View Full Version : Thonburi/Bangkok Noi
2B received this message:
"Last night I was shocked to find Thonburi station decommissioned and in the process of being dismantled.
Did anybody know about that development? Did any of the papers report? What happened to all the wonderful plans, partly invested into by considerable restoration works into the historic
station building and the old goods sheds, to create an historic side, integrating the royal barge museum on the opposite sside of Klong Bangkok Noi? Eager to hear/read."
Anyone know about this?
WHHHHAAAAAAAT???
Unbelievable. Terrible. Appalling.
Once again, anyone knows about this? Is it really true? (Please not.)
I went there today and the situation is as follows:
The last stretch (about 250 m) of the line between Arun Amarin Road and Thonburi Station has been sealed off with metal barriers (immediately after the white station sign) and they have indeed torn down the platforms and dismantled all the rails. The station buildings however are still intact and there was no sign (yet) of attempts to demolish them.
The station lay empty, guarded by three watchmen, and there was a "no entry"sign. I entered from the 'wrong side' (the former platforms), though, and thus couldn't see it, and none of them said anything to me.
A notice in Thai language attached to the now defunct ticket counters stated that from 4 October 2003, all trains would end at Bangkok Noi station, as the State Railway gave 33 rai [5.5 ha] of its land to Sirirat Hospital "for the welfare of the public" (phuea satharanaprayot).
Really tragic.
There's some hope though that the buildings will be preserved at least, because it seems the extension of Sirirat Hospital will probably only take place on the approx. 250x250m of land formerly occupied by the tracks.
Still, a very sad sight for any railway fan. What a dishonorable end for this historical station.
An idea (read: dream) - make Thonburi station into a railway museum (Thailand still doesn't have an official one) and further extend the Pinklao (underground) extension of the Skytrain to the western side of the Chao Phraya, with an underground stop at Thonburi/Sirirat and connection to the new line end at Bangkok Noi, where the Skytrain could go overground again.
But am I too pessimistic when I foresee that the SRT could later decide to cut the whole line back to Taling Chan? Most of the traffic will be directed to the new central station at Bangsue anyway.
This is scheduled to be posted on the main page on Tuesday, but for those of you paying attention on the forum, you can take a look at the Thonburi Station page today (http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/buildings/thonburi/thonburi.shtml).
Wisarut
04-03-04, 09:39 PM
The Sign for Property Transfer
http://www.yimsiam.com/cgi-bin/data/fanrotfaithai/pic/000165.jpg
The familiar Clock Tower
http://www.yimsiam.com/cgi-bin/data/fanrotfaithai/pic/0001651.jpg
The Clock Seems to be Death
http://www.yimsiam.com/cgi-bin/data/fanrotfaithai/pic/0001652.jpg
His Majesty's 6 Cycle Seal
http://www.yimsiam.com/cgi-bin/data/fanrotfaithai/pic/0001653.jpg
Ticket Area - Used to be Very Congested - but now there
is only one stray dog sleeping there
http://www.yimsiam.com/cgi-bin/data/fanrotfaithai/pic/0001654.jpg
This Clock still Running
http://www.yimsiam.com/cgi-bin/data/fanrotfaithai/pic/0001655.jpg
The luggage Scale
http://www.yimsiam.com/cgi-bin/data/fanrotfaithai/pic/0001656.jpg
Orange Sofa for the bus conductors
http://www.yimsiam.com/cgi-bin/data/fanrotfaithai/pic/0001657.jpg
SRT Lamp
http://www.yimsiam.com/cgi-bin/data/fanrotfaithai/pic/0001658.jpg
Female Restroom
http://www.yimsiam.com/cgi-bin/data/fanrotfaithai/pic/0001659.jpg
Not having been to Bangers for about two years, I'm not really sure what has happened at Thonburi Station. Indeed, I have only seen it from the river ferry. It looked like a rather nice, but rather forlorn building, surrounded by vacant lots.
There's always been this confusion in my mind about whether Thonburi Station was the same as Bangkok Noi. Am I right in thinking that Bangkok Noi is actually a different station on the western side of Thanon Arun Amarin? (And why would two stations be built so close together?) I know they pulled down the old facade I saw to facilitate expansion of Sirirat Hospital. Did they then relocate the terminus to Bangkok Noi west of Thanon Arun? Or something else? The article didn't make this clear. And what is the long-term plan here, given that Taling-Chan will eventually have transit connections?
The Enforcer!
13-02-05, 08:13 AM
Not having been to Bangers for about two years, I'm not really sure what has happened at Thonburi Station. Indeed, I have only seen it from the river ferry. It looked like a rather nice, but rather forlorn building, surrounded by vacant lots.
There's always been this confusion in my mind about whether Thonburi Station was the same as Bangkok Noi. Am I right in thinking that Bangkok Noi is actually a different station on the western side of Thanon Arun Amarin? (And why would two stations be built so close together?) I know they pulled down the old facade I saw to facilitate expansion of Sirirat Hospital. Did they then relocate the terminus to Bangkok Noi west of Thanon Arun? Or something else? The article didn't make this clear. And what is the long-term plan here, given that Taling-Chan will eventually have transit connections?
as I recall Bnagkok Noi wasto the immediate East of Thonburi. Thonburi had been 'done up' then suddenly closed and Bangkok Noi renamed Thonburi.
Details are on http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/buildings/thonburi/thonburi.shtml
The Enforcer!
Am I right in thinking that Bangkok Noi is actually a different station on the western side of Thanon Arun Amarin? (And why would two stations be built so close together?) I know they pulled down the old facade I saw to facilitate expansion of Sirirat Hospital. Did they then relocate the terminus to Bangkok Noi west of Thanon Arun?Yes, you are correct...
Thonburi Station is (was) on the eastern side of Arun Amarin, Bangkok Noi on the western side.
As to why they built two stations so close to each other, I don't know, but maybe it's related to the fact that Bangkok Noi is also home to a fairly important locomotive shed. Maybe Khun Wisarut can further enlighten us on this.
Now Thonburi Station has been closed and Bangkok Noi has been renamed as "Thonburi". They did not, however, tear down the "facade", as you suggested (and apparently won't do that in the future). All they did was to dismantle the tracks and platforms behind the station building. (The new end of the line being an estimated 200 m east of the bridge.) Nothing has happened since.
But I think all this has already been sufficiently explained on 2Bangkok (including many pictures):
Change of plans for Thonburi Station (http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/buildings/thonburi/thonburi.shtml) (same as mentioned by the Enforcer)
Update on Thonburi Station (http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/buildings/thonburi/thonburiupdate.shtml)
Wisarut
14-02-05, 06:51 PM
Well, The old Thonburi station is about 800 meter far away from the New Thonburi station (former Bangkok Noy station) though ...
Yes, the new Thonburi station is closer to Thonburi Loco Shed ....
I'll see the current state of the Turntable ... Hope that Cobras would NO hide inside the turntable .... :D
Wisarut
17-02-05, 01:58 PM
When the terminal for Southern Train was Built in 1900 and opend in 1903, it was anmed as "Bangkok Noy Station". This name has been used until Jan 1, 1942 and then Railway Dept has changed the name to "Thonburi station".
In 1997-1998, SRT has set up Bangkok Noy station between Tonburi station and Charansanitwognse Stop along with the new market so as to clear the old Sala Namron market aroudn Thonburi ...
In 1999, the have planned to CLOSE Thoburi station and trun Bangkok Noy Station to become a terminal for the Train to Kanchanaburi and Lang Suan ...
but the plan COMPLETED on October 4, 2003.
However, the tourist service office near Thoburi Shed has been demolished since it was originated by Democrat MP, NOT TRT MP ... so they have to obliterate what Democrat has done and then rebuild the new one so as to discredit Democrat MP ...
On Google Earth (http://tinypic.com/dwexxg.jpg) - former platforms used as parking lots.
You can clearly see the metal barrier as a vertical line in the left part of the image - compare this photo (looking SE).
http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/buildings/thonburi/S3010916.jpg
The old station had a ferry to cross the river; and as far as I know it still operates at the same pier.
With the moving of the station up the khlong, has any ferry been provided? The khlong would seem to be deep enough for a shallow-draft shuttle ferry, which could also stop at the original pier too. But I suppose such a simple solution would be asking too much.
Wisarut
22-09-05, 01:05 PM
Well, the old ferry betwen Railway Pier and Tha Phrachan is still running.
Even though Klogn Bangkok Noy (the old Chao Phrayariver) is quite deep,
SRT would have to sacrifice mroe space to construct the new ferry pier to replace the old one alogn Chao Phraya andthe new pier be big enough to accomodate both ferry and tourist boats ... and of course -> Chao Phraya Express. However the company who run chao Phraya Express, the company who run tourist boats and the owner of the Pier across Chao Phraya mayhave to pay for the new pier from from their wallets ....
Furthermore, SRT may have to erect the wall to prevent the intrusion into Thonburi Loco Shed for security reason. :(
Best GWR and friends of the forum,
For the Bangkok map Greater Bangkok I have changed the situation for the "Thonburi-stations". Maybe interesting to work this out on a scale 1: 10.000 or as a trackmap with the changements of the stations in one map.
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