Korat Set To Be Northeast's Metropolis

[webfact]

Korat set to be Northeast's metropolis

BANGKOK, 8 June 2013 (NNT) - The Ministry of Transport will use a portion of the 2-trillion-baht budget of the government’s infrastructure mega project to develop Nakhon Ratchasima province or Korat as a metropolis of transportation for the northeastern region.

Deputy Transport Minister Prasert Chanthararuangthong said on Friday that the ministry eyed transportation development for Nakhon Ratchasima since the province had the potential to be the gateway to the Northeast.

Many forms of transportation, including high-speed railway, double-track railway and motorway, would be connected there. Such development would help boost the province’s economic growth quickly, the deputy minister believed.

The ministry will also help improve the province’s traffic by implementing the “Korat Rapid Transit” (KRT) project under a budget of around 4 billion baht. The project is expected to start at the end of this year.


-- NNT 2013-06-08

[Ragzilb]

I dont see that happened For starters the need a harbor to take care of all the goods. But let see maybe

[nev]

I dont see that happened For starters the need a harbor to take care of all the goods. But let see maybe

If the floods in Bangkok keep happening maybe one day Korat will have a harbor.

[soihok]

Korat is the North Easts Metropolis already.

[DILLIGAD]

Build road with drain off facilities that do not need repair after 6 months. That would be a good start

[Cuban]

Put the train station alongside the bus/coach station with services that runs a loop around the city, every 15/20 minutes and provide a controlled taxis service and songthaews. Space for shops, food, tourist information and maybe a cheap motel.

Great idea - not difficult to implement.

Will never happen.

They will obsess about location (who has bought up land recently to capitalise on the project) and fail to create a Parkway location around the Hwy 304 and Hwy 2 junction.

[thongsuknork]

I appreciate this move making korat Metropolis ,Korat is the best place

[hellodolly]

Don't they have to get a loan for this?

I believe this is not included in the regular budget.

"The Ministry of Transport will use a portion of the 2-trillion-baht budget of the government’s infrastructure mega project"

[Thaddeus]

Deputy Transport Minister Prasert Chanthararuangthong said on Friday that the ministry eyed transportation development for Nakhon Ratchasima since the province had the potential to be the gateway to the Northeast.

It already is....... 10 out of 10 for stating the bloody obvious and historically accurate.

What's the word that sounds like get in, but begins with cr?

[dluek]

Well I wish they'd hurry up. I've been sitting here in a painfully slow moving traffic jam on the way to Pak Chong for the last 3 hours. Please, build me a road!!

[Joe Mamma]

Now it will only take a couple hours for my in-laws to arrive here en masse.

You know the difference between in-laws and outlaws don't you?

Outlaws are WANTED.

[thommo46]

Why not try again to open the airport up and run a decent airline that is relieable .

[Hornell]

Korat has been the gateway to the north east for nearly 30 years; the Mitraparp Road wasn't constructed solely for US use! The article talks about better road and rail links, which is sensible; the Mitraparp right now is getting to be like a 3rd World highway! Not long ago the upgrading of Route 304 (and on) to the Eastern Seaboard was also discussed and may well come about, as more and more industrial sites are constructed along the Mitraparp and around Korat. Right now anyone who has travelled the 304 and on to Sattahip etc will knw that it just isn't fit for heavy traffic. At the same time the Mitraparp north from Korat to Laos is opening up - OK the road needs improving - but just look at the way land prices along the Mitraparp have soared over the past few years. There was a rumour after the floods in Bkk a couple of years ago that the capital would do better to relocate to Korat (Nakhon Nayok having been smartly kicked into touch as an alternative location. Frankly, I can't see this happening, but I can see Korat becoming the industrial capital of Thailand if the transport links were improved. As an aside, the only reason the airport fell into disuse was the same as for Hua Hin - both are too close to Bkk to make a trip by air worth while.

[SantiSuk]

Gateways = bottlenecks. Korat is already well-linked to Bangkok by road, though fast rail is the obvious next step.

Just give us fast roads beyond and into the further flung provinces. Speaking for my neck of the woods (southern SiSaket and southern Ubon) Highway 24 is fine, if only Surin and Buriram provincial governments would get off their ar$es, kick the local fiefs into touch - I suspect it is local politics that prevents the unblocking of such an obvious constriction and death trap - and widen the existing highway for 70 clicks between Nang Rong and Prasat. It's not rocket science and they even have the land already reserved.

Instead of planning flash headline projects the transport ministry should get off their lazy ar$es and ask the transport industry which areas of road should be improved to get the most bang for the buck. The section of 304 through the Kabinburi hills is another obvious candidate, as is the section of the 33 between Prachantakham and Nakhon Nayok. I'm sure everyone has their own favourite candidates for easy and effective upgrades.

[isaan's highways, which come with wide tracts of reserved land always struck me as being the only significant clue that Thais don't entirely lack planning capability!]