Phuket’s traffic crisis: over 500,000 vehicles clog the island’s roads

[snoop1130]

 

The Thai holiday resort of Phuket is grappling with a serious traffic problem. Senate Transportation Commission Chairman, General Yodyut Bunyathikarn, was informed on his recent visit to the island that over half a million vehicles are congesting the roads.

 

Gen. Yodyut’s two-day visit aimed to understand the issues and challenges in implementing transportation and infrastructure projects in Phuket.

 

During a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall, Gen. Yodyut was updated on the advancement of six primary road development projects. His role extends beyond the Senate Transportation Commission as he also heads the Board of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), the organization overseeing numerous projects.

 

The purpose of Gen Yodyut’s visit was to gather first-hand information regarding the hindrances in executing transportation projects in Phuket. This information would be instrumental in expediting various projects, thereby enabling the government to deliver tangible solutions to the transportation woes of Phuket.

 

Phuket’s Vice Governor, Sattha Thongkham, presented an overview of the island’s booming tourism industry. He pointed out that in 2023, Phuket’s economy ranked first in Southern Thailand and second in the country, after Bangkok.

 

The tourism sector in 2023 generated over 330 billion baht (US$9 billion), marking a 98.21% increase from 2022. Phuket welcomed more than 10 million tourists in 2023, a 109.61% surge over the previous year, reported The Phuket News.

 

However, this tourism growth also posed significant challenges. The influx of tourists from various countries, while generating income for Phuket, has also led to major issues like inadequate public transportation infrastructure and heavy traffic. Vice Governor Sattha emphasized the urgent need to address these problems.

 

He highlighted that only one main road, Route 402 (Thepkrasattri Road), currently serves the province’s traffic, and is also used by vehicles from other provinces. Despite Phuket’s civil registration population standing at 423,599, the presence of a large number of non-registered individuals on the island has resulted in a hidden population of over 1.25 million. The number of cars and motorbikes registered in Phuket alone is a staggering 503,504.

 

Vice Governor Sattha summed up the issue by stating that Phuket lacks a sufficient and comprehensive public transportation system to serve both tourists and locals. Six projects are currently in the pipeline to alleviate the island’s traffic problems.

 

Gen Yodyut’s inspection tour of Phuket’s traffic issues is slated to continue. It remains unclear whether he will be visiting Bang Tao in Cherng Talay, an area that has recently been grappling with persistent traffic congestion.

 

By Mitch Connor

Caption: Photo courtesy of PR Phuket

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-02-23

 

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[LivinginKata]

Yes Yes .... I can see traffic jams everywhere. Every day.

[JensenZ]

This is absurd - They use a covid lockdown year (2022) as a basis for claiming a tourism surge of 98.2% to 2023. Did they forget about covid? They don't bother using pre-covid stats, which are the only stats that have any meaning. All tourism is doing now is getting back to normal.

[sherwood]

Ban all private vehicles on the Island and give the Taxi mafia a chance to prove their worth.

Stupid I know but would be fun to watch.

[TTSIssues]

For years it’s been obvious that an integrated public transport service is needed, and Covid was the perfect opportunity to implement it, but sadly this was not done.

 

the ridiculous “taxi” system of cars parked up for miles on end claiming public land to run business from, and only ever doing one way journeys, returning empty, means traffic will never improve.

 

A fleet of c20 seater buses, running a schedule across the island (like you have in places like Hong Kong) is clearly the answer - and all the “taxi” drivers could drive them. 
 

Oh well. Let’s build more roads instead. 

[hotchilli]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The Thai holiday resort of Phuket is grappling with a serious traffic problem. Senate Transportation Commission Chairman, General Yodyut Bunyathikarn, was informed on his recent visit to the island that over half a million vehicles are congesting the roads.

Build roads not condo's... [yeah I know]..

[ChipButty]

we could do with another dose of covid lock downs, it was great then 

[SAFETY FIRST]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Phuket’s traffic issues is slated to continue.

This silly old foolish foreigner is causing a traffic issue, he's going to get himself killed. 

 

Hops on his scooter very proud of himself. 

 

[2baht]

7 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

This silly old foolish foreigner is causing a traffic issue, he's going to get himself killed. 

 

Hops on his scooter very proud of himself. 

 

Why is Keith Richards fixing roads in Phuket???

[brianthainess]

19 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Why is Keith Richards fixing roads in Phuket???

And doing a rain dance. 

[zzzzz]

u think bang tao, laguna is bad now, wait till thye add 6,000 more units<
same goes for kamala's new project of 1,000+ units 

and so it goes across the island>  Build, Build Build, make $$, $$$  $$$, but forget the roads, water an other Infrastructure . 

[Grusa]

When it is cheaper to hire a car for a day than it is to get a taxi ride, no wonder there are traffic jams.

 

When it is easier to use gps to navigate than to find a public transport route, no wonder people drive themselves.

[dhupverg]

Here's a few starter solutions.

Take out the lights from the airport to the bypass road.  All those lights are ridiculous. There should be overpasses, not lights.

Set up a good public transport service. 30 years and counting........

Ban Russians from renting cars.

A toll road would be useful, but probably not profitable.

 

 

[chercheur888]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Despite Phuket’s civil registration population standing at 423,599, the presence of a large number of non-registered individuals on the island has resulted in a hidden population of over 1.25 million

Wow, I am sure many remember all the extraordinary studies already paid for, such as Mono Rail, not to forget the Patong Tunnel amongst others. But fortunately all these studies cost only a few Satangs.🤫

[kingstonkid]

12 hours ago, sherwood said:

Ban all private vehicles on the Island and give the Taxi mafia a chance to prove their worth.

Stupid I know but would be fun to watch.

Why not set up a BTS system of some sort between the various beaches?  I then could be extended around the island. 

[john donson]

monorail ?

[ChipButty]

4 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

Why not set up a BTS system of some sort between the various beaches?  I then could be extended around the island. 

They have talked about it, building a monorail system, all talk I'm afraid, 

[ChipButty]

I need to go out shortly and go towards Chalong from Rawai I dont know where all the traffic comes from, I will have to go almost to Chalong to do a Uturn back towards Rawai to get to a hotel I need to get to, 

[madmitch]

I wonder if General Yodyut experienced the Phuket traffic between the aiport and town or was he escorted in a police convoy with other traffic stopped, hence worsening the traffic situation?

 

I think I know the answer😉

[watchcat]

On 2/23/2024 at 12:45 PM, snoop1130 said:

The Thai holiday resort of Phuket is grappling with a serious traffic problem. Senate Transportation Commission Chairman, General Yodyut Bunyathikarn, was informed on his recent visit to the island that over half a million vehicles are congesting the roads.

 

Well now you have gotten your precious Russians and Chinese tourist. Don't complain, deal with it..Hahaha.

 

[grumpyoldman]

23 hours ago, 2baht said:

Why is Keith Richards fixing roads in Phuket???

The return of Dr. Cracknell the Kata chiropractor. Alas, he left the room some years back......