Stories tagged with transportation
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Pattaya may get light-rail system
In response to the growing traffic congestion in the Thai seaside resort town of Pattaya, city planners are mulling over the possibility of building a light-rail system. If approved (and completed), this could be the start of a much-needed public transportation grid to connect Pattaya with Bangkok and surrounding areas.
A team of more than 30 people, led by Thailand’s Communication Commission director Jaruk Anupong, visited Pattaya to see the situation first-hand. What they found was severe traffic congestion, which gets particularly heavy on weekends. The committee is looking for long-term solutions to both the communications and transportation issues facing the Eastern region of Thailand around Pattaya.
One idea being thrown around is building underpasses at various points along Sukhumvit Road to help keep the flow of traffic moving. An even better idea would be the development of a light-rail system, which would make travel more convenient for tourists as well as commuting locals.
Jaruk admitted there have been major obstacles to developing the Chonburi Province beyond Pattaya, which is one of the busiest in the country. Jaruk supports the idea of a railway between Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and Pattaya, which would be one of the wisest moves made by the government in living memory.
Posted by: Andrew on 09 Sep 2008, 10:33 -
Bangkok public transport set to improve
Bangkok’s reputation for gridlock has never been an unfounded stereotype, perhaps until now. The notoriously congested city has seen some improvements to public infrastructure over these past few years with the construction of the Skytrain system, and this August another step in the right direction could have Bangkok’s traffic down to a level describable as only moderately hellish.
From August, Bangkok will introduce a new bus system that run in dedicated lanes on streets, avoiding the gridlock that has plagued taxi passengers for far too long. The new bus system will link with the existing Skytrain network, with Chong Nonsi Station being the first link.
The Skytrain itself is set to expand, with the much-anticipated connection to Suvarnabhumi International Airport expected to be complete and operational by the end of this year. Aside from the elevated Skytrain, the city also plans to expand its current underground metro network from one line to four in the coming years.
Travellers who haven’t been to Bangkok in several years will no doubt find the changes substantial and beneficial to a fascinating city that has so much to offer. With these public works, getting around Bangkok has never been easier, and form here on in, it will only get better.
Posted by: DaveB on 03 Jun 2008, 19:50 -
Suvarnabhumi skytrain to open by December
Airport taxi touts may become a thing of the past for visitors arriving in Bangkok’s international airport soon, as the skytrain rail link between the airport and the city is scheduled for completion in December of this year. The advantage of riding the train to Suvarnabhumi instead of dealing with toll roads and Bangkok’s notorious traffic is obvious, but the service will also offer another perk- being able to check in and even receive a boarding pass at the entry point in Makkasan. Baggage can also be checked at the Makkasan City Air Terminal, which will open when the railway is finished.
The City Air Terminal will occupy three floors, with check-in services and parking facilities available before jetting off to the airport with carry-on luggage. The new trains will speed along the tracks at speeds up to 160 kph, and the trip will take 15 minutes. The tracks will also be used for commuter trains, which will make the trip in just under half an hour.
Posted by: DaveB on 11 Apr 2008, 11:02 -
Local bus falls victim to high fuel prices
Record-setting fuel prices around the world are beginning to claim victims in many industries that rely on fuel to carry out their businesses. Some airlines have been forced to file for bankruptcy due largely to the high cost of fuel, but for beach bums in Pattaya, the case has hit close to home, with the yellow line of Pattaya’s Beach Bus folding due to the cost of filling up the tank.
The operator says that it was not feasible anymore with the high cost of gasoline to run the yellow line, and the dwindling number of passengers. The green and red line services will remain for now, but Suriyont Klindee, the company’s general manager says that there has to be at least 25 people on the bus for the route to be viable, as he says, “The service at present has a large number of problems. Gasoline prices continue to increase, but the price for service still remains the same at 20 baht per route.�
But the company is not going quietly, and has initiated a series of advertising campaigns to encourage locals to use the buses to get around town, and letting tourists know of the sites of interest along its routes.
Posted by: DaveB on 05 Apr 2008, 17:16 -
Bangkok trains and their bedbugs
With the nationwide celebration of the Songkran Festival fast approaching in Thailand, cities across the country are getting ready for the multi-day event. This year, even Thailand’s rail services are busily preparing for the festival and its increased numbers of passengers on sleeper trains leaving from Bangkok. The need for the hurried clean-up act comes after reports on 10 trains that some unwanted nocturnal bedmates were feasting on the flesh of the passengers.
Santi Prompat is Thailand’s Minister of Transport, and he promises that the tiny freeloaders will be completely eradicated form Bangkok’s overnight trains by the beginning of the Songkran Festival. The State Railway of Thailand identified the pests as members of the Cimicidae family; a variant of bedbug that feeds on the blood of warm-blooded creatures like animals and humans.
The SRT says that two of the ten trains have been fully hosed down with powerful chemicals, along with seat covers being changed from velvet to a leatherette material, making it impossible for the bugs to settle in.
Posted by: DaveB on 02 Apr 2008, 17:12 -
Bangkok rail transit drives land inflation
Land prices in Bangkok have been rising at a steady rate for the last few years, but with the announcement that the government will invest B500 billion in a new mass-transit network has drastically driven up the price of land near the future stations. In a survey by The Nation, areas that were experiencing appreciation of about 10% per annum have seen prices rise by as much as 100%.
While it will still be a good while before any stations open their doors on the new routes, forward-thinking prospectors and potential home owners are already scrambling for a piece of the action. The Nation’s survey found certain areas were already abuzz with inquiries, such as the area from Sukhumvit soi 107 to Onnuj, Rama V to Sathorn and Mo Chit to Rangsit.
Construction on the new transit system is expected to start by the end of the year, with speculation that land around the new lines will double in value by the time it becomes operational.
Posted by: DaveB on 14 Mar 2008, 18:21 -
Holiday traffic claims 369 lives
Thailand’s poor road safety record was once again called into question as the New Year holiday season resulted in thousands of accidents and claimed nearly 400 lives. A further 4,514 people were injured in nearly as many accidents.
There was a four per cent decrease in accident fatalities from the previous year, but it remains a chronic problem in Thailand has heavy traffic over the long weekend results in higher accident rates.
December 30th was the deadliest day, with 85 fatalities and Bangkok recorded the most accidents of all provinces, proving that it was not just long distance travellers at risk from reckless motorists.
As much has 42 per cent of the accidents were caused by drunk driving according to the Interior Ministry, however the largest group affected were motorcyclist. Many of the injured and dead were not wearing safety helmets.
Other main causes of accidents include speeding and reckless overtaking. Although few tourists were involved, they are advised to avoid travelling during the long New Year Weekend, by road. The hilly, curving roads of the mountainous north are particularly risky during this time.
Transportation guide for Thailand
Posted by: Andrew on 03 Jan 2008, 22:14 -
Protesting taxis jam Bangkok airport
Passengers arriving at Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi airport were greeted with an unwelcoming wait Tuesday as taxis refused to pick anyone up. Sudden changes to the parking and pickup permits prompted about 2,000 taxi drivers to stage a protest at the airport which was eventually dispersed at 3pm.
The protesting drivers gathered at the Public transport Centre after the Airports of Thailand (AOT) suddenly introduced a trial plan that cancelled their permits. They were expected to now park and wait at an off-site facility which is no longer provided free of charge. Getting to and from Bangkok airport
The taxi drivers became furious when the AOT management begun allowing unlicenced taxis in to alleviate the problem, which developed shortly after 8am. AOT has been paying an outsourced company 700,000 baht a month to manage the taxi queuing system, as well as paying 300,000 in upkeep of the parking facility.
At 3pm the standoff finally ended when representatives of AOT agreed that the plan would be suspended and to first consider proposals from the taxi drivers, whom the AOT wants to assume responsibility for managing the queuing system. It claimed to have already consulted a committee who apparently were representing the drivers.
AOT’s management of transportation at the airport has been previously criticised for its lack of transparency and fairness. Their own, grossly overpriced, limousine service is unfairly promoted in the arrivals area, where passengers are warned not take the metered taxis for their own safety, despite having been awarded permits to pick up from the airport. Numerous complaints continue to pour in about the aggressive AOT-approved touts who accost visitors in the arrivals hall offering the limo service. Only recently AOT reluctantly agreed to move the taxi pick up to the ground floor and move their limos to the basement.
Info on Bangkok airport
Posted by: Andrew on 26 Dec 2007, 21:12 -
Bridge to Koh Lanta delayed
A long awaited bridge from the mainland of Krabi province to the islands of Koh Lanta has been continually delayed, leading locals to suspect that foul play is involved.
The project, which would greatly shorten the travelling time to the islands’ resorts from Krabi town and airport, has been on the cards for some time but seems to stall at approval level for various reasons. Locals, who would greatly benefit from the bridge, are becoming suspicious that delays may be linked to the monopoly held over the ferry route that links Lanta Noi and Lanta Yai with the mainland.
A visit to the island earlier this year by Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, brought the issue to the fore, but no further headway has been made. According to one village head, district chiefs who have in the past publicly said they will push the project forward, have found themselves transferred elsewhere.
Village organisations on the island have even agreed to use their own funds but when the plan was forwarded to provincial authorities no further response was received. Meanwhile, the bulk of visitors to the islands popular resorts continue to arrive by a two hour ferry ride from Krabi town.
Their biggest concern is the affect it has in the height of the season when the ferry service to Lanta Noi cannot cope with the amount of traffic, creating backlogs of up to four hours. At other times maintenance work suspends the service altogether.
Krabi Governor, Siwa Sirisawalak, promised that the bridge would eventually be built but they have to wait until the following year’s budget to begin on the first section of the two bridge project.
Posted by: Andrew on 27 Nov 2007, 09:04 -
Bangkok airport taxi scam continues
Unsuspecting visitors arriving at Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi airport are still being hustled and deceived into taking the airport’s overpriced limo service into the city. Despite more than a year of criticism about the lack of transparency and fairness behind the taxi set up at the airport, the scam appears to be continuing.
Large signs on the luggage concourses and a prominently placed transportation counter in the arrivals hall warn passengers to use the official airport limousine service for their own safety despite the fact that the regular metered taxis are available outside at a third of the cost and are equally official and safe. Furthermore, the large number of ‘agents’ who loiter outside continue to accost new arrivals, encouraging them to hire these over priced services.
The limousine service, which is part owned by Airports of Thailand (AOT) who oversee the management of the airport, enjoys preferential treatment. Regular metered taxis are equally entitled to operate from the airport and must be made available to the public. They are levied a 50 baht fee for entering the airport pickup area, which is passed onto the client. Until recently they were only allowed to pickup passengers from the official taxi rank in the basement area, but persistent complaints and calls for greater transparency lead to the airport management moving them to the ground floor where arrivals exit, while the limousine services were relegated to the basement.
The cost of hiring the AOT limousine service is between 700 and 900 baht, depending on the city destination, while a metered taxi costs about 300 baht including toll fees. Despite this, the limousine service continues to receive aggressive promotion which many have described as ‘deceptive’.
Says Michael Mense, a travel agent who regularly uses the airport; “this bad practice is still going on, last week I exited the arrivals hall and was confronted by six agents in the space of two minutes, all trying to sell me an overpriced taxi service. It’s a disgraceful welcome to Thailand�.
A taxi line is found outside the terminal’s ground floor exit, where an efficient service provides registered and safe taxis without much wait.
More on Suvarnabhumi Airport
Posted by: Andrew on 26 Nov 2007, 10:23 -
Road accidents serve a warning
Several recent accidents, resulting in at least two deaths, have highlighted the dangers of driving on Phuket’s roads when visiting the holiday island. While statistics are similar to the rest of Thailand, it does result in many foreigners not making it home alive during their vacation.
On Wednesday evening a 25 year old Russian women died when the vehicle she was travelling in rolled at a trecherous bend in Thepkrasattri Rd in Baan Makprok area. A second passenger is in critical condition in hospital.
Separately a German national, Werner Theisen, was instantly killed when his vehicle collided head on with a pickup truck he was trying to avoid. According to Pol Lt Col Jamroon Plaiduang from Thalang Police Station and eye witnesses, the pickup had been illegally travelling in the wrong lane while overtaking dangerously, this forced Mr Theisen to swerve out the way and he brushed an oncoming vehicle, lost control and hit the pickup head on. The driver of the offending vehicle was not injured.
An American man was also hospitalised with serious injuries after the motorcycle he was riding he collided with the back of pickup causing other vehicles to collide while trying to avoid the accident. No one was killed although four vehicles where badly damaged as a result.
Road accidents are fairly common in Thailand due to reckless driving and poor road safety law enforcement. Foreigners are regularly involved in accidents with a significant number of fatalities each year.
Posted by: Andrew on 24 Nov 2007, 11:26 -
Bus crash injures 15 near Lampang
A bus traveling between Bangkok and Chiang Mai went off the road and plunged into a creek this morning, injuring 15 passengers who were on board.
The accident occurred at 04:29 this morning on the Phaholyothin Road in Tambon Thoneburi of Thoen district, near Lampang, just south of Chiang Mai.
The driver of the air conditioned bus, 38-year-old Krissana Nathungkham fled the scene and was not available for police questioning. The police, however, suspect that the driver fell asleep at the wheel of the bus. The bus then crashed through the railing of a bridge and fell into the creek below.
Although four passengers were severely injured in the accident, there were no deaths reported.
In 2003, there were 91,623 accidents on the roads of Thailand which resulted in the death of 13,209 people. Many of these accidents involved buses.
A study conducted by Associate professor Pichai Taneerananon and civil engineer Opan Somchainuek found that most bus accidents involved a single bus, most often overturning. In 82.3% of the cases they studied, they found that errant bus drivers were the main contributing factor to the crash. In most cases, speeding caused the accidents, however falling asleep was also an unsettlingly common occurrence.
There are many ways to travel in Thailand including low cost flights operated by airlines such as Air Asia and 1-2-Go, which serve an increasingly large part of the country. Most trains, particularly overnight trains are very comfortable. Finally, most bus routes which offer overnight buses also have a bus operating during the day.
Posted by: Jen on 07 Nov 2007, 10:20 -
Traffic Congestion Expected in Bangkok
Those expecting to be in Bangkok from August 8th to 18th should be aware that traffic may be more congested than usual due to visitors for the Summer Universiade.
The international competition is expected to draw some 10,000 students from 156 countries, leading local radio hosts to warn residents of Bangkok away from competition venues.
In Bangkok, competitions will take place at Srinakharinwirot University's stadium on Sukhumvit Road, the National Stadium on Rama I Road, the Bangkok Youth Centre stadium on Mitmaitree Road, Kasetsart University's stadium on Phaholyothin Road, the Royal Thai Army stadium on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road, the Sports Authority of Thailand stadium on Ramkhamhaeng Road and Assumption University's stadium on Soi Ramkhamhaeng 24.
The National Stadium is a popular tourist location, nearby a major shopping centre and the Siam Discovery Center.
Whether on the road during the Universiade or at any time, the best way to avoid traffic on the roads in Bangkok is to rise above it and soar through the city on the Sky Train system. The Sky Train travels to most tourist destinations in the city including the Jim Thompson House (National Stadium station), the banks of the Chao Praya river (Sapan Taksin station) and to Chatuchak Market (Mo Chit station).
Most information about the Sky Train system is displayed in English, including directions for using the automatic ticket machines. For those in town for more than a few days who will be using the system a lot, it may be worthwhile to get a stored value card. For a small deposit, passengers can put money on a card that allows them to skip ticket buying lines and go directly to the trains.
Posted by: Jen on 04 Aug 2007, 12:28