Marketing Department State Railway of Thailand Thailand and Neighboring Countries

The Kingdom of Thailand is a country at the center of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Myanmar and Lao PDR, to the east by Lao PDR and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and , and the west to the Andaman Sea. Thailand has the potential to connect to four neighboring countries. Two of which have been in operations, namely, Malaysia and Lao PDR.

2 Thailand – Malaysia Two connecting points between Thailand and Malaysia are at Padang Besar border on the west coast and at Sungai Golok border on the east coast. Trains Hat Yai between Thailand and Malaysia are now using Padang Besar as a Padang Besar joint station for Customs, Sungai Golok Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) procedures which serves four international passenger trains daily and freight trains on a regular basis. Unfortunately, at the moment, no train services is operating via Sungai Golok joint station.

Padang Besar Station 3 Thailand – Malaysia at Padang Besar

4 Thailand – Malaysia at Padang Besar

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

1. Landbridge train crossing the border 2. SRT locomotive waiting to haul Langkawi Express to Hat Yai 3. CIQ at Padang Besar station 4. Langkawi Express northbound from KL to Hat Yai 5. International passengers waiting for the train 6. Train no.35 from arriving at Butterworth station 5 Thailand – Lao PDR at Thanaleng

Thailand’s railway has connected to Lao PDR at since March 2009. For the time being, four international passenger trains daily are in service. However, no regular freight train is in operation due to the shortage of locomotives and wagons. 6 Thailand – Lao PDR at Thanaleng

CIQ at Station, Thailand Nong Khai – Thanaleng Train Shuttle CIQ at Thanaleng Station, Lao PDR At the moment, CIQ procedures take place at each of the border stations.

In the fiscal year 2013 (October 2012 - September 2013) there were 31,115 cross-border passengers (an average of 85 passengers per day)

7 Rail Link to Cambodia Aranyaprathet – Khlongluk – Poipet (Missing Link) Thailand

Aranyaprathet Station

5.00 km

Klongluk Stopping Place 1.00 km

6.00 km The six kilometers of missing link from Aranyaprathet to Klong Luk, the border of Thailand, is under the process of track rehabilitation Poipet Station and the work will be completed by mid 2015. It is expected to link with Cambodia by the end of 2015. Cambodia 8 Track Alignment at the Border Stopping Place Thailand Cambodia

Access Road

Big Tree Rail Alignment Road Alignment Casino

WINNER Wall Stall

Skywalk Poipet Station Thailand - Myanmar Two alternative routes to link with Myanmar are as follows: (1) via Namtok – Three Pagoda Pass – Thanbyuzayat and (2) Ban Kao (Kanchanaburi) – Thanbyuzayat Dawei. However, the two Three Pagoda Pass countries are still Namtok working whether the Dawei Ban Khao (Kanchanaburi) first or second option will benefit both countries as well as the regional level.

10 Joint Traffic Agreement

 Uninterrupted movement of passengers and cargoes  Technical compliance  Standard operation Padang Besar: Thailand – Malaysia Border Station procedures  Single stop for CIQ clearances

Level crossing in Thailand 11 Joint Traffic Agreement

 Conformity of technical requirements  Loading gauge, structure gauge, clearance, axle-load, speed, braking system, couplers,

signaling, etc. Thai Train at Thanaleng Station in Lao PDR  Compatibility of operational practices  Service & safety level  Joint inspection, train schedule, train precedence, dispute settlement, etc.

Padang Besar Yard: Malaysia – Thailand Border12 Opportunities/Challenges

 Protocol 6: Railway Border and Interchange Stations  Interoperability  Train tracking system  Multiple network access Woodland Train Checkpoint: Malaysia – Border  Signaling System  Demand-side management  Multimodal transport  Station/Terminal facilities

Padang Besar Train Checkpoint: Malaysia – Thailand Border13 Thank you

Mr. Chitkamon Pondate Chief, Market Development Section State Railway of Thailand