Thailand's Rural Roads To Be All Modernized In Next Few Years

[george]

Thailand's rural roads to be all modernized in next few years

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Ministry of Transport will pave 65,000 kilometres of currently unpaved rural roads within the next three years, it was announced Monday.

The country's extensive highway system includes the 65,000 kilometre-laterite roads, which will be modernized by resurfacing them with asphalt during the coming years, thanks to an initiative planned by the Ministry of Transport's Department of Rural Roads.

The agency will ask the cabinet for the special funding.

Director-General Surachai Thansitpong, told TNA on Monday that his department would seek a state budget of more than Bt50 billion to pave all laterite roads upcountry with asphalt during the next few years. Alphalt is a byproduct of petroleum refining,

"A recent survey found that some 65,000 kilometres of upcountry roads across the kingdom are still laterite," Mr. Surachai said. "They will be all turned to become asphalt-surfaced roads over the next couple of years," he revealed.

Most of the rural roads of 50,000 kilometres would be developed by the Department of Rural Roads with the proposed budget, while the rest would be improved by the local administrative organizations of each province with their own funds, he noted.

Initially, part of the rural roads of 4,000 kilometres would be developed in the 2007 fiscal year with a budget of around Bt12 billion, the director-general said.

The initiative is part of the department's plan to help improve the quality of life of the Thai people in rural areas, he said.

Mr. Surachai said his department also plans to develop local roads to access newly-emerging tourist sites in every province to help stimulate local economic activities and growth through tourism-related businesses.

--TNA 2006-07-11

[John K]

60-20-20.. I am still waiting for the new bus stuff in Bangkok too.

[billd766]

60-20-20.. I am still waiting for the new bus stuff in Bangkok too.

Well up where I live in the sticks they have widened the road by about 2 metres each side to put in a lane for motorcycles and iron buffalos etc plus resurfaced the whole road for around 60 km.

That said however they also resurfaced about 5 km of another road about 18 months ago and that one is worse now than before.

If you have to lay ashphalt 75 mm deep across 6 metres of road but only lay 50 mm how much of a cost saving is that along a 50 km road? Plus you will probably get the contract to repair the badly built road that you laid in the first place.

I wonder what is is like to have friends in high places. Unfortunately my friends are all in low places but they are good friends.

[John K]

60-20-20.. I am still waiting for the new bus stuff in Bangkok too.

Well up where I live in the sticks they have widened the road by about 2 metres each side to put in a lane for motorcycles and iron buffalos etc plus resurfaced the whole road for around 60 km.

That said however they also resurfaced about 5 km of another road about 18 months ago and that one is worse now than before.

If you have to lay ashphalt 75 mm deep across 6 metres of road but only lay 50 mm how much of a cost saving is that along a 50 km road? Plus you will probably get the contract to repair the badly built road that you laid in the first place.

I wonder what is is like to have friends in high places. Unfortunately my friends are all in low places but they are good friends.

I don't think they have the money, hence 60-20-20. Thaksin spent it on other things, and Thailand is more or less broke. That is a huge project that will require many crews.

[penzman]

Maybe maintaining the existing paved roads should be the priority. A road here that is about 2 kilometers long, leads to the Amata industrial Park, used by tens of thousands of workers, twice daily, is a total mess as one part is managed by the tambon, the other by the province and another part by who knows... It's a total mess, people are flipping off bikes and motorcycles right and left, broken jaws, arms and legs aren't too useful for the factories and workers families.

New roads will only end up destroyed by the overweight trucks and buses in no time only to receive the same treatment as above.

Smells like another election promise.

[Johpa]

60-20-20.. I am still waiting for the new bus stuff in Bangkok too.

Well up where I live in the sticks they have widened the road by about 2 metres each side to put in a lane for motorcycles and iron buffalos etc plus resurfaced the whole road for around 60 km.

That said however they also resurfaced about 5 km of another road about 18 months ago and that one is worse now than before.

If you have to lay ashphalt 75 mm deep across 6 metres of road but only lay 50 mm how much of a cost saving is that along a 50 km road? Plus you will probably get the contract to repair the badly built road that you laid in the first place.

I wonder what is is like to have friends in high places. Unfortunately my friends are all in low places but they are good friends.

No, no no! The way it is done is to bid the contract, finish about 30% of the work, and then make like a bus driver and flee the scene. Then you have your "shadow" take on the later contract to finish the project. Laying only 50mm would be just the icing on the cake when you can get away without laying down any asphalt at all.

Edited July 11, 2006 by Johpa

[Totster]

Yeah great... You wanna see the monstrosity of a highway they put between the village I stay in and the neighbouring village. It's now wide enough for thee lanes, and can easily cope with the buffalos and motorbikes that frequent it.. a total bloody waste.

And whats worse is that they have continued the road into the village and left a 2ft step down to the houses and roads leading off it.

totster

[Pond Life]

Hey, Im convinced, I'll vote for him ! just show me where to put my thumb print

[Bryan in Isaan]

I cringe just thinking about those contractors laying 60,000 km of "asphalt". Probably better to leave it laterite unless they can do it right. At least they can run a road grader over the laterite a couple of times o year to smooth it out. When the "asphalt" road falls apart after a year it is worse than a laterite road. It looks to me like when they lay concrete instead of asphalt they usually get it right, though it is probably much more expensive.

[penzman]

Hey, Im convinced, I'll vote for him ! just show me where to put my thumb print

You have to use the "impersonal" rubber stamp nowadays.