Article title - Potential evaluation of rolling stock manufacturing in Thailand

Abstract

In the capital city of Thailand, the first electric railway system so called Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS)
has been established since 1999. And Thai Government has the master plan to develop the network for such
mass transport system in order to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. However, experience and
technology knowledge of the rolling stock are still unknown among Thai industries. Besides, the automotive
industry in Thailand has shown robust growth despite the political conflict and economic situation. With
contribution of component and material suppliers for automotive industry, Thailand has possibly high
potential to develop and build the train with local contents based on the international railway industry
standards, etc. For this reason, this research focuses on essential component structures for the train,
international standards for railway industry and relevant technologies for product, production and testing. In
addition, the questionnaire for the component and material suppliers in Thailand has been established under
international standards and essential car train components. As a result, it reveals that there are high potential
possibilities to support the rolling stock industries under the knowledge of relevant standards in some
product modules of the body-strength-structure and auxiliary groups. However, the core knowledge and
technologies for the product designs and testing in Thailand are the least in the least in the platformsuspension
group.