon.

25. This is a shot of bus number 002 taken as it waits to depart Vientiane bus terminal of a Route 6 service. Bus type Hino non aircon.

26. This is a shot of bus number 015 taken as it was leaving the bus terminal on an intercity service. Bus type Hino non aircon.

27. This is an inside shot of a Hino bus. Taken looking towards the back doors. Note the poor condition of the bus.

28. This is a shot of the drivers seat on the old hino bus. Note the condition of the bus. Also these Hino buses have the engine at the front next to the front doors and the driver.

29. This is a shot of bus 023 taken as it was waiting to depart Vientiane bus terminal. Bus type Hino.

30. This is a shot of bus 047 taken as it was leaving the bus terminal. Bus type non aircon Mitsubishi Rosa.

31. This is an image of the Thai – Lao international bus. This bus is used on the cross border bus service between Vientiane and Nong Khai in Thailand. Bus type Hyundai aircon. This service is one of only a few that operate with aircon buses in Laos.

32. This is a shot of a Vientiane – Vangvieng intercity bus. Taken as it waits to depart Vientiane bus terminal. Bus type Hyundai FB500 non aircon.

33. This is another angle on the Vientiane – Vangvieng intercity bus. Taken as it waits to depart the bus terminal.

34. This is an inside shot of the Hyundai FB500 non aircon bus. Note the condition of the bus.

35. This is a general view of a group of Hyundai and Hino intercity buses waiting at Vientiane Bus terminal.

36. This is a shot of a Vientiane – Vangvieng – Kasi intercity bus. Taken as it waits to depart the bus terminal. Bus type Hyundai FB500 non aircon bus.

37. This is an image of two buses waiting to depart Vientiane bus terminal. The bus on the left is a MMC non aircon. The windscreen is made up of 6 sections of glass.

38. This is a general view showing a group of Hino and Hyundai buses waiting at Vientiane bus terminal.

39. This is a shot of a modified Mitsubishi Rosa waiting to depart from the bus terminal on an unknown route.

40. This is a shot of a Route 33 bus waiting to depart from Vientiane bus terminal. Bus type Nissan non aircon.

41. This is a shot of route 20 and route 52 passing each other at the back of the Vientiane bus terminal. The route 20 bus is a Mitsubishi Rosa the route 52 bus is a Toyota coaster.

42. This is a general view of the bus departure area at Vientiane bus terminal. Each platform is numbered with a Roman numeral and a list of bus services and there timetable is provided in lao script.

43. This is an image of bus 076 waiting to depart on a route 23. Bus type Nissan non aircon.

44. This is a general view of a group of Hino buses waiting at Vientiane bus terminal.

45. This is an inside shot of a non aircon Nissan bus. Note the extra rails on roof for standing passengers.

46. This is an inside shot of a non aircon Nissan bus. Showing the drivers seat and the extra bench seats placed on the engine.

47. This is a shot of a passenger waiting for a bus who was repacking his fish that had spilled all over the bus waiting area.

48. This is a another shot of the Thai – Lao international bus. Bus type aircon Hyundai. To the left of the bus are luggage trolleys and there operators.

49. This is an inside shot of the Thai – Lao international bus. Note the dark curtains that are an attempt to keep the inside cool as the aircon is crap on this bus.

50. This is a shot of the drivers seat on the Thai – Lao international bus. Out of all the Lao buses this is the best condition drivers seat.

51. This is a shot of the bus timetable and route information on the wall of the main terminal building. This applies to interurban and outer suburban bus routes around Vientiane city. These routes operate either every 10 to 15 minutes or every 20 to 30 minutes during daytime only.

52. This is a shot of the map of the Laos intercity bus system it is above the route and timetable information on the wall of the main terminal building.

53. This is a shot of the bus timetable and route information on the wall of the main terminal building. This applies to long distance intercity buses most are very infrequent.

54. This is an image of the Bus stop timetable for the Vientiane Bus terminal to Airport bus service. It runs every 20 to 40 minutes throughout the day. All the bus stops have these signs. How timely the buses are is big question? All of the above timetable information appears to have been put up in 1999 and not updated since so its possible some routes may operate more frequently.

55. This is an image of a Motor taxi trike. Taken as it waits for customers outside a hotel in the riverside area of Vientiane City. These are very similar to Thai tuk tuks but have longitudinal seating in the back rather than one large seat.

56. This is a short movie of a motor taxi trike ride along the riverside road in Vientiane City. Note how the traffic travel on the opposite side of the road to Thailand at least most of the time. A good view of morning street life can be seen including quite a lot of foreign visitors.

I hope you enjoyed the images and information on Vientiane City Laos. If you have any comments or questions about this topic please post some comments below.

The state of the Mahachai Line and Bang Bon "Track Lake".

2009-11-09T18:33:00.002+07:00

Approximately 2 weeks ago I went to photograph the massive track lake on the Mahachai line in the Bang Bon area of Bangkok. This track lake exists from May to November each year due to heavy rainfall during the rainy season. However its existence is more to do with poor track maintenance by SRT as other sections of the line get small track lakes from time to time.

The Mahachai line is the 2nd busiest of the commuter lines around Bangkok and is an important time saver especially at peak times where it can save you up to 60 minutes off a trip from Mahachai to inner Thonburi.

In other parts of the world such a track lake would stop train services from operating and would be repaired quickly but in Thailand they just keep the system running regardless of the track lake. It is one of many signs that the Mahachai line needs a massive upgrade just to keep up with peak hour demands. Which today it cannot handle properly with most trains packed in like sardines from Bang Bon to Wong Wien Yai in the mornings and afternoons.

Now onto the pictures of the track lake. All of these pictures where taken from near a level crossing on the Wong Wien Yai side of Bang Bon Station.

1. This is a shot of the Bang Bon track lake. Taken looking east along the line. The size of the track lake varies with the amount of rain. If it had been raining for days the lake can be up to 500 meters long.

2. This is a close up shot of the track lake. At this time it was around 100 metes long. Note the quality of the track before and after the track lake.

3. This is a shot of DMU number 1207 taken as it was approaching the track lake. Train type: NKF built in Japan in 1985. Note the failed carriage doors on the rear carriage.

4. This is a shot of DMU 1207 just after it had passed through the track lake at Bang Bon. Note how the water is now greatly disturbed.

5. This is a movie of DMU 1207 passing through the track lake on a service to Wong Wien Yai. Note how much vertical movement there is as the train passes through the track lake. Trains normally slow down to around 10kph when passing through the lake. Although some lazy drivers have been known to go through much faster resulting in water spray going everywhere.

6. This is another wider angle of DMU 1207 after it had passed through the track lake. This track lake appears to be a low point in the Bang Bon area as a lot of water flows to this area from the south.

7. This is another close up shot of the track lake. Note how the rails just disappear into the water. These rails are immersed in water 24 hours a day for about 6 months of the year. I'm sure this is helping to weakening the rails through constant corrosion.

8.This is a shot of the concrete road way next to the track in this area. Just like the railway this road often is underwater. But it does help to show the northward flow of water from the track lake across the road. If the entire road is under water then the track lake cannot drain and the lake gets larger normally all the way back to the level crossing.

9. This is a general view shot of the area near the track lake. Note the modern 4 story apartment building facing the railway. This shot is taken looking east from near the level crossing.

10. In addition to the track lake the Mahachai line has number of broken rails often near level crossings such as this one near Bang Bon station. This crossing is typical of level crossings on the Mahachai line.

This section of the post is to ask for some feedback about ideas for future trips around Thailand.

The next trip I will do for photographing will be when the new Airport link railway opens in 2010. However between now and then I need some ideas of what types of things people really want to see transport wise from around Thailand.

So I ask you all to provide some feedback on these questions so as to help me make better posts for future topics on transport in Thailand.

1. What type of vehicles do you want to see more of on the website?

2. Is the location of the images important or just the vehicles? E.g. is it worth going to remote rural areas to take pictures of trains just for the nice background scenery.

3. Do any previously visited areas need to be revisited in the future either to take better pictures or to see what's changed? Is this a good idea at this time?

4. Any other tips or ideas will be very much appreciated at this time to help me make the site better.

Please post these comments below this post or email them to me via my email address in my blog profile at the top of the main page.

I hope you have enjoyed the pictures and stories from around Thailand so far and depending on peoples comments many more photographs and stories could be told.

SRT: Southern line the second attempt.

2009-11-09T18:17:00.003+07:00

In mid October 2009 I decided to attempt to photograph the southern line and its branch lines after the terrible trip to Hat Yai in January 2009. Things hopefully would go much better this time. But unfortunately things quickly went pear shaped starting right from the 1st day.

This trip occurred less than a week after a major accident on the southern line. This accident destroyed 3 carriages and killed 10 people. As a result the carriage I was meant to ride in, known as the “JR sleeper” was unavailable. After arriving at Thung Song station about 90 minutes late it was quickly found that SRT staff were being very unfriendly to everyone making it rather hard to photograph anything without people giving you hassles. In addition to the rude staff the weather was not great at Thung Song with frequent heavy rain showers.

The next day I decided to travel on to Chumphon about 5 hours north of Thung Song. This was not the original plan but as every branch line train was running 180 minutes or more down. This later was related to the start of a major strike action by train drivers and workshop staff over safety issues on the southern line. The staff involved in this strike showed total disregard for the passengers and cargo customers that has left a really bad taste in the mouths of many people in southern Thailand.

On the trip to Chumphon the loco broke down 5 times and delayed the 5 hour trip by over 3 hours by the time it got to Chumphon. The loco was an Alsthrom with the number 4211. This was the last time I took SRT trains during my trip in southern Thailand. After arriving in Chumphon that night all trains on the southern line where cancelled and for the next 7 days there where no trains of any kind except for one cargo train that was transporting army trucks, tanks and troops to Yala in the deep south to fight the rising insurgency in that area.

As a result of all this mess my second attempt at photographing the southern lines was cancelled and only a few photographs where taken in the end as the trip became a relaxing beach holiday at Chumphon. There will be no further attempts at photographing trains in southern Thailand

Thung Song station 757.08 km from Bangkok.

1. This is a general view of Thung Song station. Taken looking south along the platforms. To the left of the image is a large workshop and cargo yard. It was still raining a bit at the time this picture was taken.

2. This is a shot of the signal control panel inside the signal box at Thung song junction. Note the poor condition of the signal panel unlike at other locations most of the labels cannot be read as they have worn away over time. This is yet another sign of the maintenance problems within SRT.

3. This is a shot looking toward the loco repair workshop at Thung Song junction. In the foreground are some container flat wagons. Again the weather was rainy.

4. This is a shot looking south along the platform at Thung Song junction. In the background is a cement train waiting for a loco to take it to Bangkok later in the day. The water is pouring from the roof of the station.

5. This is an image of SRT loco 4209 approaching Thung Song Junction. This train is bound for Kantang another 2 hours a way but this train was over 4 hours late and should already be making its way back to Bangkok.

6. This is another angle on SRT loco 4209 taken as it was arriving into platform 1 at Thung Song Junction. Loco type Alsthom AHK built in 1980. The rain had finally stopped at this point.

7. This is a shot of the Kantang train as it waits for departure from Thung Song Junction. The staff member in the foreground is refilling the water tank on the 2nd class aircon sleeper carriage at the rear of the train.

8. This is a shot of Shunter 75. Taken looking south from within the yard. This type of Shunter is also used at Hualamphong station in Bangkok for moving passenger carriages around.

9. This is another angle on Shunter 75. Taken from within in the rail yard. If I recall these Shunters are of German origin.

10. This is an inside shot of the locomotive workshop at Thung Song Junction. Compared to other SRT workshops this one is quite clean. The locos in the background are GEK (General Electric) These date back over 50 years and are really due for replacement with something modern. The blue tiger locomotive that is used in Malaysia would be a good replacement for them.

11. This is an inside shot of the second class aircon carriage that I rode from Bangkok to Thung Song. This carriage is not the one I was meant to ride in but due to the accident a week before my trip where the JR carriage was destroyed to the annoyance of quite a few other local passengers.

Chumphon 468.53 km from Bangkok.

This next section of images where taken in and around Chumphon. There are no rail images in this section due to the major strike that cancelled all southern line train services. However there are some interesting shots of local mass transport in the Chumphon area.

Chumphon is the gateway to Ko Tao island which is popular with divers and people looking for a relaxing beach holiday. Chumphon is located about 15 km from the sea and acts mainly as a regional centre for the local farming and fishing industries.

If you are heading to Ko Tao , Ko Phangan or Ko Samui the most comfortable way is to travel via Chumphon. There are 3 Boat companies offering at least one return trip daily to each of the 3 islands.

The Timetable for Chumphon to Ko Tao, Ko Phangan and Ko Samui:

Depart Chumphon Arrive Ko Tao Ko Phangan Ko Samui Company
07.00 08.45 10.45 11.20 Lomprayah
07.00 09.30 11.00 11.30 Seatran
07.00 10.00 11.30 12.45 Songserm
13.00 14.45 16.10 16.40 Lomprayah
24.00 06.00 -- -- Night Boat

The Timetable for Ko Samui, Ko Phangan and Ko Tao to Chumphon:

Depart Ko Samui Arrive Ko Phangan Ko Tao Chumphon Company
08.00 08.20 09.45 11.45 Lomprayah
11.00 12.00 13.45 17.30 Songserm
12.30 12.50 14.15 16.15 Lomprayah
13.30 14.00 16.00 18.00 Seatran
-- -- 22.00 03.00 Night Boat

Lomprayah and Seatran both operate (2+2 seating 1st class aircon) Buses from Chumphon to Bangkok on a daily basis. But for a more comfortable bus ride try Patcharapon Tour who operate (1+2 seating) VIP double deck aircon buses 2 times a day 11.30am and 9.30pm with the trip taking around 7 hours to reach Bangkok. The cost is 400 baht per person per trip.

For more information contact the boat companies directly on the following numbers:

Lomprayah: 077570085 or 0819565644
Seatran: 077246086 – 8
Songserm: 077 506 205
Night Boat: 077 580 030
Patcharapon Tour (VIP bus): 077 502929 or 077 503666

Now onto the pictures from Chumphon.

12. This is a general view of Chumphon town taken looking west from the top of Morakot hotel in the centre of Chumphon. Note the building density of this town. This is fairly typical for most rural towns in Thailand to be built up in a compact urban layout.

13. This is a night time view of Chumphon town taken looking east from the top of Morakot hotel in Chumphon. The dark area in the middle of the image are the roofs of shophouses.

14. This is a shot of a Chumphon – Surat Thani Van service. Van number 474 – 05. Taken at the back of the Chumphon clothing market. Throughout southern Thailand a lot of short distance intercity routes are operated with 15 seat vans like this one.

15. This is a shot of the Route 474 Van terminal next to the Chumphon clothing market. In the background a local Chumphon taxi that was converted from a small pick up truck.

16. This is a shot of a Route 1785: Chumphon – Hat Sai Ree Truck bus. Taken looking west outside the Chumphon city council offices.

17. This is another angle on the Route 1785 truck bus. Truck bus number 1785 – 6. Unlike most other truck buses in Thailand this one has a wooden body placed onto an old Hino truck chassis.

18. This is an inside shot of the Truck – Bus 1785 – 6. Taken from the rear looking forward. Note how everything is made from wood even down to the grab rails on the roof.

19. This is a shot of the drivers seat area on Truck – Bus 1785 – 6. It is very basic no doors and most of the dials no longer work but these trucks only get up to about 60kph and stop at every waving hand along the road as these routes are all hail and ride with very few proper bus stops.

20. This is a short movie of a ride on a route 1785 truck bus along the coast from Paknam Chumphon to Pharadonpab Beach. Take note of the narrow concrete coast road and the nice tree lined seashore. Also another truck bus passes by heading towards Chumphon. This area has a very laid back lifestyle. The loading on this truck bus service is generally very light off peak.

21. This is an image of a route 1785 truck bus approaching the terminal at Hat Sai Ree. This beach is located very close to the famous Prince Chumphon Shrine. Hat Sai Ree beach is very quite most of the time and is mainly used by Chumphon locals for an evening meal of a weekend.

22. This is shot of the route 1785 truck bus that I took to head back to Chumphon from Hat Sai Ree after a few hours of relaxing on the beach. This was the same truck – bus as the one I took to the beach earlier in the day. Taken looking south along the beach front road.

23. This is a short movie of a ride on a route 1785 truck bus filmed as it travelled from Hat Sai Ree toward Chumphon. The road was undergoing an upgrade at this time so in some places the road is in poor condition. Unlike on the way to the beach I sat in the back to get a different view for filming. Once the truck got to Paknam Chumphon it filled up more.

24. This is a shot of a beach near Chumphon town one of the many beaches I spent an afternoon on. Most of these beaches are accessible by mass transport but only during daylight hours as most don't have bus services after 7pm at night due to low demand.

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: Khok Salung and Pasak Chonlasit Dam.

2009-08-18T19:26:00.006+07:00

Last weekend I went on a rail photographing trip to Khok Salung north of Bangkok. This location is the only place in the whole of Thailand where a photograph of a train can be taken with water as a backdrop.

A little background on Khok Salung.

Khok Salung is located 176.55km from Bangkok on the Bua Yai – Kaeng Khoi line. The station and railway track is elevated about 10 meters above street level at Khok Salung. This is the only SRT station that is elevated. The station at Khok Salung was built in 1999 after the former route was lost to the rising water of the recently completed Pasak Chonlasit Dam.

Prior to 1999 there was no rail service to Khok Salung. The entire town of Khok Salung is below the water level of the lake and is enclosed on almost all sides by 10 meter high earth and rock embankments. The railway has to cross the lake of Pasak Chonlasit Dam in 5 locations on huge concrete rail bridges that stretch for a total length of 18.1km. Some of the these rail bridges are built as wide curves this makes the rail bridges one of a kind in Thailand as all other rail bridges in Thailand are straight.

The bridges are simple in design, consisting of hundreds of support columns and a flat concrete bridge deck on which a ballasted single railway track is laid. The rails are not bolted directly to the bridge deck as is common in many other parts of the world. The signal system for this new section of railway via Khok Salung was recycled from the old line thus this new section of railway has full semaphore signalling rather than computer controlled signalling as is the case on all new lines.

However the Bua Yai – Kaeng Khoi line is a fairly recently built line by SRT standards opening in 3 stages between 1956 and 1967. The line was built to allow faster cargo train access to Issan. Through the bypassing of a very steep 50 km long 1 in 24 grade on the main line to Korat. That even today still requires cargo trains to be split in half so they can get up the grade on the Korat line. Using the Bua Yai line greatly reduces the grades removing the need for train splitting.

In terms of passenger train movements the Bua Yai – Kaeng Khoi line is rather under used and has one of the lowest densities of population for any railway in Thailand. Most passenger trains on this line are in the form of DMU's rather than loco hauled trains. This means daytime train variety is some what limited and on weekends there are no daytime cargo trains.

Train Timetable at Khok Salung station.

Outbound trains.
ORD 433: 6.20am to Bua Yai Junction.
EXP 75: 11.16am to Udon Thani.
ORD 439: 12.39pm to Bua Yai Junction.
ORD 437: 5.52pm to Lam Narai.

Inbound trains.
ORD 438: 6.40am to Kaeng Khoi Junction.
ORD 440: 9.39am to Kaeng Khoi Junction.
EXP 76: 1.52pm to Bangkok.
ORD 434: 4.44pm to Kaeng Khoi Junction.

It takes about 3 hours to reach Bangkok from Khok Salung. However delays are common and the trip can end up being over 4 hours long. All of the ORD trains require you to change at Kaeng Khoi to another train to reach Bangkok. These rural commuter trains (ORD) get fairly good patronage on weekdays but are very light on weekends.

Now onto the photographs from Khok Salung and Pasak Chonlasit Dam.

Khok Salung 176.55km between 6am and 2.30pm.

1. This is a shot of the signal box at the southern end of Khok Salung station. Unlike a lot of other signal boxes on this line it is not part of the main station building.

2. This is a general view shot of the main station building at Khok Salung station. Taken looking north along the single platform. As per almost all other SRT station Khok Salung has well kept station gardens.

3. This is a general view of the northern end of Khok Salung station. In the background is the lake and the mountains.

4. This is a general view of Khok Salung town. The town area is fairly tightly packed in but is made up of free standing homes. The town is about 10 meters below the station due to the wall around the lake.

5. This is another angle on Khok Salung station. This time taken looking south from the northern end of the platform. Compared to other stations on the Bua Yai line this station is fairly modern.

6. This is a shot of the station timetable at Khok Salung. This timetable is for inbound trains.

7. This is a shot of the station timetable at Khok Salung. This timetable is for outbound trains.

8. This is a shot of the working timetable for both passenger and cargo trains inside the station office at Khok Salung station. It has had a few alterations recently as some of the times have been roughly painted over.

9. This is a shot of the signal control system inside the station office at Khok Salung. There is one machine for each direction. They are connected to the next station via telephone cables that run along the tracks. They are made by Westinghouse Brake and Signal but where produced in a factory in Calcutta. These machines date back to the days of British India.

10. This is an image of the numerous signal and point levers inside the signal box at the southern end of Khok Salung station.

11. This is a close up shot of the signal levers. Each lever controls an individual signal that are located north and south of the station. They are connected by steel wires to the signals and points.

12. This is another angle on the signal and point leavers inside the signal box at Khok Salung station.

13. This is an image of the signal diagram inside the signal box at Khok Salung stations. It shows the position and status of each signal that is controlled by the signal box.

14. This is a general view of the curved concrete rail bridge at the northern end of Khok Salung station. During the rainy season the water can be up to the grass area. This image was taken looking north at about 6am in the morning.

15. This is a shot of the 6.20am Bua Yai rural commuter train. Taken as it was crossing the curved rail bridge at Khok Salung. Train type RH DMU. Note the black smoke pouring out of it as it powers up.

16. This is another angle on the 6.20am Bua Yai train. Taken as it was passing the signal post on the bridge. Note: these DMUs where built between 1967 and 1971 in Japan and today are the oldest in service DMUs with SRT.

17. This is a shot of the 6.40am Kaeng Khoi rural commuter train crossing the curved rail bridge at Khok Salung. This shot was taken from on top of the embankment with a great amount of zoom.

18. This is another angle on the 6.40am Kaeng Khoi train. Taken as it was passing the signal post on the bridge. The signals in the background are set for this train.

19. This is another angle on the 6.40am Kaeng Khoi train. Taken as it was almost across the curved rail bridge. Train type RH DMU. DMU number 1013. Note the red cloth tied to the outside of the drivers cab.

20. This is a shot of DMU 1013 on approach to Khok Salung station. Taken looking south west over the town from the top of the embankment.

21. This is a shot of the 9.39am rural commuter train to Kaeng Khoi. Taken from the lower grass area near the curved bridge at the northern end of Khok Salung station. In the foreground people can be seen fishing.

22. This is a wider angle shot of the 9.39am Kaeng Khoi train. Taken from the edge of the lower embankment looking west. Train type RH DMU.

23. This is a short movie of the 9.39am train to Kaeng Khoi. Filmed as it was approaching Khok Salung station. Train type RH DMU made in Japan in the late 1960s and today are the oldest remaining DMUs still in service with SRT. Note the sounds of the engines as the train passes by.

24. This is a close up image of the outbound semaphore signal mast on the curved rail bridge. Taken from on the bridge looking north. This signal is connected by wires back to the signal box about 500 meters away. The speed for DMUs in this section is 120 kph and Loco hauled 90 kph which is the system maximum.

25. This is a close up shot of the inbound signal on the curved rail bridge. Taken from on the bridge looking south. This signal has two separate signals on the same mast. The speed for all trains in this direction is 105 kph if running express and 30 kph if stopping or using the loop at Khok Salung station.

26. This is a general view of the top of the curved rail bridge. Taken looking north west along the bridge. Note the ballasted track on this bridge and the signal and phone cables attached to the west side of the bridge.

27. This is a shot of the inbound distant signal. Taken from the bridge looking north west. This signal acts as an advanced warning that the next signal will be at stop. Thus giving the train driver a chance to slow down.

28. This is an image of the 11.16am Udon Thani Express train. Taken as it was starting to cross the curved rail bridge at Khok Salung. Train type DMU THN with Tokyu aircon carriages in the middle.

29. This is another angle of the 11.16am Udon Thani train. Taken as it was crossing the curved rail bridge at Khok Salung. The mountains can be clearly seen in the background. The aircon on this train is not very good and is often out of order leading to very stuffy carriages.

30. This is a shot of a local herding cows across the railway and down into a wooded area near the railway. This is a reminder of the very rural nature of the area.

31. This is an image of the 12.38pm Bua Yai rural commuter train. Taken from the rail bridge as it was about to cross the bridge. Train type RH DMU. Train number 1018.

32. This is a closer image of the 12.38pm Bua Yai train. Taken on top of the rail bridge just as it was about to pass by.

33. This is a short movie of the 12.38pm Bua Yai train. Filmed from on top of the bridge as it was crossing the bridge on its way to Bua Yai. Note the sound of the signal changing in the background and the trains engine.

34. This is a very wide angle shot of the 1.52pm Bangkok express train. Taken looking east from the embankment. Note how the sky and water appear to join in the background. Train type THN DMU with a Tokyu aircon carrage.

35. This is a another wide angle shot of the 1.52pm Bangkok train. Taken as it was crossing the curved rail bridge.

36. This is another shot of the 1.52pm Bangkok train. Taken as it was passing over the level crossing on approach to Khok Salung station. In the foreground the pumping station used to stop rain water from completely filling up the town of Khok Salung as it is below the lake level.

37. This is a short movie of the 1.52pm Bangkok train. Filmed looking east as it was passing over the curved rail bridge. The second half of the video is of better quality than the 1st so please skip to about 20 seconds. Note the sounds of the engine as the train approaches.

If you would like to see more images from this area please also visit this topic.

SRT: Bua Yai Line and Chong Samran.

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 Eastern Line: Kabinburi and Prachantakam.

2009-07-29T18:43:00.009+07:00

Last weekend I went for a rail photographing trip on the eastern line. However this trip was very different to all other rail photographing trips. As I didn't actually ride the train to get to the stations. Instead I went by private car directly from my condo to both of the stations. Although this is a far more costly way of doing these rail photographing trips but it was much more comfortable than spending hours upon hours in 3rd class non aircon trains.

A little background on Kabinburi and the Eastern line.

The railway to Kabinburi opened in 1925. On the 8th august 1926 the line was extended to Aranyaprathet on the Cambodian border. In the1940s the eastern line was further extended across the border and formed the main line between Cambodia and Thailand. The line opened and closed a number of times between Aranyaprathet and Poipet in Cambodia. The closures were mostly related to internal conflict in Cambodia making it very dangerous to operate trains across the border. Since 1994 the cross border section of the eastern line has remained closed despite the border areas being quite safe these days. There are plans to reopen the Cambodian section of the line in 2011 thus allowing cross boarder train services. But it will probably take many more years to reopen.

Kabinburi is located 161.26 km from Hualamphong station in Bangkok. Kabinburi is a rural town that provides support for the farming areas around it. In the past Kabinburi used to provide a larger role in freight operations but today this has long since stopped. Kabinburi station is situated on a curve next to an urban lake in the centre of Kabinburi town. The station is made up of a single platform with a run around loop and a 2 track yard. There used to be a larger yard in the past with a functioning turntable. Today the turntable is inside a local park east of the station and is not connected by rail.

Eight trains a day operate out of Kabinburi station. It is considered the 3rd busiest station on the eastern line outside of Bangkok. The fares for trains on the Eastern line are the lowest per km in the whole of Thailand with an end to end trip coming to a total of 48 baht per person.

Kabinburi Train Timetable:

Depart Kabinburi: 6.30am, 8.23am, 12.25pm, 3.39pm.
Arrive Bangkok: 10.15am, 12.05pm, 4pm, 7.55pm.

Depart Bangkok: 5.55am, 8.00am, 1.05pm, 3.25pm.
Arrive Kabinburi: 9.48am, 11.35am, 4.12pm, 6.20pm

All trains are 3rd class non aircon and stop at almost all stations. In addition to the trains there are 1st class aircon buses operating between 4am and 8.30pm every 40 minutes.

The second station that I visited on the eastern line was Prachantakam. This station is located 137.65km from Hualamphong in Bangkok. Prachantakam station consists of a single platform with a crossing loop. The station is orientated east – west. This station is rather minor and doesn't get a huge amount of use. The crossing loop at Prachantakam station is locked out of use. The local area is very rural and thus is very quiet most of the time. Prachantakam station and loop does not have any signal system installed but instead relies on radios and a system of metal tokens to control the movement of trains on the line.

Now onto the photographs of Kabinburi and Prachantakam. Due to the almost east – west alignment of both stations some pictures may have unusual shadows because of the angle of the sun early and late in the day.

Kabinburi Station 161.26km from Bangkok (between 7.50am – 12.40pm).

1. This is a shot of a water tank wagon and a covered cargo van in the sidings at Kabinburi station. Taken looking south west from the platform. It appears these wagons are no longer used. Cargo trains no longer operate through Kabinburi.

2. This is a general view of Kabinburi station looking west from within the sidings. Note the water tower in the background. Also like a lot of SRT stations there are well kept platform gardens. A number of people are waiting for the next Bangkok train.

3. This is an image of the 8.23am train to Bangkok. Taken looking west from within the yard as it was arriving at Kabinburi station. Train type Hitachi (THN) DMU.

4. This is another angle on the 8.23am train to Bangkok. Taken looking along the platform at Kabinburi station as it loads a number of passengers. Train type Hitachi (THN) DMU.

5. This is a shot of the Hitachi (THN) DMU on the 8.23am train to Bangkok. Taken looking west as it was departing from Kabinburi station. Note the amount of long grass covering the tracks.

6. This is a movie of the departure of the 8.23am train to Bangkok. Note the sounds of the DMU as it passes by. DMU type Hitachi (THN). This type of DMU is very common around thailand. But is rare on the outer section of the eastern line. The grass makes the train appears as its not running on rails.

7. This is a close up image of the actual train timetable at Kabinburi station. The 3rd column are the departure times from Kabinburi. The 4th column are the arrival times in Bangkok.

8. This is a shot of the ticket window and waiting area at Kabinburi station. All the trains on the Eastern line are currently free therefore “free tickets” are handed out instead from this window.

9. This is a shot of the signal control system inside the ticket office at Kabinburi station. There is one machine for each direction and they indicate if there is a train on the track before and after Kabinburi station. This system was installed when the line 1st opened in the 1920's. At some point in the future they might be replaced with a centrally controlled signal system operated by computer.

10. This is an image of the signal levers at Kabinburi. They are located in a small shelter outside on the platform. It appears they control the points and level crossings on both sides of Kabinburi station. Most stations on the the outer section of the eastern line use a simple token system rather than lights or semaphore signals.

11. This is a shot of the signal token holder at the western end of Kabinburi station. A small metal token is placed in a holder on a hoop which is placed on this pole to allow fast exchange with the train driver.

12. This is a shot of the next station sign on the platform at Kabinburi station. Most SRT stations have a sign like this to indicate the distance to the next station in each direction.

13. This is an image of the eastern end of the loop at Kabinburi. Taken from the track looking west. A lot of tracks in this area are very overgrown with thick grass despite regular train movements.

14. This is a shot of the former turntable at Kabinburi station. It is now cut off from the railway and has been turned into a small park. An old SRT steam loco has been placed on top of the turntable bridge.

15. This is another angle on the former turntable at Kabinburi. Taken looking west along the turntable bridge. The make of the steam loco is unknown.

16. This is a general view of the station lake at Kabinburi. Note the nice landscaped area around the lake and the shop houses of Kabinburi in the background.

17. This is an inside shot of the track work trolley storage shed at the western end of Kabinburi station. Like many things on the SRT system it is slowly falling apart but is still in daily use after decades of neglect.

18. This is an outside shot of the track work trolley storage shed at Kabinburi. Taken looking west from the end of the platform. Next to the track is a small path that is used by people on there way to the wet market a few hundred meters from the station.

19. This is a general view of the western end points at Kabinburi station. Taken looking east from the tracks.

20. This is a shot of the unusual level crossing system used through out the eastern line. The barrier on this level crossing lifts up and consists of two heavy steel cables with some metal signs hanging off them. This style of level crossing gate covers both sides of the road and is rather dangerous for motorbike riders due to the risk of decapitation from high speed impact with the cables.

21. This is a shot of a track work trolley in action. Taken from the western end of Kabinburi station. Throughout the SRT system these trolleys see very regular use when there are gaps between trains. They are powered by a small petrol or diesel engine that is connected to the axle of the rear wheels.

22. This is an image of a station officer placing a signal token in the token exchange pole at the eastern end of Kabinburi station. The token is kept in a small pouch at the bottom of the hoop.

23. This is a shot of the 9.48 am Aranyaprathet train. Taken as it was pulling into Kabinburi station. SRT loco number 4210. Loco type Alsthrom. This type of loco is very common around the SRT system as hundreds of them where produced.

24. This is another shot of the 9.48am Aranyaprathet train. Taken looking west from the track side at the eastern end of Kabinburi station. This train is the longest loco hauled train that services Kabinburi.

25. This is a movie of the departure of the 9.48am Aranyaprathet train. Filmed from the eastern end of the platform at Kabinburi station. SRT loco number 4210. Note the sounds of the engine and the horn.

26. This is a general view of the Kabinburi rail yard. Taken looking east towards the former turntable. It appears that in the past there was a much larger rail yard at Kabinburi. It was possible that a small workshop might have existed at Kabinburi in the past.

27. This is a shot of SRT loco 4407 just after it had arrived from Bangkok. Taken looking west along the platform. This train terminates at Kabinburi at 11.35am daily. The loco will run around the train and form the 12.25pm Bangkok train.

28. This is a short movie showing the uncoupling of SRT loco 4407 at Kabinburi station. The loco will run around the train using the loop track. Within seconds the loco is uncoupled and the run around has begun.

29. This is a shot of SRT loco 4407 taken as it was running down the loop track towards the western end of the loop.

30. This is an image of SRT loco 4407 taken as it was about to pass the 3rd class non aircon carriages of the train it was hauling. The loco is actually driven backwards down the loop track. The driver only changes end once it is re coupled to the train.

31. This is a shot of SRT loco 4407 taken as it was approaching the western end of the carriages where it will be re coupled to the train.

32. This is a movie of SRT loco 4407 re coupling to the carriages at the western end of Kabinburi station. Note how they have to try a couple of times to get the carriages to attach to the loco properly.

33. This is a front on shot of SRT loco 4407 taken from the track looking east along the train just after it had been coupled to the train. Note the signal lever wires next to the platform face.

34. This is an image of the 12.25pm Bangkok train. Taken looking north east from within the rail yard. The large tree was very helpful for blocking out the direct sunlight thus allowing me to take a reasonable photo.

35. This is a shot of the 12.25pm Bangkok train as it was powering up on its departure from Kabinburi station. Taken from 400 meters west of Kabinburi looking east.

36. This is a movie of the departure of the 12.25pm Bangkok train from Kabinburi. Filmed as it was powering up towards the level crossing. Also the operation of the cable style level crossing can be seen towards the end of the film.

Prachantakam Station 137.65 km from Bangkok (between 2pm and 4.30pm).

37. This is a shot of the ticket window at Prachantakam station. This station is rather quiet throughout the day. However it gets the same number of trains per day as the much busier Kabinburi station.

38. This is a close up shot of the station timetable at Prachantakam station. The train times in the lower right section of the timetable are the trains that terminate at Kabinburi station 30 minutes down the line.

39. This is an image of the signal control system inside the ticket office at Prachantakam station. There is one machine for each direction and they indicate if there is a train on the track before and after Prachantakam station. All stations in this area that are or were crossing loops have these machines.

40. This is a general view of the eastern end of Prachantakam station. Taken looking east towards the local temple.

41. This is a close up of the next station sign and platform sign at Prachantakam station.

42. This is a shot of the track work trolley storage shed at Prachantakam station. Unlike the one at Kabinburi it is reasonable condition. To get the track work trolleys on to the railway track they have to be rolled out and lifted on to the track. This is heavy work for the staff involved.

43. This is a general view shot of Prachantakam station. This time looking west with a storm approaching from the south. The light at this station was very difficult for photographing due to the mix of dark heavy cloud and light cloud.

44. This is a shot of the eastern end points at Prachantakam station. The loop at Prachantakam appears to be booked out of use as the track is rusty. But the points are still usable.

45. This is a shot of a wooden block locked over the rail on the loop track to indicate that the loop is not in use. As to why this loop is not in use remains unknown.

46. This is a shot of the cable style level crossing at the western end of Prachantakam station. The black disk rotates to indicate when the level crossing is closed.

47. This is an image of the western end points at Prachantakam station. Taken from the track looking east. Note the sky was becoming increasingly cloudy as rain was getting closer.

48. This is a shot of a kid playing on the railway track directly in front of the ticket office at Prachantakam station. It is quite common for young children to use the railway as there playground in Thailand.

49. This is a shot of the 3.39pm Aranyaprathet train. Taken looking west along the loop as it was departing from Prachantakam station. SRT DMU number 1223. Train type Hitachi (THN) DMU.

50. This is another angle on SRT DMU 1223. Taken looking east as it was powering up on its way to Aranyaprathet. This train is the only DMU service that operates beyond Prachinburi station.

51. This is an image of the 4.11pm Bangkok train. Taken looking east as it was approaching Prachantakam station. SRT loco number 4210. SRT loco type Alsthrom. The light mist toward the rear of the train is due to dust coming up from the track.

52. This is a shot of the train tickets that would have been used on this trip if it was done by train instead of private car.

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 Chinatown.

2009-06-09T18:49:00.005+07:00

Last weekend I visited the Chinatown area to have a look at the mass transport of the area. I also used the opportunity to test out my new digital camera in a highly urbanised environment to see how it would perform. The Chinatown area is a good test for a camera as the streets are quite narrow and lined with tall buildings which tends to increase the risk of “white sky” images.

A Little Background on the Chinatown area.

The Chinatown area consists of a 1.2 sq km strip of land along the Chao Phraya River. The Chinatown area is located a short distance south east of the Grand Palace. The area was set up by King Rama 5 in the 19th Century as an area for Chinese traders and Bangkok's Chinese population. Today it has a population of around 50,000 people. This makes the Chinatown area one of the most densely populated areas in Bangkok with an average density of 41,000 people per sq km.

In the period following World War 2 the Chinatown area went though a 20 year long period of rapid growth and development. This increased the areas commercial importance until it was one of the most important business areas of Bangkok. This also attracted an increasing number of new residents. By the 1970s the Chinatown areas was fully developed and its aging pre war infrastructure and road network effectively limited its future growth. This allowed other areas of inner Bangkok to take the business crown from Chinatown.

Today Chinatown has declined somewhat due to a lack of modern office buildings and shopping centres. Coupled with the lack of a rail based mass transport system and a network of narrow and rather crowded streets. Over the last 20 years the lack of road infrastructure has greatly worsened the traffic in the Chinatown area throughout the day. Traffic speeds at times can be as low as 1 kph. Therefore the fastest way to travel in the Chinatown area is by motorbike or on foot.

One of the biggest factors for the extreme traffic congestion in the Chinatown area is due to the amount of through traffic coming across from Thonburi making its way to Rama 4 road in central Bangkok. Basically there are 4 lanes of heavy traffic being funnelled though the narrow one way streets of Chinatown. The only real way to fix this problem today is with a new underground metro line heading from Hualamphong station into the Wong Wian Yai area via Chinatown.

However despite Chinatown's recent decline in importance it still is a centre for the textile industry and spice trade. The area is also famous for its huge array of Chinese food products that are often difficult to find in other parts of Bangkok. During the Chinese New Year the area comes to life with street festivals and colourful lights.

The high density of the Chinatown area and its over 100 year history creates an interesting array of building styles and designs. Due to the density of the Chinatown area there are some small sois that are more like a corridor than a street as they are totally enclosed by buildings. Some photographic examples of this I will post at the end of this topic.

Transport wise the Chinatown area can be accessed by Metro bus numbers (1,4,7,25,40,73,73N,85,159,204,507,529,542) and the Chao Phraya Express Boat service. Most of the bus services operate every couple of minutes and its quite common for 3 of the same bus route to turn up together due to the almost constant traffic jams. The fastest way into Chinatown is via the Chao Phraya Express Boat. The closest Chao Phraya Express boat stop to Chinatown is Ratchawong pier (N5).

Within the next 10 years two new underground heavy rail metro lines are expected be built though or very close to the Chinatown area. The effect this will have on the Chinatown area will be massive as it will open up the whole area for new even higher density development. These new Metro lines will cross the Chao Phraya River into Thonburi. This should help reduce the amount of though traffic in the Chinatown area. But due to the unstable government of Thailand these metro projects are uncertain.

1. This is a shot of the Tuk Tuk stand outside the entrance of Ratchawong Pier. The green Tuk Tuk's are powered by CNG and the blue and yellow Tuk Tuk's are powered by LPG. To use these Tuk Tuk's you must ask the price before getting in. The Tuk Tuk prices are very similar to metered taxis. Fares start from 30 baht for a short distance trip.

2. This is a shot of the motorbike taxi stand outside the entrance of Ratchawong Pier. Often at these stands a fare scale is posted. The fares start from 10 baht for a short trip. It's best to ask the price before getting on.

3. This is an image of a Route 204: BMA 2 – Ratchawong Pier bus. Taken as it was waiting to depart from Ratchawong Pier bus terminus in Chinatown. Bus number BMTA: 8 – 80428. Bus type: Mitsubishi non aircon. The digger is stored there during the day for late night drainage works.

4. This is an image of a Route 204 bus. Taken as it was waiting to depart from Ratchawong Pier bus terminus in Chinatown. Bus number BMTA: 8 – 55128. Bus type: Isuzu aircon.

5. This is a shot of a Route 204 bus. Taken looking north along Rachawong road as it was approaching the terminus at Ratchawong Pier. Bus number BMTA: 8 – 80009. Bus type Mitsubishi non aircon.

6. This is a shot of a Route 204 bus. Taken looking south along Rachawong road just after it had departed from the terminus at Ratchawong Pier. Bus number BMTA: 8 – 56005. Bus type: Isuzu aircon.

7. This is a shot of a Route 1: Thanon Tok – Tha Tian bus. Taken looking east along Yaowarat road. This road is the heart of the Chinatown area. Bus number BMTA: 4 – 40520. Bus type: Hino AK non aircon.

8. This is a shot of a Route 53: Thewet – Chinatown inner city loop bus. Taken looking east along Yaowarat road. Bus number BMTA: 7 – 50248. Bus type: Isuzu non aircon. Note: Route 53 is one of the most indirect and confusing bus routes in Bangkok.

9. This is a shot of a Route 40: Hualampong – Southern Bus Terminal mini bus. Taken looking east along Yaowarat road. Bus number unknown. Bus type: unknown. These mini buses are the most despised buses in Bangkok due to poor driving and uncomfortable seating.

10. This is an image of a Route 25: Paknam – Tha Chang bus. Taken looking east along Yaowarat road. Bus number BMTA: 3 – 40255. Bus type: Hino AK non aircon. Note: Yaowarat road carries the outbound traffic flow. This bus service operates 24 hours.

11. This is an image of a Route 159: Phutha Monthon Sai 2 – Mochit 2 bus. Taken looking east along Yaowarat road. Bus number 159 – 11. Bus type: unknown.

12. This is a shot of a Route 529: Mochit 2 – Samae Dum (Pan Thai) bus. Taken from rather close up looking east along Yaowarat road. Bus number 529 – 28. Bus type: Hino RK aircon.

13. This is a shot of a Route 85: Wat Chaeng Ron – Hualamphong bus. Taken looking east along Yaowarat road. Bus number 85 – 9. Bus type: unknown.

14. This is a shot of a Route 507: Paknam – Southern Bus Terminal bus. Taken looking east along Yaowarat road. Bus number 507 – 29. Bus type: Merc O305 aircon.

15. This is a shot of a Route 542: Pink Lao – Wong Wian Yai – Victory Monument loop bus. Taken looking east along Yaowarat road. Bus number 542 – 1. Bus type: Merc O305 aircon.

16. This is a shot of a Route 40 mini bus. Taken looking west towards the former Suapa Plaza on Charoen Krung road. Bus number unknown. Bus type: Merc non aircon mini. Note: Charoen Krung road carries the inbound traffic flow. Suapa plaza is the large dirty yellow building it was very badly damaged by fire on 6th January 2009.

17. This is a shot of a Route 35: Phra Pradaeng Junction – Giant Swing bus. Taken looking west from the northern side of Charoen Krung road. Bus number: unknown. Bus type: Hino AK.

18. This is an image of a Route 85 bus. Taken looking west along Charoen Krung road as the bus makes its way to Hualamphong station. Bus number: 85 – 1. Bus type: unknown.

19. This is an image of a Route 1 bus. Taken looking west along Charoen Krung road as the bus makes its way to Thanon Tok. Bus number BMTA: 4 – 40481. Bus type: Hino AK non aircon. Note: This bus route was once operated as an electric tramway.

20. This is a shot of a Route 25 bus. Taken looking west along Charoen Krung road as the bus makes its way to Paknam over 2 hours away. Bus number BMTA: 3 – 40268. Bus type: Hino AK non aircon.

21. This is a shot of a Route 1 mini bus. Taken looking west along Charoen Krung road as the bus makes its way to Thanon Tok. Bus number unknown. Bus type: Isuzu non aircon mini.

22. This is a shot of a Route 40 bus. Taken looking west along Charoen Krung road as the bus makes its way to Kheha Rom Klao. Bus number 40 – 10. Bus type: Golden Dragon aircon.

23. This is a shot of the tourist tram – bus. Taken looking west along Charoen Krung road. This service started last year using “fake trams” that are made to look like the former Bangkok electric trams from the 1950s. It operates as a short loop from near the Pink Lao bridge and also from Hualamphong station. It operates only on weekends. It would be nice if they could restore the real trams and operate them on rails in the Chinatown area.

24. This is a shot of a Route 73: Huai Khwang – Memorial Bridge bus. Taken looking west along Charoen Krung road as the bus makes its way to Huai Khwang. Bus number BMTA: 8 – 67115. Bus type: Daewoo aircon. This service operates 24 hours.

25. This is a shot of a Route 507 bus. Taken looking west along Charoen Krung road as the bus makes its way to Paknam. Bus number: 507 – 22. Bus type: Merc O305 aircon.

26. This is a shot of a Route 7 Hualamphong – Khlong Khwang bus. Taken rather close up as it was travelling south along Suapa road. Bus number BMTA: 6 – 30356. Bus type: Merc O405 non aircon. This service operates 24 hours.

27. This is a shot of a Route 7 bus. Taken looking north along Suapa road as it makes its way to Sueksa Nari Witthaya School. The aircon version of Route 7 travels almost to Mahachai Mai. Bus number: 7 – 28. Bus type: O305 aircon.

28. This is an image of a Route 204 bus. Taken as it was heading south along Suapa road. Bus number BMTA: 8 – 80441. Bus type: Mitsubishi non aircon.

29. This is an image of a Route 7 bus. Taken looking west from near the former Suapa Plaza on Charoen Krung road. Bus number BMTA: 6 – 50235. Bus type: Isuzu non aircon.

30. This is a shot of a Route 7 aircon bus. Taken looking east from oppersite the former Suapa Plaza on Charoen Krung road. Note the massive amount of black smoke coming out of this bus. Bus number: 7 – 20. Bus type: Merc O305 aircon. Most buses before 2005 used to pour out black smoke like this. This was greatly reduced when a large number of buses were converted to CNG.

31. This is a shot of a Route 40: Southern bus terminal – Rama 9 road bus. Taken looking west from near the former Suapa Plaza on Charoen Krung road. Bus number: 40 – 4. Bus type: unknown.

32. This is a shot of a Route 1 mini bus. Taken as it loads passengers outside Golden Charoen Krung Plaza on Charoen Krung road. Bus number 1 – 42. Bus type: Merc mini non aircon.

33. This is a general view of a typical weekend traffic jam on Charoen Krung road. Taken near the former Suapa Plaza. Traffic speeds here can be as low as 1 kph. This means you can often walk the same distance 4 or 5 times faster than the bus.

34. This is a shot of a Route 1 mini bus. Taken looking east along Yaowarat road as the bus makes its way to Tha Tian. Bus number unknown. Bus type: Merc mini non aircon. Note how the ticket guy is hanging out the door.

35. This is a shot of a Route 25 bus. Taken looking east along Yaowarat road as the bus makes its way to Tha Chang. Bus number BMTA: 3 – 40218. Bus type: Hino AK non aircon.

36. This is a shot of a Route 507 bus. Taken looking east along Yaowarat road as the bus makes its way to Southern bus terminal. Bus number: 507 – 1. Bus type: Merc O305 aircon.

37. This is a shot of a Route 40 bus. Taken as it was approaching a bus stop on Yaowarat road. Bus number 40 – 3. Bus type: Golden Dragon aircon.

38. This is an image of a Route 4: Khlong Toei – Phasi Charoen Pier bus. Taken looking east along Yaowarat road as the bus makes its way to Phasi Charoen Pier. Bus number BMTA: 4 – 40458. Bus type: Hino AK non aircon. This route operates 24 hours a day.

39. This is an image of a Route 73N: Pho Kaew Depot – Memorial Bridge bus. Taken looking east along Yaowarat road as the bus makes its way to Memorial Bridge. Bus number BMTA: 8 – 67160. Bus type: Daewoo aircon. This route operates 24 hours a day.

The last section of this post is rather different to most other transport posts on this site. As this section details some of the odd buildings and very odd small streets of the Chinatown area. Although this is not directly transport related it does help to explain the area more to foreign people.

A lot of the buildings in the Chinatown area are built very close to each other. This results in streets that appear more like a tunnel or a like a corridor in a building than a street. For residents and businesses in such streets it often means there homes are windowless and in darkness 24 hours a day on the lower levels of the building. This style of street has more in common with the former Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. Although the Bangkok version is far less extreme than the Hong Kong version.

1. This is a shot of a totally built over Soi off Ratchawong road. This is the northern entrance to the soi. Note the chaotic mess of electric cables entering this soi.

2. This is a shot taken from the middle of the totally enclosed soi. A number of businesses and homes are crammed in along this narrow soi. All of these buildings are windowless.

3. This is a shot of a tunnel like soi a few hundred meters east of Ratchawong road. This was taken looking back toward the main road from near the end of the soi. This soi appears to be home to mostly small businesses. There is a second level to the soi about half way down it.

4. This is the access to the second level of soi. It was too dark to photograph the second level as the power appeared to be off on the second level. The buildings around this soi would date back around 100 years.

5. This is a shot of a U shaped soi a few hundred meters east of Ratchawong road. There are a few homes along this soi as well as a few spice merchants. The dark section at the end is where the soi is totally built over for a short distance.

6. This is another angle on the U shaped soi. This was taken looking back towards the covered section where a spice merchant is located.

7. This is a shot of a soi filled with closely packed pre war shop houses all mostly still in use as residences. To access this soi you need to pass through a short tunnel cut though a building. It is located off Yaowarat road.

8. This is a shot of a very old apartment building on Charoen Krung road. Despite its poor condition it is still in use. Around the Chinatown area there are lot of older buildings such as this that are screaming out for a major renovation. Thais in general don't like to renovate old buildings but instead use them until they basically fall down. Then build a new building in its place.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my pictures. If you have any comments please leave a message for me regarding the post.

The Tha Din Daeng cross river ferry + Route 20 terminus.

2009-06-09T18:43:00.003+07:00

Last weekend while on the way to Chinatown I made use of the Tha Din Daeng cross river ferry and the Route 20 metro bus service. This route allows a fairly quick way to get from Wong Wian Yai SRT station to Chinatown.

A little Background on Tha Din Daeng.

Tha Din Daeng dates back to the 18th century when Thonburi was founded as the capital of Thailand for a short period. For a large amount of this time the area was fairly rural and underdeveloped. Then in the 1920's the area took off as a new home for the Thai – Indian and Thai – Chinese communities. Even today there are still a number of Indian and Chinese related shops around the Tha Din Daeng area.

Tha Din Daeng is located at the end of Tha Din Daeng road in the Klong San district of Bangkok. A single bus route provides onward transport for cross river ferry passengers. This bus route provides a service mostly in a southerly direction from the pier. It is known as Route 20. It operates as a two tier service between Tha Din Daeng and Samut Chedi. Bus route 20 operates every 2 minutes at peak periods and every 5 minutes during off peak periods and weekends. The full route is operated by aircon buses. The short route that terminates at Phra Pradaeng BIG C is operated by non aircon buses.

The layout of the bus terminus at Tha Din Daeng is rather poor in that buses have to shunt back and forth to turn around in the narrow dead end street. The aircon buses stop on the right hand side of the road facing north. The non aircon buses stop on the left hand side of the road but facing south.

1. This is a shot of a Route 20 aircon bus. Taken as it was about to depart from the terminus at the end of Tha Din Daeng road. Bus number BMTA: 5 – 66139. Bus type Merc O405 aircon.

2. This is a shot of a couple of Route 20 mini bus. Taken as they where waiting for passengers coming off the cross river ferry at Tha Din Daeng. Bus numbers unknown. Bus type unknown. The driver of the closest mini bus is checking something under the bus.

3. This is an image or a Route 20 aircon bus. Taken as it was trying to turn around at Tha Din Daeng terminus. The buses normally depart and turn around with the doors wide open.

4. This is a general view looking south from Tha Din Daeng. The left two buses had just departed. The other two aircon buses are waiting for passengers.

5. This is a shot of the Cross River ferry to Chinatown. Taken from Tha Din Daeng just before it departed. These cross river ferries can get very overcrowded at times.

6. This is a shot of 3 ferry boats for the cross river service. These boats are used during peak periods when a total of 5 boats are operating. All of the boats are made from welded steel.

7. This is a general view of Ratchawong Pier on the Chinatown side of the river. Taken from Tha Din Daeng. The Chao Phraya Express boats also depart from Ratchawong Pier.

8. This is a general view of Tha Din Daeng on the Thonburi side of the river. Taken from Ratchawong Pier. During peak times both piers are used to help move the huge load of passengers.

9. This is a close up shot of the captains steering wheel on a Tha Din Daeng cross river ferry. The captains area is not isolated from the passengers at any point.

10. This is an inside shot of the Cross River ferry. Taken just after arrival at Ratchawong Pier. As people tend to spend less than 5 minutes per trip. The boats are designed to increase standing loads.

11.This is a shot video of a ride on the Tha Din Daeng cross river ferry. Note how people tend to jump out before anyone can get on the ferry. A second cross river ferry can be seen passing the boat.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my pictures. If you have any comments please leave a message for me regarding the post.

The new BTS Extension to Wong Wian Yai.

2009-05-18T18:37:00.006+07:00

On the 15th of May 2009. The long awaited BTS extension to Wong Wian Yai opened for regular service. This BTS route extension is the first BTS extension since the BTS opened in 1999. This BTS extension is quite special in a number of different ways. It is the 1st heavy rail metro line to operate within the Thonburi area of Bangkok. It is the 1st Metro line to cross the Chao Phraya River. It is also the 1st electric railway to cross the Chao Phraya River.

However the Wong Wian Yai BTS extension has a very difficult birth. The construction of this new line started back in 2002. The line was plagued with delays and ended up as a political football between the Democrat party and the former Thai Rak Thai Party. The line was eventually completed with help from the Bangkok City Council instead of the Central Government as is the norm for these high priced Metro lines in Thailand.

So after 5 years of delays the BTS extension to Wong Wian Yai is now open for business. Now that the BTS line is now open the people of Thonburi now have a way to finally skip the massive traffic jams on the Taksin Bridge. It now takes just 11 minutes from Wong Wian Yai to Silom via the BTS for a distance of about 4 km. Compared to up to 90 minutes by direct bus at peak times. A time saving of nearly 80 minutes! This traffic jam is one of the slowest in Bangkok with average speeds of under 2 kph!

The new BTS line also opens up a possible rail connection to the SRT Mahachai line. Although the Wong Wien Yai BTS station and the Wong Wian Yai SRT stations are not right next to each other the connection is possible by taking a short motorbike taxi ride or walking for about 15 minutes between the two stations. This connection allows a total travelling time between Mahachai City and Silom of 90 minutes down from close to 3 hours by bus. More details on how to transfer between the BTS and SRT stations at Wong Wian Yai later on.

There are more benefits to this new BTS extensions than just a faster travelling time. It will allow higher density developments in the Wong Wian Yai area and will revitalise an area that has been in decline for decades due to extremely congested traffic. This will open up a lot of old areas for condo and office projects in effect extending the Sathorn area westward.

As great as the new BTS line is for the Wong Wian Yai area it does have a major issue with its operation. The former terminus at Saphan Taksin only ever had one platform this station is surrounded by large road bridges and cannot be expanded. The new BTS extension had to convert this terminus station into a through station but with only a single platform.

This means the BTS is probably the only totally new metro line in the world with a single track section in the middle of a busy double track line. This single track section is predicted to create small delays on the whole of the Silom BTS line. On my visit this prediction was holding true as the frequency west of Saphan Taksin was uneven at times and BTS trains had to wait up to 3 minutes just to get into Saphan Taksin station. This has built in a bottleneck into the BTS system from day one of the BTS extension. However a 3 minute delay is far better than an 80 minute delay as experienced by bus travellers.

The next BTS extension expected to open is the Bang Na Extension along Sukhumvit road. This extension is due to open in 2011 and is under construction right now.

Information on BMTA and the new BTS Feeder bus services to Wong Wian Yai BTS station will be outlined in detail later on.

Now for some pictures of the Wong Wian Yai BTS extension. The weather on the 1st full day of service was rather unpleasant with haze and heavy rain periods this made for very difficult photographing conditions.

These pictures were taken using a brand new Panasonic DMC-TZ11 Digital Camera. I purchased this camera in late April 2009 after 3 months of being without a Camera. This means I'm now back in action and expect more informative transport topics on the site in the future.

1. This is a shot of entrance to the BTS station at Wong Wian Yai. Taken looking toward Silom just after the rain had stopped. The style of the entrance is very similar to the main system in Bangkok.

2. This is a general view of Wong Wian Yai BTS station taken looking east along Krung Thonburi Road. This station has a large area at the western end dedicated to equipment rooms.

3. This is another general view shot of Wong Wian Yai BTS station. Taken looking along the side of the station from the western entrance footbridge.

4. This is a shot of a Bangkok City Council information display for passengers just inside the western entrance of Wong Wian Yai BTS station. It outlines the history of the BTS and future extension projects.

5. This is an image of the western ticket barriers at Wong Wian Yai station. They have provided a larger than normal amount of ticket barriers at this station. They are of the same type as on the rest of the system.

6. This is an image of the passenger concourse after the ticket gates at Wong Wian Yai. Unlike the other BTS stations the new stations do not have any retail or advertising space. However I expect this will come at a later date.

7. This is a shot of the platforms at Wong Wian Yai Station. Taken looking east along the platforms. The new BTS stations have a different roof design to the old BTS stations. The new stations are fully covered over rather than leaving a gap where the tracks are. The platforms appear to have been designed for 6 car trains.

8. This is a shot of a BTS metro train waiting to form the next service at Wong Wian Yai. Taken looking west toward the end of the new BTS extension. The new BTS extension uses the same trains as the main system.

9. This is a shot of a BTS train just after it arrived at Wong Wian Yai station. Taken looking east as it was unloading passengers. Note: both platforms are used at Wong Wian Yai for arrivals but the northern platform are for departures only.

10. This is an image of a BTS train departing from the holding area on an empty cars run back to Bangkok. It was operating via the wrong road through Wong Wian Yai station. Taken looking west from the end of the platform.

11. This is a shot of the empty cars BTS train passing another BTS as it waits for passengers at Wong Wian Yai Station.. Taken looking east along the platforms. The empty cars train appears to have a problem with it as there had been an announcement regarding a delay to service.

12. This is another angle on the empty cars train and the waiting train at Wong Wian Yai Station. Taken at the exact time the two trains were parallel to each other. Note the red marker lights on the trains. Both trains where heading in the same direction.

13. This is a shot of another BTS train just after it had arrived at Wong Wian Yai station. Taken looking west along the platform. The train make is Siemens and are all imported from Germany. It is unclear if any extra BTS trains were purchased for the extension.

14. This is a general view shot looking east toward Krung Thonburi BTS station. A couple of new condo towers are well under construction in anticipation of the new BTS line.

15. This is a shot of a BTS train approaching Wong Wian Yai Station. This train was switching tracks to arrive on the departure platform. Taken looking east towards Krung Thonburi station.

16. This is another shot of a BTS train as it was entering Wong Wian Yai station. Taken looking east towards Krung Thonburi station. All the BTS trains operating on the Wong Wian Yai had two drivers on board at the same end. This I assume is part of the training for the new line.

17. This is a shot of BTS train set 1139 waiting to depart from Wong Wian Yai station. Taken looking west along the platform. All BTS trains have 4 doors per side unlike some of the trains in Melbourne that have only 2 per side.

18. This is a short movie of a BTS train departing from Wong Wian Yai station on a trip to National Stadium station. The simple signal system can also be seen as the train departs from the station.

19. This is a short movie of a BTS train arriving at Wong Wian Yai station. The trains motion through the points east of Wong Wian Yai station can be seen. The train had an advert for air freshener products on it.

20. This is an inside shot of a BTS train while it waits to depart from Wong Wian Yai station on a service to National Stadium. This new extension is expected to bring in at least 50000 extra people per day to the whole system.

21. This is a movie of a ride on the BTS between Wong Wian Yai and Krung Thonburi stations. Note how the track seems to collect a lot of water. Also the BTS trains horn is herd on approach to Krung Thonburi station. It sounds like a car horn and is very rarely heard.

22. This is a shot of a BTS train as it rounds the curve before the Taksin bridge on its way to Saphan Taksin station. Taken from Krung Thonburi station looking east.

23. This is a shot of the platform area at Krung Thonburi station. Taken looking west along the platforms. Out of the two new BTS stations Krung Thonburi is likely to be a rather quite station for a while to come. Both new stations share the same feeder buses due to road layout.

24. This is an image of the ticket office at Krung Thonburi station. This ticket office and ticket gate layout is identical to the main system. The only difference is a green logo of the construction company above the window.

25. This is a general view of Krung Thonburi station. Taken looking south west from a footbridge. Despite is lower use it is the same size as the much busier Wong Wian Yai station.

26. This is a shot of the eastern entrance bridge at Krung Thonburi station. Again it is of a similar style to the main system.

27. This is an image of the step entrance at Krung Thonburi station. In this area the footpaths are rather narrow making it appear as the station entrance is taking up the whole footpath. It is also made worse by the overgrown fence next to the station.

28. This is a shot of the infamous Taksin Bridge ever present traffic jam. Taken from Krung Thonburi station looking towards the Taksin Bridge. This image was taken around midday on a Saturday. On a week day it can take over 40 minutes just to travel this 1 km section of road!

29. This is an image of a notice at Krung Thonburi station informing passengers that the new BTS extension will be free for the next 3 months and that 30 day pass holders need to get a single trip ticket for the free travel.

30. This is a shot of the ticket machine at Krung Thonburi station. Although its free to use the new stations it looks like they will be a Section 1 fare of 15 Baht per trip in the future.

31. This is a movie of a ride on the BTS between Krung Thonburi and Saphan Taksin station. Note the wonderful feeling of sailing past the horrible traffic on the Taksin bridge. Also when the train enters the single track section at Saphan Taksin the electricity cuts off for a second as it passes the points.

32. This is a shot of a BTS train as it was departing from Saphan Taksin station. Taken from the eastern end of the single platform station. The area directly in front is a holding siding that was used when Saphan Taksin was a terminal station.

33. This is a short movie showing a BTS train waiting for access to the single platform at Saphan Taksin station. The shaking of the camera at a couple of spots is due having to move back under cover as it was starting to rain. Note how the train passes though the points and the single platform at the station with new signs to indicate train direction.

34. This is an image of the new floor makings at Saphan Taksin station. The platform is split into two zones one for each direction of travel. The Green Zone is for trains to National Stadium.

35. This is an image of a new overhead LCD information screen at Saphan Taksin station. When a train approaches the single platform station the screen displays the destination and which zone to wait in. In this case the Purple Zone for trains to Wong Wian Yai.

36. This is an image of the new information screen displaying where to wait for each direction of travel. This is only displayed when there are no trains present in the station.

37. This is a shot of the new platform markings in the middle of the platform at Saphan Taksin station. When both colours are displayed on the ground you can wait there for both directions of travel. So do note what train it is as it comes into the station.

38. This is an image of the new floor makings at Saphan Taksin station. The platform is split into two zones one for each direction of travel. The Purple Zone is for trains to Wong Wian Yai.

39. This is an image of the new platform information screen displaying a train to National Stadium. The screens are to help passengers know which direction the train is heading as it arrives.

40. This is a shot of a BTS train approaching Saphan Taksin station from Wong Wien Yai. Taken looking west over the Chao Phaya River. In the foreground mounting points for a platform extension can be seen. This is due to the fact that Saphan Taksin station is only long enough for 5 cars.

41. This is a shot of the track at the western end of Saphan Taksin station. Throughout the new BTS extension there are yellow sensors for the signal system. Unlike on the rest of the BTS system the signal system at Saphan Taksin is more complex due to the single track.

42. This is a shot of a Wong Wian Yai bound train about to load passengers at Saphan Taksin station. Taken looking east along the single platform. Note the how the screen displays the train destination.

43. This is a shot of a Wong Wian Yai bound BTS train. Taken as it passes the points on the Taksin Bridge on its way west across the river. After these points the rest of the line is double track.

44. This is an image of a National Stadium bound BTS train. Taken as it loads passengers at Saphan Taksin station. Note the information screen displaying the trains destination.

45. This is a shot of a BTS train waiting in the holding area at Wong Wian Yai station after completing a trip from National Stadium. Note the lovely stormy sky. Yet another rain storm was coming in.

This next section of the topic is related to the feeder bus services for the new BTS extension.
There are a number of BTMA and private bus routes that feed the new BTS stations in the Wong Wian Yai area. These mostly depart from the northern side of the station for both directions. However Route 76, 80N and 108 depart from the southern side of the station on outbound trips.

The following buses are known to service the new BTS station at Wong Wian Yai.

Route 3: Mochit 2 – Khlong San.
Route 20: Samut Chedi – Tha Din Daeng via BTS.
Route 76: Samae Dum – Phloen Chit.
Route 80N: Wo Po Ao Village – Taksin Bridge.
Route 84: Sam Phran/Om Yai – Khlong San.
Route 84N: Aue Arthon Salaya – Khlong San.
Route 105: Mahachai Mai – Khlong San.
Route 108: Ratcha Yothin Junction – Tha Phra - Taksin Bridge.
Route 120: Mahachai City – Khlong San.
Route 172: Kheha Thonburi – Happy Land.

In addition to these bus services there are also mini truck – bus services connecting with the BTS stations.

At Wong Wian Yai BTS station there is a poster displaying information about special BTS feeder bus routes. These services are said to depart under the BTS station at Wong Wian Yai. But appear to have not started to operate as yet. But may begin service on Monday 18th May 2009. There are 3 separate routes all are rather short local routes.

1. This is a shot of the poster referring to the new BTS feeder bus services at Wong Wian Yai BTS Station. These services appear to operate only between 6am and 7pm Monday to Friday. But the poster doesn't provide the full information on these services.

2. This is an image of a Thonburi Commercial College – Khlong San truck bus service. Taken as it was passing Krung Thonburi station.

3. This is a shot of a Route 84 Om Yai – Khlong San bus. Bus number BMTA 6 – 50389. Bus type Isuzu. Taken as it was passing Krung Thonburi station.

4. This is a shot of a Route 105 Mahachai Mai – Khlong San bus. Bus number BMTA 5 – 40323. Bus type Hino. Taken as it was passing Krung Thonburi station.

5. This is an image of a Route 120 Mahachai City – Khlong San bus. Bus number 120 – 21. Bus type Hino. Taken as it was passing Krung Thonburi station.

6. This is an image of a Route 76 Samae Dum – Phloen Chit bus. Bus number BMTA 5 – 67241. Bus type Daewoo aircon. Taken as it was join the main road to head through the traffic to Phloen Chit.

7. This is a shot of a Route 108 Ratcha Yothin Junction – Tha Phra - Taksin Bridge bus. Bus number 108 – 29. Bus type Merc non aircon. Taken out the front of Krung Thonburi station.

8. This is a shot of a Route 80N Wo Po Ao Village – Taksin Bridge bus. Bus number BMTA 6 – 50129. Bus type Isuzu. Taken out the front of Krung Thonburi station.

9. This is a shot of a Route 20 Samut Chedi – Tha Din Daeng via BTS bus. Bus number BMTA 5 – 6824. Bus type Merc 0305.

10. This is a shot of a Talat Phlu – Khlong San truck – bus. Taken as it was passing Krung Thonburi station. Truck type Suzuki.

11. This is an image of a Route 84N Aue Arthon Salaya – Khlong San bus. Bus number BMTA 6 – 56096. Bus type Isuzu aircon. Taken as it was passing Krung Thonburi station.

This final section of the topic relates to the transfer between Wong Wian Yai BTS station and Wong Wian Yai SRT station.

It is a real shame that the SRT station and BTS station at Wong Wian Yai are not next to each other. However they are close enough for one to walk between the two stations in 15 minutes. It is also possible to take a Motorbike taxi between the two stations for 10 to 20 Baht a trip.

Below are the instructions of how to walk between the BTS and SRT stations at Wong Wian Yai.

Step 1: Leave Wong Wian Yai BTS station via exit number 1.

Step 2: Walk down these steps on the northern side of Wong Wian Yai station and then do a U turn at the bottom of the steps. Then Walk West along Krung Thonburi road.

Step 3: Walk along Krung Thonburi road and over the Klong Bang Sai Kai bridge. Then turn Right into this soi.

Step 4: Walk along this soi until the end.

Step 5: Walk straight ahead here then turn to the Right on to Taksin road.

Step 6: Walk North along Taksin Road.

Step 7: Cross this footbridge over Taksin road.

Step 8: Turn to the Right once reach the other side of the footbridge.

Step 9: Walk North along Taksin road. Then turn Left into the 1st soi after crossing the footbridge. Once to see the Bangkok Bank ATM then walk Behind the ATM and onto the platform of Wong Wian Yai SRT station.

During Peak Travel periods on weekdays doing this transfer makes a lot of sense as you can save up to 90 minutes off a direct bus service despite the 15 minute walk via this route to transfer between the BTS and SRT stations at Wong Wian Yai.

For information on the SRT Mahachai Line please visit:

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/12/srt-cab-ride-mahachai-line-bang-bon.html

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

The Southern Line: Hat Yai Junction Station and Yard.

2009-02-07T22:30:00.004+07:00

On the 31st of January 2009 I started what was meant to be an 8 day long rail fan and photography trip around the branch lines of Southern Thailand. This trip started as planned with a 17 hour 1st class sleeper train ride from Hualamphong Station in Bangkok to Hat Yai Junction.

However this trip quickly took a turn for the worse after just 4 hours in Hat Yai. When I took a nasty fall while photographing trains and infrastructure in the rail yard at Hat Yai Junction. This fall destroyed my only camera and effectively brought the entire trip to a sudden and sad end.

However destroying my camera was not the end of the bad luck on this trip. The next morning I woke with a very nasty case of food poisoning that forced me to rush back to Bangkok to seek good medical care at a major hospital.

This hasty exit from Hat Yai required me to just turn up at the airport and buy any available ticket to Bangkok. I ended up using 1-2-Go airlines as it was the earliest departing flight. Not the best airline in the world but ok in the end.

The lesson I learnt from this disaster of a trip was that even the best advanced planning and budgeting can be destroyed by something as simple as a fall or getting sick.

Although the trip was ruined after just 4 hours I did manage to get some pictures around the rail yard at Hat Yai Junction. More on these pictures later on in this post.

A little Background on Hat Yai Junction.

Hat Yai Junction is located 928.58 km from Bangkok on the main south line. Hat Yai is the Junction for the Padang Besar and Sungai Kolok lines. These two lines connect Thailand with Malaysia. Although only the Padang Besar line actually allows direct cargo and passenger railway links into Malaysia’s KTMB railway system.

Hat Yai station has 3 platforms and a large depot and workshop to the south west of the station on the opposite side of the rail yard. The maintenance of various locomotives is undertaken at the Hat Yai Junction workshop. At the rear of the workshop is a large electric powered turntable that rarely sees any use.

The railway 1st came to the area in 1914 with the opening of the Utapao – Songkhla railway and the Utapao – Phattalung railway. In 1917 this railway was extended the few extra km south to Hat Yai Junction. In 1918 the Padang Besar line was competed allowing direct access to Malaysia. From 1920 until 1922 the Hat Yai – Sungai Kolok railway was completed in various stages..

Today the station at Utapao is closed with all services stopping only at Hat Yai Junction. In addition the Songkhla commuter railway is now abandoned with the rails still in place and is slowly being built over by locals. This line today would be a very useful commuter line for the city of Hat Yai. In the future it may reopen as some form of light metro line for the ever growing population of Hat Yai.

In terms of cargo demand the Padang Besar line is the far busiest route south of Hat Yai Junction. A joint project between KTMB (Malaysia) and SRT (Thailand) to provide a “Land Bridge” cargo train service between Malaysia and Bang Sue in Bangkok. At least 2 container trains operate daily via Hat Yai Junction under the “Land Bridge” service. The international express passenger train to Butterworth also uses this line on a daily basis.

In terms of passenger demand the Hat Yai – Sungai Kolok and the line north to Bangkok makes up the bulk of passenger numbers. This is despite the Hat Yai – Sungai Kolok line being the most dangerous railway in South East Asia. This line is often known as the “Insurgency line” and is a big problem for SRT.

The Hat Yai area has a rather poor reputation for terrorism and this does have a major effect on the railway and its passengers from time to time. All stations on the Hat Yai – Sungai Kolok line have military style armed guards to protect the trains and passengers.

Every the train on the Sungai Kolok line has armed guards. These guards also walk up and down the train waving bomb detectors over passenger’s luggage throughout the trip. As a result of the terrorism in the area train services on the Hat Yai – Sungai Kolok line are often delayed or cancelled on a regular basis.

Without any alternative transport arranged by SRT. Thus leaving passengers to find there own way to Sungai Kolok normally by using costly commuter van services. These van services appear to charge a “terrorism” surcharge on top of the normal fare thus upping the price greatly.

Now onto the photographs I actually managed to get from the short time I spent in Hat Yai.

Hualamphong Station (0.0km) at 3.10pm on Saturday 31st January 2009.

1. This is a shot of the 1st class sleeper carriage on the Special Express 37. This carriage was made by Hyundai in 1996. Taken looking north along platform 4 at Hualamphong station. In the background Ahlstrom loco number 4402 can be seen just after it had arrived at Hualamphong.

2. This is a close up shot of the diesel fuel trolleys next to the 1st class sleeper carriage. All of SRTs aircon sleeper carriages have an under floor diesel powered aircon unit. These units are refueled on the platform while the train waits to depart.

3. This is another angle on the 1st class sleeper carriage on the Special Express 37. Taken looking south east along the platform. In the foreground is a Thai Islamic lady waiting to board the train.

4. This is an inside shot of the 1st class sleeper car. Taken looking towards the cabin door. During the day the top bunk folds down to become a large couch like seat.

5. This is another inside shot of the 1st class sleeper car. Taken looking towards the window. In each cabin there is a small sink and mirror. These cabins offer the highest level of comfort for any night train in Thailand.

6. This is a shot of the 1st class sleeper cabin made up for night use. Each bunk has its own light and is reasonably comfortable. The main benefit of going 1st class is the total privacy that you cannot get in 2nd class sleeper.

7. This is a shot of the 1st class sleeper ticket for Special express 37 to Hat Yai. The 1st class sleeper is the most expensive fare type on SRT. But at over 1500 baht per person it is still 450 baht cheaper than the cheapest airfare. Thus fills up quickly before each trip.

Hat Yai Junction (928.58 km) at 8am on Sunday 1st February 2009.

8. This is a general view of the main entrance to Hat Yai station. The small trucks in the foreground these are a taxi like mass transport service for central Hat Yai. The reason for the grand looking building at Hat Yai Station is that a railway hotel used to operate above the platforms. This hotel has been closed for decades.

9. This is a general view of the Hat Yai Junction rail yard. Taken from the southern end of the platforms. A number of now disused Krupp locos can be seen parked along with other wagons.

10. This is a shot of SRT Loco 4006. Taken while it was shunting wagons in the yard at Hat Yai Junction. Loco Type older style General Electric. Taken looking west across the yard near the footbridge.

11. This is another angle on SRT Loco 4006. Taken looking north from the track level. This type of loco is the oldest still in regular use by SRT.

12. This is a shot of SRT loco 4532. Taken as it was about to reverse at the southern end of Hat Yai rail yard. Loco Type newer style General Electric. Note the SRT track repair crew milling around near the loco.

13. This is an image of the loco refueling point outside the Hat Yai workshop. The fuel oil is provided by PTT a state run oil company.

14. This is a general view looking north towards the signal box. Various SRT and KTMB cargo wagons can be seen. Also like most SRT yards there is a lot of old junk around.

15. This is a shot of SRT loco 3104. Taken looking north from within the workshop area of the Hat Yai rail yard. Loco type Krupp. This loco and many like it are no longer used by SRT and are abandoned in rail yards.

16. This is a shot of SRT loco 4417. Taken looking back towards the platforms from the rail yard. This loco was shunting carriages for passenger trains later in the day. Loco type Ahlstrom.

17. This is an image of SRT loco 4030. Taken as it was shunting a single carriage on one of the platform roads at Hat Yai station. Loco type older style General Electric.

18. This is another angle on SRT loco 4030. Taken as it was powering past the track workers just outside Hat Yai station. The carriages where destined for a back siding of the rail yard.

19. This is a shot of 2 now abandoned Krupp locos waiting there fate in the workshop siding at Hat Yai. These locos where imported from Germany. The piles of old sleepers are from recent track refurbishments around the local area.

20. This is a shot of 2 older style General Electric locos waiting on a siding at the back of Hat Yai rail yard. Earlier these locos where out shunting carriages and wagons. Taken from the track level looking north towards the signal box.

21. This is a shot of 2 Ahlstrom locos in the platform roads at Hat Yai station. One loco is on its way for more fuel and the other is shunting yet more carriages.

22. This is another angle of the two Ahlstrom locos. Taken as they pulled along side each other to allow the drivers to exchange a document. Note the amount of other SRT staff walking around the locos and the track workers have a good rest on a rail of the main line.

23. This is a shot of SRT loco 4139. Taken as it was running past the southern end of the rail yard on its way to the workshops for more fuel. Loco type Ahlstrom.

24. This is another shot of SRT loco 4417. This time with a large number of passenger carriages. Taken as it powered past the southern end of the Hat Yai rail yard. Loco type Ahlstrom.

25. This is a shot of a disused Krupp loco sitting in the workshop sidings at Hat Yai. Taken looking north towards the signal box.

26. This is another angle of the two older style General Electric locos parked near the footbridge in the rail yard. Taken from the track looking back towards the signal box.

27. This is an image of the inside of the railway workshop south west of the platforms at Hat Yai. An Ahlstrom loco is resting in one of the inspection roads. Compared to other SRT railway workshops this one is in good order with minimal junk.

28. This is an image of a group of happy SRT workers having a smokers break just outside the workshop entrance. It is really nice to be welcome at a railway location like this rather than chased off as is common in western countries.

29. This is a shot of a group of old now unused Krupp locos. Some of the ones at the rear are in very bad shape looks like they have been in an accident or cut up for parts. These locos where once very common on SRT’s southern lines.

30. This is an inside shot of a shed containing a rail wheel grinder. It appears a loco drives onto this device and the machine regrinds its wheels so they are smooth and correctly round. It is regularly used as wagons full of metal filings are parked near by.

31. This is an image of the electric powered turntable at the back of the workshop at Hat Yai. It appears useable but is very rarely used today. Taken looking west from in the yard.

32. This is another angle on the electric powered turntable at Hat Yai Junction. The turntable is controlled from the small control box on the right side of the turntable bridge.

33. This is an image of the wheel grinder shed behind the workshop at Hat Yai. Note the amount of metal filings left to rust in old wagons near to this shed. Taken from the southern side of the workshop looking north.

34. This is a general view of the southern side of the rail workshop at Hat Yai Junction. Taken from the tracks looking north. Yet another abandoned Krupp loco can be seen to the right.

35. This is a shot of a rail crane used for major track work and accident recovery. Taken looking north east from the workshop yard. The rail crane is made by Hitachi of Japan. Note the amount of oil on the ground in this area.

36. This is another inside shot of the workshop shed at Hat Yai. Taken looking north from just inside the southern rail entrance. An Ahlstrom loco can be seen resting in the shed.

37. This is a shot of a workshop staff member having a smoke while working in the tool shop inside the workshop. Note the amount of junk inside this room.

38. This is a shot of SRT loco 4139. Taken as it was parked outside the northern entrance of the workshop shed at Hat Yai. Loco type Ahlstrom.

39. This is an image of SRT loco 4523 with a load of heavy steel bound for Malaysia. Taken from within the yard looking north east towards Hat Yai station. Loco type newer style General Electric.

40. This is a shot of a row of old covered cargo vans and passenger carriages at the very back road of Hat Yai rail yard. These cargo vans date back to when SRT was known as RSR in the 1950s. Note the amount of spare rails kept here.

As a result of all the bad luck and misfortune surrounding this trip to southern Thailand over 95% of the trip was not completed but was mostly pre booked from Bangkok.

The original plan of this Southern Thailand rail fan trip is outlined below:

Saturday 31st January 2009.

Depart Bangkok at 15.10 on Special Express 37 to Hat Yai. Distance 928.58 km.

Sunday 1st February 2009.

Arrive Hat Yai at 07.13 on Special Express 37.

Monday 2nd February 2009.

Depart Hat Yai at 06.30 Arrive Yala at 08.04 (Rapid 175) Distance 110.20 km.
Depart Yala at 09.59 Arrive Sungai Kolok at 12.08 (Ordinary 463) Distance 104 km.
Depart Sungai Kolok at 14.55 Arrive Hat Yai at 18.00 (Rapid 176).

Here is a shot of the actual booked ticket for the return from Sungai Kolok to Hat Yai. Note: this train is 3rd class only. Distance 214.41 km.

Tuesday 3rd February 2009.

Depart Hat Yai at 14.18 Arrive Thung Song Junction at 17.40 (Rapid 170).

Here is a shot of the actual booked ticket for the trip from Hat Yai to Thung Song Junction. The seating was 2nd class non aircon. Distance 171.50 km.

Wednesday 4th February 2009.

Depart Thung Song Junction at 08.41 Arrive Kantang at 11.05 (Rapid 167).
Depart Kantang at 12.40 Arrive Thung Song Junction at 15.00 (Rapid 168).

Here is a shot of the actual booked tickets for the trip from Thung Song Junction to Kantang. The seating was 2nd class non aircon. Distance 93 km.

Here is a shot of the actual booked tickets for the trip from Kantang to Thung Song Junction. The seating was 2nd class non aircon. Distance 93 km.

Friday 6th February 2009.

Depart Thung Song Junction at 08.16 Arrive Nakhon Si Thammarat at 09.35 (Rapid 173).
Depart Nakhon Si Thammarat at 15.00 Arrive Thung Song Junction at 16.08 (Express 86).

Depart Thung Song Junction at 21.32 on Special Express 38 in 2nd class aircon sleeper.

Here is a shot of the actual booked ticket for the trip from Thung Song Junction to Nakhon Si Thammarat. The seating was 2nd class non aircon. Distance 58.94 km.

Here is a shot of the actual booked ticket for the trip from Nakhon Si Thammarat to Thung Song Junction. The seating was 2nd class non aircon. Distance 58.94 km.

Here is a shot of the actual booked ticket for the trip from Thung Song Junction to Bangkok. The sleeper was 2nd class aircon. This is corridor style. I.e. no private cabins. Distance 757.08 km.

Saturday 7th February 2009.

Arrive Bangkok at 10.30 on Special Express 38. This was meant to be when the trip would have ended if everything had gone to plan.

At some point in the future I will travel back to Thung Song Junction and complete at least that part of the trip. But until I can get access to another camera this will be the last post for a while unfortunately after a year of interesting and enjoyable rail fan trips.

I will still regularly check the website and forum for comments regarding earlier topics. Also anyone can email me with information or questions about the content on this site via the link in my blogger profile at the top of every page.

Hopefully it will not be too long before I can get another digital camera to replace the one that was destroyed on this trip.

Chao Phraya Express Boats – The New Pak Kret Service.

2009-01-27T17:36:00.007+07:00

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.

2009-01-27T17:23:00.003+07:00

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.

2009-01-27T17:11:00.003+07:00

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.

2009-01-27T17:03:00.003+07:00

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.

2009-01-12T18:31:00.004+07:00

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.

2009-01-12T18:03:00.005+07:00

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.

SRT Northern Line: Paknam Pho Station and Yard.

2008-12-22T15:05:00.008+07:00

Recently I embarked on an all day rail photographing trip to Paknam Pho on the Northern line. This is the 1st time I had photographed a rural railway location on the Northern line.

A little Background on the Northern Line and Paknam Pho.

The Northern line links Bangkok with Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. The section between Bangkok and Ayutthaya was opened in 1897 some 5 years after the Paknam commuter line in Bangkok. Thus the Northern line is Thailand’s 2nd oldest railway not the oldest as many people like to note. The reason for confusion is that the construction works on the Bangkok to Ayutthaya section of the line commenced before the works for the Paknam line started.

When the northern line was 1st built it was a 1435mm gauge line. In the 1920’s it was regauged to the South East Asian standard of 1000mm gauge. By 1922 the Northern line finally reached Chiang Mai where the lines terminus remains to this day. The section of the northern line between Sila At and Lam Phun is very steeply graded and passes through very mountainous areas. This section of the line has large sections of low line speed and very tight almost tramway grade curves that can force the train to a 15 kph crawl at times.

The section of the Northern line between Bangkok and Paknam Pho was completed by 1905. Paknam Pho is located 250.56km from Bangkok. For many years it was an important transshipment location for river borne trade from the northern part of Thailand. The cargo pier is located 3.5km west of Paknam Pho station. However today this line is no longer in use and most of the cargo now goes by road or is transshipped at a container rail yard elsewhere.

Paknam Pho consists of a 4 track yard and a 3 track passing loop. Due to the layout of the station the passenger platforms are located in the 4 track yard where no passenger trains stop. This means there are no platforms at Paknam Pho as all passenger trains stop on the loop tracks where you must board from the ground level. Passengers normally wait under the elevated signal box next to the Paknam Pho Loop.

South west of the station and loop is a small railway workshop that dates back to the lines opening in 1905. The workshop only provides light repairs for locos and cargo wagons as its facilities are rather basic. In front of the workshop is a small hand operated turntable. It appears that the turntable is still in working order but very rarely used.

The staff who work at Paknam Pho are very friendly and will show you around the small work shop and also let you know when any trains due to pass through the station. It is typical rural Thailand railway location with warm and friendly staff and locals.

Passenger Train Timetable at Paknam Pho:

To Bangkok: 06.50, 08.32, 12.44, 16.46 and 21.57.

From Bangkok: 11.34, 15.10, 18.08, 22.39, 00.08 and 02.39.

Due to the North East – South West layout of the station that coupled with high levels of locally produced haze made for very challenging photographing conditions when looking west.

Bangkok Hualamphong at 7.00am.

1. This is a shot of SRT loco 4108 waiting to depart from Hualamphong station with Rapid 111 to Denchai. Loco Type Alstrom. Taken looking south along the platform.

2. This is another angle on SRT loco number 4108 as it waits at Hualamphong Station. Taken from the middle of the tracks looking south.

3. This is a shot of the 2nd class non aircon seats on Rapid 111. This train has only 20 2nd class non aircon seats the other 8 carriages are 3rd class non aircon seats. As this is the 1st day train on the northern line ex Bangkok its best to book a week ahead if you want these seats.

Noen Makok Loop (224.81km) at 11.36am. (The train is 40 minutes late.)

4. This is an image of a southbound Hitachi DMU coming to a halt in the 2nd road of Noen Makok Loop. Taken looking north from the doors of the North bound rapid train.

5. This is a shot of SRT DMU unit 2527 taken as it overtakes the rapid train and crosses the Hitachi DMU at Noen Makok Loop. This is known as a “triple cross”. DMU type Daewoo.

6. This is a shot of the Daewoo DMU 2527 ripping past the Hitachi DMU at Noen Makok Loop. Taken from the Rapid Train looking north.

7. This is a short video of the Hitachi DMU as it powers up to depart from Noen Makok Loop as it makes its way to Bangkok on an inbound intercity train. Note the sound of the horn and engine. Also this is a 5 car set with one aircon carriage.

Paknam Pho Station and Yard (250.56 km) at 12.16pm until 4.59pm.

8. This is an image of a Cement train taken as it was passing through Paknam Pho station and loop. Taken looking west towards Bangkok. Note the cement wagons on this train are bottom discharge.

9. This is a shot of the elevated signal control box at Paknam Pho station. Below the signal box is where you wait for the passenger trains. There is no platform at Paknam Pho. At some point in the past it appears the points and signals where mechanically linked to this box.

10. This is a shot of the signal control panel inside the elevated signal box at Paknam Pho station. The line is single track north and south of the station and the layout of the yard can be clearly seen on this board. The black lines are un-signaled tracks next to the old platforms.

11. This is an inside image of the elevated signal control box at Paknam Pho. This room is rather basic with no aircon for the staff but it wasn’t too hot on the day I was there.

12. This is a general view of the former passenger platforms at Paknam Pho. These platforms and station building are cut off from the main lines. Therefore it is only a place to purchase your tickets before you cross all of the yard tracks and main lines before waiting trackside under the signal box.

13. This is another general view of the yard and tracks at Paknam Pho. Taken looking north east. On the left are the old passenger platforms to the right is the signal box.

14. This is an image of a 4 wheel brake van stored in one of the yard roads at Paknam Pho. These older 4 wheel brake vans rarely see much action these days due to the better performing bogie brake vans used on most cargo trains.

15. This is an inside shot of the 4 wheel brake van. It hasn’t seen use for many years judging by the state of the inside.

14. This is a general view of the yard and workshop area to the west of the station. The loco in the middle of the image is used for shunting duties at Paknam Pho.

15. This is a shot of SRT loco number 4223. Taken looking north east from within the workshop yard at Paknam Pho. Loco type Alstrom. This loco is used for shunting of cargo trains.

16. This is another angle on SRT loco 4223 at Paknam Pho yard. Note this loco seems to leak large amounts of black oil onto the ground where it is stored when not in use.

17. This is a general view of the old railway workshop at Paknam Pho taken looking west. In the foreground the turntable can be seen. At some point in the past 4 locos would have been stored inside the shed.

18. This is a close up shot of the turntable at Paknam Pho. During the rainy season the pit area of the turntable fills up with water. This turntable is hand operated normally by two staff members. But it is rarely used today.

19. This is an inside shot of the old workshop at Paknam Pho. It seems to be used mostly to store train wheels and oil drums plus a range of tools.

20. This is another angle of the inside of the old workshop. The oil drums can be seen taking up a large part of the workshop.

21. This is a shot of the tools and wheels inside the workshop. Behind the wooden slat wall is a tool shop where parts can be fabricated for the workshop.

22. This is an image looking north east from next to the turntable in the workshop. Two preserved railway steam cranes can be seen. In the foreground is part of a steam train cab that is used for a lunch area.

23. This is a close up shot of one of the old steam cranes next to the workshop at Paknam Pho. This steam crane was manufactured by Thomas Smith & Sons of Rooley Leeds in the UK. The age is unknown or when it was imported to Thailand.

24. This is a close upshot of the larger old steam crane next to the workshop at Paknam Pho. This steam crane was manufactured by the same company as the smaller one. The company that manufactured them in the UK probably closed down decades ago. It is rumored that SRT preserved a lot of this old steam age equipment in the event that world oil supplies ran out.

25. This is an image of a pair of covered bogie cargo vans stored in the Paknam Pho yard. These appear to be in good working order and a recent paint job.

26. This is an image of an older style Bogie Crude oil tank wagon. Stored in the Paknam Pho Yard. There is only one of these in yard it may have had some problems and was dumped in the yard.

27. This is a shot of a very old 4 wheel box car wagon. It appears it used to carry animals as it is well ventilated at the top.

28. This is a shot of another old 4 wheel covered van and low side flat wagons stored in the Paknam Pho Yard. These date back to when SRT was called RSR “Royal Siam Railways”

29. This is an image of Loco 4223 on its way to shunt some old wagons in the Paknam Pho yard. Taken looking north east.

30. This is a shot of Loco 4223 with a rake of old wagons as it prepares to move them to another part of the yard. The staff member walking behind the wagons helps to couple and uncouple them.

31. This is a shot of SRT loco 4229 on an inbound Bangkok intercity train. Taken as it was pulling up to pick up passengers at Paknam Pho station. Loco Type Alstrom.

32. This is a shot of SRT loco 4129 on an outbound Crude oil cargo train. Taken from the elevated signal box at Paknam Pho as it came to a stop. Loco type Alstrom.

33. This is another angle on SRT loco 4129 waiting to depart from Paknam Pho on its way up north with a load of Crude oil. Taken from the elevated Signal Box.

34. This is a short movie of the departure of SRT loco 4129 with a rake of Crude oil wagons from Paknam Pho. Filmed from the elevated signal box. Note the sounds of the loco as it powers up. Also the Brake Van can be seen.

35. This is a shot of the passenger train timetable above the ticket office window at Paknam Pho station. Oddly it appears the 16.46 Special Express DMU is not listed.

36. This is a shot of the ticket window at Paknam Pho station. Note the case of “Engrish” on the sign above the window. It’s meant to say “Please request a receipt for ticket refunds”

37. This is a shot of SRT loco 4146 taken as it was passing though Paknam Pho with a load of Crude oil tanks. This Alstrom loco is in very good condition it appears it’s been overhauled and repainted recently.

38. This is a shot of SRT BBV 50006 taken as it was passing by on a Crude oil train. This style of brake van has replaced most of the 4 wheel brake vans on SRTs cargo trains.

39. This is a close up of a platform sign at Paknam Pho. This sign indicates the distance to the next station up and down the line.

40. This is an image of an SRT DMU passing though at high speed on a Sawan Khalok Special express train. This DMU is imported from the UK and is a UK class 158. However they have really crappy aircon and appear to be only used on this Sawan Khalok service. Due to the light axle load needed for that line.

41. This is a shot of SRT loco 4131 on an outbound passenger train as it made a stop at Paknam Pho. This station is mostly used by SRT workers and a small number of locals. Loco type Alstrom.

42. This is a shot of a crude oil cargo train on its approach to Paknam Pho station. Taken as it rounds the curve at the north eastern end of the station and loop.

43. This is an image of SRT loco 4202 as it was put away in the yard at Paknam Pho with a rake of crude oil tank wagons. The train is about 600 meters long.

44. This is a short movie of a SRT staff member uncoupling the middle wagons of the Oil tank cargo train at Paknam Pho. They do this to allow pedestrian access across the middle of the yard. Otherwise people would have to walk around the cargo train or climb over or under it to access the station buildings.

45. This is a shot of SRT DMU 1118 Taken as it was approaching Paknam Pho. DMU type Hitachi. This service is a rural commuter train stopping at all stations between Phitsanulok and Lopburi.

46. This is a movie of the Hitachi DMU as it departs from Paknam Pho Station and makes it way to Lopburi. Note the lack of a platform for passengers and the sounds of the DMU. The white line on the video is from really bad reflections off the top of the train. Also a general view of the rail yard can be seen.

47. This is a shot of a Daewoo DMU taken as it approached Paknam Pho to take me back to Bangkok. This train is not listed on the platform timetable at Paknam Pho and I was the only person boarding it. SRT DMU number 2543. This DMU has reasonable air conditioning. It is also the fastest train in all of Thailand with a top speed of 120kph.

48. This is an inside shot of the Daewoo DMU taken looking towards the drivers cab. For an SRT train this unit was in good condition and had working aircon unlike my last trip on this type of DMU.

49. This is an image of the tickets used for this photographing trip. The 1st ticket was 2nd class non aircon seats and the 2nd ticket is for 2nd class aircon seats. The total cost was 552 baht.

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 Pathum Thani.

2008-12-11T15:48:00.004+07:00

After visiting Rangsit I paid a visit to the semi rural city of Pathum Thani to document their local mass transport and bus system. Before I headed back to Rama 2 via Kanchanaphisek Road. Pathum Thani is approximately 50 km from Bangkok

A little background on Pathum Thani.

Pathum Thani is the administration centre for the city of Pathum Thani that includes the much larger Rangsit area. The offices and the seat of local government are located in this some what more rural town of Pathum Thani..

In the past Pathum Thani was an important river trade town with a large network of transport grade khlongs covering the entire surrounding area. These khlongs used to transport people and cargo to the Chao Phraya River and Pathum Thani. However today the river trade in Pathum Thani has mostly died out and been replaced with trucks and buses. Over the last 30 years the amount of farming activities in the Pathum Thani area has been slowly reducing as the land is turned over to residential condo complexes and industrial estates.

Pathum Thani today still is a trading centre for the local region with a large riverside wet market but it is mostly retail and local trade. A major wholesale wet market is located north of Rangsit. Over the last 30 years as Rangsit’s size and importance has grown, Pathum Thani has been in decline. However this is a blessing as it gives Pathum Thani a rural feel despite how close it is to the urban area of Bangkok.

Like Rangsit the bus system in Pathum Thani is broken up into 3 sections with no central terminal. However as Pathum Thani is much smaller it is much easier to find your bus. Behind the shop houses on the main road is a small bus terminal and food market. A few bus routes depart from this terminal. Just like in Rangsit there is zero passenger information at the bus stops and terminal as to which bus to take.

1. This is a video of the departure of a Route 1138 aircon bus from Rangsit metro bus terminal on a trip to Pathum Thani town. Note: how the bus departs with the doors open as the bus exits the terminal and then picks up a few people on the exit road before heading onto the main road.

2. This is a shot of a Route 960: Bangkok – Sena – Phak Hai bus. Bus number 960 – 21. Bus type unknown. Appears to be a refurbished metro bus. Taken as it was doing a U turn at Pathum Thani.

3. This is a shot of a Route 1111 bus. Bus number 1111 – 24. Bus type unknown. As I didn’t get a shot of the front of this bus I don’t know the destination. Taken as it was passing the Pathum Thani wet market.

4. This is a general view of the Pathum Thani wet market and bus area. Taken looking north.

5. This is an image of a motorbike Taxi stand just across the road from the Pathum Thani Market. These motor bikes provide a door to door service for between 5 and 40 baht a trip depending on the distance.

6. This is a shot of a Route 646: Nonthaburi – Pathum Thani - Ban Pan bus. Bus number 646 – 44. Bus type unknown. Taken as it was doing a U Turn in front of Pathum Thani market.

7. This is a shot of a Route 1005: Pathum Thani – Sam Khok truck – bus. Truck number 1005 – 28. Truck type unknown. Taken as it was heading for the food market bus terminal.

8. This is a shot of a Route 1147: Pathum Thani – Pu Pho truck – bus. Truck number 1147 – 7. Truck type Isuzu. Taken as it was doing a U turn at Pathum Thani market.

9. This is an image of the Samlor stand outside Pathum Thani market. These provide a slower but greener way for getting form the bus stop to your door. They cost between 10 and 50 baht a trip depending on the distance. These more popular with older Thais.

10. This is a shot of a Route 367: Nonthaburi – Pathum Thani - Rangsit bus. Bus number 367 – 3. Bus type Higer KLQ 6608C. Taken as it was passing through the Pathum Thani bus terminal.

11. This is an image of a Route 188: Pathum Thani – Bang Len bus. Bus number 188 – 29. Bus type unknown. Taken after it had U turned and was passing the row of banks in Pathum Thani town. Note how the doors are always open even when operating.

12. This is an image of a Route 1138: Rangsit – Pathum Thani bus. Bus number 1138 – 38. Bus type unknown. Note this service operates every 5 mins off peak. This is an all aircon bus route.

13. This is another image of a Route 188 bus. Bus number 188 – 39. Bus type unknown. Taken as it was passing through Pathum Thani market on its way to the food market bus terminal.

14. This is a shot of a Route 33: Sanam Luang – Pathum Thani bus. Bus number 33 – 9. Bus type unknown. Note this route is over 2 hours long and operates from 4am to 12am 7 days a week.

15. This is a shot of a Route 337: Pathum Thani – Bang Yai – Ngam Wong Wan bus. Bus number 337 – 4. Bus type unknown. Taken as it was approaching the Pathum Thani bus terminal.

16. This is a general view of the Route 359 bus terminal outside Wat Chang just south of Pathum Thani Market. This route does not operate via the main road in front of the market.

17. This is a shot of a Route 359: Pathum Thani – Pak Kret bus. Bus number 359 – 15. Bus type Merc. Taken as it was exiting the bus holding area at Pathum Thani.

18. This is a shot of the driver’s seat inside one of the Route 359 buses. Note how much more basic the driver’s area on this bus is compared to the aircon buses.

19. This is an inside shot of the same Route 359 bus. Note how the rear door is missing. On these buses never sit in the back row if you want a comfortable ride. As you tend to get bounced of the seat at every khlong bridge.

20. This is an image of the Pathum Thani cross river ferry. I was going to use it but it had run out of fuel and the staff where refilling it from black fuel containers and it was taking far too long.

21. This is a shot of the Pathum Thani cross river ferry pier. This pier allows direct access to the Pathum Thani market from the Route 90 bus on the other side. It costs 5 baht per trip. This is 2 baht more than most other cross river ferries.

22. This is a shot of a Route 1005 truck bus. Truck number 1005 – 30. Truck type Isuzu. Taken as it was waiting for passengers at the rear Pathum Thani bus terminal. Inside the terminal is a food market.

23. This is a shot of a Route 6045: Pathum Thani – Wat Chedi Thong truck bus. Truck number 6045 – 5. Truck type Toyota Mighty X. Taken as it was waiting for passengers at the rear Pathum Thani Bus terminal.

24. This is a shot of a Route 33 bus waiting at the rear Pathum Thani bus terminal. Bus number 33 – 46. Bus type Unknown. Note this bus was in rather poor condition as it was about to start its 2 hour plus long trip to Sanam Luang in the inner city of Bangkok.

25. This is an image of a Route 359 bus as it was passing through the rear Pathum Thani bus terminal. Bus number 359 – 3. Bus type Merc. Note this bus has no closeable doors.

26. This is an image of the Route 337 bus I used to head back to Rama 2. Bus number 337 – 7. Taken as it waited at Pathum Thani bus terminal. For its age this bus was in very good condition.

27. This is an inside shot of the seating on bus number 337 – 7. As it was a Saturday this bus did not attract a huge load for its semi rural trip to Bang Yai.

28. This is another inside shot of bus number 337 – 7. Taken looking towards the front after it had departed from Pathum Thani on its way to Bang Yai.

29. This is a short movie of a ride on the semi rural Bus route 337. Note the short stop to let down passengers and the low numbers of passengers on this bus. Also a mixture of farms and factories can be seen along the route. Not long after this was filmed a group of 15 people got on the bus at a factory.

30. This is a short movie of a ride on Route 337 as it enters Kanchanaphisek road in Pathum Thani. The bus had just let off a number of the factory workers on the onramp. Note how the doors are always left open on this bus. The doors have to be manually closed and thus are left open. Kanchanaphisek road in this section is only 4 lanes wide but in Thonburi its 14 lanes wide.

This section of Photographs was taken after getting off bus route 337 at Bang Yai. This area is home to number of large shopping centres on Kanchanaphisek road. Also there is large night market about 1 km south of Bang Yai. That night market may replace the tourist night market at Lumpini if the land is taken over for development.

31. This is an image of a Route 1024: Nonthaburi – Bang Yai bus. Bus number 1024 – 2. Bus type Merc. Taken as it was approaching the bus stop at Bang Yai. This service appears to use the Rama 5 bridge.

32. This is a shot of a Route 127: Bang Bua Thong – Arun Amarin Bridge bus. Bus number 127 – 1. Bus type Unknown. Taken as it was approaching the bus stop at Bang Yai.

33. This is a shot of a Route 388: Salaya – Pak Kret bus. Bus number 3rd class 388 – 4. Bus type Hino. Taken as it was approaching the bus stop at Bang Yai.

34. This is a shot of a Route 680: Rangsit – Bang Yai bus. Bus number 680 – 15. Bus type unknown. Taken as it was approaching the bus stop at Bang Yai.

35. This is a shot of one of many van services that operate in the Bang Yai area. This Van is heading to Ngam Wong Wan. These vans depart from a shophouse about 200 meters north of the main bus stop at Bang Yai.

36. This is an image of a Route 177: Victory Monument – Bang Bua Thong (Loop service) Bus number 177 – 10. Bus type unknown. Taken as it was approaching the bus stop at Bang Yai.

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 Rangsit Metro Bus Terminal and Bus Depot.

2008-12-11T15:36:00.002+07:00

Last weekend while in Rangsit photographing the buses of the area I stumbled across the BMTA Rangsit bus depot and the Rangsit Metro bus terminal.

The Rangsit BMTA bus depot is located behind the shophouses on Rangsit – Pathum Thani road. This depot holds most of the BMTA buses for the BMTA bus routes to and from Bangkok. The depot is mostly just a bus storage area with a small open area for bus repair plus a major refueling point for both NGV and Diesel buses. The refueling point is provided at cost by PTT a state owned oil and gas company.

Also located behind the shophouses but off another soi further from the SRT railway line but on the same road is the Bus terminal and Depot for the Pathum Thani Bus Company. Unlike the BMTA depot passengers often board buses inside the depot area. The bus services that operate from the Pathum Thani Bus terminal are mostly semi rural and urban commuter bus routes. Some are very frequent others just a few times an hour. All routes operate 7 days a week.

Near the BMTA Rangsit bus depot is a small holding area and terminal for the Thanyaburi bus company’s services. But it appears the majority of its buses are stored elsewhere. Its terminal area doubles as a morning wet market for central Rangsit area.

In regards to finding these bus terminals as a new passenger will it would be hard as they are not marked and hidden from view behind a row of 4 story shophouses. A small improvement would be to have signs on the main road indicating there location.

These bus terminals are very basic with no waiting area for passengers or shelters. They are basically just a large but rough concrete area on which the buses wait. At these terminals passengers wait on the buses until the driver comes as the buses are never closed up while driver is having a quick break.

This 1st section of images was taken inside the refueling area of the BMTA Rangsit bus depot. Passengers don’t normally board buses inside the depot but outside on the main road.

1. This is a shot of a now discontinued Route 3: Rangsit – Pink Lao – Southern Bus terminal Bus. Bus number BMTA 1 – 2005. Bus type MAN. These buses are over 10 years old but no longer in use. The reason for there lack of use is unknown. But it appears they have been parked like this for years.

2. This is a general view shot of the new BMTA expressway vans with a number of now abandoned MAN aircon buses. It seems that MAN buses have not been successful in Thailand as these are the only MAN metro buses that I have come across.

3. This is a shot of another MAN Route 3 bus. Bus number BMTA 1 – 2018. Bus type MAN. It seems BMTA doesn’t really care about what happens to these buses as the doors are left open to the weather. Normally BMTA sells off its unwanted buses to private bus companies.

4. This is an inside shot of a Merc O405 metro bus. Taken facing the rear of the bus. Note the strange seating layout at the rear with longitudinal seating. This is only Thai metro bus to have this layout.

5. This is another inside shot of the same Merc O405 metro bus. This time taken facing the front of the bus. These buses have the only entry door in the middle of the bus. Thus have a really nice spot to sit right next to the driver at the front.

6. This is an inside shot of a Hino aircon metro bus. Note the seating layout of this bus. The front part of the bus is 1 + 1 seating to increase standing capacity. A bus like this can pack in around 100 people.

7. This is a shot of the driver’s seat on the same Hino bus. Note the better condition of this driver’s seat when compared to the non aircon buses.

8. This is an image of a few Merc O405 metro buses parked next to the PTT refueling point. These buses where used exclusively on Route 503. All of these buses where built as CNG units. Note: the middle one appears to be no longer in service.

9. This is a general view of the Rangsit bus depot. This section appears to be mostly used to store aircon buses and buses that are no longer required. A larger bus holding area is located south of the refueling point.

10. This is a shot of a Route 522: Rangsit – Victory Monument expressway bus. Bus number BMTA 1 – 66320. Bus type Merc O405. There are also Hino and Daewoo buses with the same local made body. They where all constructed around the same time most likely in the same bus body factory.

11. This is an image of the driver’s seat on the Merc O405. The 3 different versions of these aircon buses all have different dashboards and driver’s seat area layouts.

12. This is an image of a Route 503: Rangsit – Sanam Luang bus. Bus number 1 – 1003. Bus type Merc O405. Taken while it was being refueled with CNG.

13. This is an image of a couple of no longer in service metro buses. The bus that is strangely stuck up in the air is the Daewoo version of these orange aircon metro buses. The white Merc O405 bus appears to be out of service and used to operate on Route 559: Rangsit – Suvarnabhumi Airport via Kanchanaphisek road. This route no longer operates.

This next section of photographs was taken next to the Rangsit central wet market. The car park area of the market is also used by the Thanayaburi bus company as a bus terminal.

14. This is a shot of a couple of Route 1156: Rangsit - Pathum Thani Rajamangala University of Technology buses. Seen waiting for passengers at Rangsit wet market terminal. The 1st bus is a Higer the 2nd bus is a Merc.

15. This is an image of the driver’s seat area on the Higer metro bus. Bus number 1156 – 9. The driver’s seat area on this bus is more modern than on most other Thai metro buses. Plus the Speedo probably still works unlike on most of BMTA and many other companies buses.

16. This is an image of the passenger seating on the Higer metro bus. It is similar to most of the Chinese imports not that comfortable with limited legroom. The driver was taking a rest between trips on the longitudinal seats at the front.

17. This is a side on shot of a Route 1156 bus. Bus number 1156 – 4. Bus type Merc aircon. Note this bus appears to have a mid mounted engine. This is very unusual for Thai buses. Most are rear or front. Also this bus has front and middle plug style doors that are likely to be damaged in the future.

18. This is another angle on the Route 1156 bus. Taken as it rests between trips on a Saturday afternoon. This bus is powered by NGV.

19. This is an inside shot of the Merc Route 1156 bus. Note the passenger seating also the driver was having a sleep across the seats in the middle of the bus.

20. This is a shot of the driver’s seat area on the Merc route 1156 bus. Note the rather poorly laid out steering column. That column would mean the bus driver can only keep one foot on the brake and accelerator pedals.

21. This is a shot of a Route 381: Rangsit – Ongkharak bus. Bus type Merc. Bus number 381 – 26. Taken as it waits for passengers at Rangsit wet market terminal.

This last section of images were taken inside the Pathum Thani metro bus terminal and depot located on Rangsit –Pathum Thani road at Rangsit. This terminal is hidden from view by a row of shophouses. Also the Rangsit truck bus terminal is located here.

22. This is a general view showing the Pathum Thani buses waiting at the Rangsit metro bus terminal. Approximately 8 bus routes operate from this terminal all operated by Pathum Thani Bus company.

23. This is a shot of a Route 680: Rangsit – Bang Yai bus. Bus number 680 – 11. Bus type unknown. Taken from the bus holding area at the Rangsit metro bus terminal.

24. This is a shot of a Route 367: Rangsit - Nonthaburi mini bus. Bus number 367 – 6 Bus type Higer KLQ 6608C. Seen waiting for passengers at Rangsit. Larger non aircon buses also operate on this route.

25. This is a shot of a Route 1138: Rangsit – Pathum Thani bus. Bus number 1138 – 33. Bus type unknown. Note appears to have been converted from non aircon to aircon at some point.

26. This is an inside shot of a typical Pathum Thani bus company non aircon metro bus. Note the raised up section of floor at the rear this engine bay and it’s really hot and uncomfortable if you sit at the back.

27. This is another shot of a Route 680 bus. Bus number 680 – 6. Bus type unknown.
The engine appeared to be having some problems and was under repair.

28. This is a general view of the Rangsit Truck – bus terminal next to the Rangsit metro bus terminal. Located behind this terminal is the yard and terminus for another Rangsit based aircon bus company.

29. This is a shot of a Route 372: Rangsit – Bang Pa In bus. Bus number 372 – 38. Bus type unknown. This route is one of a number of bus routes that service Bang Pa In.

30. This is another general view shot of the Rangsit metro bus terminal. The passengers are required to wait inside the buses rather than outside. All buses are permanently allocated to each route. I.e. they very rarely change routes even when buses break down as most routes have a large number buses on them.

31. This is a shot of the driver’s seat on a Route 1183 aircon bus. Like most of Pathum Thani bus company’s buses they don’t have Speedos at all. Thus it’s a real guess as to how fast they are going.

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.