Phuket light-rail budget jumps B594mn, to B40bn

By Chutharat Plerin

 

The estimated budget for the Phuket light-rail project has jumped by B594 million, to a total of B40 billion. Image: OTP

 

PHUKET:-- The estimated budget required for building the Phuket Light Rail system has jumped by more than B500 million, according to announcement issued by the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP).

 

The new budget figure of B40 billion was revealed in announcement issued by the OTP yesterday (Nov 26) calling for people to join a public information and feedback meeting about the light rail project.

 

The public meeting is to be at Queen Sirikit Park, on Thalang Rd in Phuket Town, this Sunday (Dec 2).

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-light-rail-budget-jumps-b594mn-to-b40bn-69487.php#zmIyJ9GJW5qMUOV6.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2018-11-27

Far too many snouts in this maybe boondoggle. All hoping for many 'bonuses' to pad out the expenses.

It will never happen, It will be talked about, budgets readjusted, commissioned dreamt about and in the end is just all hot air

4 minutes ago, Reigntax said:

It will never happen, It will be talked about, budgets readjusted, commissioned dreamt about and in the end is just all hot air

 

Plenty 'expenses' to be made from the many many and more many 'studies'

Some light fingers in the light rail one may suspect????

Apparently Benz are old hat, it's super cars now. I did not realize it was crossing over to Phang Nga

I wonder how they are getting on in finding private investors for this project? With a 40bn budget now, that will certainly increase as the timescale is lengthened. How long will at take to see any ROI? And that's just one of the reasons I don't believe we'll ever see a light rail system in Phuket.

 

And don't you just love the mock-up diagrams they come up with: so clean and just a couple of cars on the road. Interestingly, one of the pictures shows an elevated section. OK for the railway but not for the roads.

12 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

Plenty 'expenses' to be made from the many many and more many 'studies'

 

Not too different than anywhere else ????

13 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Plenty 'expenses' to be made from the many many and more many 'studies'

Yes.  Hire a poncy resort with open bar and dancing girls for a week or 10 days of intensive planning and consultation of all (hi-so only) stakeholders.   Repeat every 3 months.

I'm quite surprised the "budget jump" is only 1.5%  You'd think they would give this a bump of 10% or so. 

9 minutes ago, AGLV0121 said:

 

Not too different than anywhere else ????

In some countries the costs on projects like this are sometimes inflated for genuine reasons.  In Thailand and other high corruption countries they just keep on adding money for themselves with no oversight.

But in my home country with one of the highest non corruption ratings over the last 20 years we have seen so many blatant corruptions uncovered.  Substandard housing signed off with bribes (untold billions of dollars), substandard reinforcing steel and concrete employed requiring demolition and rebuilding of bridges and overpasses, so I guess you are right.

Not exactly what I would called the "light" railway. If it doesn't circumvent the Island, then it has Zero value. 

Would be me more "light" for many locals if the Government could take a couple thousand Baht of that budget to replace some light bulbs in the park.......... ????