7km bridge over Songkhla Lake to boost southern Thailand transport

[webfact]

 

Plans are underway to construct a 7 kilometre bridge over Songkhla Lake starting next year, a project aimed at enhancing regional transport in southern Thailand.

 

This proposal includes a commitment to protect the local environment and wildlife, particularly the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins living within the lake.

 

The Department of Rural Roads (DRR) has formed a pact with four other state agencies – the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, the Department of Fisheries, and the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning.

 

They have all signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to safeguard the ecology during the bridge’s construction and beyond.

 

by Mitch Connor 

Photo courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-11-28

 

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[mfd101]

If you look at a map of the lake and surrounds, it's not obvious what the point of a new bridge might be.

 

As for protecting the ecology of the lake ...

[stoner]

how do i get in on this contract. years of envelopes sign me up. 

[poyai111]

2 hours ago, mfd101 said:

If you look at a map of the lake and surrounds, it's not obvious what the point of a new bridge might be.

 

As for protecting the ecology of the lake ...

 

[poyai111]

A bridge from nowhere to elsewhere. What will prompt motorists away from the Asian highway to drive across a bridge spanning a glorified swamp to visit a backwater that is meung Songkhla? The city itself has its unique charm but not enough, in my humble opinion, to warrant such a massive diversion to one's itinerary 

[Stocky]

2 hours ago, poyai111 said:

A bridge from nowhere to elsewhere. What will prompt motorists away from the Asian highway to drive across a bridge spanning a glorified swamp to visit a backwater that is meung Songkhla? The city itself has its unique charm but not enough, in my humble opinion, to warrant such a massive diversion to one's itinerary 

It doesn't go to Songkhla Town, rather the bridge connects to the spit of land north of Meung Songkhla and the districts of Ranot, Sathing Phra and Singha Nakhorn, the last contains the Songkhla deep sea port. The spit of land is separated from Songkhla Town by the channel that empties Lake Songkhla, there's a car ferry connecting the two. The new bridge is primarily intended for goods traffic to the port.

[Stocky]

2 hours ago, poyai111 said:

If you look at a map of the lake and surrounds, it's not obvious what the point of a new bridge might be.

Goods traffic to/from Songkhla deep sea port and the oil terminal.

 

.

[richard_smith237]

Thats going to do nothing for tourism when foreign Government advice is to avoid all but essential travel to the three Sourthern most states and the Southern area's of Songkhla.....

 

 

 

[Stocky]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Thats going to do nothing for tourism when foreign Government advice is to avoid all but essential travel to the three Sourthern most states and the Southern area's of Songkhla.....

 

I has nothing to do with tourism. 

[bignok]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Thats going to do nothing for tourism when foreign Government advice is to avoid all but essential travel to the three Sourthern most states and the Southern area's of Songkhla.....

 

 

 

Malays love Songkhla

[Stocky]

1 hour ago, bignok said:

Malays love Songkhla

A valid point that most westerners fail to grasp, tourism in southern Thailand is not about westerners, but visitors from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia who have a better grasp of the realities and dangers. That said whilst Malaysians do indeed love Songkhla, they're not going to detour 150km via Phatthalung to use this bridge!

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, bignok said:

Malays love Songkhla

 

True... the either head over to the girly bars in Padang Bazar... or Into Hat-Yai for the knocking-shops.....

 

Its still Tourism....   but I don't see how a Bridge across a lake further north is going to help that...  (so the article quoting tourism is perhaps misleading or incorrect).

 

 

4 hours ago, Stocky said:

It doesn't go to Songkhla Town, rather the bridge connects to the spit of land north of Meung Songkhla and the districts of Ranot, Sathing Phra and Singha Nakhorn, the last contains the Songkhla deep sea port. The spit of land is separated from Songkhla Town by the channel that empties Lake Songkhla, there's a car ferry connecting the two. The new bridge is primarily intended for goods traffic to the port.

 

The Bridge primarily intended for goods traffic to the port from where ????... the port already seems as well linked as it could be as there is already a Bridge from the south west...

 

Where might you think the bridge would go ??? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bignok]

57 minutes ago, Stocky said:

A valid point that most westerners fail to grasp, tourism in southern Thailand is not about westerners, but visitors from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia who have a better grasp of the realities and dangers. That said whilst Malaysians do indeed love Songkhla, they're not going to detour 150km via Phatthalung to use this bridge!

The bus tours probably will

[MarcelV]

12 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

True... the either head over to the girly bars in Padang Bazar... or Into Hat-Yai for the knocking-shops.....

 

 

 

There are no girlie bars in Padang Besar.

You must be thinking of the nearby border at Ban Dan Nok.

[Stocky]

13 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Its still Tourism....   but I don't see how a Bridge across a lake further north is going to help that...  (so the article quoting tourism is perhaps misleading or incorrect).

Where does the article mention tourism?

It's about "enhancing regional transport in southern Thailand" doesn't mention tourism at all.

[richard_smith237]

3 hours ago, Stocky said:

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Its still Tourism....   but I don't see how a Bridge across a lake further north is going to help that...  (so the article quoting tourism is perhaps misleading or incorrect).

Where does the article mention tourism?

It's about "enhancing regional transport in southern Thailand" doesn't mention tourism at all.

 

Don't know how I managed that - it was a complete miss-read on my part.

 

I read the headline as this...  [7km bridge over Songkhla Lake to boost southern Thailand tourism] - and didn't double check before putting both feet in mouth !!!  

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, MarcelV said:

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

True... the either head over to the girly bars in Padang Bazar... or Into Hat-Yai for the knocking-shops.....

 

 

 

There are no girlie bars in Padang Besar.

You must be thinking of the nearby border at Ban Dan Nok.

 

Correct - I was thinking of Danokl...    Padang Bazar has KTV / Karoke girly bar / Massage places popiular with Malays (but no where near the numbers that flock to Danok as you mentioned)

Danok has more, and is a lot more open about... Malays flooding there too (it used to be after their game of golf at Black-Forest).

 

It's been decades since I was there - I'm not even sure if the Golf course still exists.