could not agree more James I have given up trying to understand the thinking in Thailand I think it is about the construction not the end service that rules

The proposed link to Phuket has been on maps and proposals for I guess at least 20 years now but not an inch built which one might have thought was an obvious project to complete

Thailand could have built a great system by just working on building out a standard-gauge network with trains around 160-200km/h (basically like Laos). They have painted themselves into a corner with the 3-airport link, because as you mentioned if they extend it to Trat then it will be this high-speed line. No wonder the SRT are losing bucketloads of money every year.

Cambodia has only just “modernised” its network and it is a complete joke and they so far have not even managed to even get near a cross border service and now they are planing a high speed line!

Thailand can not even make up its mind on what gauge and as for the 3 airports line I have never understood the concept – a fast train serve the route and on to Chanthaburi and Trat and the major towns to Bangkok perhaps but just how many people are going to want to travel to and from U-Tapao Airport to the other airports? I agree the airport needs better ground connection but regular decent van/s buses serving Rayong Province and on to Trat and Chanthaburi would be a good start (and cheaper)

No link from Singapore to KL hard to believe in this day and age

Laos appears to have a new railway without enough trains to meet demand