the state railway of thailand ( srt ) ( thai : การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย ) is the state-owned rail operator in thailand .

the network serves around 44 million passengers per year ( 2014 ) .

state railway of thailand

the railway network of thailand is managed and operated by the state railway of thailand ( srt ) .
state railway of thailand to take part in 5th international . . . - international railway summit
the 629th freight oil train , state railway of thailand pattaya branch line . pattaya city chonburi thailand
get quick answers from state railway of thailand ( srt ) staff and past visitors .
the 629th freight oil train , state railway of thailand pattaya branch line . - youtube
thailand : state railway of thailand signed a contract for csr qishuyan to supply 20 locomotives on june 25 .
the government this week met with officials from the state railway of thailand ( srt ) to restructure and reform the often debt ridden state authority .
situated at the northern edge of chatuchak park , the railway hall of fame is housed in a huge hangar on land that’s owned by the state railway of thailand .
most of isan’s major cities are connected to bangkok by rail . the state railway of thailand operates a bangkok to nong khai service , as well as a bangkok to ubon ratchathani service . for details , check the state railway of thailand website .
see the department of state’s fact sheet on thailand for additional information on u . s . - thailand relations .
state railway of thailand ' s first two csr qishuyan sda3 locomotives were unloaded at the port of laem chabang on january 4 .
state railways of thailand ( srt ) , urltoken . for online booking see below .
promotional image for the new e - ticket system which will be available feb . 1 . photo : state railway of thailand
the state railway of thailand ( srt ) will launch an online train ticket reservation service via urltoken and urltoken on wednesday .
the state railway of thailand ( srt ) is an autonomous public enterprise engaged in the commercial operation of state - owned railroad properties . it was set up about 2 years ago as the successor to a state railway department in the ministry of communications . . . see more +
the state railway of thailand ( srt ) aims to open services for the 193 - kilometre long bangkok - rayong high - speed thai - japanese railway by 2023 .
the two black and white photos in the
history of thai railway
section were taken from a photo exhibition at hua lampong station to mark 112 years of the state railway of thailand in september 2009 . all the photos of the thailand railway hall of fame are with the courtesy of khun chulsiri viryasiri .
an organization called the tourism of thailand was founded by prince purachara jayakara , the prince of kamphaengphet . when sitting as a train commander , the prince sent stories about thailand to get published in the usa . in 1924 , he set up an advertising department for the state railway of thailand to help tourists who visited thailand and promote thailand among foreigners . the office was originally at the state railway of thailand but was later moved to hua lamphong railway station . subsequently after prince purachara jayakara went to work for the ministry of commerce and transport , the office also moved there but it was still working closely with the state railway of thailand .
the state railway of thailand ( srt ) operates 4 , 070 km of 1 . 000 m gauge railway line ( 372 . 63 km double track and 106 . 01 km triple track ) .
b . legal proceedings in respect of any claim against either the malaya railway administration or of the state railway of thailand or any other railway network over whose rail network the carriage is performed may only be instituted in the competent court of the state on whose territory the incident occurred which gives rise to the claim . such claims will be decided in accordance with the laws of that state .
thailand is banking on its state - owned enterprises to spearhead economic growth in 2017 through massive investments in infrastructure . the push has brought one of the kingdom ' s biggest and oldest soes , the state railway of thailand , to a critical juncture .
the former state railway governor called for using the same kind of technology in building high speed railways in the country .
state railway of thailand hopes to increase its share of the cargo transport market from 1 . 4 % to 6 % within five years . ( photo by peter janssen )
the state railway of thailand covers four main lines : northern , southern , northeastern and eastern . all long - distance trains originate from bangkok’s hualamphong train station .
on 20 october 2009 , the bangkok post reported that the state railway of thailand would be reclaiming the land on which the railway museum is located . the museum faces an uncertain future , as there are no alternative locations . however , there was a reprieve on 24 october 2009 . the national news bureau of thailand announced that the state railway of thailand would take over the management of the railway museum . however in my conversation with khun chulsiri this arrangement isn’t confirmed . so the future of the railway museum still hangs in the balance .
is a privately run railway museum displaying old locomotives and carriages that preserve the history and development of the railway in thailand since the late 1800s .
the abrupt replacement of the state railway of thailand governor and board of directors by the prime minister exercising his special powers under section 44 stemmed from complaints of lack of transparency in project and procurement biddings in the srt .
all inter - city rail transportation is managed by the state railway of thailand , a government agency responsible for rail infrastructure investment as well as freight and passenger services .
the thai chamber of commerce and board of trade of thailand ( bangkok ) .
bangkok — hustling to the railway station to buy train tickets – an oddity in the 4g era – will soon end with the reintroduction of the state railway’s online booking system .
cp had earlier submitted a feasibility study to the state railway of thailand ( srt ) regarding the railway rent plan , as it had found that four projects in the company’s responsibility would potentially face difficulties in terms of the construction process .
antonio also mentions the construction of a private line from thonburi to tha chin on the coast . this must be the mae khlong - mahachai railway , now part of the state railway of thailand , though it does not connect with the main network .
people queue for tickets at the hua lamphong railway terminus in bangkok during the new year festival . the state railway of thailand will launch its online e - tsrt reservation service on wednesday . ( file photo by pattanapong hirunard )
the thailand railway hall of fame should rightfully take its place as a national railway museum similar to museums in other countries where trains are a primary form of public transport .
train tickets can be purchased online between 2 - 60 days before departure . the state railway of thailand online ticketing charges 20 baht booking fee + 3 percent credit card charge .
the transport ministry is expected to consider the conclusions on the thai - chinese medium - speed - railway project , including its new cost and investment model , by march 15 , according to the state railway of thailand ( srt ) .
the cabinet on tuesday gave the green light to the state railway of thailand ( srt ) to develop the first phase of the high - speed train project that will eventually link bangkok with nong khai .
driving in thailand - driving a car in thailand and how to get a drivers license .
lopburi line is a railway line of greater bangkok commuter rail , operated by state railway of thailand ( srt ) . the line is all double track . there are seven commuter train services on the line . main destinations such as rangsit , ayutthaya , and lopburi .
- this station is located adjacent to king mongkut’s institute of technology ladkrabang and north of lad krabang train station . due to the state railway of thailand plans to expand railway route to provinces , therefore , this station will become a major interchange station for passenger transportation in the future .
bangkok , july 10 ( xinhua ) - - thailand should be more determined to build high - speed rails to link the kingdom with neighboring countries and china , which will generate huge economic benefits , former governor of state railway of thailand prapat chongsanguan has said .
state railway of thailand ( srt ) is a major railway carrier in thailand , which was founded as the royal state railways of siam ( rsr ) in 1890 . construction of the bangkok - ayutthaya railway ( 71 km / 44 mi ) , the first part of the northern line , was started in 1891 and completed on may 23 , 1892 . the thonburi - phetchaburi line ( 150 km / 93 mi ) , later the southern line , was opened on june 19 , 1903 .
getting you and your bicycle to or from one of the thailand / malaysia border crossings is as easy as booking a ticket on the state railway of thailand ( srt ) southern line . if your cycling adventure has you crossing the thailand / malaysia border one of the better options available to you is to make use of the train station in the southern city of hat yai , located in thailand’s songkhla province .
what railway museum would be complete without a model train running round a landscaped circuit ? there’s one in the railway hall of fame .
for the train operation in the reign of king bhumibol adulyadej rama 9 th , during the world war 2 , building assets , and locomotive wheel were damaged , so they must be rebuilt quickly to return to its original condition . relying on a single source of investment from the state budget were not enough , so the government had to borrow money from the world bank fund . during the loan negotiations , the world bank has proposed a reorganization of the department of royal train state to be more independent , which provided the flexibility in the management of the railway , commercially . in 1951 , the government lead by chom phon por pibulsonggram , as prime minister , has agreed to manage the train operation separately , so they have proposed a draft law to parliament railway of thailand , and have enacted a statutory enactment , to be announced in the government gazette , dated 30 june 1951 , the royal train as it changed to the type of public enterprises under the name of
the train operation of thailand
from 01 july 1951 onwards , operating under the act . , of the railway company 1951 . gen . jaroon ratanakul saereeruengrit term as the state railway of thailand . from 01 jul 2494 to 10 sep 2502 the cabinet committee is responsible for the state railway of thailand . governance of the organization consists of one chairman and 6 the board of people . the railway company position as a director . and the state has donated 30 million baht to fund the initial capital of the state railway of thailand . this is gen . jaroon ratanakul saereeruengrit as the state railway of thailand from 01 july 2494 , which , in principle , state control and fire management . control rate of salary control of fares and freight . oversaw the opening - the routes and services . and control of all investment if loss state compensation for the shortfall .
sumet ongkittikul , research director for transport and logistics policy at the thailand development research institute ( tdri ) , said one major obstacle to the development of transport infrastructure is the lack of clear lines of authority , resulting in project delays , especially where the state railway of thailand ( srt ) is concerned .
after the seventh year , thailand will be solely responsible for the entire operation , with china serving as an adviser . china has agreed to thailand’s proposal for china to provide training to staff from entry to high levels and technology transfer to the transport ministry , state railway of thailand and the private sector .
above : diagram of cr - 8 as used in thailand . source :
the railways of thailand , by r . ramaer .
thailand ' s history from the early kingdoms until today , plus links to additional information about the history of thailand .
srt operates all of thailand ' s national railway lines , carrying 44 million passengers in 2014 and 11m tonnes of freight per year over the period 2007 - 2012 . srt is also one of thailand’s largest landholders .
rail safety : while millions of people utilize the state railway system within thailand every year , poor track maintenance , outdated equipment and rails , and unmarked train crossings have caused accidents , train derailments , and delays .
you can check train times in thailand at the official state railways of thailand website , urltoken . switch it to english by clicking the uk flag top right . scroll down and click timetable & fares .
thailand : state railway of thailand has launched a trial freight service using 12 foot containers . these are smaller than standard 20 foot containers , and it is hoped this will simplify last - mile transport by road and mean freight can handled at existing stations more easily .
ordinary / rapid / express trains leave bangkok’s hualamphong station for sisaket throughout the day which take about 9 - 11 hours . for more information , contact state railway of thailand by calling 1690 or going to the website urltoken
the state railway of thailand ( srt ) is an autonomous public enterprise engaged in the commercial operation of state - owned railroad properties . it was set up about 2 years ago as the successor to a state railway department in the ministry of communications . the new regime implements certain commitments by the government in negotiating a 1950 bank loan of $ 3 million mainly for repair shops in the ministry of communications . the new regime implements certain commitments by the government in negotiating a 1950 bank loan of $ 3 million mainly for repair shops . see less -
reliable asian train & bus ticketing agency urltoken now also sells thai train tickets , through a connection to state railways of thailand ' s own online sales system .
thailand plans to build a 252 - km railway with a maximum speed of 250km / h from the capital bangkok to nakhon ratchasima in the northeastern region , which is the first phase of thailand - china railway project , and chinese technology will be introduced to build it .
during the world war ii in 1942 , the railway fell under the thai military authority and was nationalized by thai government in 1946 . the state railway of thailand ( srt ) has run this railway line since 1952 and completely took over into srt in 1955 . due to the discontinuation of the terminus at khlong san , wongwian yai has become the new terminal station instead .
thailand has an extensive railway network , reaching to the furthest extremities of the kingdom , and to the borders of burma , laos , cambodia and malaysia .
the state railway of thailand ( srt ) aims to open services for the 260 - kilometre long high - speed rail connecting 3 airports ( don mueang - suvarnabhumi - u - tapao ) railway by 2023 , with ticket prices starting at 20 baht and adding 1 . 80 baht per kilometre .
interest in rail transport in thailand can be traced to when king rama iv was given a gift of a model railway from queen victoria .
young boy looks out over a model of the future thai - chinese developed railway .
tha maeklong railway is a result from merging of two railway lines . in 1901 , tachin railway ltd . is founded and received a permission from the monarch to build a railway line from bangkok to samut sakhon called mahachai line . this line started operating in 1904 . a year later , maeklong railway company also open a new railway line called ban laem line . these two line merged together in 1907 and has become the maeklong railway ltd . original objective of this railway is to transport goods from the fishing port in samut sakhon and samut songkram to the bangkok markets .
members of the federation of tapioca growers of thailand , far right pornchai amnuaysap . ( photo by peter janssen )
electric tram car 1892 in service bangkok said to be the first tramcar in siam . location : thailand railway museum , bangkok
many years ago i noticed that the thai railway system connects with the malaysian railway system and it occurred to me then that the journey from bangkok , through peninsular malaysia to singapore must be one of the great railway journeys of the world .
the state railway of thailand ( srt ) , national passenger and freight service operator , will participate at the 5 th international railway summit in kuala lumpur on 15 - 17 november 2017 . srt will take part in pre - arranged one - to - one consultation meetings with technical experts during the summit .
the newsroom of the tourism authority of thailand features news and information on thai tourism , events in thailand , thai culture , cuisine , art , and way of life .
3 . history of the srt - - a . the royal state railways of siam was first established under the ministry of public works in october 1890 , and was divided into two departments , namely northern and southern railways , which were finally merged into one and became the department of the royal state railways of siam june 5 , 1917 . on july 1 , 1951 , rsr changed its name to the present state railway of thailand ( srt ) , which gained control of the whole system , and by which time most of the present network had been constructed .
the red line was proposed by the state railway of thailand ( srt ) to address the traffic problems and encourage a shift from road transport to urban rail . the proposal was approved in 2007 and the first construction phase started in 2013 .
see the state department ' s travel website for worldwide caution , travel advisories , and alerts .
officials from the state railway of thailand ( srt ) wait for orders outside a train which was derailed before entering bangkok station in bangkok , thailand , friday , april 5 , 2013 . three people were injured in the accident which officials said is still under investigation . ( ap photo / apichart weerawong )
while trains may soon run internationally between cambodia and thailand , the much - delayed overhaul of cambodia’s railway network remains unfinished , as michael rose reports .
on 11 july 2017 the thailand government approved the construction of the country’s first high - speed line , linking bangkok to the major city of nakhon ratchasima . the line represents the first phase of a 615km railway running from bangkok to nong khai , in the north east of the country . at nong khai the line will meet the china - laos railway , connecting thailand to the pan - asia railway network .
note : not all trains feature 1st , 2nd and / or 3rd class compartments . 1st class compartments are currently offered only on selected long - haul express train services . check with the state railway of thailand website for current schedules and equipment deployment .
a western spur of the southern line , once known infamously as the death railway , goes from thonburi railway station to kanchanaburi and the bridge on the river kwai .
the state railway of thailand does not currently operate an on - line train ticket booking facility . train tickets must be bought at a train station or by using 12go . asia thailand travel ticket booking services tickets for long haul can be booked up to 60 days in advance , or 30 days for short haul .
starting on wednesday , passengers will again be able to book and buy train tickets from two hours up to 60 days before departure time . printing physical tickets is still required as the state railway of thailand said it will not accept those shown on smartphone screens .
the railway museum was closed last year and reopened for the last time on 23 october 2012 on king chulalongkorn day to commemorate the death of the king who was the father of thai railway .
the railway has become famous for the maeklong railway market that situated along the sides of the railway . maeklong railway market also has its nickname called talat rom hup in thai ( umbrella pulldown market ) . it is one of the largest fresh seafood markets in thailand . with its location on themaeklong railway’s track , when a train is approaching , all shops and sunshades will step back from the rails . after the train has passed , they will move back to the previous spot .
thailand is already taking promising initial steps in railway reforms and public infrastructure investments with dual tracking of existing rail system and modernizing the signaling systems . these public investments can help crowd in further private investment and lift thailand’s potential growth . continuing efforts to modernize thailand’s railway sector will be critical to improving people’s lives and connecting lagging regions to more and better opportunities .
beijing , china december 20 2016 – construction of the high - speed railway connecting thailand and china will begin soon after the contracts are awarded in early 2017 .
following the formal opening on march 5 state railway of thailand will operate two daily return trips , taking 15 min between nong khai and the freight and passenger terminal at tha na laeng . the morning train into laos and evening departure will include through coaches for bangkok .
you are about to leave urltoken for an external website that is not maintained by the u . s . department of state .
visit some of thailand’s many magnificent buddhist temples to be found all over the country .
laos is in a key position as the link between thailand and china but the former has taken the focus of the discussion as it only recently reversed plans to scrap the railway all together . much of the debate has focused on development rights to land along the railway as thailand hopes to develop new towns and tourist areas .
1 . the beginning most of the thai railways current railway network was designed and constructed in the 1890 ' s . the first railway in thailand was the paknam railway , which followed the course of bangkok ' s present rama iv road . this line opened in 1893 , but is no longer in existence . in 1897 the railways system in thailand was officially inaugurated into the royal government . on january 1 , 1960 the old paknam railway was closed and dismantled , and many of its stations were demolished .
towards the end of the 19th century , many surveys were commissioned by the siamese authorities and certain western interest groups and governments , with the object of bringing a railway system to thailand .
bangkok houses about one - third of the country’s banking units , holding three - fourths of all deposits . the industrial finance corporation of thailand , the board of investment , and the securities exchange of thailand are also located in the city .
srt was founded as the royal state railways of siam ( rsr ) in 1890 . construction of the bangkok - ayutthaya railway ( 71 km ) , the first part of the northern line , was started in 1891 and completed on may 23 , 1892 .
a light rail line that connects downtown bangkok with suvarnabhumi international airport , owned and operated by the state railway of thailand ( srt ) , opened on august 23 , 2010 the 28 . 6 - km route is the fourth rapid transit line in bangkok แอร์พอร์ตลิงก์ , รถไฟฟ้าเชื่อมท่าอากาศยานสุวรรณภูมิ ( see
the northern line was originally built as standard gauge , but in september 1919 it was decided to standardize on meter gauge and the northern line was regauged during the next ten years . on july 1 , 1951 , rsr changed its name to the present state railway of thailand .
bangkok suffers from chronic street congestion , while a rapid surge in chinese tourism is pushing suvarnabhumi airport to its limits . long - distance lines run by the state railway of thailand are notoriously decrepit as well . arkhom has long said that slow infrastructure development , delayed more than 10 years by political instability , is hindering thailand ' s economic growth .
frst international university of thailand , au is led by the brothers of st . gabriel - founded in 1969 .
bombardier transportation received a contract from the state railway of thailand to supply and install an interflo 200 signalling system , consisting of ebi lock computer - based interlocking systems , ebi link atc wayside equipment and associated communications systems on all four new double - track routes into and out of bangkok , covering 174 km of double and triple track and 33 stations .
thai rail expert dave bernstein has produced a superb pdf format timetable for the state railway of thailand which you can download , print out and take with you to help you travel around thailand . it features timetables for all the main routes in english , maps , fares , refund & ticket purchase arrangements , details of bus / ferry connections and much more . highly recommended !
thailand and china today entered a historic cooperation in railway development project when both countries held a ground breaking ceremony in ayutthaya to herald the start of the construction of two rail routes covering a total distance of 873 kilometres .
one of thailand ' s grandest spectacles , the royal barge procession on chao phraya river .
city in a country of small towns and villages and is thailand’s cultural and commercial centre .
arkhom faces other headaches . setbacks on a deal with china to build a north - south railway in thailand have forced the project to be downsized .
west coast line is one of the ktm train route running from padang besar found on the malaysia - thailand border in perlis and connects with the state railway of the thailand’s network which leads to singapore via butterworth , and kuala lumpur . it is named the west coast line since it serves the west coast states of peninsular malaysia and it connects from singapore to padang besar hence the name north south line .
thailand’s government has signed two contracts worth a combined baht 5 . 2bn ( $ us 157 . 1m ) with chinese state enterprises for the first phase of the bangkok - laos high - speed rail project .
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state enterprise with worst financial performance finally reports on assets , liabilities & losses . essential step in restructuring for efficiency .
i spoke to khun chulsiri this afternoon and it is with sadness that i have to report that the thailand railway hall of fame has closed . i apologize to readers for not keeping track of this .
eight years after first launching , it’s now being revived under the government’s technology - driven “thailand 4 . 0” campaign , railway governor wutthichat kalayanamit said monday .
urltoken started as a rail guide to thailand - i love thailand and generally enjoy travelling by train ; there are , however , lots of places in thailand which are inaccessible by rail , and for those places i give appropriate directions .
double - track freight railway & motorways better investments . govt could lose money on railway without co - investor & without passengers transiting to and from china on shortened route .
tourism authority of thailand 1600 new phechatburi road , makkasan , rajathewi , bangkok 10400 , thailand open daily from 08 . 30 to 16 . 30 hrs . suvarnabhumi airport
popularly known for the death railway , kanchanaburi is one of the major tourist destination in thailand with both local and foreign tourist associating it with world war 2 and beautiful sceneries . it is located around 3 hours from bangkok , with trains departing from thonburi railway station .
mahidol university , the public research university originated from the first institution of higher learning in thailand .
aerial photograph of the bridge over the river kwai , thailand , severely damaged by aerial bombing .
an image showing the route of the kunming - singapore railway with vientiane shown second from top . photo : xinhua
or asked a different way , what stands in the way of reform now , and how to change that ? some possible options for thailand may include improving the railway sector governance by clarifying the relationship between the government and the railway companies . strengthening state - owned enterprises can also help as they account for 30 - 40 percent of total public investments in thailand . introducing competition and engaging the private sector more can mobilize long - term private capital needed for funding well - structured infrastructure projects .
it’s such a pity that this railway museum which preserves a historical landmark in public transport in thailand should be languishing as a private museum struggling for its existence .
the route will also be connected with those in the planned railway system in the eastern economic corridor and create connectivity between thailand and the sub - mekong countries .
the 120 - year - old state enterprise also plans to renovate 148 older passenger carriages for its low - cost services .
from singapore , you get a real sense of arrival . note the picture of the king of thailand , visible over the exit from the platforms .
tham krasae bridge station marks the start of the long viaduct by the cliff built by the prisoners of war during world war 2 as part of the death railway .
chao phraya river , principal river of thailand . it flows south through the nation’s fertile central plain for more than 225 miles ( 365 km ) to the gulf of thailand . thailand’s capitals , past and present ( bangkok ) , have all been situated on its banks or…
4 . bangkok stations history - - a . hualamphong station - - construction started around 1910 to replace the old bangkok railway station . hua lamphong opened for service on june 25 , 1916 . hualamphong rail station first opened on 25 june 1916 , after six years ' construction . the site of the hualamphong rail station was previously thai railway ' s maintenance centre , which moved to makkasan in june 1910 . at the site of the ' old bangkok railway station ' there is a pillar nearby commemorating the initiation of thailand state railways in 1897 .
is it safe to purchase a ticket through urltoken has anyone used this online service before ? i ' m always nervous to put my passport number and credit card number online , so i want to make sure that this site is actually legit . it seems to be the official state railway of thailand online service .
a small private museum , mixing railway relics with early motorcycle , military and other memorabilia .
the projects include the extended airport link to u - tapao airport , the thai - chinese railway project from chachoengsao to map ta put , the thai - japanese railway project from bangkok to laem chabang , and the high - speed railway from bangkok to pattaya and rayong .
after explored the different approaches , the government considered that the first point that deserves to build a railway linking the capital of thailand is nakhon ratchasima . so in october 1890 , he graciously established the train operation which was under the control of the ministry of public . prince krom khun narisra nu wat wong and mr . k . bethge were the directors of the state railways . simultaneously , the auction of a railway line construction in bangkok - nakhon ratchasima as the first route at the bangkok railway office . it appears that mr . g moorea campbell of england were the lowest bidder ( 9 , 956 , 164 baht ) .
your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of your entry into thailand .
wat phra kaeo , which housed the emerald buddha . a post and telegraph service was organized in the 1880s , an electric tram service was instituted on charoen krung in 1892 , and the first line of the state railway , running from bangkok to
traditionally , sugar in thailand was often produced in an unrefined state from coconut palm sap or sugar cane juice . around samut songkhram , a major fruit growing area south west of bangkok it is still possible to witness the process .
world bank . 1953 . thailand - railway investment program ( english ) . technical operations projects series ; no . to 15 . washington , dc : world bank . urltoken
banyong pongpanich , chairman of kiatnakin phatra financial group , and thailand ' s leading privatization expert , quit his post as a key adviser on the soe reform process on nov . 1 , and has subsequently expressed serious concerns about the growth of the state sector .
gulf of thailand , inlet of the south china sea bordering thailand ( southwest through north ) , cambodia , and southern vietnam ( northeast ) . the gulf of thailand is 300 to 350 miles ( 500 to 560 km ) wide and 450 miles ( 725 km ) long . the chao phraya and nakhon chai si…
thailand and china are expected to finish surveying the routes and designing the dual - track railway on time , transport minister prajin juntong said yesterday . the thailand - china joint committee held its third meeting on developing the standard - gauge ( 1 . 4
the thai - china joint railway development project covers constructions of 1 . 435 - meter standard gauge railways along two routes .
the khmers have built many magnificent khmer temples in thailand during the height of the khmer empire , many of which still remain today .
hualamphong railway station is airy and well set up with a booking office window for foreigners where the railway ' s staff speak good to excellent english . reservations do not take long to organise .
on this page you can find links to railway timetables , the railway network map , the main passenger operator , the main freight operator , the national infrastructure manager , a railway heritage or museum site and a railfan site ( normally with a large links section ) for every european country .
on 13 october 2016 his majesty king bhumibol adulyadej died , he was the ninth monarch of thailand from the chakri dynasty . on 1 december 2016 crown prince maha vajiralongkorn was appointed as the new king of thailand .
gistda is thailand ' s public organization in space technology and geo - informatics .
file - a train arrives in maeklong , in samut songkhram province , thailand .
free download : timetable & train guide for thailand , in english . . .
as it happens i used to work for srt . and i have to agree that it ' s current state is depressing , and worse than it has ever been . to blame it on state monopoly probably reflects your politics rather than explaining the problem , because , of course , there are plenty of state monopoly railways that provide excellent service . in reality there are many reasons , all poor excuses of course , including chronic lack of investment , corruption and botched outsourcing of contracts such as catering , desperately low fares , lack of subsidy , and low morale caused by all of the above !
regarding the time and cost of the project , prapat , who used to be the governor of mass rapid transit authority of thailand from 1997 to 2008 , said thais should not be afraid of huge investment projects , as being too cautious will stop thailand from further development .
austria , for instance , uses schig mbh ( railway infrastructure services company ) with the main purpose of financing investments in rail infrastructure as part of the liberalisation of the rail sector .
thailand has 4 , 431 kilometers of meter gauge railway tracks not including mass transit lines in bangkok . all national rail services are managed by the state railway of thailand . the four main lines are the northern line , which terminates at chiang mai station , the northeastern line , which terminates at ubon ratchathani station and the laos border at nong khai station , the eastern line , which terminates at the cambodian border at aranyaprathet station , and the southern line , which terminates at the malaysian border at padang besar station and su - ngai kolok station .
thailand has one of the best meter - gauge rail systems in the world , along with india and malaysia . thailand has a very good inter - province connecting railway system and there are train services to all the regions ( northern , northeastern , eastern , central , and southern ) .
traffic accidents are common in thailand . according to the world health organization , in 2015 , thailand had one of the world’s highest traffic - related fatality rates . bangkok and some parts of chiang mai have heavy traffic .
singapore & malaysia railway travel blog | railtravel station features pictures and information of railways and other means of travel with a special focus on singapore and malaysia .
the state railway of thailand ( srt ) is very well - organized and has made it easy for people to find train information ( routes and schedules ) and book tickets either at stations , online , or by telephone . there is usually a few thai railways staff at stations and on telephone services who speak english and can help potential passengers .
tickets for first and second class sleepers were sold out meaning my girlfriend and i had to travel second class non - sleeper . after explaining our romantic situation to two officials ( seriously ) , we paid 604 baht each ; pretty good value for an overnight train . but there were a few problems the state railway of thailand need to address .
khon masks comprise part of the costume of performers of the classical dance - drama .
hualamphong opened in 1916 , designed by an italian architect brought to thailand by the king of siam . . .
malaysia time is one hour ahead of thailand time , times shown for padang besar & butterworth are malay time .
one of the best destination spa resorts in thailand . very private . pricy but the quality is the best .
crimes of opportunity , such as pick - pocketing , bag - snatching , and burglary , occur in thailand .
the great scottish & western railway company ltd . ( ‘gswrc’ ) for travel on belmond royal scotsman ;
5 . when the war come [ sic ] to an end in 1945 the british army dismantled 3 . 95 kms . of track at the thai - burma border . the remaining length of 300 kms . was handed over to the state railway of thailand in 1947 . with due and careful consideration in regard to transport economic as well as other aspects , the state railway of thailand was authorised to dismantle the track from the end of the line to nam tok station and to upgrade the remaining length of 130 . 204 kms . to nong pladuk station conforming to operational permanent way standard . subsequently , the section between nong pladuk and kanchanaburi stations was officially opened to traffic on 24 june 1949 , between kanchanaburi and wang pho stations on 1 april 1952 and the last section from wang pho to nam tok stations on 1 july 1958 .
thailand ' s new temples ? residential towers in central bangkok at chao phraya river .
the military - led government has budgeted more than 500 billion baht ( $ 14 . 1 billion ) for investments by state enterprises , with the srt receiving the largest single allocation of 76 billion baht for double - track rail expansions , an extension of bangkok ' s elevated railway , and construction of bridges , fences and track improvements .
an old srt ( state railway of thailand ) map , which can be seen outside certain stations , shows a connection with the cambodian railway at aranya prathet ( end of the eastern line ) . unfortunately , after many years of war in cambodia , the connection was disrupted for many years . earlier this year ( 2018 ) some train services resumed between battambang and the thai border , though not across it yet . hopefully the cross - border link and the link between battambang and the cambodian capital will be completed later this year .
1 . special excursions ( from srt ) - - the state railway of thailand organizes these ' special tourist rail trips ' to popular destinations such as pattaya , ko samui , and kanchanaburi . not all destinations are offered all the time , so it ' s best to ask about ' current excursions ' available either at the hua lamphong railway station booking office or at any travel agency . usually , these srt arranged are much cheaper than trips offered by private tour operators .
, which runs from the southwestern chinese city of kunming , through laos , thailand and malaysia and ends at singapore .
prostitution is illegal in thailand . serious consequences include criminal conviction and imprisonment , particularly in the case of child prostitution .
the international connection between cambodia and thailand’s metre - gauge railway networks , pledged by both countries’ prime ministers in 2015 , was symbolically achieved in september 2016 following the construction of a bridge over a stream that marks the border .
periodic acts of violence in thailand remain a concern . several small - scale bombings occurred near some tourist locations in the southern provinces in august 2016 . in august 2015 , an explosion near the erawan shrine in downtown bangkok killed at least 20 people and injured more than 100 . the state department assesses that there is a continued risk of terrorism in southeast asia , including in thailand .
during the vietnam war the railway suffered from repeated bombing while considerable damage occurred during the khmer rouge regime .
chiang mai railway station , tel . ( 053 ) 242094 , 244795 , 247462 , 245363 - 4 .
earlier this month , the state railway of thailand ( srt ) launched a new online ticket reservation system . the new service came into effect on february 1 , 2017 . this isn’t the first time srt have implemented an online ticketing system with various on / off attempts in the past . the last online ticketing service was introduced in august 2011 , but ended abruptly in january 2013 . travellers in thailand will be hoping the new system works better than previous attempts .
originally the northern and eastern railways were controlled by the northern railway authority , whereas services west of the chao phraya river ( i . e . originating in thonburi , west bangkok ) , operated under a different authority - the southern railway authority , and while the northern railway used standard gauge ( 1 . 435m - 4ft 81 / 2 inches ) , the southern railway adopted narrow gauge ( 1 meter ) , allowing it to link up eventually with the narrow gauge lines of british malaya .
chinese firms are being encouraged to team up with local companies to develop the land and hire thai workers for projects related to the railway . nine million chinese visited thailand in 2016 , accounting for 30 per cent of all tourists .
in 1853 , queen victoria of great britain presented king rama iv the first train for the kingdom . the model of this train is on display in the railway museum .
thailand , country located in the centre of mainland southeast asia . located wholly within the tropics , thailand encompasses diverse ecosystems , including the hilly forested areas of the northern frontier , the fertile rice fields of the central plains , the broad plateau of the northeast , and the rugged coasts along the narrow southern…
on the 70th anniversary of the completion of the ' death railway ' , a british prisoner of war , now 95 , speaks for the first time about the ' appalling ' conditions he worked in .
4 . in speeding up construction work the japanese army built a temporary railway bridge across the river kwae yai downstream close to the existing bridge . after completion of the existing bridge composing of 11 steel spans with the rest of timber spans , the temporary bridge was dismantled to ease off river traffic inconvenience . three steel spans nos . 4 , 5 , 6 were damaged by allied bombing during the war period . after taking over the line the state railway of thailand replaced the three damaged spans with two steel spans and changed all timber spans at the far end with six steel spans .
the thai government ' s plans to upgrade the national railway system follow years of financial neglect . the goal is to revive thailand’s place in a trans - asian railway network running south to north , from singapore to kunming in southern china , and west to east , from yangon , myanmar , to ho chi minh city in southern vietnam .
thailand earth observation system , has been launched its geo data satellite on 1 october 2008 .
it is good news , but too late for me : i left thailand on wednesday .
contract award for thailand red line construction project | mitsubishi heavy industries , ltd . global website
new agreements to upgrade the country’s rail network could make thailand a major regional transportation hub .
according to antonio , the first railway in thailand was the paknam railway ; the accompanying map shows this line following the course of the present - day rama iv road , from near bangkok central station eastwards towards the mouth of the river . this line , opened in 1893 , is no longer in existence , though thai friends remember using it in the 1950 ' s .
the railway museum was established by sanpasiri viryasiri in 1990 , his son chulsiri viryasiri is managing the museum now .
as railway reform programs take shape , another question to ask is whether and how it will be financially sustainable .
once the railway is completed , arkhom termpittayapaisith said , the journey from vientiane to bangkok will take four hours .
【about project】 name of project : the construction of mass transit system project in bangkok ( red line ) ( i ) contract 3 client : state railway of thailand ( srt ) project covers : design , construction and installation of rail way e & m ( electric and mechanical ) system ( except for civil and building works . ) area of project : bang sue to rangsit ( north line , 26 . 4 kilometer ) bang sue to taling chan ( west line , 14 . 6 kilometer ) term of project : 1440 days ( about 4 years )
the northern line was originally built as 1 , 435 mm ( 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in ) standard gauge , but in september 1919 it was decided to standardize on 1 , 000 mm ( 3 ft 3 3⁄8 in ) meter gauge and the northern line was regauged during the next ten years . on july 1 , 1951 , rsr changed its name to the present state railway of thailand .
in february 2017 state railways of thailand reinstated online booking at urltoken with a small fee after two short - lived periods of offering online booking in previous years . we have yet to see how long this will last this time . however , reports so far suggest that it works , and accepts overseas credit cards .
official website , designed and developed by the ministry of foreign affairs to serve as a one - stop source of comprehensive and reliable facts and information about thailand .


oliver peoples is an american luxury eyewear brand established in 1987 , and owned by luxottica .

the brand is sold in oliver peoples boutiques , online , and at fashion boutiques and department stores throughout the world .

oliver peoples eyewear is designed on la ’s sunset boulevard and handcrafted in italy .

oliver peoples

these glasses were exclusively available for purchase on the oliver peoples website and in oliver peoples boutiques .
oliver peoples sunglasses , $ 480 , bergdorf goodman , 888 - 774 - 2424 .
the son of oliver peoples founder larry leight worked for his father before becoming a competitor .
, oliver peoples is rereleasing one of its most popular styles , the op - 4 . it ' s part of the oliver peoples vintage circa 1987 collection , which commemorates the year the label was founded .
a subtle but distinctive feature of our sunglasses lenses that identifies oliver peoples is one of a kind breath logo .
under terms of the agreement , oakley will assume about $ 5 million in oliver peoples debt . oakley will pay an additional $ 4 million as an
earn - out incentive
for oliver peoples if it maintains its current performance .
gq : quick backstory . . . we know your father founded oliver peoples , but how’d you get into sunglasses yourself ?
larry and garrett leight , the minds behind oliver peoples and garrett leight california optical , are now gearing up for a new line of frames .
lessons by larry leight : i oliver peoples co - founder and creative director talks about the history of the company and product . video by the social trust
oliver peoples was founded in 1987 with the opening of its first boutique and launch of the original collection . from the beginning , oliver peoples had a passion for superior product , a distinctive culture rooted in california , and an obsession with service . these core values have remained at the foundation of the brand and endure today .
oliver peoples
m - 4
round metal sunglasses . vintage - inspired design reviving one of the first styles introduced in 1987 . hand - engraved feather pattern exclusive for
oliver peoples
m - 4 30th
round metal sunglasses . vintage - inspired design reviving one of the first styles introduced in 1987 . hand - engraved feather pattern exclusive
oliver peoples is recognized for its selection of superior polarized and photocrhomic mineral glass sun lenses , which combine the finest material available with the most advanced technologies in the world .
oliver peoples sunglasses from the 30th anniversary collection . black acetate and metal frames . pin detail at temples and frame front . eye / bridge / temple ( in mm ) :
oliver peoples was born in the heart of west hollywood , california , on iconic sunset boulevard . the unique culture of los angeles remains at the core of the brand’s dna .
each style in the oliver peoples collection is conceived and designed in the west hollywood headquarters , taking inspiration from everything including films , books , travel , magazines , and archival pieces .
brad pitt , as tyler durden , wears a pair of oliver peoples 523 sunglasses in the 1999 movie fight club . these glasses are extremely rare , and can now only be found on sites like ebay .
larry leight , chief executive , designer and co - founder of oliver peoples with his sister , dore chodorow , said the company ' s designs were inspired by the estate collection of oliver peoples , a 1920s - era optician , that leight acquired for about $ 6 , 000 . the company opened its first store on sunset boulevard in 1986 ; another of its five boutiques is at south coast plaza in costa mesa .
from 2006 to 2008 . i spent one year in between doing development because that was the only thing i didn & apos ; t do at oliver peoples . i was manufacturing eyewear for street - wear brands .
my dad started oliver peoples 25 years ago so he wasn & apos ; t doing sales . he didn & apos ; t know buyers and obviously the person that was working at oliver peoples wouldn & apos ; t give me that contact because they knew that i would compete with them . i had to be really resourceful . i literally opened the first 100 doors by looking at other brands that i liked and what doors they were in . obviously saying that my father did oliver peoples helped them say yes , but they liked the collection , too . . . i just had perseverance and i really wanted to build those personal relationships with my first 100 accounts .
since the debut of the first oliver peoples collection in 1987 , the same passion for the product , details , and finest materials has endured . each frame is handcrafted in a dedicated factory , with careful attention to detail .
while going through the inventory , he found a receipt belonging to the original owner , an eyewear distributor from the 1940s and ’50s named oliver peoples . “we were so excited , ” says leight , “we named the company after him . ”
we spoke with leight over the phone about how the oliver peoples connection benefited him ( as well as how it didn & apos ; t ) , getting into top retailers through sheer perseverance and confidence , the importance of collaborations and more .
by contrast , the oliver peoples name does not even appear on its eyewear . the company has depended on the word of mouth of celebrity owners such as tom cruise , johnny depp , jessica simpson and gwen stefani , and not on traditional advertising .
oliver peoples , the california - based , luxury eyewear brand celebrated their 30th anniversary with a star - studded crowd at the chateau marmont in los angeles this past friday . on the borders of the chateau ' s pool , guests mingled while previewing campaign installations by peter lindbergh , a contemporary german photographer best known for his simple , yet revealing portraits . with a dj performance by balthazar getty & charlie eisner , guests including campaign stars , levi dylan and monika ' jac ' jagaciak , jessica alba , angela lindvall , rebecca gayheart , brandon thomas lee , claire holt , dylan brosnan , black atlass , ethan peck , garance dore , danced the night away . oliver peoples 2017 campaign story
desert stories
can be viewed now on the oliver peoples website .
oakley inc . , whose high - tech sunglasses are worn by world - class athletes in several sports , said wednesday that it bought privately held oliver peoples inc . , whose classic spectacles have been seen on celebrities such as brad pitt and angelina jolie .
“when conceptualizing the campaign and story surrounding this milestone year for oliver peoples my mind went back to the beginning . when oliver peoples was founded in 1987 , the brand challenged the ostentatious eyewear trends of the era with its decidedly classic aesthetic , ” says creative director giampiero tagliaferri . “this was around the same time peter lindbergh was rising on the scene and changing fashion ' s view of beauty through his raw and minimalist photography . his ability to capture a story in his subjects ' eyes makes him a perfect fit to shoot eyewear . ”
oliver people
after midnight
round titanium sunglasses with linear engraving . 80 ' s inspired fashioned after the late nights in new york and
i think it ' s a good strategy . they are acquiring a brand that appeals to an entirely different consumer , and they can make oliver peoples more successful down the road ,
said analyst mitch j . kummetz of brokerage firm d . a . davidson & co .
larry leight , its patriarch , founded oliver peoples on the sunset strip in 1986 . the brand found its stride within months of its launch after magazine editors selected his styles to splash across spreads in vogue and vanity fair , prompting the jet set— elton john , christy turlington , spike lee , and claudia schiffer , to name a few—to sport the glasses . a pair of oliver peoples became immortalized when coveted by patrick bateman in bret easton ellis’s label - conscious yuppy satire american psycho . after 30 years at the helm , larry leight left the company last year .
the acquisition - - valued at $ 46 . 7 million , excluding the assumption of debt and incentives - - is the first in the 35 - year history of foothill ranch - based oakley . company executives said the deal with oliver peoples would enable oakley to extend its reach while remaining true to its own branding .
it was a simple thing of the community of venice not having a good optician and solving that problem . i worked there every day and hired a team . i didn’t have garrett leight [ the brand ] at the time but carried oliver peoples and other brands . that was in 2009 and the brand didn’t come until 2011 .
to celebrate its 30th anniversary , luxury eyewear brand oliver peoples tapped peter lindbergh to shoot a star - studded campaign . titled
desert stories ,
the narrative follows four friends—amber valletta , alex lundqvist , levi dylan , and jac—as they traverse the picturesque landscapes of the mojave desert and discover an oasis in the form of a rustic american diner .
: paul allen has mistaken me for this dickhead marcus halberstram . it seems logical because marcus also works at p & p ; and in fact does the same exact thing i do and he also has a penchant for valentino suits and oliver peoples glasses . marcus and i even go to the same barber , although i have a slightly better haircut .
as part of its 30th - anniversary celebrations , la - based eyewear brand oliver peoples has created a capsule collection in collaboration with contemporary french eyewear brand alain mikli . both have a decades - long history of making innovative shades that go on to define a generation . who could possibly forget alain mikli ' s slatted shades made internationally famous by kanye west ?
in fight club , brad pitt wears three different types of sunglasses in the movie ( all by oliver peoples : the aero , the op 523 , and the sunset , respectively ) . the op - 523 is by far the most popular ( and hard to get ! ) . check ebay where you can usually find a few pair for very high prices .
10th anniversary limited release celebrating the movie fight club ' s 10th anniversary , oliver peoples re - released tyler durden ' s signature sunglasses in 2009 . the 523 , out of production since 2000 , was available for a limited time in two color options : silver frame with blood - red glasses and gold frame with orange glasses . only 75 of each will be sold , so this will also be an instant collector ' s item .
i basically reverse - engineered an eyewear company : i worked at oliver peoples in every department . i learned what i needed to do , where to distribute it , how to market it . journalism is also a big part because we do a magazine that we release twice a year ; we have a tone of content on our site . we & apos ; re really focused on los angeles and telling the story from our point of view .
description oliver peoples
m - 4
round metal sunglasses . vintage - inspired design reviving one of the first styles introduced in 1987 . hand - engraved feather pattern exclusive for the 30th anniversary collection . lens / bridge / temple ( in mm ) : 47 - 20 - 145 . flat base g - 15 ? ? lenses with antireflective coating add a cool , progressive touch . silicone nose pads for comfortable fit . 100 % uva / uvb protection
here , the two combine aesthetic signatures for a truly summery capsule—just in time to hit the beach or jet set somewhere tropical . fittingly , mikli reintroduces a palm tree pattern ,
palmier ,
first created in 1987 , to two oliver peoples sunglass styles : gregory peck and remick . opting out of the traditional photography campaign , the two have tapped illustrator juanjo villalba bermudez to create a series of drawings that highlight what makes each pair of sunglasses unique .
description oliver peoples sunglasses from the 30th anniversary collection . black acetate and metal frames . pin detail at temples and frame front . eye / bridge / temple ( in mm ) : 48 / 24 / 145 . round rose golden mirror lenses . contrast two - tone arms . 100 % uv protection . can be fitted with prescription lenses . made in italy . proposition 65 warning : sunglasses contain bisphenol a ( bpa ) , a chemical known to the state of . . .
i definitely was pretty confident . we were also selling it in my store already maybe for three months and it was doing really well , so i was able to say ,
listen this stuff is selling , i & apos ; m in venice beach , it & apos ; s cool , there are movie stars who buy it and wear it and come back .
being born into oliver peoples , it & apos ; s a good way to start a conversation .
garrett leight : i have a general attraction to it , but yes , my dad is the founder of oliver peoples , which he created about 26 years ago . so i grew up in that family , and worked there as a kid doing everything from filing to just being around the glasses . being young , and in the store , i was just kind of fooling around . but i’ve always had an attraction to [ glasses ] , i’ve always loved the process and the product .
description oliver peoples
m - 4 30th
round metal sunglasses . vintage - inspired design reviving one of the first styles introduced in 1987 . hand - engraved feather pattern exclusive for the 30th anniversary collection . lens / bridge / temple ( in mm ) : 47 - 20 - 145 . flat base mirrored lenses with antireflective coating add a cool , progressive touch . silicone nose pads for comfortable fit . 100 % uva / uvb protection . made in italy . proposition 65 warning : . . .
oakley is a global leader in sport performance optics including premium sunglasses , goggles , and prescription eyewear . headquartered in southern california , the company ' s optics brand portfolio includes dragon , eye safety systems , fox racing , mosley tribes , oliver peoples , and paul smith spectacles . in addition to its global wholesale business , the company operates retail chains including bright eyes , oakley stores , sunglass icon and the optical shop of aspen . the company also offers a wide selection of oakley - branded apparel , footwear , watches and accessories . additional information is available at urltoken .
garrett leight is the first to admit that being the son of larry leight , founder of iconic , 30 - year - old eyewear brand oliver peoples , has benefited his own pursuits in the eyewear business . he learned the ropes working for his father & apos ; s company after attending college in los angeles , and while he initially wanted to break into journalism , he came to realize that eyewear was in his blood : in 2009 , he opened up an optical store ( a . kinney court ) in venice beach , then launched his own namesake brand in 2011 .
2016 was quite the year . as the calendar winds down , some people are talking about 2016 as one of the worst years in human history , or at least in recent memory . indeed , last week tonight host john oliver captured this popular opinion in the show’s year - end segment , “ fuck 2016 . ”
since the days of old hollywood , sunglasses have been key in helping celebrities maintain an air of mystery and effortlessly cool style . naturally , famous folk have preferred brands—the act of which has vaulted certain ones to icon status . ray - bans are forever , and oakleys had their day in the 90s . in the past few years , though , two brands have dominated the internationally recognizable visages of jennifer lawrence , robert downey , jr . , and even our commander in chief : oliver peoples and garrett leight . what you might not realize , however , is that these two seemingly disparate lines are actually the brainchildren of a father - son eyeglass dynasty .
i studied journalism in school . when i graduated i went to work for my dad at oliver peoples as a first job even though i wanted to work more in music or journalism , but i kind of fell in love with the environment and the company . that & apos ; s when i started to learn what an entrepreneur was and it made me thirsty to create my own environment , so i tried to absorb as much as i could from the company working in different departments — marketing , design , sales . somewhere along the line i was living in venice [ california ] and i developed this idea to open a store on abbot kinney .
there is no brand more buzz - worthy in the men’s optic game heading into this summer than garrett leight ( proof ) , which means there is no individual more buzzed about than this 28 year - old californian with an inarguable pedigree : leight’s father larry founded oliver peoples . the keys to the sunglasses kingdom weren’t as appealing to leight early on ( he had dreams of the music world ) , but fittingly enough his creations now grace the faces of the kinds of icons he emulated , and drew inspiration from . leight spoke with us about his stint as a sports journalist , the perfect pair of understated frames , and why he’ll always be buying magazines .
2016 produced a trump presidency and witnessed the rise of the “alt - right” and increasing violence against women , workers , and indigenous , lgbtq2 , and racialized peoples . 2016 also saw the approval of new pipelines , brexit , and the deaths of pop culture legends like prince , phife dawg , and david bowie and revolutionary figures like muhammad ali and fidel castro . in short , 2016 was merciless .
description oliver people
after midnight
round titanium sunglasses with linear engraving . 80 ' s inspired fashioned after the late nights in new york and styling of that era . lens / bridge / temple ( in mm ) : 49 - 22 - 145 . flat base mirrored lenses with antireflective coating add a cool , progressive touch . silicone nose pads for comfortable fit . 100 % uva / uvb protection . can be fitted with prescription lenses . made . . .
all of our frames are hand - finished in china and we source materials from all over the world — japan , italy ; our hinges are from germany . what i really learned [ from working at oliver peoples ] was that there are only two ways to make something : the right way and the wrong way . once i learned how to make eyewear the right way , we were able to manufacture the frames at a really high quality at the best price point . i started designing and developing the collection in 2009 ( which was right after the recession ) , so i was really driven to deliver a product that was significantly less expensive than the high - quality eyewear brands that i was planning on competing with . they were like $ 320 - $ 500 and i wanted to be $ 225 - $ 350 . now we’re $ 285 - $ 400 . the economy & apos ; s back , the brand & apos ; s gained a little equity and we continue to use really expensive materials , but we & apos ; re still lower than similar brands .
it was 1986 and larry leight was scouring l . a . for early u . s . eyewear brands like american optical , bausch and lomb , and ray - ban to stock his new sunset plaza boutique , launched with brother dennis . “we got lucky , ” says leight . “we found an estate sale with a room full of american brand frames in their unopened , original packaging in mint condition . i offered to buy the room . ”
the santa monica native similarly stumbled upon his career path . “college wasn’t an option for me , ” he says . “i needed to work right away to support myself . ” he enrolled in an optician program at the old downtown campus of l . a . city college . he then worked in a lab , cutting and shaping lenses , and later as a salesman and buyer for a high - end optical boutique . “as a buyer , i learned why companies were making certain styles , ” says leight , “and as a salesman , i knew what kinds sold . and those two didn’t always match up . ” with his own line leight bridges the gap , embracing the spectacled icons of the past and giving them a modern twist .
los angeles has covered the people , food , culture , arts and entertainment , fashion , lifestyle , and news that define southern california since 1961 .
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oakley to merge into luxottica group for us $ 29 . 30 per share | luxottica
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milan , italy and foothill ranch , calif . , june 20 , 2007 – luxottica group s . p . a . ( nyse : lux ; mta : lux ) , global leader in eyewear , and oakley , inc . ( nyse : oo ) , worldwide specialist in sport performance optics , today jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement with the unanimous approval of both companies’ boards of directors . under the agreement , luxottica group will acquire all of the outstanding shares of oakley for a cash purchase price of us $ 29 . 30 per share , together with the purchase of all outstanding options and other equity rights at the same price per share less the exercise price . the total purchase price will be approximately us $ 2 . 1 billion , representing an approximate premium of 18 % over the 30 - day average nyse trading price of oakley shares and approximately 24 % over the three - month average trading price .
oakley’s board of directors fully supports this transaction and intends to recommend the offer to oakley’s shareholders for approval .
leonardo del vecchio , luxottica group chairman , stated , “this is a milestone for our group . significant changes in market dynamics require industry leaders to perfect a mix of best - inclass products and marketing with technical and operational capabilities . luxottica has long admired the oakley business and corporate culture , inspired by founder jim jannard . oakley and luxottica share a mutual commitment to quality , innovation , and technical skills – qualities which will help us to solidify oakley’s brand position and luxottica’s strong leadership in the market . i look forward to welcoming the talented oakley management team , led by scott olivet and colin baden , to our group . ”
luxottica will fund the payment of the purchase price and transaction costs from operating cash flow , available line of credit , and credit facilities to be available at the closing . luxottica expects its pro forma net debt / ebitda ratio for end of 2007 to be approximately 2 . 3x1 .
the transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2007 . this acquisition is subject to the approval of oakley ' s shareholders and the satisfaction of other customary conditions , including various governmental approvals .
luxottica and oakley will hold a joint conference call to discuss the proposed transaction with the investment community on thursday , june 21 , 2007 , at 8 : 00 am pdt / 11 : 00 am edt / 4 : 00 pm bst / 5 : 00 pm cet . the audio web cast will be also available at luxottica group’s corporate web site at urltoken and on oakley’s investor web site at urltoken . a replay of the conference call will be available starting on june 22 at 12 : 00 am edt , calling from usa : + 1 ( 866 ) 583 1035 , passcode 699162 # . members of the media may participate in the call in a “listen - only” mode . please note that a slide presentation will be available for download from luxottica group’s investor relations corporate web site at urltoken and on oakley’s investor web site at urltoken shortly before the start of the audio web cast .
oakley , inc . will file a proxy statement and other relevant documents concerning the proposed merger with the u . s . securities and exchange commission . oakley , inc . shareholders are urged to read the definitive proxy statement when it becomes available because it will contain important information regarding this transaction . shareholders may obtain , free of charge , a copy of the definitive proxy statement ( when it becomes available ) and other documents filed by oakley , inc . with the sec ( urltoken ) . in addition , documents filed with the sec by oakley , inc . will be available free of charge from the company . oakley , inc . and its directors and executive officers and certain other of its employees may be soliciting proxies from stockholders of oakley , inc . in favor of the proposed transaction . information concerning the participants in the proxy solicitation will be set forth in the proxy statement when it is filed with the sec .
luxottica group received investment advice from rothschild inc . and legal advice from winston & strawn llp . oakley received investment advice from goldman sachs & co . and legal advice from skadden , arps , slate , meagher & flom llp .
certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward - looking statements” as defined in the private securities litigation reform act of 1995 . such statements involve risks , uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those that are anticipated . such risks and uncertainties include , but are not limited to , the risk that the merger will not be completed , the ability to successfully introduce and market new products , the ability to maintain an efficient distribution network , the ability to predict future economic conditions and changes in consumer preferences , the ability to achieve and manage growth , the ability to negotiate and maintain favorable license arrangements , the availability of correction alternatives to prescription eyeglasses , fluctuations in exchange rates , the ability to effectively integrate recently acquired businesses , as well as other political , economic and technological factors and other risks referred to in luxottica group and oakley’s filings with the u . s . securities and exchange commission . these forward - looking statements are made as of the date hereof and , under u . s . securities regulation , neither luxottica group nor oakley assumes any obligation to update them .
such risks and uncertainties also include , but are not limited to , the occurrence of any event , change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement ; the outcome of any legal proceedings that have been , or will be , instituted related to the merger agreement ; the inability to complete the merger due to the failure to obtain oakley stockholder approval for the merger or the failure to satisfy other conditions to complete the merger , including the receipt of all regulatory approvals related to the merger ; risks that the proposed transaction disrupts current plans and operations and the potential difficulties in employee retention as a result of the merger ; the ability to recognize the benefits of the merger ; the amount of the costs , fees , expenses and charges related to the merger and the actual terms of certain financings that will be obtained for the merger .
oakley and its directors , executive officers and other members of its management and employees may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from its shareholders in connection with the proposed merger . information concerning the interests of oakley participants in the solicitation , which may be different than those of oakley shareholders generally , is set forth in oakley proxy statements and annual reports on form 10 - k , previously filed with the sec , and will be set forth in the proxy statement relating to the transaction when it becomes available . investors and security holders of oakley are urged to read these materials when they become available because they will contain important information about oakley , luxottica group and the merger . the proxy statement and other relevant material ( when they become available ) and any other documents filed by oakley with the sec may be obtained free of charge by contacting oakley’s investor relations department , going to oakley’s investor web site at investor . oakley . com , or the sec’s web site at www . sec . gov .
lance allega investor relations / media relations oakley , inc . + 1 ( 949 ) 672 - 6985 lallega @ urltoken
1 the forecast of the pro forma ratio of net debt to ebitda for fiscal year 2007 is not a measure of performance under generally accepted accounting principles in the united states ( u . s . gaap ) .
voters will go to the polls on september 14 in what will mark the longest election campaign in the nation ' s history .
opposition leader tony abbott welcomes the pm ' s decision to announce the federal election will be held on september 14 .
the prime minister julia gillard during an address to the national press club , in canberra . picture : gary ramage
in a speech at the national press club prime minister gillard confirmed the election date .
the prime minister said her early announcement would allow business and consumers to
plan their year
. but it was also a challenge to the opposition to deliver policy detail sooner than it might want .
the benefit of fixing the date now is not just the end of speculation about election timing . it gives shape and order to year ,
she said .
and it enables it to be one , not of fevered campaigning but of cool and reasons deliberation .
not a year without passion – because elections are the time in our national life where values should contend , where alternate plans should be compared and considered .
no surprises also means no excuses . australians aren & apos ; t interested in campaigns without content , platitudes devoid of purpose .
there is now clearly the time … for the people and parties contesting the election to lay out their fully - detailed costed plans for the timely consideration of voters .
the prime minister will advise the governor - general to dissolve the house of representatives and issue writs on monday , august 12 for the september 14 election .
opposition leader tony abbott made a statement welcomed the announcement and said the election would be about trust .
ms gillard said she did not want to start the nation & apos ; s
longest election campaign
.
it should be clear to all which are the days of governing , and which are the days of campaigning .
ms gillard said she reflected over the summer and thought it was not right for australians to be forced into a guessing game .
she said she had consulted with her deputy wayne swan and her senior colleagues about the date .
tony abbott welcomed labor’s announcement of a poll date and declaring the campaign about trust .
repeatedly hailing his “positive plans” in front of a liberal party campaign backdrop , the opposition leader this afternoon said the coalition was ready for an election after recently launching its real solution policy platform .
“this election is about trust , ” mr abbott said , pointing to trust as important to keep the cost of living down , boosting job security and protecting the nation’s borders .
“the choice before the australian people could not be clearer . it’s more tax or less . it’s more regulation or less . it’s less competence or more . it’s less freedom of more . ”
while mr abbott focused on positivity , he did attack ms gillard’s speech before she announced the election date .
“the only real statement in the prime minister’s in her press club speech was that the australian people need to pay more tax , ” he said .
but mr abbott did not take questions at his press conference at parliament house , saying he would do so tomorrow at his national press club speech and that frontbenchers joe hockey and christopher pyne would take questions this afternoon .
ms gillard has confirmed she spoke with nsw independents tony windsor and rob oakeshott about the election date before making the announcement today .
mr oakeshott said :
i welcome the certainty of a september 14 federal election date announced . parliament runs full term , election date confirmed .
federal nsw independent mp tony windsor welcomed the announcement of the election day , saying calling it now would provide certainty .
but he admitted the early announcement would mean the next eight months might well see both major parties in campaign mode .
in the past , australians have been frustratingly on & apos ; election alert & apos ; for long periods of time and , in this & apos ; hung & apos ; parliament , on the brink of an election from day one if you believe the opposition leader and some sections of the media ,
he said in a statement .
shadow treasurer joe hockey was concerned about the state of the budget which a coalition government might inherit .
election on sept 14 is before the final budget outcome is revealed for the current year ,
he tweeted .
mr hockey also tweeted :
julia gillard is giving herself certainty about the election date but won & apos ; t give australian families certainty about ` savings & apos ; impacts
. liberal frontbencher malcolm turnbull said : “deeply disappointed that julia gillard chose to hold the election on yom kippur - the most solemn and sacred day of the jewish year . ”
influential liberal mp josh frydenberg echoed the concern , taking to twitter to say
this disenfranchises many jewish australians and is incredibly sloppy work
.
“bring it on . bring it on . bring it on ! ” mr perrett said .
so , the fed election is on sept 14 - how much more damage can labor do in 7 months ?
he tweeted .
the greens say they will seek a multi - party commitment to adopt fixed - term elections .
kevin rudd has declared he will campaign in every state to help government & apos ; s re - election chances .
but the former prime minister has refused to answer several questions about the woman who deposed him , including her decision to set an election date so early .
mr rudd said he had already been asked by local mps to campaign in every state .
when asked about his own leadership intentions , mr rudd said he had already made them clear last february .
last february he promised not to run against ms gillard again after she resoundingly won a leadership ballot .
the coalition is a firm favourite with at least one bookmaker to win the september election .
punters are putting money on the coalition to win the september 14 federal election with their odds cut to $ 1 . 22 from $ 1 . 26 within hours of ms gillard announcing the date .
sportingbet australia chief executive michael sullivan said if the pm was anticipating a positive reaction to her election announcement , she may be surprised . punters have responded by backing the coalition into even shorter odds .
we actually thought there would be some support for the alp after the announcement , & apos ; & apos ; mr sullivan said in a statement . labor & apos ; s odds drifted from $ 3 . 75 to $ 4 . 15 .
we can & apos ; t find anyone interested in backing them , & apos ; & apos ; he said .
a jws research poll of 54 marginal seats predicted federal labor could lose 18 seats and its hold on government .
city index chief market analyst peter esho said selection of saturday , september 14 as the date for the next federal election was unsurprising .
that & apos ; s within the ballpark range of probable dates that most forecasters were assuming ,
mr esho said .
everyone was assuming that this government would try to go as long as it can into its term , so there & apos ; s no real surprise with september .
the australian stock market and dollar had a muted reaction to ms gillard & apos ; s poll date announcement , which came shortly before 1pm aedt .
mr esho said the decision to go to the polls in september could indicate the federal government was not too concerned about its budget situation .
he said there had been no policy announcements accompanying the announcement of the election date , which might indicate that the government could have some surprises up its sleeve when treasurer wayne swan announces the federal budget on may 14 .
one of the biggest issues weighing on the market has been political instability , not necessarily who holds government ,
mr esho said .
the prime minster began her speech , which outlined her priorities for 2013 , by declaring most australians fear our children will not lead a better life than themselves .
i want this audience to feel all the force of that concern . i most certainly do , the prime minister told the national press club in canberra .
ms gillard pointed to insecurity for many following the global financial crisis , and extra pressures fro the ordeal of long commutes to work to paying household bills .
it means it can be a struggle to make ends meet and it can seem far harder to get ahead in the post - gfc world ,
she said .
it means we are more likely than earlier generations to face the challenges of parenting and caring for older parents at the same time .
combined with the travel time to work and , for some , concern about community safety , life can be very stressed and pressurised .
through all this , we are more connected with information about world events and causes of community anxiety than ever before .
over time , the uncertainties and pressures we live with have led some of us to be concerned that our children won & apos ; t live a better life than us .
the speech highlighted families as a priority for labor and the focus of broader economic policy this election year with the prime minister pledging to make the next generation
stronger , fairer , smarter
.
as a generation of australians , our greatest task , our highest calling , is to build a future of greater shared opportunity and less risk for the next generation ,
said ms gillard .
i want to eradicate any sense we can & apos ; t get this done . as a nation , we are strong , fair by instinct , smart .
i know that we have it within us to ensure the next generation of australians is stronger , fairer , smarter . i am an optimist ; everything we have achieved as a nation reinforces that optimism , everything we are planning delivers on it .
but ms gillard foreshadowed tough budget measures - what she called
long - term saving measures
- to pay for that security by warning that governments were facing their toughest revenue raising periods for years .
as expected , she nominated increased school funding and creation of a national disability insurance scheme as the destinations for much of the savings , but did not in her speech say where the cuts would be made .
the prime minister said government revenue per unit of national output was at the lowest since the early 1990s .
in other words , for a given amount of economic income generated , less money is finishing in the public purse , to be used for the australian people ,
she said .
we are experiencing a proportional reduction in the amount of revenue being generated from any given amount of economic income . this is part of a trend which is felt worldwide .
now , the immediate effect of this was made clear by the deputy prime minister ( treasurer wayne swan ) last december .
while within our medium - term fiscal strategy , spending is tightly constrained , the amount of tax collected from all sources - particularly from company tax - is significantly lower than independent forecasters or the treasury have anticipated .
compared to the public revenue which was forecast on the eve of the global financial crisis in 2008 , what has actually been collected in tax since is far lower - on average , lower by more than $ 30 billion every year .
even compared to what was forecast once the worst of the global financial crisis had passed , annual revenue is tens of billions of dollars below what was expected .
evie amati : trial starts of woman accused of axe attack caug . . .
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urltoken
we are partnering with someone whose products are a little more premium , a little more fashionable and in a zone of the market that would not be appropriate for us to do with the oakley brand ,
chief executive scott olivet said .
so we looked at who would be a great partner in that and we found them .
analysts described the deal as a marriage of opposites that made sense on a number of levels . oakley is known for cutting - edge technology and optics and its flashy advertisements , many featuring athletes such as seven - time tour de france winner lance armstrong , skateboard champion ryan sheckler and snowboarding champion laura hadar . last year oakley introduced a line of eyewear equipped with bluetooth cellular technology , which allows hands - free wireless communication .
that was a primary reason for agreeing to the sale , said leight , noting that his three brands go head - to - head with deep - pocketed competitors such as dior , gucci and chanel .
i can ' t achieve our vision and our dreams operating as a family business ,
leight said of his 53 - employee operation .
it was the right time to attract the right buyer .
oakley said the deal had been completed with the approval of founder and chairman jim jannard , who owns 64 % of shares .
oakley announced the deal after markets closed . its shares rose 32 cents to $ 16 . 24 in regular trading and were little changed after hours . the company is scheduled to announce fourth - quarter and full - year 2005 earnings today .
how to update some of your winter staples so they work for . . .
: there are no more barriers to cross . all i have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane , the vicious and the evil , all the mayhem i have caused and my utter indifference toward it i have now surpassed . my pain is constant and sharp , and i do not hope for a better world for anyone . in fact , i want my pain to be inflicted on others . i want no one to escape . but even after admitting this , there is no catharsis ; my punishment continues to elude me , and i gain no deeper knowledge of myself . no new knowledge can be extracted from my telling . this confession has meant nothing .
: i like to dissect girls . did you know i ' m utterly insane ?
: howard , it ' s bateman , patrick bateman . you ' re my lawyer so i think you should know : i ' ve killed a lot of people . some girls in the apartment uptown uh , some homeless people maybe 5 or 10 um an nyu girl i met in central park . i left her in a parking lot behind some donut shop . i killed bethany , my old girlfriend , with a nail gun , and some man uh some old faggot with a dog last week . i killed another girl with a chainsaw , i had to , she almost got away and uh someone else there i can ' t remember maybe a model , but she ' s dead too . and paul allen . i killed paul allen with an axe in the face , his body is dissolving in a bathtub in hell ' s kitchen . i don ' t want to leave anything out here . i guess i ' ve killed maybe 20 people , maybe 40 . i have tapes of a lot of it , uh some of the girls have seen the tapes . i even , um . . . i ate some of their brains , and i tried to cook a little . tonight i , uh , i just had to kill a lot of people . and i ' m not sure i ' m gonna get away with it this time . i guess i ' ll uh , i mean , ah , i guess i ' m a pretty uh , i mean i guess i ' m a pretty sick guy . so , if you get back tomorrow , i may show up at harry ' s bar , so you know , keep your eyes open .
: i ' m into , uh , well , murders and executions , mostly .
: well , most guys i know who are in mergers and acquisitions really don ' t like it .
: their early work was a little too new wave for my tastes , but when sports came out in ' 83 , i think they really came into their own , commercially and artistically . the whole album has a clear , crisp sound , and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost . he ' s been compared to elvis costello , but i think huey has a far more bitter , cynical sense of humor .
: yes it is ! in ' 87 , huey released this , fore , their most accomplished album . i think their undisputed masterpiece is
hip to be square
, a song so catchy , most people probably don ' t listen to the lyrics . but they should , because it ' s not just about the pleasures of conformity , and the importance of trends , it ' s also a personal statement about the band itself .
: there is an idea of a patrick bateman ; some kind of abstraction . but there is no real me : only an entity , something illusory . and though i can hide my cold gaze , and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable . . . i simply am not there .
: you ' re a fucking ugly bitch . i want to stab you to death , and then play around with your blood .
: i live in the american gardens building on w . 81st street on the 11th floor . my name is patrick bateman . i ' m 27 years old . i believe in taking care of myself and a balanced diet and rigorous exercise routine . in the morning if my face is a little puffy i ' ll put on an ice pack while doing stomach crunches . i can do 1000 now . after i remove the ice pack i use a deep pore cleanser lotion . in the shower i use a water activated gel cleanser , then a honey almond body scrub , and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub . then i apply an herb - mint facial mask which i leave on for 10 minutes while i prepare the rest of my routine . i always use an after shave lotion with little or no alcohol , because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older . then moisturizer , then an anti - aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion .
: i ' m fucking serious . it ' s fucking over , us , this is no joke . i don ' t think we should see each other any more .
: but your friends are my friends and my friends are your friends . i really don ' t think it would work . you have a little something . . .
: i know that your friends are my friends and , uh . . . i ' ve thought about that . you can have ' em .
:
when i see a pretty girl walking down the street , i think two things . one part wants me to take her out , talk to her , be real nice and sweet and treat her right .
:
what her head would look like on a stick . . .