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Published on November 1, 2007

"I feel bad about what's happened," Saeng Torprasert-ying, 73, said yesterday after a train arrived at Nakhon Ratchasima station but no driver would take it on to his destination - Ubon Ratchathani.

The pensioner said he had wasted more than an hour at the station, to no avail.

"If they are going to strike, they should have told the public," Saeng complained. "Yes, I can take a bus ride back home, but what about other people? Have they ever thought about passengers who can use only train services to get home?"

When the Ubon-bound train came to a stop at Nakhon Ratchasima, many would-be passengers boarded the train, believing the service would go on as usual.

However, a group of protesting SRT employees urged the driver to leave the train, which he finally agreed to. The protesting employees said the government's decision to privatise the SRT would hurt the public, because it was likely to cause an increase in fares.

Pranee Ketnok, 38, said she understood that a strike could happen, but also felt a lot of her time had been wasted by the disrupted train services.

She was among passengers boarding the Ubon train from Bangkok left stranded midway to their destination.

"I am going to Ubon Ratchathani, but now that the train has simply stopped I will have to find other ways to reach my destination," she said.

At Hua Lamphong station, Dusita Meedej said the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) had to take responsibility if the service was disrupted.

"My husband and I have already bought train tickets for the sleeper section. We are heading to Chiang Mai," she said.

SRT has offered full refunds for tickets. But Dusita, an entrepreneur, said such strikes should not be allowed, as they only hurt the public.

Pranom Chantes, a 33-year-old security guard, said he and his family bought train tickets last week for a planned trip to Si Sa Ket yesterday.

"I am at a loss," he said, adding that staff at Hua Lamphong did not tell him about the strike when his family arrived at the station at 8am.

"We have wasted a lot of time and a lot of money," he said.

Pranom said it was not convenient for him to try to catch a bus because his family had a lot of baggage, his baby was young and his mother was old.

"Anyway, if we change to a bus, we will have to pay for a taxi to a bus terminal that is far away," he said.

Pranom planned to camp out at the Hua Lamphong until he could catch a train to Si Sa Ket or another province nearby. "I can take only three days off from work. I really wish to visit my hometown," he said.

Yesterday's strike was believed to be only the second big stoppage in SRT history, after one 10 years ago.

SRT employee Monrudee Dusit, who works at the sales counter, said she did not agree with the strike because she felt it caused trouble to people. "I empathise with stranded passengers. They all have a lot of baggage. It's very inconvenient when they have to find other means of transportation," she said.

In Buri Ram, Prathana Uraikhae was shocked to find train services were not available to bring her desserts from Muang Buri Ram to a major customer in Lam Plai Mat district.

"The desserts must be eaten today or else they will spoil," Prathana said. In a bid to deliver the desserts to her customer, she rushed to a bus terminal and found a delivery service.

The disrupted train services also hurt people earning money around stations.

Motorcycle-taxi driver Bua-sorn Nakhanthong said he normally earned a few hundred baht from people who need a ride from Buri Ram station. "Today, I think I will earn only Bt100," he said.

The Nation