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Bang Seu Grand Station
Bangkok's
newest Central
Station (fig.),
which was built from 2013 to 2021 officially came
into service in July
2021, eventually replacing
Hua Lampong Train Station
(fig.)
as the terminus for all long-distance trains. It is built on a large
plot of land in
Chatuchak
owned by the
State Railway of Thailand,
located adjacent to the Bang Seu Junction railway station. It is the
largest railway station in Southeast Asia, with 26 platforms and 274,192
m² of usable floor space, and a length of 596.6 meters. Often transliterated Bang Sue Grand Station
and in Thai initially known as Satanih Klahng Bang Seu (สถานีกลางบางซื่อ), i.e.
‘Bang
Seu Central Station’,
yet King
Rama X
in September 2022 on the request of the
Cabinet Secretariat
renamed it to
Satanih Klahng Krung Thep Aphiwat, i.e.
‘Bangkok
Prosperity Central Station’
or ‘Bangkok
Revolutionary Central Station’,
though it is
officially referred to as Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal and
abbreviated KTW,
while
the Royal Household Bureau additionally informed the Cabinet Secretariat
that the King also named the State Railway of Thailand’s (SRT) Light Red
Line commuter train route, that runs from Bang Seu (บางซื่อ) to Taling
Chan (ตลิ่งชัน), Nakhon Withi (นครวิถี), whereas the Dark Red Line
commuter train route, linking Bang Seu (บางซื่อ) and Rangsit (รังสิต),
received the official name Thani Ratthaya (ธานีรัถยา). However, the
renaming resulted in a costly multi-million baht makeover cost to
replace the initial lettering on the exterior of the building alone.
According to the
State Railway of Thailand,
the total
expenses to redesign and replace the nameplates and logos, which
includes the installation of 2 SRT logos, as well as 48 three meter tall
Thai letters and 62 corresponding letters in Latin script for the text
in English, from the existing ones to transparent ones at a whopping 33
million baht. Following public concern about the high price tag the
station's new ceremonial name was put on hold in January 2023 to allow
the Stae Audit Office to look into the matter. Initially, only SRT Red
Line commuter trains used the building, with long distance trains on the
Northern, Northeastern and Southern lines switching here from
Hua Lampong Train Station
on 19 January 2023.
From 24 May 2021 to
30 September 2022 the station acted as a COVID-19 vaccination center.
See MAP.
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