Mega transport projects get Thai Cabinet approval

[webfact]

Mega transport projects get cabinet approval



BANGKOK: -- The cabinet yesterday approved the launch of several mass transit projects that it hopes will convince people to turn to public transport services from driving their own cars in their daily travels to work.

The projects involve auction of contracts to build six electric train routes, procure city buses and build new motorways.

Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning deputy director-general Chaiwat Thongkamkoon said bidding for six electric train projects which includes the Green Line (Mor Chit-Saphan Mai-Khu Khot), the Orange Line (Cultural Centre-Min Buri), and the Pink Line (Khaerai-Min Buri), will be called next year.

On public transport, he said the first lot of 489 of 3,183 natural gas-fuelled buses will be bought between January to March next year.

With the new buses entering service, he expected more people will give up their private cars in favour of public transport.

Also approved in principle by the cabinet is the widening of roads nationwide to four lanes and building four new motorways: Pattaya-Mabtaphut (89 kms), Bang Pa-in-Nakhon Ratchasima (196 kms), Bang Yai-Kanchanaburi (96 kms), and Nakhon Pathom-Cha-am (118 kms).

The cabinet also endorsed the 1.435-metre standard gauge for rail tracks on three routes: Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai, and Bangkok-Rayong.

Under the new track standard, train will travel faster will at a top speed of 160 kilometres an hour.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/mega-transport-projects-get-cabinet-approval/


-- Thai PBS 2014-10-22

[toybits]

Why??? When the City of Angels will be submerged, reclaimed by the sea in a few decades...

[RubbaJohnny]

but the bungs will have been trousered

[northernjohn]

I don't understand the governmental system that has the national government speeding up the transportation in Bangkok. Here in Chiang Mai we could use some thing different and it is up to us to do it. I don't see any one standing here with a pile of cash to do it for us. Even when the Shinawatra clan was in power there was nothing planned for Chiang Mai the heart and soul of Shinawatra land.

[Crossy]

After all the talk and money poured in to High Speed Rail studies we are down to a sub-100mph railway.

At least it's standard-gauge and (hopefully) double track.

[worgeordie]

Will the standard gauge track for the trains make it harder for them

to fall off?, or will these new trains be fitted with train ing wheels

regards worgeordie

[Jungle Jim]

The High Speed Rail will be a disaster. Millions spent on a train no one could ever afford to use. Cheaper to fly. The number one dumbest idea of the century. Who's bright idea ? Guess Who ? It was all corruption money. But go ahead and build it. No different than the roads to nowhere they build in Alaska.

[Emster23]

"train will travel faster will at a top speed of 160 kilometres an hour." Is that figure when on or off the track? Imagine the massive kickbacks. Guess they have a one track mind....

[lvr181]

"train will travel faster will at a top speed of 160 kilometres an hour." Is that figure when on or off the track? Imagine the massive kickbacks. Guess they have a one track mind....

Theoretical speed - never to be attained? Sounds nice though. Keep "everyone" happy. Interim Government want everyone happy

[ratcatcher]

The High Speed Rail will be a disaster. Millions spent on a train no one could ever afford to use. Cheaper to fly. The number one dumbest idea of the century. Who's bright idea ? Guess Who ? It was all corruption money. But go ahead and build it. No different than the roads to nowhere they build in Alaska.

As far as I can read from between the rail lines, there is no mention of HST (High Speed Trains). What I read was a project involving the use of standard gauge track (4'81/2" to the non metric among us) which will enable trains to travel up to 160km/h or about tyhe same speed they managed in England with steam power, 100 years ago and even faster later in the 1930s.

This will require a massive investment in power and rolling stock and will bring Thai Railways into the late 20th century. A good plan. A fast and efficient train service will be welcomed and hopefully affordable to a vast number of people presently using long distance buses from Bangkok to points north , northeast and south east..

[The Deerhunter]

The High Speed Rail will be a disaster. Millions spent on a train no one could ever afford to use. Cheaper to fly. The number one dumbest idea of the century. Who's bright idea ? Guess Who ? It was all corruption money. But go ahead and build it. No different than the roads to nowhere they build in Alaska.

As far as I can read from between the rail lines, there is no mention of HST (High Speed Trains). What I read was a project involving the use of standard gauge track (4'81/2" to the non metric among us) which will enable trains to travel up to 160km/h or about tyhe same speed they managed in England with steam power, 100 years ago and even faster later in the 1930s.

This will require a massive investment in power and rolling stock and will bring Thai Railways into the late 20th century. A good plan. A fast and efficient train service will be welcomed and hopefully affordable to a vast number of people presently using long distance buses from Bangkok to points north , northeast and south east..

Well said. This man knows his trains. The writing was on the wall for this weeks ago when they said almost the same things but by using the words "high speed" (almost everyone) thought they were still talking about bullet trains. They were not and they are not building bullet trains thank God. This is what Thailand needs an updated & modernised, reasonably higher-speed rail service with new tracks & modern rolling stock.

[whatawonderfulday]

And all the Generals horses

and all the juntas friends

will be able to skim of 40% again

So back to where they were for many decades before, that is until the Shinawatras decided it was someone elses turn

[EnglishJohn]

And all the Generals horses

and all the juntas friends

will be able to skim of 40% again

So back to where they were for many decades before, that is until the Shinawatras decided it was someone elses turn

Let's see if they try to take the loans off budget so they can drain it away covertly for other purposes - like the rice scheme.

However bad they are, they are better than Thaksin's cronies.

[ginjag]

And all the Generals horses

and all the juntas friends

will be able to skim of 40% again

So back to where they were for many decades before, that is until the Shinawatras decided it was someone elses turn

Quote. " AGAIN" think you will have to delete the post or prove your statement. against the rules ???? think so.

[BSJ]

If they want 160kph average trip times they need to look at something like the Bombardier Acela like Amtrak use in the states. Proven technology from a major player in rail transport.

[TheCruncher]

On public transport, he said the first lot of 489 of 3,183 natural gas-fuelled buses will be bought between January to March next year.

With the new buses entering service, he expected more people will give up their private cars in favour of public transport.

With the new buses entering service we can expect that more people will be stuck in traffic jams with their private cars while the buses are swindling in and out their dedicated driving lanes.

[ratcatcher]

On public transport, he said the first lot of 489 of 3,183 natural gas-fuelled buses will be bought between January to March next year.

With the new buses entering service, he expected more people will give up their private cars in favour of public transport.

With the new buses entering service we can expect that more people will be stuck in traffic jams with their private cars while the buses are swindling in and out their dedicated driving lanes.

"...while the buses are swindling in and out their dedicated driving lanes."

Still working on this scam concept.

[ginjag]

On public transport, he said the first lot of 489 of 3,183 natural gas-fuelled buses will be bought between January to March next year.

With the new buses entering service, he expected more people will give up their private cars in favour of public transport.

With the new buses entering service we can expect that more people will be stuck in traffic jams with their private cars while the buses are swindling in and out their dedicated driving lanes.

"...while the buses are swindling in and out their dedicated driving lanes."

Still working on this scam concept.

These posters cannot stop this style of talk--inherited from PTP fame.

[h90]

Why??? When the City of Angels will be submerged, reclaimed by the sea in a few decades...

It won't submerge.....not in some time that is relevant for humans

[JOC]

And all the Generals horses

and all the juntas friends

will be able to skim of 40% again

So back to where they were for many decades before, that is until the Shinawatras decided it was someone elses turn

Quote. " AGAIN" think you will have to delete the post or prove your statement. against the rules ???? think so.

Congratulations on the promotion to honorary moderator!!

[RubbaJohnny]

It was all a typo

HI - SPEED GRAIL

Golden goblet now you see it now you don't

For full exegesis Da Vinci Toad in da Robbin Hood will expain

[rickirs]

"... widening of roads nationwide to four lanes and building four new motorways."

How exactly does this encourage people NOT to use their personal vehicles? If you keep increasing capacity for personally owned vehicles (POV), you will fill capacity with personal owned vehicles. A better approach is to dedicate lanes for High Occupancy Vehicles, establish rush hour tolls for POV, and reducing POV access to congested areas. These are typical negative approaches.

Positive approaches require an integrated mass transit system (IMTS) that reaches outside of major metropolitan areas from regional car parks to collect and transport people to the inner cities with uninterrupted and efficient modal services. For example, an integrated pass system, a total modal system with no gaps (ie., having to walk, taxi, or motor bike between mass transit connections), and ease of connections. The most innovative approach is to decentralize large employment city areas into satellite suburban areas so that large traffic patterns to single points of employment become unnecessary. Business incentives could enhance shifts of the employment force combined with enhancement of more localized standard of living (ie., better educational, recreational, and shopping facilities).

Widening roads and building new motorways is so 1950's.

[Robespiere]

I don't understand the governmental system that has the national government speeding up the transportation in Bangkok. Here in Chiang Mai we could use some thing different and it is up to us to do it. I don't see any one standing here with a pile of cash to do it for us. Even when the Shinawatra clan was in power there was nothing planned for Chiang Mai the heart and soul of Shinawatra land.

If you don't understand why The North gets no funding, you don't know anything about Thai politics, why the Reds are so popular and why there is coup after coup in this land.

(83% of the population get 18% of government expenditure, whilst the 17% of the population in Bangkok get 72% of government expenditure).

Maintaining this imbalance is the root cause of the coups.

[Fred Flinstone]

I don't understand the governmental system that has the national government speeding up the transportation in Bangkok. Here in Chiang Mai we could use some thing different and it is up to us to do it. I don't see any one standing here with a pile of cash to do it for us. Even when the Shinawatra clan was in power there was nothing planned for Chiang Mai the heart and soul of Shinawatra land.

If you don't understand why The North gets no funding, you don't know anything about Thai politics, why the Reds are so popular and why there is coup after coup in this land.

(83% of the population get 18% of government expenditure, whilst the 17% of the population in Bangkok get 72% of government expenditure).

Maintaining this imbalance is the root cause of the coups.

Its useful and relevant to point this out- essentially what you are saying is a form of apartheid

[Yme]

Looks pretty much exactly what Pheu Thai had been proposing, minus the high-speed train component that Prayuth keeps raising with Chinese and Japanese officials.

[LipeLarry]

Great news for converting to standard gauge and adding the railway to Rayong. The new motorways and their routes will also be a very welcome progression.

[whybother]

I don't understand the governmental system that has the national government speeding up the transportation in Bangkok. Here in Chiang Mai we could use some thing different and it is up to us to do it. I don't see any one standing here with a pile of cash to do it for us. Even when the Shinawatra clan was in power there was nothing planned for Chiang Mai the heart and soul of Shinawatra land.

If you don't understand why The North gets no funding, you don't know anything about Thai politics, why the Reds are so popular and why there is coup after coup in this land.

(83% of the population get 18% of government expenditure, whilst the 17% of the population in Bangkok get 72% of government expenditure).

Maintaining this imbalance is the root cause of the coups.

Do you have a graph of where government income comes from?

[LipeLarry]

That's in tomorrow's work packet for the typing pool.

[Robespiere]

I don't understand the governmental system that has the national government speeding up the transportation in Bangkok. Here in Chiang Mai we could use some thing different and it is up to us to do it. I don't see any one standing here with a pile of cash to do it for us. Even when the Shinawatra clan was in power there was nothing planned for Chiang Mai the heart and soul of Shinawatra land.

If you don't understand why The North gets no funding, you don't know anything about Thai politics, why the Reds are so popular and why there is coup after coup in this land.

(83% of the population get 18% of government expenditure, whilst the 17% of the population in Bangkok get 72% of government expenditure).

Maintaining this imbalance is the root cause of the coups.

Do you have a graph of where government income comes from?

The red bars are share of GDP.

Although this is not government revenue, it does show how money is sucked out of the regions and funnelled into Bangkok.

If the point you're trying to make is that Bangkokians pay more (per capita) in taxes than the rural folk - this is true but the reason it is true is because those not residing in the capital have been economically marginalised by decades worth of unfair policies, corruption and neglect by (mostly military) governments.

(Also don't forget that all Thais, rich or poor pay VAT on every purchase).

The reason Thaksin is so loved is that his policies actually directed expenditure into the rural areas to kickstart economic activity. Once capital is circulating in a system it can multiply and generate more and more wealth. As a middle class develops government revenues will grow, so it really is in the nations best interest to push capital into the rural areas, unfortunately the greedy few at the top of the tree don't like to lose a single satang to national development and poverty reduction and so we get coup after coup and results as you see in the graph above.

[whybother]

The red bars are share of GDP.

Although this is not government revenue, it does show how money is sucked out of the regions and funnelled into Bangkok.

If the point you're trying to make is that Bangkokians pay more (per capita) in taxes than the rural folk - this is true but the reason it is true is because those not residing in the capital have been economically marginalised by decades worth of unfair policies, corruption and neglect by (mostly military) governments.

(Also don't forget that all Thais, rich or poor pay VAT on every purchase).

The reason Thaksin is so loved is that his policies actually directed expenditure into the rural areas to kickstart economic activity. Once capital is circulating in a system it can multiply and generate more and more wealth. As a middle class develops government revenues will grow, so it really is in the nations best interest to push capital into the rural areas, unfortunately the greedy few at the top of the tree don't like to lose a single satang to national development and poverty reduction and so we get coup after coup and results as you see in the graph above.

The governments of western countries also spend more in the cities than they do in country areas.

Thailand has had military governments for less than 3 years since (and including) the 1991 coup. That's 3 out of 23 years. Not really "mostly" is it.

Thais do not pay VAT on every purchase. If a small business doesn't make a certain amount of revenue per year they don't have to collect VAT. There are also many small business that don't charge VAT on cash purchases. It's also the poorer people that are spending money in these businesses, so the poorer people are less likely to be paying VAT.

You need to look at the businesses in the rural areas to see who the "greedy few" are. The poo-yai's and big business people in the country areas are the ones that made money out of Thaksin's policies.