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High Speed Trains: Top drivers like "airline pilots" to be paid 100K up


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High Speed Trains: Top drivers like "airline pilots" to be paid 100K up

 

train.JPG

Image: Thai Rath

 

A ministerial level committee has decided that the drivers of Thailand's proposed high speed trains need to be good.

 

And they are prepared to pay them more than 100,000 baht a month like they do in China. 

 

Thai Rath reported that the stress and responsibility will be like airline pilots.

 

The proposals have been revealed after Transport Ministry officials and rail industry representatives began the process of introducing standards and expectations in the burgeoning rail sector. 

 

This involves discussions about metropolitan drivers on systems like the BTS and MRT as well as those on the high speed networks and other intercity routes. 

 

Investment opportunities and how these are handled are also high up on the agenda proposed by new transport minister Saksayam Chidchob. 

 

Thailand has two proposed high speed routes, said Thai Rath - the three airport link (Don Muang - Suvarnabhumi - U-Tapao) and the Thai-Chinese Bangkok to Nakorn Ratchasima route.

 

Driving standards and efficiency are considered a priority. 

 

There are proposals to issue four different levels of train drivers' licences for: 

 

1. Metropolitan drivers.
2. Intercity drivers of cargo.
3. Intercity drivers of passengers.
4. High speed train drivers. 

 

The extra stress and responsibility for high speed drivers makes them like airline pilots, said the media.

 

In China they are paid the equivalent of 150,000 baht a month and that should be the case in Thailand. 

 

Intercity drivers at the moment are paid somewhere between 50K and 80K a month.

 

At present there are about 2,000 train drivers in Thailand with about 800 on city networks and 1,200 on intercity routes. 

 

It has been pointed out that in developed countries train drivers are re-tested for their abilities every five to ten years and Thailand should bear this in mind. 

 

BTS and MRT driving skills are upgraded each year, said the report.

 

New standards, salary scales and other details are expected to be announced in about 6 months.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

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-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-09-21
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A train driver of a high speed train has hundreds of lives in his hands and deserves a decent pay. My biggest worry when these trains finally arrive is the quality of the track and the habit of pickup drivers trying to beat the train at crossings, 200 plus kph will make an awful mess.

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But, unlike airline pilots, no opportunity for an outside regulatory body to break Thailands rail industry (as its international airline industry can be broken by ICAO or FAA) if it fails to meet high standards of safety.

 

A nice little earner for those who can, as with the police "career path", buy their way into it (and out of any "problems" they may encounter/cause).

 

 

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2 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

No wonder you have empty pockets ????

True - my salary is paid direct into my bank account. And it is very substantially more the 100k baht a month.

Rarely need to carry cash except for those wonderful 2 or 3 days a month in Bangkok. Hopefully the bar girls will get personal Visa card machines soon so I can just swipe and go. I tried swiping the card down a bum crack once with very disappointing results.

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All done and dusted. Soil breaking ceremony and media extravaganza performances done, ticket prices have been set, train drivers wages locked in, Bang Sue railway station almost completed.

Nothing much left to do except sign the contracts, borrow the money and build the rail line and the train.

Idiots!

ground breaking ceremony.jpg

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I recall my first encounter with one of these trains was being on a station platform in Holland. I was puzzled why the yellow no go zone was like nearly 20 foot back from the platform edge. Then the French TGV came through at full speed. The vacuum it created nearly sucked me off the platform. I can think of better ways of being sucked off.

 

Imagine what's going to happen when the Thais are let loose with this thing.

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Just now, DaRoadrunner said:

I recall my first encounter with one of these trains was being on a station platform in Holland. I was puzzled why the yellow no go zone was like nearly 20 foot back from the platform edge. Then the French TGV came through at full speed. The vacuum it created nearly sucked me off the platform. I can think of better ways of being sucked off.

 

Imagine what's going to happen when the Thais are let loose with this thing.

I suppose if this science-fiction story ever happens here, it will become a sort of Hi-Tech population control system.

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2 hours ago, Cadbury said:

All done and dusted. Soil breaking ceremony and media extravaganza performances done, ticket prices have been set, train drivers wages locked in, Bang Sue railway station almost completed.

Nothing much left to do except sign the contracts, borrow the money and build the rail line and the train.

Idiots!

ground breaking ceremony.jpg

 

These workers all wear white gloves to do an IT job

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, PJPom said:

A train driver of a high speed train has hundreds of lives in his hands and deserves a decent pay. My biggest worry when these trains finally arrive is the quality of the track and the habit of pickup drivers trying to beat the train at crossings, 200 plus kph will make an awful mess.

Guaranteed - in every single thread about high speed trains someone brings up the "Thais at crossings" thing.  High speed rail has no level crossings anywhere in the world.  It is either elevated or ground level and completely fenced off - no crossings.  It also prevents livestock wandering on to the track.

 

Do people really not understand this?  

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2 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

I recall my first encounter with one of these trains was being on a station platform in Holland. I was puzzled why the yellow no go zone was like nearly 20 foot back from the platform edge. Then the French TGV came through at full speed. The vacuum it created nearly sucked me off the platform. I can think of better ways of being sucked off.

 

Imagine what's going to happen when the Thais are let loose with this thing.

well... if she is wearing platform shoes - you are set! 

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44 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Guaranteed - in every single thread about high speed trains someone brings up the "Thais at crossings" thing.  High speed rail has no level crossings anywhere in the world.  It is either elevated or ground level and completely fenced off - no crossings.  It also prevents livestock wandering on to the track.

 

Do people really not understand this?  

You do realise that you are in amazing Thailand where they even steal the pins that secure the rails to the sleepers, they will probably steal the fence.

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