Hi,

It looks like plans are getting serious about building the new (orange) MRT line; inhabitants in our neighborhood were informed where the planned 4 exits would be build. Personally I look forward having access to the MRT system in our street, with the nearest BTS station about 700 meters away.

Owners who will get expropriated (essentially 2 gas stations and a group of houses in bad condition) are - understandably - not amused and protests in the form of banners in the neighborhood are being organised (likely by the gas station owners, public transport goes against the interest of petrol companies of course). They seem to say that it is useless to have added public transport since there is already a BTS station in the neighborhood. But I think that would be the aim, in order to improve interconnectivity between the transport systems.

How much power do these 'protesters' have to alter or block these plans? In the 'democracy' where i originate from, an individual can put on hold public works in the interest of millions for ten years or more. What would happen in Bangkok?

Any veterans out there who remember similar actions when the existing blue line was being build?

Cheers!

Its just a way of getting the people in the MRT to give them bribes. The gas station owners, the public transport people and the "official" get a bribe each, then the whole thing becomes mai pen rai, mai pen rai.

Its just a way of getting the people in the MRT to give them bribes. The gas station owners, the public transport people and the "official" get a bribe each, then the whole thing becomes mai pen rai, mai pen rai.

It is not a bribe it is called compensation, happens a lot in the rest of the world too.

Edited June 11, 201313 yr by FritsSikkink

it is more like both. Yes, of course there is compensation, which in its 1st offer will be ridiculously low. Then the corruption-machine starts moving, the usual protests (hire a few of those streetvendors for more effect, the ''poor people'' being mistreated as always by those high up iwill also do very nicely) follow, new negotiations start-with more clever bisnis guys, who will also want their share (there comes the teamoney or bribing part) and in the final end it looks like its been settled. But some even smarter guy holds something hidden and new protests will start when the final building start-too late to get cancelled, and then a new round of more negotiatiuons start with more demands for more baht.

Newspapers will have artciles with mums with crying babies: ''as we have nowhere to go!'' and more of that.