Thai Rail Workers Strike

A rail strike left thousands of passengers stranded just south of Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok. Trade Unions called for workers across the country to go on strike in an effort to dissuade the government from signing a trade pact that would allow Japanese firms to enter the Thai rail market.

As a result of the strike, 2,000 passengers in nine trains were forced to get on buses, according to reports from local officials.

Nine south-bound trains were affected. Director of southern train services, Tanongsak Pongprasert said: "The strike forced State Rail of Thailand to cancel our daily southern schedule of 18 trains to and from Bangkok, which will affect two to three thousand passengers a day."

He added that a further 12 trains had been canceled. On average these trains carry approximately 1,000 passengers per day including many tourists who are heading from the capital to beach destinations. Many travelers to Thailand take trains down the coast, then get on a boat to get to popular island resorts on Koh Samui or Ko Phagn Nan.

Northern service director Surin Piaprasert said that trains to the north had also been affected by the strike. Trains are the best way to get to Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Mai although several budget airlines such as Air Asia and Nok Air also offer cheap flights.

An official working at the Commerce Ministry said the strike is a simple misunderstanding. The Japanese-Thai Economic Partnership Agreement which will come into force on Thursday this week will not have the effects the union anticipates.

"There's no direct link between JTEPA and privatization of state enterprises. Someone may try to turn this into a political issue," said the official.