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    Why is there a British regional train in Southeast Asia?



    Why is there a British regional train in Southeast Asia?

    Let’s head to Thailand to ride another British train abroad – the Class 158 on the Special Express from Bangkok to Pattaya. And there are quite a lot of differences compared to the UK variant! 😂

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    Journey Details:
    Origin: Bangkok Hua Lamphong
    Destination: Chuk Samet
    Company: State Railway of Thailand (SRT)
    Train: SRT ASR (Class 158 Express Sprinter)
    Accommodation: Second Class Seat (2nd)
    Time: 3 hours 5 minutes, arrived 40 minutes late
    Distance: 195 kilometres / 121 miles
    Price: ฿ 170

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    49 Comments

    6. @trainsme7919 on

      While bri'ish 158s have 2 two high pitched horns

      These class 158/T units have Nathan airchime k3la horns, which are three tone horns that can be chorded like the dvt and class 91

      Edit: yes, the narrow gauge is more risky and leaves many trains in concern of derailing unlike the 4ft 8½ or 5ft 3 gauge

    9. @Toutordu on

      i think theres not much underground railway due to the tropical weather and what they call wet season where 3/4 of the annual rain falls in 1-3 months , yea underground tunnels doesn't like this.

    13. @joepaasch on

      Trains in Thailand are usually late. Travelling back and forth between Surat Thani and Bangkok for at least 8-10 times and only 1 train managed to arrive on time.
      On the other hand this makes it really cozy to travel in Thailand.
      If taking trains and night trains in Thailand just do not plan anything immediate after original arrival time.

    15. @lloydmussap on

      In 84-85 Comeng a defunct Sydney train building company was to build XPTs in Thailand, but at the last minute, the Thailand Government knocked back the contract just when the Comeng representatives were going to board a flight to Thailand to sign the contract. As a person who loves and relies on the XPTs to get to Melbourne and North Coast. It is based on the British Rail InterCity 125 HST design but the Paxman Valenta motor is mechanically different anoungst other things.

    19. @Rinoyra on

      Thailand dont make emu of thier own design as far as i know theyre usually british railways old retired or jr retired one of them old ones are japanese built cars newer one are from the specific manufacturer since theyre better overall

    21. @MrWongnawa on

      All the DMU units in Thailand are so old. The state authority haven't purchased anything new since the early 90s 😢. I wish they were more modern like skytrains in Bangkok.

    23. @TIB1245L on

      Taiwan used to have EMUs built by BREL. They were based off the Mark 2 coach. The type has long been retired from regular service but a few units have been preserved

    24. @UzaifHassanawan on

      For most of my life I searched for the right way to manifest, without success. Then I came across Vera Hart's archetype quiz. Out of curiosity I filled it in, and the result hit the core of who I am. I've approached things very differently ever since. A recommendation for anyone who feels stuck.

    25. @SudrianTrains on

      Hey, at least you reached your destination. Not always a given on British examples, as my experience on a GWR unit would tell. 😂

      If you are into British trains working abroad, please consider trying the Gautrain Electrostars. 🙏

    28. @Khun-Dave on

      Noticed your channel, not a train buff but I have been on the Pattaya to Chuk Samet train, not the express and the more basic blue seats.. While we went for the beach at Sattahip, the train ride was the highlight we thought, it took 1:30 hours approx and cost the princly sum of 9 baht.. I believe it went upto 11 baht one way. The pull down windows are a must and great for watching the passing scenery. I do have a short on my channel that shows the train pulling into Pattaya Station if your interested, which is a really nice well kept station.

    29. @DiscothecaImperialis on

      Sadly there's none of these cafes today. My latest visit only sees the locomotive exhibitions.
      2:58 The first American built Diesel Locomotives. Also the first with streamlined hulls. (Early locomotives bought slightly before the 1932 Revoluiton were all flat face and angular designs with no streamlinings at all).
      11:30 And we had the Railroads 6-7 decades after Britain. Industrialized roughtly 2 Centuries after. Industrial boom in 80-90s are too fast to handle by the national railroad networks.
      So overpasses and underpasses were built many decades late.

    30. @markgr1nyer on

      360 are German, made by Siemens, where as the 158 was made by BREL, British Railway Engineering Limited. Cabs are quite similar, same deep blue I like

    31. @josephturner7569 on

      The cab would indicate right hand running but they drive on the left on the road.
      And there is an emergency stop button on the left in the cab. Are there two people in the cab?
      I drove 158's in Scotland.

    32. @tfn212 on

      The situation is similar to old Japanese trains also in Southeast Asia, like former JNR/JR East 205 Series and former Tokyo Metro 2000 Series used by KRL Commuterline in Greater Jakarta

    35. @svc965bsoe on

      Just wanna add info, these Thai sprinters are being retired by 2030 as the State Railway of Thailand has ordered new fully air conditioned DEMU units for replacement of the older 1967 Hitachi RHN units and the sprinters fully. These will also replace units running service such as Train number 75/76 and these older units will be transferred to local services before retirement later. So better ride the sprinters quickly! Also they run on train number 997/998 which is what Superalbs rode, and rarely run on train numbers 21/22 as a replacement for a faulty train.

    36. @PoweredByLS2 on

      So if you are chasing down all British trains overseas how have you not made your way to Mexico to ride the classic HST 125 now operating on 3 separate Interoceánico lines?! You could've done it while Mexico hosted the World Cup……
      Then after that there's Tren Maya and a few other trains you could make content on……

    37. @ABTrainsYT on

      There’s trains in NZ that use former BR mk2 coaches if that interests you? Capital Connection from Palmerston North to Wellington and the Waiarapa Connection from Wellington to Masterton.

      And Australia of course have a train that almost looks and sounds exactly like a HST. Used on XPT routes to Melbourne, Brisbane and Dubbo to name a few.

      You’ll need to be quick as the mentioned are due to be replaced by newer stock!

    43. @nickhiscock8948 on

      There used to be more of these units in service 15 years ago. However they did have a reputation for aircon failure. If all the hopper windows are open as it arrives that equals no aircon today.

      They used to operate a daily return trip to sukothai in northern Thailand taking around 10 hours each way. So these poor trains were running for weeks on end with minimal time for maintenance essentially they had only a couple hours of down time each day. However 15 years ago Thailand had a terrible rolling stock shortage and any train that moved was put into service.

      There seems to have been an influx of new build and refurbished ex Japanese trains in the last 10 years into Thailand thus reducing the train shortage. But new railcars are needed.

    45. @worawatli8952 on

      I'm glad that you came all the way here to experience it. I think SRT should obtain more of historic train from around the world, and make HuaLumpong a world train musuem that offer year-round historic train service. Now we have Australian coaches, British's Sprinters, and Japanese iconic Kiha train. All very different trains.

    46. @worawatli8952 on

      12:48 I had took this train on 1000km route before, the Bangkok-Hatyai route was ran by this train, and it was pretty pleasant, you left Bangkok in the evening, and get there in late morning, cost the same as bus, but is more comfortable.

    47. @Xantec on

      with the UK ones being standard gauge and Thai ones being meter gauge, do the Thai ones rock side to side more than the UK ones?

    48. @Aidy on

      I'm not sure if you can say 'sprinter' and 'luxurious' in the same sentence, if my experience travelling with the many iterations of Northern Rail is anything to go by

      but really though, this is cool to see, and it's a really nice livery too, seeing these units get another lease of life is very good