Doi Suthep Cable Car Proposed (Again)

[jko]

Chiang Mai plays catch up

CHIANG MAI, 28 May 2012:

Europe a fail-safe market for Chiang Mai’s tourism in the past is showing signs of decline mainly due to a weak economy that is cutting spending power in traditional source markets.

Speaking at the Miracle Tourism Forum 2012 on marketing North Thailand, Association of Thai Travel Agents vice president, Virat Chatturaputpitak, said the loss of cultural traditions and an economic crisis in Europe were damaging prospects for Chiang Mai.

“To increase European tourists to visit Chiang Mai, the province has to build a quality tourism village that depicts hill tribe culture and northern culture in a more favourable light that we have today.”

Mr Virat added: “Tourist attractions also need more security particularly Doi Suthep one of the province must-see sites.” He suggested a cable car to the Doi Suthep temple that stands high up on a ridge would benefit tourism as it would make it safer to visit.

“Promoting Chiang Mai as an international trade show venue is an essential marketing strategy that will lift image and tap international markets that are now favouring Phuket and Pattaya,” he said.

Association of Thai Tourism Marketing president and Image D’ Asie SA managing director, Mingkwan Metmowlee, said Chiang Mai has to find out what is its real symbol and value formula in tourism marketing.

ATTM vice president and Neo Siam Travel Company Limited managing director, Chongkon Boonchan, said Chiang Mai could tap Russian tourists who are interested in adventure and culture, but there was a lack of Russian tour guides.

ATTM co-ordinator and Travelbullz country manager, Patcharanee Somsamai, said Middle East and India could be emerging markets for Chiang Mai but at the moment they represent just 5% of tourist arrivals. She suggested that the province update packages and promote them through social media.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Great idea, building another artificial attraction. Is it just me, or aren't they really getting it? You know, tourism?

The attraction to the North was always to experience 'the real Thailand', along with some adventure in more remote areas in the hills. A cable car ( and any modern contraption or over-the-top infrastructure) is the direct opposite of that image.

Anyway, I've probably mentioned all this before.

[Payboy]

Cable Car

Hmm, asking tourists to put their lives on the line in Thailand. Jolly a good idea.

[waza]

A bit like advertising Chang Mai as a place to see Australian native animals lol

[hellodolly]

Ya modernize the hill tribe sites so the tourists can see the real hill tribe villages. As far as the cable car goes I think it would be a good idea. The advertizing in foreign countries would really eat that up.

Take a cable car up the mountain to visit the ancient temple of Doi Souket. Haven't a clue if I spell it rite but I am sure some spelling police man will let me know. LOL

[Maejo Man]

Ya modernize the hill tribe sites so the tourists can see the real hill tribe villages. As far as the cable car goes I think it would be a good idea. The advertizing in foreign countries would really eat that up.

Take a cable car up the mountain to visit the ancient temple of Doi Souket. Haven't a clue if I spell it rite but I am sure some spelling police man will let me know. LOL

With the added risk of a crash too, which killed how many tourists last time? The time before was only a handful and hardly worth mentioning!!!!

[waza]

Ya modernize the hill tribe sites so the tourists can see the real hill tribe villages. As far as the cable car goes I think it would be a good idea. The advertizing in foreign countries would really eat that up.

Take a cable car up the mountain to visit the ancient temple of Doi Souket. Haven't a clue if I spell it rite but I am sure some spelling police man will let me know. LOL

With the added risk of a crash too, which killed how many tourists last time? The time before was only a handful and hardly worth mentioning!!!!

The temple of Doi Suthep is one of Chiang Mai's most visited landmarks that were until a couple of years ago, when tragedy struck. The cable pulling the small funicular train up the hill from the road to the temple and controlled its descent snapped sending it crashing down the hill resulting in many injuries.

[Maejo Man]

Ya modernize the hill tribe sites so the tourists can see the real hill tribe villages. As far as the cable car goes I think it would be a good idea. The advertizing in foreign countries would really eat that up.

Take a cable car up the mountain to visit the ancient temple of Doi Souket. Haven't a clue if I spell it rite but I am sure some spelling police man will let me know. LOL

With the added risk of a crash too, which killed how many tourists last time? The time before was only a handful and hardly worth mentioning!!!!

The temple of Doi Suthep is one of Chiang Mai's most visited landmarks that were until a couple of years ago, when tragedy struck. The cable pulling the small funicular train up the hill from the road to the temple and controlled its descent snapped sending it crashing down the hill resulting in many injuries.

What do you mean "many injuries"? 3 people were killed!! or was that the time before? The thing should be dismantled!!

[hellodolly]

Ya modernize the hill tribe sites so the tourists can see the real hill tribe villages. As far as the cable car goes I think it would be a good idea. The advertizing in foreign countries would really eat that up.

Take a cable car up the mountain to visit the ancient temple of Doi Souket. Haven't a clue if I spell it rite but I am sure some spelling police man will let me know. LOL

With the added risk of a crash too, which killed how many tourists last time? The time before was only a handful and hardly worth mentioning!!!!

The temple of Doi Suthep is one of Chiang Mai's most visited landmarks that were until a couple of years ago, when tragedy struck. The cable pulling the small funicular train up the hill from the road to the temple and controlled its descent snapped sending it crashing down the hill resulting in many injuries.

What do you mean "many injuries"? 3 people were killed!! or was that the time before? The thing should be dismantled!!

A cable car is a far different animal than a funicular train.

My initial thought was of a cable car from the bottom of the hill to the temple. It in itself would be a tourist attraction. The view would be spectacular weather permitting. And if one wants they can still walk, ride a bicycle, ride a motor bike or drive up.

They are used all o0ver the world for sight seers. The ski lifts are munch the same.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

sounds like a solid idea. Might even reduce traffic on the road providing the price is not too high and there are enough cable cars and capacity.

part of the air quality problem is from vehicle exhaust. bring it on.

[el jefe]

If three people died on the funicular, that doesn't mean a cable car would be equally safe. But in order to say that the funicular and (unlikely to be built) cable car is dangerous, you need to know how many people died on the road to Doi Suthep as a comparison.

Better than a cable car, wouldn't it make more sense to build an elevator from the tunnel that their building to Mae Hong Son?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

What do you mean "many injuries"? 3 people were killed!! or was that the time before? The thing should be dismantled!!

The thing was indeed dismantled. Come on, you remember the old one? The current one is a modern system put in place by an elevator company.

The old one looked like this:

For the new one the track is completely enclosed; it's more like an elevator than anything else. (Forgot which company manufactures it but I think I remember it's well known global elevator brand. It looks like this:

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Anyway, a full cable car up a mountain has been done in Hong Kong. It works pretty well there and is popular. Lantau Island near Hong Kong (where also the airport is, and Disneyland Hong Kong) even looks visually a bit like the mountains around Chiang Mai.

https://www.google.c...e=lnms&tbm=isch

And they have a mountain tram to go to Victoria Peak, above Hong Kong island:

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=victoria+peak&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch

(Again that's a spot very similar to the way Doi Suthep is to Chiang Mai.)

Edited May 29, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[hellodolly]

What do you mean "many injuries"? 3 people were killed!! or was that the time before? The thing should be dismantled!!

The thing was indeed dismantled. Come on, you remember the old one? The current one is a modern system put in place by an elevator company.

The old one looked like this: http://www.flickr.co...N06/4281091117/

For the new one the track is completely enclosed; it's more like an elevator than anything else. (Forgot which company manufactures it but I think I remember it's well known global elevator brand. It looks like this: [media=]

[/media]

Well I have only been here 6 years and did not realize this one is a new one. The way it was posted I thought that there had been a accident just in the last few years and I had misses it,

It would be nice if they had some thing accessible to the handicapped people but that is a long way off. Maybe rent out wheel chairs the guy who invented those segways (twp weeled gyro's) invented that can climb stairs.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Well I have only been here 6 years and did not realize this one is a new one. The way it was posted I thought that there had been a accident just in the last few years and I had misses it,

So.... you're saying that not everything posted on this forum by everyone is always accurately worded? My god. But the new one has been in place probably by at least six years, probably more. You can likely find the date of the accident on Google, then there was no service for some time (2 years?) then the new one opened.

It would be nice if they had some thing accessible to the handicapped people but that is a long way off.

Was just thinking about that earlier this morning, that this funicular/elevatorallows the elderly and less mobile to visit the temple; even if it's not fully wheelchair accessible, it's still a helluva lot more feasible for some grandmother to use compared to those stairs! (And I have a feeling that they'll find a way to get people in wheelchairs up there too, even if it means some assistance by two burly Thais.)

Edited May 29, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[eyecatcher]

Take a cable car up the mountain to visit the ancient temple of Doi Souket. Haven't a clue if I spell it rite but I am sure some spelling police man will let me know. LOL

Just to clarify HD you spelt "it" right

but you spelt "rite" wrong

and Doi "souket" is on the way to Chiang Rai..........but good effort, God loves a tryer.

[eyecatcher]

If they built a cable car, say starting from the zoo to the temple; I could see it being the No 1 attraction in Chiang Mai by a long way.

The views would be terrific. Seeing the zoo animals, the airport, the flora and fauna on the mountain side, the rain and the clouds; Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton fighting and hanging off the side.

Probably a pipe dream of Shinwotsisname and will never happen but to bring tourists back, an opportunity.

[trainman34014]

Hmmm...a Cable Car would be great in principle as long as it's built and constructed in situ by a well known Western purveyor of such technology. Could we trust our luck to a Thai built contraption put together to hang in the air for long periods, maintained and operated by people we already know care little for other peoples lives?

Methinks the road route may still be the safest ! Anyway; why are we even discussing it when we know it it will most probably never be built?

[hellodolly]

Hmmm...a Cable Car would be great in principle as long as it's built and constructed in situ by a well known Western purveyor of such technology. Could we trust our luck to a Thai built contraption put together to hang in the air for long periods, maintained and operated by people we already know care little for other peoples lives?

Methinks the road route may still be the safest ! Anyway; why are we even discussing it when we know it it will most probably never be built?

Point of view

We are not disusing it we are dreaming.

As for safety no problem look to the flight of the gibbon It is operated by a Australian company.

WTK true I do tend to take certain posters seriously. The way it was worded I thought it was a event that happened with the current system,

Always a pleasure to have some one with the correct information to put it into perspective.

Thank you

Edited May 29, 2012 by hellodolly

[stuartd1]

Probably find it will be sabotaged by the song teauw action front anyway!!