Pics of 'rubbish' railway go viral

A Kiha-183 train donated by Japan runs along tracks in Phaya Thai district, which are strewn with rubbish left behind from the demolition of illegal houses located on both sides of the tracks. The rubbish has since been removed. (Photos: State Railway of Thailand)
A Kiha-183 train donated by Japan runs along tracks in Phaya Thai district, which are strewn with rubbish left behind from the demolition of illegal houses located on both sides of the tracks. The rubbish has since been removed. (Photos: State Railway of Thailand)

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) have sent a team to clear rubbish along rail tracks near Phaya Thai after a Japanese netizen posted pictures of a Kiha-183 train, donated by Japan to serve tourists, passing through an apparent dump site in the area.

Twitter user @tabinezumiworld posted the picture on Sunday with a message in both Japanese and Thai that he knew that homes had recently been demolished for a new rail project.

He also noted that "There was broken glass, pieces of concrete and leftover food," and he wondered when all this rubbish would be collected.

"It is unsanitary and has a bad odour. I hope for a speedy resolution. I urge the Thai government, City Hall and SRT to take action," he tweeted.

The post was picked up by ThailandFootpath Facebook, which has more than 300,000 followers and also later carried by mass media.

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt on Tuesday responded to the outcry by inspecting the area himself.

He said the piles of garbage along the railway are a result of the demolition of about 100 homes of local communities living illegally along a 1.2km stretch of track.

Mr Chadchart said the demolition took place last month to pave the way for the construction of the Don Mueang-Suvarnabhumi-U-Tapao high-speed rail route, but after the demolition, the rubbish had just been left there.

The SRT and BMA had sent a 30-strong team to clean up the area, and a tractor and trucks were used to remove and transport the waste from the area.

The SRT will set up a fence and will also put up "no trespassing" signs to stop any intruders and those who may throw away their own rubbish in the area.

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Vocabulary

  • demolish: to completely destroy a building, especially in order to use the land for something else - รื้อ (สิ่งก่อสร้าง), ทำลาย
  • intruder: someone who enters a place without permission - ผู้บุกรุก
  • leftovers: the food that remains at the end of a meal after you have finished eating - สิ่งของที่เหลือ
  • odour: a smell, often one that is unpleasant - กลิ่น
  • outcry: a strong expression of anger and disapproval about something, made by a group of people or by the public - การคัดค้านอย่างรุนแรง
  • resolution: solving a problem, or to finding a satisfactory way of dealing with it - การแก้ไขปัญหา
  • rubbish: waste material or things that are no longer wanted or needed - ขยะ
  • speedy: happening very quickly - รวดเร็ว
  • tractor (noun): a farm vehicle - แทรกเตอร์, รถแทรกเตอร์, รถไถ
  • trespassing: going onto someone's land or enter their building without permission - การบุกรุก,การรุกล้ำ
  • unsanitary: dirty or unhealthy and therefore likely to cause disease - ซึ่งไม่ถูกสุขลักษณะ
  • wonder: to think about something because you want to know more facts or details about it - สงสัย
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