Northern Thailand, c 1946

[GWR]

Not sure whether this is a map from 1946 or a map that shows Northern Thailand as it was in 1946. (See Map at bottom of 'post'.) It was contributed in the 'SRT' subforum with the following quote from Airlana:-

http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=1341

The National Geographic Magazine map "India and Burma" April 1946 shows a rail line Chiang Mai to Burma.

The existing rail line from Bangkok is shown as a continous black line.
Then a broken crossed black line [railway under construction or planned] runs from Chiang Mai to Hot and Mae Sariang then across the border to Dagwin and on to Bilin in Burma where it meets up with the main south line.

Several questions:-
Is the rail line something left over from the Japanese plans of WW2 or was it planned long before.?
Joint venture between Thailand and Burma?
Was it ever commenced?


http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/airlana/th=ChiangMai-Burma-Rail.jpg

http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/airlana/th=ChiangMai-Burma-Rail.jpg

I've posted this here because I think this map has interest beyond the railway issue. Dated spellings of Thai names in English, and alternative names, are always fascinating.

[airlana]

Not sure whether this is a map from 1946 or a map that shows Northern Thailand as it was in 1946.

The map is one of the National Geographic Magazine series.
It's titled "India and Burma" and dated April 1946.[ie included as a map supplement with the April 1946 magazine]

The cartography would obviously be based on earlier material, perhaps some from WW2.

Unfortunately, only the western part of Thailand is included in the map, which overall is 76cm a 62cm [2½ft x 2ft] so impossible to scan as a whole.

A much larger map here (http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/airlana/mm=%20Burma%201946.jpg) showing all of Burma except the southernmost part] and western Thailand.

The map is particularly useful for world war 2 research. Plently of locations and I especially like the detail of rivers which feature so prominently in any reading of the war. The map extends up to parallel 36°N in Tibet and China which is great for tracing the tributaries of the Salween, Mekong and other rivers.

airlana

[GWR]

The larger map shows the long abandoned Phra Phuttabhat railway in Lopburi Province.

It also shows the entirety of the Thailand-Burma Railway.

One also gets the impression that it shows the Hualumpong to Samut Phrakan line, but a road (in red, on roughly the same route) rather obscures the issue.