Bangkok’s eastern and central bus terminals set for relocation

[webfact]

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit announced plans on Tuesday to move the Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekkamai) and the Bangkok Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2) to the Krung Thep Abhiwat Central Terminal. The intention behind the move is to offer more convenience to travellers as the Central Terminal can be easily reached using the MRT electronic rail system.

 

In the proposed new location, both stations will be housed within a multi-storey building, where different routes are catered for on each floor. An air-conditioned food centre will also be situated in the main hall. The timeline for the planned relocation has not yet been confirmed, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Contrarily, the Mo Chit 2 Terminal in Chatuchak is currently under renovation, with some sections closed off. The upgrade, encompassing safety measures and a security system, is anticipated to be finished within one and a half years. However, the terminal is expected to be operational for Songkran travellers by April.

 

Suriya also addressed delays on Rama II Road construction in Hua Hin. He has instructed the Department of Rural Roads to implement a scorebook system with contractors to better manage construction deadlines. Contractors who consistently underperform will be barred from further collaboration with the ministry and the Department of Rural Roads.

In a previous mandate, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin ordered the Transport Ministry to hasten the long-overdue construction following an online survey that suggested traffic congestion along Rama II Road dissuaded tourists from visiting the resort town of Hua Hin.

Suriya explained that the construction project, consisting of ten contracts, is now slated to be completed in June 2025, extending the original January deadline. The adjustment in the completion date is due to financial difficulties experienced by the contractor amidst the pandemic and the Department of Rural Road’s regulation that permits construction only at night to avert traffic congestion.

 

In related news, Bangkok’s Mo Chit 2 bus terminal closed its arrival area on March 1 to enhance safety and curb illegal motorcycle taxis. Improvements included upgrades to facilities and transport services.

 

by Mitch Connor

Photo courtesy of iTravel Channel (YouTube)

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-02-28

 

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[webfact]

Thai Minister of Transport Announces Plans to Improve Public Transportation Before Songkran Festival
By Kittisak Phalaharn

 

At 9:00 AM, on February 27th, 2024, Mr. Suriya Juangroongruangkit, the Thai Minister of Transport, publicly revealed public transportation news to the press for the upcoming Songkran Festival, prompting relevant agencies to increase the frequency of trains, buses, and airlines.

Suriya advised Thai people to plan traveling trips and buy tickets beforehand for this upcoming Songkran Festival whether by trains, buses, or planes.

 

Recently, Suriya addressed the high domestic flight ticket price issue with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) to consider a new formula in the calculation for flight costs. Suriya reportedly asserted that fare reductions would be implemented before the Songkran Festival.

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2024-02-28

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

[sungod]

Not sure how moving the eastern bus terminal further into the city helps.....I'd guess it adds more time.

[freeworld]

A valuable piece of property, the onward march by the wealthy developers. Once Ekkamai bus terminal is vacated they will probably build another wealthy condo block or office/shopping center.

 

Certainly going to impact all the small business economy the Ekkamai bus terminal generates in the area.

[RayC]

38 minutes ago, sungod said:

Not sure how moving the eastern bus terminal further into the city helps.....I'd guess it adds more time.

 

Having an integrated transport hub makes sense to me. Imo it will save  people time as they will avoid having to troop across town to continue their journeys. BangSue - sorry Krung Thep Abhiwat Central Terminal - is hardly in the centre of town.

[RayC]

9 minutes ago, freeworld said:

A valuable piece of property, the onward march by the wealthy developers. Once Ekkamai bus terminal is vacated they will probably build another wealthy condo block or office/shopping center.

 

Certainly going to impact all the small business economy the Ekkamai bus terminal generates in the area.

 

No doubt small businesses around Ekkamai will suffer but new ones will spring up around BangSue.

[sungod]

5 minutes ago, RayC said:

 

Having an integrated transport hub makes sense to me. Imo it will save  people time as they will avoid having to troop across town to continue their journeys. BangSue - sorry Krung Thep Abhiwat Central Terminal - is hardly in the centre of town.

 

You're right, its not in the centre of town, its actually past that for any travelers coming from the east. It will add time to their journeys both ways. 1.5 hours to Udomsuk BTS from Pattaya, 2hours 5 mins to the proposed terminal. (Google maps)

 

[Amethyst]

If I recall right, there were past plans to move the Eastern bus terminal to a spot out on Bangna Trad Road, which actually would have made sense.

 

To me, moving the EBT to the same central city location as the Central station makes no sense.

 

Also, both the current Ekkamai location and the previous Bangna relocation location have/would have had BTS station connections, so saying Bangsue is connected to MRT isn't such a great comparative advantage.

 

It's Mochit bus station that's always been lacking in that area. It too has been subject of many relocation plans thru the years.

 

I've always thought the Transport Ministry plans such things not to improve transit for the public, but instead, to line the pockets for various govt and private sector interests involved.

 

[RayC]

2 minutes ago, sungod said:

 

You're right, its not in the centre of town, its actually past that for any travelers coming from the east. It will add time to their journeys both ways. 1.5 hours to Udomsuk BTS from Pattaya, 2hours 5 mins to the proposed terminal. (Google maps)

 

 

Winners and losers and imo many more winners than losers in having an integrated hub.

 

As I stated before, those passengers who started their journey by rail and need to continue it by bus should see a big time saving. Also likely those starting their journeys in the North, South and West will see some benefit although more marginal in those cases.

[bamnutsak]

The land at Ekkamai would likely fetch record sales given the location.

 

Throwing the Eastern terminal in with the North/Northeastern was probably an afterthought.

 

The facility at Mor Chit seems to have some serious structural and operational issues.

 

Curious about where this multi-story facility will be built? Not a lot of open land. Bulldoze Chatuchak Market? (I know it's an icon, but so was Hua Lumphong.)

 

[RayC]

12 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

The land at Ekkamai would likely fetch record sales given the location.

 

Throwing the Eastern terminal in with the North/Northeastern was probably an afterthought.

 

The facility at Mor Chit seems to have some serious structural and operational issues.

 

Curious about where this multi-story facility will be built? Not a lot of open land. Bulldoze Chatuchak Market? (I know it's an icon, but so was Hua Lumphong.)

 

 

I've never known Mor Chit to be anything other than chaotic.

 

This proposed new multi-story facility is a strange one. Is there a need for it? As you rightly say, there's not a lot of open land nearby, however, there is a lot of under-utilized land in front of the station. There's also the existing Mor Chit site. I would of thought that there was scope to develop a new bus terminus without resorting to a multi-story solution?

 

I can't see Chatuchak going anywhere. Apparently it generates $1.5m each weekend. That's a lot of revenue to bulldoze.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

One thing they ought to be thinking about -- but probably aren't -- is what's the traffic congestion and roads situation around their intended locations.

 

Bangna Trad would be good because it puts the buses on, and gives them direct access to, a major arterial highway in an area where the traffic right now typically isn't so congested.

 

Whereas around Bangsue, I'm thinking the addition of hundreds of buses each day from a combined Mochit and EBT operation is going to wreak havoc on the surrounding roads system.

 

[RayC]

3 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

One thing they ought to be thinking about -- but probably aren't -- is what's the traffic congestion and roads situation around their intended locations.

 

Bangna Trad would be good because it puts the buses on, and gives them direct access to, a major arterial highway in an area where the traffic right now typically isn't so congested.

 

Whereas around Bangsue, I'm thinking the addition of hundreds of buses each day from a combined Mochit and EBT operation is going to wreak havoc on the surrounding roads system.

 

 

You raise a fair point however, there is an Expressway very close to BangSue so - assuming an access road(s) can be built - that would help mitigate any problems.

 

It just seems like a good idea to me to centre the network in BKK around an integrated hub which would give direct access to the local and national networks for both bus and train. The promised international train network could also be integrated when it becomes operational in 2100!

[VocalNeal]

8 hours ago, RayC said:

BangSue - sorry Krung Thep Abhiwat Central Terminal - is hardly in the centre of town.

 

...and appears to have no direct connection to the BTS system🧐 Oh you can walk 1km alongside divided highways to get to the MRT.

 

Not to mention eastern buses will for forced to use probably the most congested section of the expressway system near Victory Monument. 

 

Also no mention of the Southern Terminal which is out in the sticks well away from mass transit.

Edited February 28 by VocalNeal

[RayC]

23 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

...and appears to have no direct connection to the BTS system🧐 Oh you can walk 1km alongside divided highways to get to the MRT.

 

Not to mention eastern buses will for forced to use probably the most congested section of the expressway system near Victory Monument. 

 

Also no mention of the Southern Terminal which is out in the sticks well away from mass transit.

 

I'm not sure why you felt the need to walk ".. 1km along divided highway to get to the MRT"? I got off my train, walked through the station and went down the escalator to the BangSue MRT station.

 

Re no direct access to the BTS system: True but passengers can take the MRT to Mor Chit and change there. Hardly a major problem.

 

I accepted earlier that integrating around a BangSue hub may well add to the traveling time for those coming from/ going to the East but imo the benefits of a centralised hub outweigh the costs.

 

The Southern terminal is largely irrelevant to the discussion as most South-bound buses currently originate from Mor Chit. Those passengers who want to use the few buses (and the vans) that originate from the Southern terminal can continue to do so. In fact, no reason why Ekkamai - or if that is sold off - a new, smaller station in the East couldn't be used in the same way as the Southern terminal.

[Kinok Farang]

Would mean a hell of lot more people taking the airport bus from Pattaya just to get to Sukumvit.

[VocalNeal]

1 hour ago, RayC said:

I got off my train, walked through the station and went down the escalator to the BangSue MRT station.

 

Well, that is good news. No mention yet where the buses will be?

[proton]

10 hours ago, RayC said:

 

Having an integrated transport hub makes sense to me. Imo it will save  people time as they will avoid having to troop across town to continue their journeys. BangSue - sorry Krung Thep Abhiwat Central Terminal - is hardly in the centre of town.

 

That would be using the same tickets on buses, vans, BTS and MRT!

[RayC]

1 minute ago, proton said:

 

That would be using the same tickets on buses, vans, BTS and MRT!

 

Vans would be a bonus; it might be a bit tricky.

 

The other three most certainly.

[Operator2002]

So they will remove the small transit bus station between Udomsuk and Central Bangna where buses from Ekkemai to Pattaya stopped..🤔

[bradiston]

14 hours ago, sungod said:

Not sure how moving the eastern bus terminal further into the city helps.....I'd guess it adds more time.

Too right. Total insanity. It does a fairly decent job where it is. Has it's own BTS stop. If they really wanted to help matters, eg traffic wise, they'd move it right down the far end of Sukhumvit near the start of the Bang Na - Trad highway. Got BTS down there and instant connection to the main eastern artery. And airport.

[sungod]

10 hours ago, Kinok Farang said:

Would mean a hell of lot more people taking the airport bus from Pattaya just to get to Sukumvit.

 

Good business opportunity for someone to run a service to the east of the city.