• 
• 

Published on March 17, 2008

 The lines affected are to Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani, Yala and Surat Thani.

Certainly this will cause trouble for travellers. But passengers will be glad to know that the stoppage is for a good reason. It follows reports that bedbugs are widespread in the air-conditioned carriages and will take 15 days to eliminate.

Unfortunately, the report came at a bad time. The SRT has been criticised of its poor services for years. While it attributed the lack of improvement to low pay and subsidised fares, the government pointed the finger at its management, which has failed to maximise returns from its vast property nationwide.

Travelling by train can be fun, if the carriages are in good condition. I still remember the rusty condition of the carriages and dust on the door handles. The wash basin was also in such a terrible condition that nobody wanted to touch it. Luckily, the bed sheets were clean. But with the reported spread of bedbugs, who would want to test them?

Hmm, would it be better if some routes were privatised? I don't think travellers would mind paying a little more for a much better - and bug-less - service.

 

Amulet fever turned on its head

Anyone in Thailand last year should remember how popular Jatukam Ramathep was. Walking everywhere, you would see the replicas of the dark God, which people believed would bring prosperity at times of economic slowdown.

Boosting its popularity were also the accounts of miracles in which God saved people in accidents.

But things turned upside down in less than 12 months.

On Friday, about 200,000 round-shaped amulets that carry the God in the middle were reportedly dumped near a temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat. They were scattered under trees and some were still in fertiliser bags.

It was reported that all the items made in the southern province could have fetched at least Bt200 million if they were offered at the height of the fever.

Certainly, the dumping caused fury among local people. They had a reason to get mad, given that the province was the hottest destination at the time of the fever, particularly Wat Mahathat Woramahawiharn. Buses arrived at the temple on a daily basis, and trucks were ready to upload Jatukam for nationwide distribution. Hotels there were fully booked.

Now local people believe that the traffic eventually caused damage to the ancient pagoda at the temple. This was considered one of the best places to consecrate Jatukam Ramathep amulets, as it is said to house Buddha relics.

I don't know if the damage has been fixed yet, but the province is now in focus again, although not in the way that the locals prefer.

Achara Deboonme

achara_d@nationgroup.com

The Nation