Peeraphan Stunned By Plan To Hike Petrol Tax To Incentivise Train Travel

[webfact]

 

DEPUTY Prime Minister-cum-Energy Minister  Peeraphan Saleerathaviphak said today (Dec. 21) he does not know where Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit got the idea to hike excise tax on petrol only in Bangkok and surrounding provinces to incentivise people to travel by train and it probably won’t materialise, Naewna newspaper said.

 

While Suriya said he will be holding talks with Peeraphan on setting up a common ticket fund from additional revenue generated by hiking excise tax on petrol in Greater Bangkok, the latter said he does not know about this proposal but there are many other ways to incentivise people to travel by train.

 

When questioned by reporters whether excise tax could be hiked in a specific zone like Bangkok and surrounding provinces, Peeraphan replied:

 

“Increasing taxes is for the government to decide but as for me, it probably won’t go up because right now our measure is to reduce petrol price not increase it.

 

by TNR Staff

TOP: An attendant prepares to refuel a car at a petrol station in Rome on January 4, 2012. File photo: Reuters/Max Rossi and published by CNA

 

Full story: THAI NEWSROOM 2023-12-22

 

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[KhunLA]

Maybe from the news about Manhattan, New York, where they now plan on charging you to enter.  Make travel too expensive, that one way to control people.   One way to make 15 minute cities.

 

More control, lack of freedom of movement.  Expect more in the future.  Surely they'll come up with silly reason; congestion, pollution, global warming 

 

Next up, geofencing in you vehicles ... 

[jacko45k]

Is there any viable train travel to be incentivized towards?

The service between Pattaya and Bangkok is hardly convenient, rapid and regular!

[hotchilli]

Build a reliable, convenient network with links to where people need to be for work, with connecting services and they might just leave the car at home.

[edwinchester]

"DEPUTY Prime Minister-cum-Energy Minister  Peeraphan Saleerathaviphak said today (Dec. 21) he does not know where Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit got the idea to hike excise tax on petrol only in Bangkok and surrounding provinces to incentivise people to travel by train and it probably won’t materialize."

 

Diplomatic way of saying "he's a <deleted> idiot".

[bamnutsak]

Given the recent trend to CONTROL/SUBSIDIZE fuel prices, this call to increase them to motivate people to use public transportation was indeed a stunning utterance.

 

Maybe his nephew (Thanathorn - of Future Forward fame) needs to take his uncle's car keys away from him.

 

 

[Purdey]

If only trains went close to everyone’s destination.

[mikebell]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the idea to hike excise tax on petrol only in Bangkok and surrounding provinces to incentivise people to travel by train

The same logic of curbing road deaths from drunken drivers by allowing more hours of drinking?

Edited December 22, 2023 by mikebell
missing words

[Emdog]

Just the other day some minister was spouting off about building lots of new roads to relieve traffic congestion, like more brothels will reduce number of hookers per sq km or some such logic. I suggested more light rail.... higher gas taxes won't bother the rich, and they are the only class that seems to be considered when making policy.... the middle and working class... big ouch

[it is what it is]

 

was it taksin had the idea of closing pertrol station in bangkok at 6pm(?) to reduce traffic congestion, or was it a dream...?

[digger70]

Daft Idea.

[rickudon]

In London have low emission zones - have to pay to enter in a ICE vehicle. That would work better (if they enforced it).

[scorecard]

On 12/22/2023 at 6:16 AM, jacko45k said:

Is there any viable train travel to be incentivized towards?

The service between Pattaya and Bangkok is hardly convenient, rapid and regular!

And way less than comfortable, most carriages 40 years old. And very very slow.

 

Plus when passengers alight in the middle of nowhere, no platform, no awnings, no rain protection they are swarmed by song tao drivers grabbing their luggage and quoting outrageous fees to take them a few kilometres into the city.

 

Quaint would be a suitable word.

Edited December 25, 2023 by scorecard

[carlyai]

On 12/22/2023 at 10:06 AM, it is what it is said:

 

was it taksin had the idea of closing pertrol station in bangkok at 6pm(?) to reduce traffic congestion, or was it a dream...?

I remember he flew high in a big balloon to survey the traffic for his monumental statement to fix it.

[MangoKorat]

On 12/21/2023 at 11:16 PM, jacko45k said:

Is there any viable train travel to be incentivized towards?

The service between Pattaya and Bangkok is hardly convenient, rapid and regular!

Same everywhere in the country I believe. Kids from better off families in Pak Chong have to be driven to their schools in Korat because of the unreliability of what should be a simple and quick train journey. 

 

On one occasion my ex tried to travel in the reverse direction and when she asked what time the next train was, the station staff told her they didn't know - she took the bus.

[jacko45k]

13 hours ago, scorecard said:

And way less than comfortable, most carriages 40 years old. And very very slow.

 

Plus when passengers alight in the middle of nowhere, no platform, no awnings, no rain protection they are swarmed by song tao drivers grabbing their luggage and quoting outrageous fees to take them a few kilometres into the city.

 

Quaint would be a suitable word.

There is a small station building at Pattaya, and I thought it surely could offer some rain protection. Sad they cannot offer transport onward that is not several times the train fare passengers just paid. At one time there were plans of a monorail or some domestic transport system... perhaps when the high speed train serving the touted EEC is operating. 

[PingRoundTheWorld]

On 12/22/2023 at 1:16 AM, jacko45k said:

Is there any viable train travel to be incentivized towards?

The service between Pattaya and Bangkok is hardly convenient, rapid and regular!

If and when they actually finish the EEA high-speed train between Bangkok and Pattaya then there will be something to incentivize. As far as local travel within Bangkoka hike in petrol prices will just be a tax hike - those who already travel by train will continue to do so, and those who have cars aren't going to start selling them and switch to trains - they're just going to take the hit and pay more taxes for no reason.

 

In general taxation is a rotten way to "incentize" and control people's behavior. Most people will not be "incentivized" by it and will just have to pay more for the same things. Stealing from the poor, basically.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

On 12/22/2023 at 3:49 AM, mikebell said:

The same logic of curbing road deaths from drunken drivers by allowing more hours of drinking?

Hours of operation will have a net zero effect on the number of road deaths. Those who want to drink later will also start drinking later, and those who drunk drive will do so anyway. Next.

[jacko45k]

4 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

In general taxation is a rotten way to "incentize" and control people's behavior. Most people will not be "incentivized" by it and will just have to pay more for the same things. Stealing from the poor, basically.

There can be some very serious side effects. The high tax on vehicles (congestion tax and pollution tax) is killing commerce in London......but I still see the idea of getting people out of vehicles and onto a small train network as the way to go. 

[PingRoundTheWorld]

2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

There can be some very serious side effects. The high tax on vehicles (congestion tax and pollution tax) is killing commerce in London......but I still see the idea of getting people out of vehicles and onto a small train network as the way to go. 

I've only been in London a few times, but last I remember travelling via the subway was pretty convenient and you could get anywhere within the city in a timely manner. Bangkok has a long way to go to reach that level of ride-walkability.

 

 

Tokyo is a prime example of a successful implementation- you can get within short walking distance of literally anywhere in the city and suburbs by train within ~30 minutes (a bit more for suburbs). Hell you can even get to onsen resorts in other provinces by train without walking too much. Not to mention the trains arrive EXACTLY on time as scheduled, 99% reliable.

 

I think the point I'm trying to make is that if they want to incentivize people to ride the train they should make riding the train more convenient/efficient than a car rather than bullying poor people into trains by making it unaffordable to ride cars.

 

[PingRoundTheWorld]

Case in point: the EEC train Bangkok<->Pattaya is supposed to take something like 45 minutes for the trip, as opposed to currently 2-3 hours by taxi/car. Of course I would choose the train every time if/when that option is available. Real incentive is to make the alternative more attractive rather than artificially making cars less attractive. (I know you agree.. I just hope Thai government agrees too, lol)

Edited December 25, 2023 by PingRoundTheWorld