Thailand debuts first Thai-made passenger train for charter tourism

BANGKOK, July 6 (TNA) - The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is set to launch luxury charter tourism services using the country's first domestically manufactured passenger train prototype, officials said.

The carriage, named "Beyond Horizon," was officially handed over to the SRT following an inaugural run from Bangkok's Hua Lamphong station to King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL).

The SRT plans to deploy the prototype on tourism routes spanning 200 to 500 kilometers. The carriage can be coupled with existing train fleets nationwide at a private charter rate starting from 32,000 baht per 500 kilometers.

Developed by KMITL's Faculty of Engineering in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), the project aimed to prove that local academic research can commercialize viable industrial products under a government-backed "Thai-made" initiative.

The 24-meter-long carriage features 25 seats—comprising 8 "Super Luxury" and 17 "Luxury" seats—inspired by airplane business-class and high-speed train cabins.

Built with a lightweight steel carbody, the train is 22% lighter than conventional models and can reach speeds of up to 120 km/h.

The prototype was constructed with a budget of 32 million baht, making it 18 million baht cheaper than standard imported models. Locally sourced components accounted for 44.1% of the manufacturing.

The vehicle has successfully completed over 10,000 kilometers of test runs, including routes to Chiang Mai and neighboring Lao PDR. Seven of its locally designed components, including the carbody and load-bearing bolsters, have been registered for petty patents. - 819 (TNA)