Editing Transport in Thailand (section)

==Rail transport==
[[File:Hua_Lamphong_Railway_Station.JPG|thumb|[[Hua Lamphong Railway Station]].]]
[[Image:SRT Oha14 103 20151106.jpg|right|thumb|Second-class sleeping carriage of the [[State Railway of Thailand]] at Hua Lamphong Railway Station]]
{{main article|Rail transport in Thailand|List of urban rail systems in Thailand|State Railway of Thailand}}

The [[State Railway of Thailand]] (SRT) operates all of Thailand's national rail lines. [[Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal]] is the main terminus of all routes, replacing the former main station, [[Bangkok Railway Station]] (Hua Lamphong Station), in 2023. Phahonyothin and ICD [[Lat Krabang]] are the main freight terminals.

{{as of|2025}} SRT had {{convert|4507|km|mi|abbr=on}} of track, all of it [[meter gauge]] except the Airport Link. Nearly all is single-track (2702.1&nbsp;km), although some important sections around Bangkok are double ({{convert| 1234.9|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=or}}) or triple-tracked ({{convert|107|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=or}}) and there are plans to extend this.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Thongkamkoon|first1=Chaiwat|title=Thailand's Railway Development Strategy 2015-2022|url=http://www.thairailtech.or.th/assets/Uploads/Chaiwat-ThongkamkoonOTPPwp-Eng.pdf|website=Railway Technology Development Institute of Thailand|access-date=2014-11-28}}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> By comparison, Thailand has 390,000&nbsp;km (242,335 miles) of highways.<ref name="NAR-20170123">{{cite news|last1=Janssen|first1=Peter|title=Thailand's expanding state 'threatens future growth'|url=http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Economy/Thailand-s-expanding-state-threatens-future-growth|access-date=23 January 2017|work=Nikkei Asian Review|date=23 January 2017}}</ref>

The SRT has long been perceived by the public as inefficient and resistant to change. Trains are usually late, and most of its equipment is old and poorly maintained. The worst financially performing state enterprise, the SRT consistently operates at a loss despite being endowed with large amounts of property and receiving large government budgets; it reported a preliminary loss of 7.58 billion baht in 2010.<ref>{{cite news|first=Wichit|last=Chantanusornsiri|title=State railway to finally account for assets and liabilities |newspaper=Bangkok Post|date=23 January 2012|url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transport/276358/state-railway-to-finally-account-for-assets-and-liabilities}}</ref> Recurring government attempts at restructuring and/or privatization throughout the 2000s have always been strongly opposed by the union and have not made any progress.<ref>{{cite news|title=Getting on track needs strong political will|first1=Amornrat|last1=Mahitthirook|first2=Saritdet|last2=Marukatat|newspaper=Bangkok Post|date=22 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Philip|last=Bowring|title=Thailand's Railways: Wrong Track|url=http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2113&Itemid=437|work=Asia Sentinel|date=23 October 2009|access-date=22 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006123734/http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2113&Itemid=437|archive-date=6 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There are two active rail links to adjacent countries. The line to [[Rail transport in Malaysia|Malaysia]] uses the same {{RailGauge|1000mm}} gauge, as does the line to Laos across the [[Mekong]] River on the [[First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge]]. The line to [[Rail transport in Cambodia|Cambodia]] is currently disused and is being rebuilt, while the line to [[Rail transport in Burma|Myanmar]] is defunct (see [[Burma Railway|Death Railway]]). A projected extension will rebuild the route<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/281905/neighbours-to-the-west-get-closer |title=Neighbours to the west get closer &#124; Bangkok Post: news |newspaper=Bangkok Post |date=2012-02-28 |access-date=2012-08-13}}</ref> and in 2011 a link was also proposed from [[Kanchanaburi]] to Port [[Dawei]].

[[Rail transport in Bangkok]] includes long-distance services, and some daily commuter trains running from and to the outskirts of the city during the rush hour, but passenger numbers have remained low. There are also three rapid transit rail systems in the capital.

===Rail rapid transit systems===
[[File:Bts skytrain mo chit.JPG | thumb | right | Bangkok BTS skytrain at [[Mo Chit BTS station]]]]
[[Image:BangkokMetro_SiLomStation.jpg|thumb|Bangkok Metro at [[Si Lom MRT station]]]]

====Bangkok Metropolitan Region====
{{main article|List of rapid transit stations in Bangkok|Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok Metropolitan Region}}

Bangkok is served by four rail rapid transit systems:
* [[MRT (Bangkok)|MRT]], with four lines.
* [[Bangkok Skytrain]] or BTS, with three lines. 
* [[Suvarnabhumi Airport Link]] or ARL, with one line.
* [[SRT Red Lines]], with two lines.

====Khon Kaen====
{{main article|Khon Kaen Light Rail Transit}}
In March 2016, the Thai government approved the first [[Light rail|LRT]] project in [[Khon Kaen]] province, to be built by the private sector. The first phase of the project will be a 26&nbsp;km north–south route. Previously, this corridor was intended to be served by a [[bus rapid transit]] route. The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy (OTP) will fund an 8-month project study for [[Khon Kaen University]] with 38 million baht. The Khon-Kaenpattanmong or Khon Kaen Think Tank, a private company, will be the main investor in the project and responsible for the operation of the network. The Phase 1 budget is estimated at 1.5 billion baht.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.posttoday.com/biz/gov/421979 |title=เซ็นสร้างรถรางไฟฟ้า1.5หมื่นล้าน – โพสต์ทูเดย์ ข่าวธุรกิจ-ตลาด |website=posttoday.com |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322090801/http://www.posttoday.com/biz/gov/421979 |archive-date=22 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

As of 2020, construction has yet to start.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://futuresoutheastasia.com/khon-kaen-transit-system/|title=Khon Kaen Transit System – the proposed light rail transit (LRT) in Khon Kaen|date=9 June 2020}}</ref>

====Other Provinces====
{{main article|List of urban rail systems in Thailand}}Several other rapid transit systems have been proposed but have not been approved {{As of|2016|alt=|lc=y}}: [[Chiang Mai monorail]], [[Pattaya Light Rail Transit|Pattaya LRT]], [[Phuke Light Rail Transit|Phuket LRT]] and [[Hat Yai monorail]].

=== Tram ===
{{Main article|Trams in Bangkok|Trams in Lopburi}}
Thailand had two tramway systems, both of which are now defunct. Trams operated in Bangkok between 1888 and 1968 when it was closed to make way for road traffic. At its peak, a total of eleven tram lines operated in the city, with a cumulative total length of 53.5&nbsp;km.

Another short-lived tramway system operated in [[Lopburi]], which operated between 1955 and 1962. This system consisted of a single 6.5&nbsp;km line.

===Automated people mover===

The [[Suvarnabhumi Airport Automated People Mover]] is an automated people mover in [[Suvarnabhumi Airport]], first opened for service on 28 September 2023, running between the main terminal building and Satellite-1 terminal (SAT-1), with a distance of 1 kilometer. Currently, there is only one service in Suvarnabhumi Airport.