A joint publication of Trans Pacific Press and Kyoto University Press, this economic history of the early development of Thailand's railways details the rail policies of the royal government, from the end of 19th century to 1932, when the Constitutional Revolution overthrew it.

It also assesses the role and impact of the railways on Thailand's economy in terms of the degree to which they reduced transport time and cost, as well as the extent to which they altered the flow of commodities and the transportation of passengers across the country.