Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Unveils Big Plans For Thai Capital

[webfact]

Sukhumbhand unveils big plan for Bangkok

By The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra on Thursday launched "Bangkok - Getting Ahead", to comprehensively tackle city problems, chiefly flood prevention, traffic alleviation, greening of the city, as well as garbage management and security.

"The approach, for decades, has been to draw up plans and allocate resources to fix problems as they occur, or after they occur. We frequently tackle problems issue by issue, and with solutions that provide only temporary relief," said Sukhumbhand.

The programme, called 'Bangkok - Getting Ahead' (Krungthep Gao-na), aims to change City administration's traditional approach in tackling the city's major problems.

"With the population of the City growing by around a thousand people a day, we need a complete change in the mindset with which we approach problems if we are ever to hope to have a truly nice city in which to live. 'Krungthep Gao-na' is a programme designed to get us focused on delivering enduring solutions, by doing the right things now to avoid problems that we can clearly see coming in the next three-to-five years.

"Krungthep Gao-na will be the biggest, most far-reaching set of infrastructure programmes, ever, to help Bangkok leapfrog into becoming one of the most liveable cities in the world. It will be about delivering Big Solutions to the City's Big Problems," he said.

He said the programme is also aimed at supporting the government's push to make Thailand a regional production hub and Bangkok a regional headquarters for international companies as a way of boosting economic growth.

"No matter how much in tax incentives and other benefits the government may offer to international companies as an inducement to make Bangkok into their regional operations headquarters, we cannot expect these plans to succeed if the City's basic infrastructure remains poor. Large international companies will simply not choose to locate their top officials in Bangkok if the city floods frequently, or if it is extremely difficult to move around the city, or there is garbage piling up on street corners," he said.

Sukhumbhand said that plans are being drawn up for 'Big Solutions' in five areas, including, flood prevention, traffic alleviation, greening of the city, as well as in garbage management and security, and that the first of these plans would be unveiled later this month.

"They are five missions which are going to be the BMA's important 'Mission Possible' during my term in office," he said.

Traffic

According to Sukhumbhand, "more than 52,000 new cars are added to the roads of Bangkok every month, which is the equivalent of filling the entire car park of Siam Paragon about ten times over, every month. There are some 15 million people trips per day, and that's projected to almost double within this decade." He said Bangkok would not be able to alleviate its traffic problems "just by adding more roads, or changing one-way systems."

He said solutions would focus on two areas, one being to provide Bangkokians better public transport alternatives to cars and buses as a means of moving around the city quickly and conveniently. The other, he said, would be to undertake strategic projects to improve the road network to reduce bottle-necking at key points which are causing widespread congestion.

"In three years, we must have a feeder network of public transport and other services that can ensure more people will prefer to use the BTS and other mass transit systems, and leave their cars at home. I would, also, like to see a major infrastructure undertaking that can reduce traffic bottle-necking at key points in the city," he said.

Floods

Sukhumbhand noted that Bangkok manages flooding through 150 pumping stations, more than 1,400 canals of various sizes, and five major drainage tunnels that, together, give the City a capacity to drain 155 cubic metres of water a second.

"And it's still not enough. And that's despite spending almost 11,000 million baht in just three years on flood prevention measures," he said.

He cited a World Bank report which predicts that we can expect the amount of flooding in Bangkok to increase.

"Within the next four years I would like to see this city ready to handle the worst of any rainfall and any high tide. To be able to do that, I have charged the team responsible for flood prevention to 'stop just thinking about temporary fixes, and bring in long-term solutions', and find a way to double our current drainage capabilities," he said.

Green areas

Sukhumbhand also said that Bangkok ranks "among the lowest of major modern cities in terms of green space that we have available per person living in the city".

He noted that Bangkokians have around 3.9 square metres of green space available per person, while Paris has more than double that amount, at 9.5 square metres per person. "New York has 21.6 square metres, and London 33.4 square metres of green space per person, which is almost 10 times more than a Bangkok citizen," he said.

MR Sukhumbhand said, "Within three years, as part of the new approach to 'stop just thinking about temporary fixes, and bring in long-term solutions', I would like Bangkok to have five new, major parks of an international standard where citizens can go to get fresh air, exercise and relax with their families in a clean and green, tree-filled environment."

Garbage

Sukhumbhand said that "one quarter of the total waste produced in Thailand is produced in Bangkok, with 8,900 tons of garbage being generated daily."

He said that the City, currently disposes 90% of this waste by burying it, but that soon there would not be the space to bury so much rubbish.

"Within three years, Bangkok must have a sustainable solution for waste disposal that is hygienic, and which minimises pollution. If we don't take action now to find a proper solution, in the next several years we can expect to see unhygienic garbage mountains starting to pile up," said Sukhumbhand.

-- The Nation 2010-03-04

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[mca]

"No matter how much in tax incentives and other benefits the government may offer to international companies as an inducement to make Bangkok into their regional operations headquarters, we cannot expect these plans to succeed if the City's basic infrastructure remains poor. Large international companies will simply not choose to locate their top officials in Bangkok if the city floods frequently, or if it is extremely difficult to move around the city, or there is garbage piling up on street corners," he said.

Or the slight inconvenience of possible civil war

[brahmburgers]

Mr. Sukhumbhand sounds like a good man, but he's set himself on a quixotic mission.

It's like announcing a refurbishing of the dining room on the Titanic (Thaitanic), just after it hit the iceberg. Ok, maybe that's a bit extreme. Though I can't help mention the Hans Brinker analogy - the boy who stuck his finger in the dike (no dirty minded interpretations), with the hope of saving Holland.

Bangkok needs to be moved to higher ground, plain and simple. It needs to be re-assigned in sections, each focusing on such areas as government / universities / temples/royalty / manufacturing. Perhaps the shipping business could stay.

The lack of park space has been one of my beefs for years. Even the woefully few little parks it does have - usually have loud music and/or are commandeered by vehicles or other obstructions. Someone recently got a nice idea and got some little walkway built along the Chao Praya river alongside Pra Athit road (near Banglampu) but it's a short stretch.

An average of 1,000 new residents per day? - that's a scary thought.

Edited March 4, 2010 by brahmburgers

[givenall]

Traffic

The other, he said, would be to undertake strategic projects to improve the road network to reduce bottle-necking at key points which are causing widespread congestion.

I think the real bottleneck problems are the police controlling the traffic light. When ever the police do not do the manual control the traffic seems to be much better.

There is an intersection near my home that leads to expressway. Whenever the police is there he let the cars in and out of the expressway while the other side of the traffic to wait for red light to change. Sometime we have to wait for 20 or 30 min.

I swear he is being paid to let the cars go into the expressway so the toll way make a lot of money. I see many examples like this. It is not about better traffic is about making money

[neverdie]

Indeed this is an interesting topic. The size of the overall job at hand is overwhelming to say the least.

I concur with brahmburgers, that Mr. Sukhumbhand sounds like a good man, but Im not sure if this is enough to get these jobs done. What sort of support does the mayor really have to acheive these objectives, especially with politics in the country in such a shambles.

Goodluck Mr Sukhumbhand, your going to need it.

[Jimmu]

How about teaching Thais how to drive and make them sit a proper driving test! How about enforcing traffic laws! Etc etc...

[ThailandTommy]

Has someone mentioned to the Mayor that it is a well known/documented fact that Bangkok is sinking? Big ideas/plans that unfortunately will not amount to anything!

[tominbkk]

There is an intersection near my home that leads to expressway. Whenever the police is there he let the cars in and out of the expressway while the other side of the traffic to wait for red light to change. Sometime we have to wait for 20 or 30 min.

I swear he is being paid to let the cars go into the expressway so the toll way make a lot of money. I see many examples like this. It is not about better traffic is about making money

I think they are holding everything up for Very Important Thais (VITs), either military, politicians, or possibly the really really important ones that nobody is allowed to talk about. Used to happen around my old neighborhood all the time, and there were VITs from all three groups living around there.

[phetaroi]

It's like announcing a refurbishing of the dining room on the Titanic (Thaitanic), just after it hit the iceberg. Ok, maybe that's a bit extreme. Though I can't help mention the Hans Brinker analogy - the boy who stuck his finger in the dike (no dirty minded interpretations), with the hope of saving Holland.

Bangkok needs to be moved to higher ground, plain and simple. It needs to be re-assigned in sections, each focusing on such areas as government / universities / temples/royalty / manufacturing. Perhaps the shipping business could stay.

The lack of park space has been one of my beefs for years. Even the woefully few little parks it does have - usually have loud music and/or are commandeered by vehicles or other obstructions. Someone recently got a nice idea and got some little walkway built along the Chao Praya river alongside Pra Athit road (near Banglampu) but it's a short stretch.

Your whole post is extreme and, frankly, rather cliched in terms of the "the Thais can't accomplish anything mindset" you have.

The idea of moving a capital of well over 6 million people is -- and you're right about your own comment -- simple...simple-minded, that is. Should the nation's largest city and capital be on higher ground? I doubt that many would argue. But it isn't. Your understanding of historical geography of the world is lacking. Many major world capitals were built at or near sea level for a reason -- transportation. All the infrastructure is here. All the architecture is here. All the historic places are here. Bangkok is hardly the only major city at sea level. Are you also going to move every coastal city in the world? Clustering the government's buildings in one section sounds like a good idea...unless of course part of your reason for locating government buildings in various areas is the concept of being a magnet for urban and suburban renewal...and by the way, that would also mean clustering traffic. Clustering all universities...except that the people who go to universities all don't live in a cluster. Clustering all the temples together...so I guess all the religious people who actually use temples all have to move and live in one neighborhood, and all the rest of the neighborhoods in the kingdom don't get any temples. I'm glad you think that "perhaps" the shipping business could stay...for a minute I thought you'd want to move it Khao Yai.

Certainly Bangkok could use more park space. But I take frequent walks through Lumpini and Benchasiri, and occasionally up to Chatuchak. Where is all this traffic inside the parks? I don't see it. Except on special occasions, I don't hear the loud music...unless you mean the exercise tapes for the aerobics going on in Lumpini around 5 p.m.

[phetaroi]

Indeed this is an interesting topic. The size of the overall job at hand is overwhelming to say the least.

I concur with brahmburgers, that Mr. Sukhumbhand sounds like a good man, but Im not sure if this is enough to get these jobs done. What sort of support does the mayor really have to acheive these objectives, especially with politics in the country in such a shambles.

Goodluck Mr Sukhumbhand, your going to need it.

I think you make excellent points about the overall job at hand being overwhelming and questioning the level of support the mayor has in this scheme. I would doubt sufficient political will to accomplish it, but I give the mayor credit for looking ahead for solutions.

[quiksilva]

Thats the sort of thinking Bangkok needs, set your sights high Mr Mayor! Think BIG!

[LuckyLew]

I will be happy if someone can get the sky train

link to the airport to finally open.

I suspect by the time they get the traffic and

drainage issue resolved in Bangkok, it will be

known as AtlantisII

[Changian]

more than 52,000 new cars are added to the roads of Bangkok every month

He has good ideas yet he still follows the tried and trusted 'Think of a number and no journalist will dare to question it' method of presenting his policies. 52,000 new cars a month? I.e. pretty much all the vehicles sold in the country every month. But if it was spoke by a rich man it must be true.

And no-one at the press conference thought to ask him where the money would come from to pay for all this either as he isn't tight with Abhisit, so no guarantee the Dems will cough up. Having a dream is one thing, being able to pay for it is another.

[geriatrickid]

I'd settle for an enforcement of the current set of healthy, safety and environmental protection laws.

[bkkdawg]

A good start would be to introduce a congestion charge within the most congested parts of the city; i.e Silom, Sukhumvit areas, and to push on with the new BTS and MRT lines. Also, as in Singapore limit the amount of new cars allowed on the roads (easier said than done in Bangkok as we all know how much Thai's want to show off their newly aquired vehicles). 52,000 new cars on the road every month!? This just cant carry on or the whole city will be totally grid locked in a couple of years time, not that it isn't far off it now.

I hope Mr. Sukhumband can deliver at leat some of what he is proposing, as the past Mayor's have done very little if nothing at all to eleviate the traffic problems in this city.

[Bagwan]

Has someone mentioned to the Mayor that it is a well known/documented fact that Bangkok is sinking? Big ideas/plans that unfortunately will not amount to anything!

It is also a well known and documented fact that Bangkok is stinking. The city would be well served by the City police fining those disposing of their refuse where it suits them rather than making a few shekels extracting from farangs who dispose of a cigarette butt. It is also about time that the realisation dawned that buses and lorries belching out noxious fumes are far more damaging to health that those of us who enjoy a nicotine fix.

Have any of these politicians ever heard of Holland? Huge tracts of that wonderful country, including Schipol airport, are below sea level yet life goes on. London erected the Thames Barrage which seems to work well - at least so far. Bangkok's problems are not unique so it is about time the bozos took note and went to see how it is done - and don't take the wife for a shopping trip at public expense - or the mia noi for that matter.

[czGLoRy]

does this mean it will be possible to find a trash can while walking down the streets of bangkok? That is awesome, but kind of unbelievable

Edited March 5, 2010 by czGLoRy

[johncitizen]

Currently studying town planning atm, and this city is an example of how NOT to plan a city. Nevertheless, the situation certainly isn't unworkable!

Suggestions-

TRAFFIC

-Carpool incentives, including lanes and flyovers/expressways reserved for dual (or more) occupancy cars and buses

-Getting more freight onto the railway lines and off Bangkok's streets, possibly through linking all industrial centres/ports etc. with a good cargo rail system

-Congestion tax, which will pay for fast tracking extensions to the BTS and MRT

-Getting rid of the "variable one way" system which just complicates things and causes bottlenecks

-Express buses that utilise flyovers and expressways to get to destinations faster (for high traffic routes)

-Extending the Khlong Boat service hours and creating more routes by opening/cleaning up more canals

-Better driver training and harsher punishments for "third lane" creators (especially motorbikes!)

-Creation of larger carparks at the terminal mass transit stations

RUBBISH

-Banning plastic bags (and straws!!!) from being served at retail outlets, as well as more stringent packaging laws

-Creation of a city wide recycling scheme, with A LOT more rubbish bins being created. Could involve a rewards scheme?

-Either creating a drinkable water supply or forcing water companies to have a returns policy on their plastic bottles

-Disposable goods to utilise biodegradable technology

FLOODING

-A VERY serious problem, they need to get working on higher dykes along waterways as well as reversing the flow of many of the canals/rivers to spill out into flood control networks much like they have in the Netherlands. Also, gutters and drains in this city need a lot of work. Fixing the garbage problem might go a long way toward improving drainage.

-Immediate freeze of construction of low-lying buildings along "high risk" areas- these should be turned into GREEN AREAS instead (involving natural waterways/grasslands designed to absorb overflowing water)

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

Flooding and Traffic can be solved at the same time - let it flood, if it's flooded there will be no traffic. Based on my own experience The use boats to get the people to the BTS stations.

Seriously - anything to do with "traffic" will not work because Thais just simply NEED to show off that they can afford a car, so they will continue to drive to the 7-Eleven around the corner and if it takes 45 minutes, that's 45 minutes with aircon and 45 minutes where everyone can see they have a car.

What they would need to do FIRST is to lift all the restrictions on motorbikes - i.e. using flyovers, using all available lanes etc. Having such inconveniences removed maybe more people will switch to motorbikes which create no traffic jams. Of course one of the police's main source of income will then be gone, but cops could then, for a change, fine cars that jump red lights.

Next would be those crazy u-turn restrictions - to make a u-turn one has to travel five kilometers along the road until the 17th u-turn spot is NOT barricaded, then travel the same five kilometers along the other side of the same road. That's 10 kilometers wasted, there are 17 u-turn spots on the way but all are blocked with concrete barriers.

Let pedestrians use the pedestrian flyovers!! What's the point of having a flyover and 10 meters further a zebra-crossing with a traffic light so that one single pedestrian can stop all traffic on a six-lane road just so he/she doesn't have to climb the stairs to that flyover?? Let the zebra-crossing be for elderly or handicapped, fine the mis-users.

Why do traffic lights have to stay red for 10 or more minutes at a time??

Why do "twin traffic lights" (50 meters between two sets of lights) always have to work opposing each other, i.e. the first one goes green, the second goes red, allowing for 50 meters of movement at a time? MANY such places in Bangkok.

Make buses stick to the left lane where the bus stops are!!!!! A lot of congestion is caused by buses zig-zagging over all three lanes trying to race other buses for passengers, or buses stopping in the middle or even right lane to drop passengers, or buses stuffing up all three lanes at the same time with the effect that not even motorbikes can get through.

if i was Bangkok governor i knew what to do about the traffic situation. How can i run for the position??

Best regards.....

Thanh

Edited March 5, 2010 by Thanh-BKK

[anotherpeter]

Some interesting suggestions above ... some workable, some not.

Congestion Tax - that would apply to anyone that drove a car within about 50kms of Bangkok. It's all congested.

Car Pooling - with you and your driver then you are covered.

Freight onto rail - how many rail lines are there in Bangkok?

Get rid of One-way system - it's the large number of vehicles causing the bottle necks. If some of these roads were 2 way, then a single bus at a bus stop would cause a bigger bottleneck.

Buses using flyovers - flyovers are usually over major intersections ... which is where most people get on or off.

More U-turns - where ever there is a U-turn, there is congestion.

Buses only in left lane - but then where would the taxi's crawl hoping to get a fare.

OK ... a bit of sarcasm in some of that ...

The only real way to get traffic off the roads is to provide more mass transport alternatives. Better training and policing would go a long way too.

[anotherpeter]

How about having a police man directing traffic to go straight instead of letting them create extra turning lanes? Going an extra 5km to the next U-turn would make some people think twice about holding up traffic instead of waiting in line like everyone else.

[brahmburgers]

It's like announcing a refurbishing of the dining room on the Titanic (Thaitanic), just after it hit the iceberg. Ok, maybe that's a bit extreme. Though I can't help mention the Hans Brinker analogy - the boy who stuck his finger in the dike (no dirty minded interpretations), with the hope of saving Holland.

Bangkok needs to be moved to higher ground, plain and simple. It needs to be re-assigned in sections, each focusing on such areas as government / universities / temples/royalty / manufacturing. Perhaps the shipping business could stay.

The lack of park space has been one of my beefs for years. Even the woefully few little parks it does have - usually have loud music and/or are commandeered by vehicles or other obstructions. Someone recently got a nice idea and got some little walkway built along the Chao Praya river alongside Pra Athit road (near Banglampu) but it's a short stretch.

Your whole post is extreme and, frankly, rather cliched in terms of the "the Thais can't accomplish anything mindset" you have.

The idea of moving a capital of well over 6 million people is -- and you're right about your own comment -- simple...simple-minded, that is. Should the nation's largest city and capital be on higher ground? I doubt that many would argue. But it isn't. Your understanding of historical geography of the world is lacking. Many major world capitals were built at or near sea level for a reason -- transportation. All the infrastructure is here. All the architecture is here. All the historic places are here. Bangkok is hardly the only major city at sea level. Are you also going to move every coastal city in the world? Clustering the government's buildings in one section sounds like a good idea...unless of course part of your reason for locating government buildings in various areas is the concept of being a magnet for urban and suburban renewal...and by the way, that would also mean clustering traffic. Clustering all universities...except that the people who go to universities all don't live in a cluster. Clustering all the temples together...so I guess all the religious people who actually use temples all have to move and live in one neighborhood, and all the rest of the neighborhoods in the kingdom don't get any temples. I'm glad you think that "perhaps" the shipping business could stay...for a minute I thought you'd want to move it Khao Yai. Certainly Bangkok could use more park space. But I take frequent walks through Lumpini and Benchasiri, and occasionally up to Chatuchak. Where is all this traffic inside the parks? I don't see it. Except on special occasions, I don't hear the loud music...unless you mean the exercise tapes for the aerobics going on in Lumpini around 5 p.m.

Granted, you sound more atuned to Bangkok. I've visited the place sporadically over the past 27 years - less so in recent years. The last time I was there, I tried taking a bus and the experience (from waiting on the curb and getting blasted with noise and smoke - to being on-board and treated rudely) was painfully unpleasant.

I've made more detailed suggestions of how Bangkok could be moved to higher ground, but I chose to be briefer in this topic. I know it could not be comprehensive, easy or cheap. Obviously there would have to be variation in each resultant city, as each would have wats and residencial areas. The idea is to have a focus for each of the resultant cities. Those with government or consular biz, go to the government place. Those who want to focus on religion (do a 5 day retreat, for example) go to where most of the wats are located. Factories and universities don't need to be near each other.

I also know that cities come and go. Some have gone because of unsubsiding flooding. No amount of berms or deepening of canals or massive pumping stations are going to save Bangkok when the water rises in earnest. You can't out-maneuver mother nature. A trillion baht investment in infrastucture might delay the inevitable for some years, but when high tides combine with above-average flooding of the Chao Praya river, combined with higher sea levels - it won't be pretty, though the turtles stuck in mucky canals won't mind.

When Belize City (Central America) was pounded by a hurricane, the local gov't decided to move their capital inland, and created Belmopan. Brazil moved its capital for practical reasons, as did Burma and some other countries.

Edited March 5, 2010 by brahmburgers

[phetaroi]

Currently studying town planning atm, and this city is an example of how NOT to plan a city. Nevertheless, the situation certainly isn't unworkable!

Suggestions-

Good for you John! It's nice to see someone who has some real suggestions, rather than just moaning and groaning!

[featography]

Currently studying town planning atm, and this city is an example of how NOT to plan a city. Nevertheless, the situation certainly isn't unworkable!

Suggestions-

TRAFFIC

-Carpool incentives, including lanes and flyovers/expressways reserved for dual (or more) occupancy cars and buses

-Getting more freight onto the railway lines and off Bangkok's streets, possibly through linking all industrial centres/ports etc. with a good cargo rail system

-Congestion tax, which will pay for fast tracking extensions to the BTS and MRT

-Getting rid of the "variable one way" system which just complicates things and causes bottlenecks

-Express buses that utilise flyovers and expressways to get to destinations faster (for high traffic routes)

-Extending the Khlong Boat service hours and creating more routes by opening/cleaning up more canals

-Better driver training and harsher punishments for "third lane" creators (especially motorbikes!)

-Creation of larger carparks at the terminal mass transit stations

RUBBISH

-Banning plastic bags (and straws!!!) from being served at retail outlets, as well as more stringent packaging laws

-Creation of a city wide recycling scheme, with A LOT more rubbish bins being created. Could involve a rewards scheme?

-Either creating a drinkable water supply or forcing water companies to have a returns policy on their plastic bottles

-Disposable goods to utilise biodegradable technology

FLOODING

-A VERY serious problem, they need to get working on higher dykes along waterways as well as reversing the flow of many of the canals/rivers to spill out into flood control networks much like they have in the Netherlands. Also, gutters and drains in this city need a lot of work. Fixing the garbage problem might go a long way toward improving drainage.

-Immediate freeze of construction of low-lying buildings along "high risk" areas- these should be turned into GREEN AREAS instead (involving natural waterways/grasslands designed to absorb overflowing water)

There's a biggy!!! Stop every vendor from pouring grease and oil in the drains. There is a large percent of the cause of clogging, and pour water flow

[phetaroi]

...pour water flow

Now that's a gem!

[planr]

Currently studying town planning atm, and this city is an example of how NOT to plan a city. Nevertheless, the situation certainly isn't unworkable!

Bangkok's development since the capital moved from the Thon Buri side of the river in the late 1700s has been organic to the extreme. It is not an example of how not to plan, but rather an example of what happens when there are little plans to begin with, and then what happens when plans are in place but enforcement of rules and regulations is lax.

The list you have presented below is full of generally good ideas and shows you've been paying attention in class , but it also shows a lack of local knowledge. I will try to shed some light from the standpoint of someone who has worked on planning issues in BKK for the BMA, MRTA and others.

Suggestions-

TRAFFIC

-Carpool incentives, including lanes and flyovers/expressways reserved for dual (or more) occupancy cars and buses

The majority of the problematic congestion that occurs is on the surface streets / major arterials of the city, like Ratchadapisek, Silom, Sathorn, Rama IV, Rama IX, Petchaburi, Pahon Yothin, Lat Phrao, Si Ayutthaya etc. It is difficult, if not impossible to reserve dedicated space for automobiles given the current infrastructure. In years past Bangkok had reverse bus lanes (may still have a few?) where buses would run in one lane in the opposite direction of the other 2-4 lanes of traffic, however this scheme is less than ideal.

There is indeed very little congestion on the major expressways, except during peak periods, whereas many of the arterials experience congestion throughout the day and even well on into the evening hours. As all of the urban expressways are tolled, the government could work with operators to better manage tolls (change prices) and manipulate demand during peak periods.

You can see the congestion for yourself by visiting OTP's live traffic feed or by clicking the "Traffic" in a Google Map of BKK where it seems they have incorporated the OTP feed.

-Getting more freight onto the railway lines and off Bangkok's streets, possibly through linking all industrial centres/ports etc. with a good cargo rail system

Absolutely. 93% of Thailand's freight (by volume) is carried on the road network while only about 4-5% is via rail. That said, this is really more of a national logistics problem and not something that is specifically relevant in Bangkok. Current schemes to double track the national rail network as well as improve rail infrastructure between Chon Buri, the port at Laem Chabang and BKK will no doubt reduce logistics costs, but I do not think it will have much impact on traffic in BKK.

The number one thing that can be done with respect to freight within the boundaries of Bangkok itself is to introduce and enforce guidelines for freight trucks. Currently, most trucks are very old and have been continuously rebuilt. The engines are typically in poor condition and this leads to inefficient combustion, thereby increasing air pollution. At the same time, the design of the chassis of these trucks means that cargo weight is not properly distributed along each of the axles -- these trucks have abnormally high axle weights which tear up the streets of Bangkok, leading to rougher rides and higher road maintenance costs

-Congestion tax, which will pay for fast tracking extensions to the BTS and MRT

I assume you mean something like the systems in place in London, Stockholm and Singapore. It is certainly a good idea, but as in other cities, the lack of political will and lack of public support will keep this off the table for a long time.

[planr]

-Getting rid of the "variable one way" system which just complicates things and causes bottlenecks

This seems like a sweeping generalization... and one not based on experience in Bangkok. My own personal experience suggests that the variable lane is largely irrelevant and that existing traffic patterns are made worse by other factors like the Metropolitan Police exercising manual control over traffic signals at all major intersections.

-Express buses that utilise flyovers and expressways to get to destinations faster (for high traffic routes)

These already exist. There are a number of buses, including the airport express buses that utilize the expressway system. Many local routes do utilize flyovers on major arterials where available, however the existence of a flyover hardly means the absence of congestion.

-Extending the Khlong Boat service hours and creating more routes by opening/cleaning up more canals

The khlong network is important for a number of reasons, transport is only one. The biggest hurdle here is complete integration of khlong services with other transport in the city. By this I mean coordinated scheduling (at least with buses), integrated fares, construction of piers and stops in some places, etc. I am not sure how feasible "new routes" are as I lack local knowledge about which khlongs are actually navigable, let alone in locations that would serve well as a transport artery.

-Better driver training and harsher punishments for "third lane" creators (especially motorbikes!)

Better driver's education is something that every country in Asia that I have visited could benefit from. As for the "third lane" thing, I doubt it will go away any time soon. Even in some US states like California, it is perfectly legal for motorcycles to drive in between cars.

[planr]

-Creation of larger carparks at the terminal mass transit stations

The vast majority of the time, car parks and mass transit stations should NOT mix. Encouraging people to drive to the train is defeating the purpose. Small surface car parks at Sukhumvit (NW side of Asoke Montri) and Petchaburi (NE corner of interesection) stations are prime examples.

In the Bangkok case, you have to realize that none of the current termini are actually the end of the line (except maybe National Stadium on the BTS Silom Line). Construction will start on the Blue Line extensions from Hua Lamphong (where are you going to put a car park there anyway?) and Bang Sue in the next year or two, as well as the Purple Line extension to Nonthaburi from Bang Sue. On the BTS lines, the extensions past Onnut and Wong Wian Yai are under development and at some point, somebody will extend the Sukhumvit like north of Mor Chit, it's only a matter of time.

RUBBISH

-Banning plastic bags (and straws!!!) from being served at retail outlets, as well as more stringent packaging laws

It is pretty difficult to ban plastic bags outright. Few major cities that I know have successfully done so. San Francisco is one of them. What I believe to be more prudent is to charge for them. In Hong Kong, if you want a plastic bag from 7-Eleven, the local department store or whatever, you have to pay $0.50 HKD. Sure it is only 2 baht, but I think that will make quite a few people, especially poorer Thai people in the rural areas think twice.

-Creation of a city wide recycling scheme, with A LOT more rubbish bins being created. Could involve a rewards scheme?

This is a two part deal. The lack of rubbish bins in Bangkok almost certainly stems entirely from the New Year's bombings in 2006/2007. The ones you do find are clear so that the contents are readily identifiable. Whether or not this pattern (clear bins, few and far between) will continue into the future is unknown and really of little consequence I think.

In terms of recycling, it would be a HUGE undertaking for the local government. In a city with a registered population of 6 million with probably double that due to unregistered migrants, expats, and other people, it would be ridiculously expensive.

That said, in other parts of the country, the private sector is playing a big role in recycling. The Wongpanit corporation has over 400 recycling centers around the country and much of the stuff that they recycling is brought in by local residents, not provided by government firms. I've visited their main location in Phitsanulok and it is quite an impressive operation.

I am not sure what kind of incentive it would take for local BKK residents to bring their recycling to the plants. In China, especially in big cities like Shenzhen, their are low-income residents who earn a living off of collecting recyclable goods and turning them in. I've seen a few in BKK, but certainly not to the level that I have observed in China.

[planr]

-Either creating a drinkable water supply or forcing water companies to have a returns policy on their plastic bottles

The creation of a potable water supply system (e.g. clean tap water from a municipal source via pipes in the ground) is decades off into the future. It amazes how insanely cheap bottled water is in Thailand. I can get 3 litres (two 1.5 litre) bottles for 20 baht any day of the week at 7-Eleven. If buying in bulk at Tesco or Carrefour it is even cheaper! The same amount just about anywhere in the US would be 150 baht or more. It makes me wonder if the government subsidizes bottled water because there is such a big lack of drinkable water naturally.

In any case, water should be more expensive and/or there should be incentive for returning the plastic bottles.

-Disposable goods to utilise biodegradable technology

Like what?

FLOODING

-A VERY serious problem, they need to get working on higher dykes along waterways as well as reversing the flow of many of the canals/rivers to spill out into flood control networks much like they have in the Netherlands. Also, gutters and drains in this city need a lot of work. Fixing the garbage problem might go a long way toward improving drainage.

Bangkok will be prone to localized flooding for quite some time and there isn't much that can be done in the near term. However, in terms of a major catastrophe, Bangkok is quite well protected. Read up on the King's Dike.

-Immediate freeze of construction of low-lying buildings along "high risk" areas- these should be turned into GREEN AREAS instead (involving natural waterways/grasslands designed to absorb overflowing water)

Not only a freeze in construction, but outright banning. There are mega developments planned in the western suburbs (enough to house 300,000 persons) that lie in a major flood plain. These need to be stopped

Hope that adds a little more value to this thread

[johncitizen]

Some great input and local expertise here guys- I'll be sure to post some questions up here when assignment time comes around

I've read somewhere that one of the best ways to decrease traffic problems is to actually REDUCE the amount of roads, and replacing them with (well planned out) walking roads serviced by mass transport. Case in point would be the Melbourne city centre. Wonder how that would go for some of the more intense parts of town (especially the strip linking Centralworld to Pratunam?)