Hua Lamphong shuts out homeless at night
IN A BID to prevent homeless people from sleeping inside Hua Lamphong train station at night, the State Railway Authority (SRT) last week strictly enforced an order to close the railway hub for three and a half hours.
The station in Pathumwan district will be closed from 11.30pm to 3am every day after the last night train departs Hua Lamphong.
A joint effort by the SRT and the Ministry of Social Welfare and Human Security aims to tackle the problem of homeless people and beggars using the railway station overnight. The SRT also aims to upgrade the station to international standard.
Passengers waiting to catch pre-dawn trains must register at a counter in front of the station with their ID cards. After registration, the passengers will be allowed to wait outside on the footpath in front of the station.
Railway police will be deployed around the clock to ensure security.
The move caused resentment among some passengers who were unaware of the new measure, as well as homeless people who regularly sleep there at night.
Some passengers who were not allowed to enter the station after 11.30pm criticised the measure on social media.