Every month I had to buy train tickets for my journey up north to my farmhouse with orange cats and mango trees. I had no idea that my life would be circling around places of my childhood later in my life. Opposite Hualamphong station, across the road, my Chinese grandmother’s house was only five minutes’ walk away. So, the narrow alleys near the railway used to be my childhood’ s playground. Every time I went to get my train tickets, I felt I had revisited my long lost friends. The old houses around the area had been transformed into six lanes dual motorway. Some old buildings such as the old Chinese restaurants and coffee shops were left untouched long the main road. These buildings could well be over 120 years old.
I have recently noticed people traveling with small bicycles on trains.
The other modern name of Hualamphong station is Bangkok station which sounded rather pretentious to me. Some politicians had decided to modernise our country by changing the old Siam to Thailand and changing all those funny Chinese or old Siamese names to modern language. The modernisation process happened after the Second World War and by those politicians including the military who staged the coup to overthrow the monarchy. So Siam has been under the control of greedy politicians and military officials who proceeded under the guidance of the western elites-cabal.
We had to go through the heat censor for catching people with COVID. I was surprised to see some people still diligently registered their names on the traveling log books. Most people just ignored this ritual as we knew the information would be useless.
The exponential increase in corruptions in governments and military circles had meant by that several public buildings had been sadly neglected and poorly maintained. New building projects could offer up to 40% in commissions so it’s only logical that public spending would pour into these modernisation projects. I was quite grateful that these new-rich class of technocrats and civil servants were ignorant of the value of those antiques decorating these old buildings built during the reign of King Rama V.
On a sunny day, light would stream through the stained glass above. The design of this station was heavily influenced by that of Frankfurt station in Germany.
But sometimes these poorly educated or uncultured politicians ordered classic buildings and bridges to be replaced by new concrete and glass structures. Fortunately, more learned architects and designers have become more vocal in criticising disasterous and inept decisions made by money-minded politicians. The opposition against the closure of Hualamphong station on 25 December 2021 was so successful that the Chief of the Railway decided to postponed the closure of the old railway station.
The rumor went viral about three big tycoons competing for a long term contract to take over Hualamphong station with all the land around the area. These billionaire businessmen wanted to build a multiplex of condominiums, skyscrapers, hotels and shopping centers. Had their plans been successful, thousands of poor commuters would face lots of difficulties as they could no longer commute to city center cheaply for work and getting to schools around the station. I had been praying to the guardian spirits of our country and those spirits around Hualamphong to obstruct the cunning plans to sell out the old station. Civil servants nearing their retirement often tried to establish personal retirement fund by auctioning off public properties to greedy tycoons.
The new addition of indoor mini garden has become a selfie attraction for passengers from the countryside. I thought this was added to soften the blow from run away trains! There were at least two trains that couldn’t stop properly and smashed into concrete curbs twice during the last few years. These trains have become very old with worn out engines and mechanical parts. Luckily nobody got hurt on that day; I was on the other platform witnessing the commontion with loud crashing sounds.
During the month of last December I had been trying to find out how railway staff thought about the impending changes which would affect them adversely too. Most of them were too shy or careful in expressing their opinions while I was quite direct in my opinions, using words like corruption, bad karma, fighting for justice. I even asked some high level officers why they didn’t do anything about it; why no protest! I thought they were quite surprised to hear strong public opinions and support if they took some actions.
Below is the newly finished train stopper or barrier for halting slippery trains! So, there would be no occasional excitement at the railway station any more.
Within two weeks, railway staff union came out to protest their Chief’s decision. More public opinions and feedbacks flooded social media. But the Chief was adamant as perhaps some advance commissions had already been transferred to overseas accounts. So, there were some details of the names of interested investors and proposed projects revealed by someone in newspaper. The public pressure mounted and the rumour of corruption went around via social media.
I was so lucky to meet this kind cyclist on the platform. He gave me lots of information on foldable bikes which enabled him to travel cheaply on trains and bicycles throughout the country. This has opened a whole new way of exploring several old provinces in the future for me.
This became too hot for higher level politicians to handle as there would soon be a general election. The Chief had to back down and reverse all orders to transfer all staff and trains to the newly built station at Bangsue. The new station has become like a can of worms waiting for the right time to explode into the open in the future. The fight to keep Hualamphong has to go on as these new projects involves billions of Bahts and millions of commissions.
In the car park, a foreign film’s crews were in the process of shooting a movie. There were almost ten trailers full of costumes, props, equipments and staff. I walked around trying to get a job as an extra but they told me they had already recruited local actors. So, I didn’t get the chance to be in a film or become famous. I’d better stick to blogging.
Meanwhile I still continued to enjoy my visit to the old station where amenities had been left in disrepair. The answer I used to get from older staff there was that there was no money for repairing old trains and toilets. The railway financial situation had suffered like a cow which had been milked and left under nourished for years; this cow is now in a sad state. So they wanted to kill it off to sell her skin and bones. Then they could ask the government to get a new cow via public debt. I just hope and pray for all these corrupted civil servants, technocrats and politicians to be punished by their own bad karma in this life time.
Hualamphong should remain ordinary people’s channels of livelihood and freedom to travel at affordable costs. There are hundreds of people who would go hungry without the existence of Hualamphong station. May the guardian spirits at the station continue to protect us from corrupted people.
Wishing you peace, good health and prosperity.
Stay strong and cheerful.