When Wanitcha Kaewya was about a year old, her mum felt something was wrong – the little girl had an irregularly large abdomen, she cried often and rarely ate or even learned to speak.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT)'s plan to cancel all free third-class train rides from September 30 would ensure the free-ride scheme would truly aid low-income earners, acting SRT governor Anon Luangboriboon has explained.