A couple of days ago, Bangkok Governor Apirak declared that the City of Bangkok would go ahead on it's own to complete the unfinished BTS skytrain extension into Thonburi from the Saphan Thaksin station.

Now,anybody that knows Thonburi will realise that the actual concrete guideway runs almost to Petchkasem Road (further than the 2.2kms mentioned in the papers) near the junction with the main Bromrachachonni highway.

As soon as this declaration was made public, along comes President Thaksin who says plainly that the extension will not be built by Bangkok and that it must be done under his government's rules. Of course if the Governor of Bangkok was Thai Rak Thai then things would be different.

My question: Does anyone understand what the real hang-up is. After all the underground system was supposed to be extended in lines all colors of the rainbow.

Now it seems the government has put a clamp on any more work. Will this be another Hopewell Monument to Thai ineptitude and corruption?

Edited October 23, 200520 yr by ratcatcher

My question: Does anyone understand what the real hang-up is. After all the underground system was supposed to be extended in lines all colors of the rainbow.

A simple answer. High level corruption and incompetence.

Apirak is a bit of a ninny - but he is not corrupt.

TRT have a terrible vision of ....

Fairly-priced contracts being awarded on merit rather than connections.

No bribes and kickbacks for the 'boys'.

Bangkok's taxpayers getting a fair-deal.

A successful mass transit system in Bangkok would make residents in other Thai cities wonder why their TRT-controlled councils cannot do likewise.

check out the 2bangkok.com site. All the goss is there.

Essentially though, the Skytrain is operated by Democrat business interests. The subway is run by Thai pumpkin Thai interests. The later doesn't want to give the former any political kudos. You can figure out the rest.

Thai pumpkin Thai

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL....

A related thread is running on the Bangkok forum.