Voor de highspeedtrein in Thailand.....

Rail passengers in Thailand can stillexperience unique journeys before the high-speed train system is launched Hundreds of passengers quietly hang around Bangkok's Hua Lamphong station. Some have waited for so long that they decide to sit on the floor because all the benches are occupied. Maids take a break and enjoy chatting in a quiet corner, out of their supervisor's sight. The free train to Hua Hin leaves Bangkok at 9.20am every day. On the way, food vendors sell various items such as grilled beef and sticky rice, noodles and desserts. I recheck the timetable displayed on the gigantic LCD monitors. Train number 261, from Bangkok to Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan will depart in five minutes. However, it is not on the platform yet. More and more passengers gather on the empty space. It finally arrives, two minutes before the scheduled departure time. As soon as the train approaches, passengers do not wait until it completely stops, but clamber on board and occupy all the seats within a couple of minutes. This is a free train; a welfare offered by the government so people can enjoy free transport along certain routes and at certain times. The free service is available for those in third class only. The car is old and dirty. Some seats are torn, the electric fans on the ceiling no longer work and the sun shades are heavily stained. But I do not have many choices. I spot an empty seat, opposite the toilet, which is why nobody wants to take it. Though the seat smells, it is better than standing all the way to Hua Hin. Riding a train in Thailand is a unique experience. Passengers may find themselves travelling back in time on old-fashioned locomotives and cars, mostly along the single-track railway system. Old locos and the 1m-wide gauge do not allow the train to go fast, normally at less than 80kph. It is surprising that it is quite easy to find something to eat on the train. Seconds before it departs, vendors come on board, walking up and down the aisles, offering the likes of grilled beef with sticky rice, soft drinks, meat balls and fruits. Moreover, at major stations, you can expect more vendors getting on board with new offerings such as egg noodles at Nakhon Pathom, and local sweets at Phetchaburi station. Eating then taking a nap is likely the best way to kill time during the journey, which most passengers love to do. As my seat is close to the toilet, I can hardly fall asleep due to its strong odour. Indeed, the smell should not be this bad because the toilet does not have a sewage tank. Sewage is released directly onto the tracks. That is the reason why it is forbidden to use the toilet when the train stops at a station. Regardless, nobody seems to care about this regulation. Smoking in the car is also forbidden, but smokers manage to enjoy a cigarette on the gangway between bogies, which is a metre away from the other passengers in the car. Who knows, such a laid-back atmosphere may be difficult to find in the next five years when the country's high-speed train system begins operation. Thailand's high-speed train project is about to kick off soon, on five routes from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Nong Khai, Ubon Ratchathani, Rayong and Sungai Kolok in Narathiwat. The project will be developed in two phases on long routes. In the first phase, the service will be available to Phitsanulok, Nakhon Ratchasima and Hua Hin. According to the plan, high-speed trains will run at 250kph. Though it will not run as fast as those trains that can be found overseas, which travel at 300kph or more, it will be an interesting choice for travellers, particularly on long routes. From Bangkok to Padang Besar, the journey will only take five hours compared to the current 20 hours. The journey time from the capital to Chiang Mai will be cut down to 3 hour and 45 minutes. I imagine Chiang Mai people hopping on the morning train to downtown Bangkok and enjoying lunch before shopping or attending an important meeting, then making their way home in the evening. Holiday-makers from Bangkok can be in Hua Hin within an hour to enjoy the beach, then head home after dinner. A station porter rings the bell. The passenger announcement wakes me up, loudly informing everyone on board that the train has arrived in Hua Hin, after 4 hours and 30 minutes. A new group of passengers rush in to occupy the seats and the vendors follow in their wake