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Thailand's 'Floating Train' Gives Riders an Up-Close View of a Crumbling World
Thailand's 'Floating Train' Gives Riders an Up-Close View of a Crumbling World-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:13:51

state railway of thailand crosses track across flooded area -- appears to float above the water

are all the rage. A nice, smooth ride, a gorgeous view, the full knowledge that you don’t have to operate a vehicle and can simply enjoy the sights — it’s a wonderful combination. A scenic train that passes directly over water, making it seem like you’re floating, sounds like an incredible sightseeing experience. If only the weren’t so terrifying.

The State Railway of Thailand is bringing back a seasonal tourist train from Bangkok to the , making a round trip for people who want to view the sights from atop a three-mile-long levee. This year, with , the sights should be even more spectacular — if ever more concerning.

state railway of thailand crossing floodwaters on what looks to be a floating set of tracks

See, those high water levels follow Thailand’s regular monsoon season. Monsoons mean rain, so higher-than-normal levels in reservoirs aren’t really unexpected. But officials have , and it’s .

Climate change has made for , causing both and in recent years. Clearly, this is a crisis for the country’s inhabitants — but one that the State Railway is all too willing to profit from. By selling tickets for a sightseeing train, and touting the high water levels as a selling point, the railway is directly capitalizing on for Thai citizens.

Of course, the two can be split in the mind of a train rider. This is just a bit of extra water — no one’s bringing a bag of popcorn to go watch a flood. But as , and more people are affected by floods and droughts, it gets harder and harder to bisect the awe-inspiring from the awful.

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