Thailand's Transport Minister gets taste of Bangkok public bus

[webfact]

Transport Minister Gets Taste Of Bangkok Public Bus

Mr. Chirapong Prasertpollakrang's photo on Twitter

Source: KHAOSOD English

BANGKOK: -- A top official in Thai government reportedly ditched his usual motorcade for a bus today because he wanted to find out about quality of Thai public transport - and tasted the life of common Bangkokian by having to wait for more than 30 minutes before getting on the bus.

Mr. Chirapong Prasertpollakrang, a journalist who works for The Nation newspaper, tweeted photo of Mr. Chatchart Sittipat, Minister of Transport, at the bus stop in Ratchadumnern Avenue, just across the Government House.

The journalist wrote in his Twitter post that Mr. Chatchart said he was waiting for Bus 509, alone, to catch his flight at Don Muang Airport. He reportedly told Mr. Chirapong that he would switch to Bus 29 at Victory Monument.

If true, the Minister of Transport would have traveled the route into central Bangkok notoriously known for its traffic jam.

It appears to be what he wants, though. Previously, on 25 June, Mr. Chatchart has stated to the meeting at the Ministry that he expected high-ranking officials to travel by the buses operated by Bangkok Mass Transit Authority and its private contractors at least once a week between July-August this year so they can inspect the problems faced by many Bangkokians.

Many of these buses are in poor condition while regular passengers complain about the rude service and reckless driving behavior by the drivers. [more...]

Full story: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNM01qTTBNemMyTnc9PQ==

-- KHAOSOD English 2013-06-28

[webfact]

TRAFFIC
Minister experiences bus woes
Jeerapong Prasertpolkrung,
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- After encouraging senior officials from the Transport Ministry to take public buses at least once a week to check up on problems plaguing the service, Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt himself tried taking a bus from the Education Ministry in Dusit district to Don Mueang Airport yesterday.

A reporter from The Nation saw the minister standing at the bus stop like any other commuter. When asked, Chadchart said he had been waiting for bus No 509 for more than half an hour, while two buses of the same number were seen stopping off on the opposite side. Others at the bus stop voiced the same problem.

Later the minister sent the reporter an SMS saying he had to have his driver pick him up at Victory Monument so he would not miss his flight.


-- The Nation 2013-06-28

[chooka]

Did the DSI seized his fleet of luxury vehicles?

[Unkomoncents]

How wonderful and so very, very rare in the Kingdom: a public official actually mixing with the public, visibly, and without trappings of status like a motorcade, etc. If this is any indication of things to come, I think it will be so powerful for Thailand.

Edited June 27, 2013 by Unkomoncents

[kurnell]

Impress me by doing it every day, minus the cameras.

[kimamey]

Well at least he appears to be trying to do something right. Good for him.

[NongKhaiKid]

Impress me by doing it every day, minus the cameras.

Exactly, this has to be more than a meaningless publicity stunt. Was he taken to the bus stop in his official car, he was certainly collected after the bus journey as he had a ( freebie ? ) flight to catch ?

I remember many years ago when I worked in Hong Kong a government official responded to the endless complaints about noise from the old Kai Tak airport by a showy display of spending the night in an ordinary hosing block in the Kowloon City area under the flight path.

He emerged the next morning amazed at all the fuss about noise as he had " a great night's sleep " but was subjected to massive ridicule when the media took great pleasure in reminding everyone Kai Tak closed overnight because of the noise.

[NongKhaiKid]

IN Channel is reporting that he was supposedly trying to get to Swampy by public transport but was FORCED to call for his official car otherwise he was going to be late.

Nice to have a fallback position as the rest of us have to leave very early for a flight and sit in the bus or taxi with fingers croseed if the traffic is heavy.

[Unkomoncents]

IN Channel is reporting that he was supposedly trying to get to Swampy by public transport but was FORCED to call for his official car otherwise he was going to be late.

Nice to have a fallback position as the rest of us have to leave very early for a flight and sit in the bus or taxi with fingers croseed if the traffic is heavy.

Thanks for the update. I sorta new this would be a short-lived P.R. initiative. Thais really, really can't afford to step down the social ladder, even for a day, without losing face.

[Thai at Heart]

Gets a taste of....

Don't tell me he licked the handrail.

[rheinwiese]

Flight to catch? That's what I call light travel. No luggage, no briefcase, no jacket??

[ttwitt]

google maps app on your phone is your absolute best friend when it comes to taking a bus in bkk. download it if you havent got it already.

tells you how and when and gives multiple options.

ok but not always right and you have to be careful about Thai Bor. numbers versus regular straight numbers but this aside it is still hugely useful not only for buses but also your location i.e approximate gprs as well. super nice too for the sleeper trains when you cant see out the windows or understand or hear the station calls. try it you'll be thrilled. ais and dtac have cheap internet connections packages which you can use to get it going.

Edited June 28, 2013 by ttwitt

[scorecard]

Gets a taste of....

Don't tell me he licked the handrail.

Was the bus packed? Was he groped?

[scorecard]

Flight to catch? That's what I call light travel. No luggage, no briefcase, no jacket??

In his limo.

[Morakot]

Good start!

[Payboy]

he wanted to find out about quality of Thai public transport

He didn't know it was so good until he took the bus?

[chooka]

Gets a taste of....

Don't tell me he licked the handrail.

Was the bus packed? Was he groped?

probably not packed. A few years ago the transport minister in Melbourne Australia did the same thing only tho he was catching a tram not a bus in peak hour. He got on the tram which was empty for security reasons apart from some media. Rode the tram to observe the congestion on the public transport system. 5 minute trip back into his chauffeur driven car and report of no congestion on the system.

[Morakot]

he wanted to find out about quality of Thai public transport

He didn't know it was so good until he took the bus?

Don't think he even knew there was public transport until he got the brief for this PR job.

[watcharacters]

Gets a taste of....

Don't tell me he licked the handrail.

Was the bus packed? Was he groped?

probably not packed. A few years ago the transport minister in Melbourne Australia did the same thing only tho he was catching a tram not a bus in peak hour. He got on the tram which was empty for security reasons apart from some media. Rode the tram to observe the congestion on the public transport system. 5 minute trip back into his chauffeur driven car and report of no congestion on the system.

.

That's more like it.

[ratcatcher]

On a public bus, with that spotless white shirt he would have blended in like a pig at a bar mitzvah.

[ttwitt]

Gets a taste of....

Don't tell me he licked the handrail.

Was the bus packed? Was he groped?

sorry you're out of luck. this is thailand. not going to happen even on the most packed buses. wait for the next one to come if packed, only short wait interval on most routes except when grid lock is happening somewhere. or when some VIP to touring about and having a blocking the traffic flow show somewhere.

[Payboy]

On a public bus, with that spotless white shirt he would have blended in like a pig at a bar mitzvah.

Red shirt would've been so much more appropriate.

[ttwitt]

On a public bus, with that spotless white shirt he would have blended in like a pig at a bar mitzvah.

only thing you most like wont see is BIB. mostly well dressed office/shop workers especially on the aircon buses . same customer crew as on the skytrain. absolute best thing is the absence of need to talk/listen to taxi/tuktuk/moto scum.

ticket collectors are very mostly polite and well trained and above all honest. most you are likely to lose is a baht or two if they cant understand your destination, and you still want to take a tuktuk?

Edited June 28, 2013 by ttwitt

[robblok]

If they are really going to use public transport once in a while I can only applaud this but if its just a publicity stunt then too bad.

[deecee10]

Could well be a positive story if most of it is true.

I'm trying to downplay my cynical initial thoughts. Publicity stunt etc.

I'll give Mr.Chadchart Sittipunt (cool moniker) the benefit of the doubt this time.

Next time he needs to be carrying his own luggage.

[ttwitt]

Gets a taste of....

Don't tell me he licked the handrail.

Was the bus packed? Was he groped?

this is thailand, if you want to be groped you will have to pay extra i.e. catch a taxi, else go to india where it is advertised as free groping.

Edited June 28, 2013 by ttwitt

[Guest]

I think this is great. Think it in this way. If and when the story is widely published, it will put pressure for the rest of the elite to do the same, even if they don't want to.

Some day ordinary citizens might actually start demanding this kind of behavior from the government officials.

Thailand needs good examples and this is one.

[ricklev]

I use the buses regularly. I wish after waiting for half an hour he had watched his bus drive past his stop because it was slightly inconvenient for the driver to stop and pick up passengers or because the driver just wasn't in the mood. Let him get a taste of that

Edited June 28, 2013 by ricklev

[Naroge]

Why all the negative comments here on TV? Give the guy some credit, public stunt or not. And keep the cameras on.

This is exactly what should happen more by the guys in public service. They should taste their own "medicine" in full view of cameras and the public. This is the only way to get a change for the better as it would be a loss of face for them to face sub-standard service repeatedly from a ministry they are in charge off, in front of their supporters.

[kannot]

Don't worry he will write a glowing report saying how wonderful it was to mix with the lower classes and how good the service was.....case closed!!