Authorities plan turning Bangkok's Klong Prem prison into transport hub

[webfact]

Authorities Plan Turning Prison Into Transport Hub
By Khaosod Online



BANGKOK: -- Finance Transport Kittirat na Ranong has announced a plan to develop a prison in northern Bangkok into a bustling transport complex.

According to the plan, Klong Prem Central Prison would become a hub for the planned monorail train routes linking Khae Rai district with Lam Salee. The lines will be laid along Ngarmwongwan Road to Kaset Nawamin Road at the length of 21.9 kilometre.

The project is expected to cost 45 billion baht, Prachachart has reported.

As for the hub, it would include commercial assets such retail shops, a community mall, hotels, and serviced apartments, Mr. Kittirat said. Klong Prem Prison is sitting on an area of 5 million square metre.

The Finance Minister, who also serves the Deputy Prime Minister, expects to rezone the areas. The vicinity around Ngarmwongwan Road will become residential zone instead of the current governmental offices district.

Governor of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA), Mr. Yongsit Rojsrikul, said that he wishes to create Transit Oriented Development, to develop the area at the train stations to increase profit for MRTA.

The new monorail line will link to other lines under construction, e.g. Pink Line (Khae Rai - Meenburi), Red Line (Bangsue-Rangsit), Green Line (Mo Chit - Saphan Mai), Orange Line (Taling Chan - Meenburi), Yellow Line (Ladprao - Samrong).

Source: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNM09ESTNOamcyT0E9PQ==

-- KHAOSOD English 2013-09-04

[Mosha]

There's that word again.

[gl555]

Where will all the red shirts stay? Poor things are getting evicted!

[lungmi]

Hub of the bubbles.

[Katipo]

I could have sworn this was going to be a 'Not The Nation' article. Seems that once again reality is stranger than fiction,

[lemonjelly]

just get on with it and build the station and depot instead of wasting public money on more shopping malls, serviced apartments etc.bloody scandalous.

[Robby nz]

What happened to the unfinished one they were going to build alongside the Mo Chit sky train station?

I see the sign is still there.

[Spare]

Current traffic in Ngamwonwan not bad enough?

[Pimay1]

The project is expected to cost 45 billion baht, Prachachart has reported.

It is interesting that they just pull a figure out of the air and say this is the expected cost.

[CHANGOVER]

Has there been a 'mono rail' derailment yet?

[Sayonarax]

just get on with it and build the station and depot instead of wasting public money on more shopping malls, serviced apartments etc.bloody scandalous.

I didnt know Governments built Department stores and Shopping malls

[BuddhistVirus]

[nong38]

It is expected that within one year of opening there will be more hub caps here than anywhere else in the world which is bound to attract thousands of "hub" afficienados who will want to see the museum and walk lazily down Hub Street which will be based on Walking Street with lots of Michelin girls scantily glad in tyres who stroll past offering to give you 30 psi for a consideration

[eddie61]

thats the second hub idea today from Authorities.,,, thats just 2 in a day though.

Authorities, you useless scum, you could do better than that, you are damaging Thailand's only credible reputation the H..hub, apart off course from the S.. hub. Surely 5 hub ideas a day should be possible!

I think a hub committee needs to be set up and hub study trips are an urgent necessity. Yingluck will be your pretty travel guide..

[eddie61]

maybe they should move the relocated prisoners to the parliament building. It would certainly raise the tone of the place

[NoBrainer]

Seems like there maybe a spot for the reds in this plan. What are those buildings with the bright red roofs for?

The article didn't say anything about where they plan to build a new prison to transfer all of the inmates too, or how

much that might cost, or how long it would take, before the grounds could be turned over to the transport hub developers.

Sounds like this could be the 10 to 15 year plan. I think that they should take a good hard look at creating a "Ministry of Hubs"

to do some more in depth planning for these type of (Hub) projects.!!!!

[khunken]

And the prisoners................?

Good old Kittirat - hub of half-cocked schemes.

I thought for a moment that he was suggesting moving Morchit bus station to Klong Prem. They haven't yet come up with a new location for Morchit but I'm sure it will be just as inaccessible to overhead or underground trains.

[drdoom6996]

As long as these idiots are in power the only hub this place will be is the "Hub Of Stupidity". Poll Question; which group of thieves is the dumbest, politicians or police? Maybe the hub of ripping off the public.

[trainman34014]

Presumably the prisoners will become part of the infrastructure ?

[casindonet]

2 hubs in 1 day....

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Mampara]

And the prisoners................?

Good old Kittirat - hub of half-cocked schemes.

I thought for a moment that he was suggesting moving Morchit bus station to Klong Prem. They haven't yet come up with a new location for Morchit but I'm sure it will be just as inaccessible to overhead or underground trains.

People who have nothing to say except insults should crawl under the slimy rock from whence they came.

[Songhua]

2 hubs in 1 day....

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The day's not over yet.

[smileydude]

My initial thought upon reading the title of this article was that this was a jibe into how notoriously goods like cellphones and various amenities are easily transported in and out of Klong Prem Prison if you have the money.

Governments always like new projects so that budgets can be allocated and bureaucractic pockets filled courtesy of pre-arranged bidding "tea money".

Moving prisons away from surrounding communities to remote areas sounds good though. With the numerous uninhabited islands around the coasts of Thailand maybe a new prison styled after Alcatraz to discourage breakouts perhaps? Knowing the ingenenuity of Thai's we'll probably see phones thrown from boats or jetski's in the future!

[Thai at Heart]

Lets plan to build a major shopping and accomodation complex directly around the train station. Just what you want as a hub, thousands of extra comers and goers every hour just to top up the congestion. Just build a bloody train station, and have done with it.

[upena]

Thailand, no longer LOS. Now, LOH.

[khunken]

And the prisoners................?

Good old Kittirat - hub of half-cocked schemes.

I thought for a moment that he was suggesting moving Morchit bus station to Klong Prem. They haven't yet come up with a new location for Morchit but I'm sure it will be just as inaccessible to overhead or underground trains.

People who have nothing to say except insults should crawl under the slimy rock from whence they came.

And people who have nothing to do except insult other posters should shut up or be reported.

[mikemac]

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't "crawl under the slimy rock from whence they came.".... an insult ? And if so should not the writer of this insult take his own advice and go look for a rock ?

And for a moment there I thought they were going to convert the prison to a taxi center and use the prisoners/crims as drivers !

[Maggusoil]

just get on with it and build the station and depot instead of wasting public money on more shopping malls, serviced apartments etc.bloody scandalous.

I didnt know Governments built Department stores and Shopping malls

They do here! Its more fun than building universities and schools.

[Maggusoil]

just sell more stuff. Its the stuff you see. Stuff to sell. Stuffing nonsense. Sell everything. They haven't caught on yet.

Intellectual and environmental capital is more valuable than stuff.

Not know this yet.

Yet.

[ableguy]

45 billion were all rich, and the new hub will have lots of street vendors and a market. Now thats progress