End of an Era for Private Bus Station in Lamphun

[webfact]

 

The legendary private bus station in Lamphun is set to close its doors for the last time on December 31, 2023, as the owner cites time constraints and limited passenger traffic as the main reasons behind the decision.

 

On September 29, 2023, news broke that the old passenger bus station in Lamphun's city center would cease operations at the end of the year.

 

The private owner, who had run the station for over 30 years, expressed a desire for someone else to take over the business, but the passenger transport service would discontinue.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

The primary reason for the closure is the owner's lack of time to manage the station, exacerbated by the reduced passenger flow to the area.

 

Mayor Prapas Phujaroen of Lamphun Municipal Council commented on the station's history, explaining that it was originally owned by his father and had served as the province's bus terminal for decades. However, with no one willing to continue the operation, the decision to close was inevitable.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Local vendors expressed mixed feelings about the closure, as they had relied on the station's passengers for their livelihoods. However, the majority of travelers now choose to wait at Doi Tui, a hub on the Chiang Mai–Lampang Superhighway, for buses heading to other provinces, bypassing the city's bus station entirely.

 

Top Picture: Thai Rath

 

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[ChrisY1]

Such a beautiful building, not....any wonder bus passengers chose not to go there!

[PETERTHEEATER]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

Mayor Prapas Phujaroen of Lamphun Municipal Council commented on the station's history, explaining that it was originally owned by his father

Well, I never......

[transam]

12 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Such a beautiful building, not....any wonder bus passengers chose not to go there!

Thought they went to catch a bus, not take selfies there....

[hotchilli]

On 9/30/2023 at 5:43 AM, webfact said:

Mayor Prapas Phujaroen of Lamphun Municipal Council commented on the station's history, explaining that it was originally owned by his father and had served as the province's bus terminal for decades

A lick of paint wouldn't have hurt.

[Dcheech]

On 9/30/2023 at 7:06 AM, ChrisY1 said:

Such a beautiful building, not....any wonder bus passengers chose not to go there!

I doubt the beauty or non beauty of the station had much to do with it. Bus travel is down across the country, has been for over a decade. More thais own cars & trucks. I shipped my bikes in the bottom of a double decker tour bus back in 2018, as they could not fill half the seats and were shipping freight.  Lamphun is a small terminal and time consuming for busses to get to from the main HWY, to pick up relatively few passengers.