Malls In Inner City Asked To Shut Down Early

[george]

Malls in inner city asked to shut down early

BANGKOK: -- Bad news for midnight sales shopping addicts. The Energy Ministry is to ask shopping malls in inner Bangkok to close after 10pm in a bid to reduce petrol consumption.

Minister Prommin Lertsuridej said yesterday the targeted shopping malls would be those located in areas of traffic congestion, since their late-night sales often cause further gridlock.

The ministry will also discuss early closures with operators of discount and convenience stores.

"We want to reduce the number of vehicles on the road at night," Prommin said.

The ministry will also encourage the public to use car pools with three or four passengers on some routes to save petrol.

The shop closures are part of the ministry's short-term energy-saving measures.

"We have to inform the public that Thailand is facing severe problems from rising oil prices. The increasing oil prices have adversely affected Thailand, as a net importer of oil, especially car users," Prommin said.

The ministry has laid out fuel-saving measures in three steps. For the short term, drivers are encouraged to drive at speeds not exceeding 90 kilometres per hour and perform frequent engine check-ups to conserve fuel.

In the medium term of three to six months, the ministry will discuss with the operators of the skytrain and subway ways to encourage drivers to shift to the mass-transit systems, for instance by providing more parking spaces.

The ministry will also reduce the number of freight trucks travelling with empty containers. Empty trucks currently represent 33 million of the total 71 million trips per year. The ministry plans to reduce the trips made by empty trucks by 40 per cent, saving 1.6 billion litres of petrol or Bt22.54 billion.

The ministry will also open a hotline to receive public comments on the energy-saving programme. Members of the public can ring (02) 612 1555, ext 202-205, or check the website www.eppo.go.th.

In the long term, the Energy Ministry will try to find alternative energy sources. It is considering the possibility of using natural gas to power trains or taxis, as well as shifting public buses to gasohol.

--The Nation 2004-08-14

[thatguy]

and a lot of parking spaces for trucks awaiting a return load from bkk to the boonies.

[marquess]

Let the Baht float freely, instead of unofficially pegging it to the US dollar.

[Rinrada]

Welcome to Thailand.........er....Bars shut,Shops shut....what next?

Taxis min charge Bt 500,Airport Tax Bt.10,000,Visa for tourists Bt 50,000 but free smiles,sun and sand...well almost (for Thais.-Farangs small fee per day maybe bt 100-200)MPR

Well-cuuum.....and have a happy holiday.

Wot you mean you no want come....eh.....cant not doo taat not unn-er-stan?

-o dear

[capt_canada42]

Heh the mayor of KL is proposing that they make the city a 24 hour city the same as New York.

Boy this government continues to be horses ass leading the country the countrydown the garden path.

[Bangkok Barry]

Am I missing something here? Don't malls close at 10pm already? And while we're slagging off the Thais for no reason, what shopping malls stay open even as late as 10pm in London or Paris or Berlin or Rome ...... and so on and so on.

[dotcom]

Only in Thailand would the operators of the Skytrain & The Subway be asked to increase car parking facilities. Anywhere else that "Park & Ride" Infrastructure would have been integral to the design phase. Just as Skytrain has deprived road users of 30-40% of the roadway & Foreign NGO's were asked to provide mechanical steps for "poor" Thais - solutely Zero planning goes into most of this stuff. Once the projects are completed then only do we realize that no-one thought to provide access for the handicapped. If you are handicapped in Thailand that is your own bad luck. Meantime candidates running for Bangkok Governor will be lucky to get their own cooking shows while Rome burns. Rotssa Ruck. Anyone think of bring back the "truck ban" for the 87th time? No holds barred free for all.

[Axel]

Absolutely great idea, but why stop at 10:00 pm? Let's close the malls completely.

No traffic jams, if I follow the logic.

Close 7/11 and food shops and switch off the fridges and freezers. Saves a lot of energy and was done before. Villa used to have a slogan, 24 hours open so our food is always cool.

Ahem, empty containers. I am waiting eagerly for guidance how to do it. 33 million of the total 71 million trips per year are empty. Not bad, less than half means they do take some return cargo. Keep the containers delivering raw material at the factory until the goods are pruduced and the containers can be filled again. Bit of trouble with demurrages and storage costs. Still interesting transport management idea.

I love it, as always, thinking with the mouth.

[ovenman]

The ministry will also reduce the number of freight trucks travelling with empty containers.

Do I take this to mean that Thailand is not looking to be the hub of empty container transport?

I really don't see how keeping shoppers off the roads after 22:00 ultimately saves petrol. Wouldn't these people simply shop earlier in the evening thereby adding to the overall traffic burden at that hour?

[plachon]

Some minister must've got caught in a traffic jam on the way back from the massage parlour and got an earful from the missus, so just came up with this bright solution. should be a big vote winner, axing the national pastime.

[bartender100]

I don't think people realise how important this rise in oil prices is,just look at the worlds stock markets,they have lost all the the gains its taken nearly 2 years to make.Looks like we are going back to reccesion again.

Forget OPEC the russians are controlling the oil prices now.

[astral]

Certain perverted Thai logic here.

Now we all have to go shopping at the same time and get caught in the same traffic jam.

Well done, Thaksin

[plachon]

The best bit about this brainstormer is........

"In the short term drivers are to be encouraged not to drive over 90 kms/hr and perform frequent engine check ups"

Hopefully not at the same time.....but not 3 days ago I saw in Matichon that Thaksin had just taken delivery of a new BMW, worth 12 M baht (birthday present from Khun Wifey), and took it out for a little spin. He left his house and drove out of town to Pinehust golf course for a spot of business and was clocked driving at 170 km/hr. When he got there he was grinning like a Cheshire cat, and kept asking the journos: "raeow mai?". Speed limits aside, nothing like leading by example, eh?

[madmitch]

Frequent engine checks? I thought engine checks took place frequently anyway. Many times I have been in a taxi that has broken down and the driver gets out, checks the engine, plays with a few wires and gets the car going for another ten minutes until he performs the same routine again.

[cutethaigirl]

Certain perverted Thai logic here.

Now we all have to go shopping at the same time and get caught in the same traffic jam.

Well done, Thaksin

When do you go shopping at midnight?

Another silly post

[RamTodatry]

I still cannot understand this government. The only reason that the price of both 91 and 95 octane petrol is being subsidized is because of the votes. But if you want to reduce traffic, is that not the first place to start? Why are the poor subsidizing the rich?

The other issue is that most malls do close by 10:00pm, unless thay are having the month-end "midnight madness sale".

Anyway how does reducing the traffic at night help the daytime traffic as well as early evening traffic. In fact it might get worse, as people might return home early rather than late.

Also empty containers have to be taken back to the freight forwarder to be refilled. The only savings that I see here is not to let trucks just carry one ten foot container instead of two. The savings here in diesel (not petrol) seem very highly inflated.

Car pool lanes are a good idea. How about car pool lanes on the major congested roads within Bangkok, and on the expressways within Bangkok - starting at 5:00 am until 10:00 pm. That might make a difference.

How about a tax (toll) for cars on these major roads - a la London?

Lets hope, and keep hoping.

[Dove]

The Thai government should control the loans given to civil servants. This would help control the niumber of cars on the road, reduce fuel consumption, reduce the pollution. Also provide civil servants with subsidies for public transport and encourage car pooling among senior officers. Why would you need a car if you are living in the city with public transport? If the public transport service is inefficient then the civil service would have to do something about it.

Also it could encourage civil servants to exercise. Apparently many do not have time to exercise as they are overworked (even exploited [some departments]) and egtting up early to beat the jam which they are part of the cause.

This would be an examplary exercise for the rest of the commercial bodies to follow.

[Khun Larry]

And while we're slagging off the Thais for no reason,

Kon mai

[Artisi]

It sounds like more of the same - typical Thai logic, first step is -- open mouth very wide before putting brain into gear. 2nd step --find someone to blame once the stupidity is pointed out - 3rd step - if step 2 is a failure open mouth again about something just as stupid to divert attention from the previous cock-up.

I for one just read these original thought provoking schemes, shake my head knowing it is more of the same, smile quietly to myself and then dismiss it as a misguided idea of some poor over-worked politician.

[astral]

Certain perverted Thai logic here.

Now we all have to go shopping at the same time and get caught in the same traffic jam.

Well done, Thaksin

When do you go shopping at midnight?

Another silly post

And why not?

Not everyone's personal clock has the same settings!!

Thailand is great for late shopping.

You have obviously never been to countries like New Zealand.

Just as everyone is leaving work at the end of the day, all the shops shut as well.

I have no idea how they ever manage to go shopping there, except for Saturday morning.

Even then the shops shut at 1PM.

Very frustrating!!

Edited August 16, 2004 by astral

[REGGIE]

BLAME IT ON AMERICANS.IT'S THERE FAULT FOR NOT WINING THE WAR ON OIL.YOU KNOW WHERE???

555 555 555 555 555

[tracer0]

Malls in inner city asked to shut down early

BANGKOK: -- Bad news for midnight sales shopping addicts. The Energy Ministry is to ask shopping malls in inner Bangkok to close after 10pm in a bid to reduce petrol consumption.

Minister Prommin Lertsuridej said yesterday the targeted shopping malls would be those located in areas of traffic congestion, since their late-night sales often cause further gridlock.

The ministry will also discuss early closures with operators of discount and convenience stores.

"We want to reduce the number of vehicles on the road at night," Prommin said.

The ministry will also encourage the public to use car pools with three or four passengers on some routes to save petrol.

The shop closures are part of the ministry's short-term energy-saving measures.

"We have to inform the public that Thailand is facing severe problems from rising oil prices. The increasing oil prices have adversely affected Thailand, as a net importer of oil, especially car users," Prommin said.

The ministry has laid out fuel-saving measures in three steps. For the short term, drivers are encouraged to drive at speeds not exceeding 90 kilometres per hour and perform frequent engine check-ups to conserve fuel.

In the medium term of three to six months, the ministry will discuss with the operators of the skytrain and subway ways to encourage drivers to shift to the mass-transit systems, for instance by providing more parking spaces.

The ministry will also reduce the number of freight trucks travelling with empty containers. Empty trucks currently represent 33 million of the total 71 million trips per year. The ministry plans to reduce the trips made by empty trucks by 40 per cent, saving 1.6 billion litres of petrol or Bt22.54 billion.

The ministry will also open a hotline to receive public comments on the energy-saving programme. Members of the public can ring (02) 612 1555, ext 202-205, or check the website www.eppo.go.th.

In the long term, the Energy Ministry will try to find alternative energy sources. It is considering the possibility of using natural gas to power trains or taxis, as well as shifting public buses to gasohol.

--The Nation 2004-08-14

1. I donot mind if the ministeries piss off the rich Thai famalies owning the shopping malls...

Step on the wrong toes long enough and the reward will be coming...

2. Trafic jams will still be there. I wish they werent and all I want is to travel in daytime...

No way I shop in evening but then I am in Phuket...

And I absolutely refuse to go longterm to BKK.

The rest, LET him drive 170 mile/hour or whatever..

In Thai trafic: LETHAL unless you block all side roads...

Nobody obeys any trafic signs so its a matter of time before a guy gets hit, on the other hand it shows the guy is human..

Friend had a Jaguar and hit an electric stick, now has the James bond car...

BTW I drive a Honda dream... Last 3 cars trying to drive me off the road had a fatal accident...

I juest need 80 cm... From Holland I need very little space to drive a bike as some drunken Thais found out the hard way. One time I pass one he looks at me, not the road and promptly falls on the road...

No idea what happened, stop with Thai on the ground, you did it...