New northern bus terminal to replace Morchit 2

[Lite Beer]

New northern bus terminal to replace Morchit 2

BANGKOK: -- The Transport Company will decide next month the new location of its bus terminal to replace its existing Morchit 2 terminal to handle rising number of passengers travelling to northern and northeastern provinces.

Wuttichat kanlayanamit, director of Transport Company, said the company will finalize the relocation plan of the Morchit 2 bus terminal within December, covering location for the new terminal, investment budget, and bus routes.

The new bus terminal will cover an area of at least 100-120 rai of land and will be able to serve some 50-60 million people a year, he said.

Currently the Morchit 2 bus terminal in northern Bangkok could handle approximately 40 million passengers a year.

He said the new bus terminal will have separate buildings for passengers travelling to each region.

He said there are 3-4 suitable locations in Chaengwattana, Don Mueang and Rangsit areas and the company’s consulting firm will select the most suitable location before next year.

Construction of the new bus terminal will take 2-3 years, he added.

Earler there was report that Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong has tentatively agreed to build a new bus terminal to replace the Morchit 2 bus terminal on a plot of land near the Future Park Plaza Rangsit in Rangsit area.

The minister has also set aside a budget worth 1.5 billion baht for construction of the new bus terminal and ordered the Transport Company to study if the project will require land acquisition and to estimate its cost.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/new-northern-bus-terminal-replace-morchit-2/

-- Thai PBS 2014-11-15

[Gunna]

Catching a taxi from downtown Bangkok to Rangsit could cost more than the bus fare to Korat and take almost as long. At least build the new bus station next to a BTS Station. Why not use all that unused land around Makassan next to MRT and Airport Link - But SRT wants to build another Fxxking Mall there.

[taony]

One day you will need to go to Chiang Mai to get the bus to Chiang Mai.

[ratcatcher]

Future Park Rangsit is incredibly congested at the best of times. Making city dwellers wishing to take the bus home will require another hours ride to Rangsit. Clever plan.

The most logical suggestion has been from the poster suggesting Makkasan, which is centrally placed, accessible to motorways and Skytrain etc, but as he points out, that land is badly needed for yet another shopping mall.

Edited November 15, 2014 by ratcatcher

[NongKhaiKid]

Catching a taxi from downtown Bangkok to Rangsit could cost more than the bus fare to Korat and take almost as long. At least build the new bus station next to a BTS Station. Why not use all that unused land around Makassan next to MRT and Airport Link - But SRT wants to build another Fxxking Mall there.

Forget travellers, Thar's Money In Them Thar Malls.

Edited November 15, 2014 by NongKhaiKid

[noitom]

Why does the Thai press spell Mo Chit as Morchit? The BTS spells it Mo Chit. Why can't Thais get these spellings consistent? It's troublesome that they even spell their own names differently all the time.

[jaltsc]

"the company’s consulting firm will select the most suitable location before next year."

"Most suitable" meaning the land owned by the "right" person.

[phutoie2]

Why does the Thai press spell Mo Chit as Morchit? The BTS spells it Mo Chit. Why can't Thais get these spellings consistent? It's troublesome that they even spell their own names differently all the time.

I think its because its named after a Thai doctor who donated the land for the original bus terminal. I have always referred to it as Morchit myself.

Consider this, we have just had a brand new court house built here. in English it has signs at the entrance saying Provicial Court House and Offit of the Attornev Generat. We all know what they mean.

[scorecard]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Catching a taxi from downtown Bangkok to Rangsit could cost more than the bus fare to Korat and take almost as long. At least build the new bus station next to a BTS Station. Why not use all that unused land around Makassan next to MRT and Airport Link - But SRT wants to build another Fxxking Mall there.

Good point. Perhaps it's time to split into more bus stations. surely one station handling 50 to 60 million passengers a year is just too big and no matter how it's designed will be a total nightmare and total chaos. That lesson is already there at Morchit every day and even more so when there are public holidays (millions extra at Songkran etc). Better to spread the crowd across three or four bus stations.

[sjaak327]

Rangsit ? Are they out of their minds ?

How many years ago was the last move to what is now called Mochit 2, 20 ? From recollection it can't be much longer than that.

Is there no way to expand the current facility ?

Anyway Rangsit is a crazy suggestion, way to far from the city center. And technically isn't part of Bangkok proper, whilst the current three main bus stations are at least located in the city itself.

[Sviss Geez]

Catching a taxi from downtown Bangkok to Rangsit could cost more than the bus fare to Korat and take almost as long. At least build the new bus station next to a BTS Station. Why not use all that unused land around Makassan next to MRT and Airport Link - But SRT wants to build another Fxxking Mall there.

"Why not use all that unused land around Makassan..."

Because The Transport Company doesn't own that land, it's owned by SRT.

[Sviss Geez]

Future Park Rangsit is incredibly congested at the best of times. Making city dwellers wishing to take the bus home will require another hours ride to Rangsit. Clever plan.

The most logical suggestion has been from the poster suggesting Makkasan, which is centrally placed, accessible to motorways and Skytrain etc, but as he points out, that land is badly needed for yet another shopping mall.

That is actually the most illogical suggestion, how can they construct something on land they do not own?

[Sviss Geez]

Why does the Thai press spell Mo Chit as Morchit? The BTS spells it Mo Chit. Why can't Thais get these spellings consistent? It's troublesome that they even spell their own names differently all the time.

Why do pedantic Thai-bashers bang on about trivial things that do not matter? That's even more troublesome.

[taony]

Its not trivial. When reading highway signs you need to know where you are going. In a moving car when you are looking for a sign to Mo Chit, and you see Morchit you might miss it. One word instead of two. Others seem totally different. Like I see signs now for Sinagarin or some such. What happened to Sri Nakarin? Seems like two different places.

[OneZero]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Future Park Rangsit is incredibly congested at the best of times. Making city dwellers wishing to take the bus home will require another hours ride to Rangsit. Clever plan.

The most logical suggestion has been from the poster suggesting Makkasan, which is centrally placed, accessible to motorways and Skytrain etc, but as he points out, that land is badly needed for yet another shopping mall.

That is actually the most illogical suggestion, how can they construct something on land they do not own?

Emminent domain. For the good & convenience of the public (not some "Hi-So's" pocket).

[Boycie]

Dear Wuttichat Kanlayanamit, director of Transport Company, please could you make the design of the new Mo'r' Chit 2 terminal more passenger friendly than the Southern Bus Terminal, where you have to carry all your luggage to the first floor to buy a ticket and then proceed back to the ground floor to board your bus.

[ataloss]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Why does the Thai press spell Mo Chit as Morchit? The BTS spells it Mo Chit. Why can't Thais get these spellings consistent? It's troublesome that they even spell their own names differently all the time.

Why do pedantic Thai-bashers bang on about trivial things that do not matter? That's even more troublesome.

And it's 'swiss cheese' not 'swizz jeez' ... com'on get with the program....

[whybother]

Why would you have a bus terminal in the centre of the city when most people don't live in the centre of the city?

At least half the people would need to spend an hour or two getting IN to the bus terminal and then spend an hour or two getting OUT of the city.

[whybother]

Its not trivial. When reading highway signs you need to know where you are going. In a moving car when you are looking for a sign to Mo Chit, and you see Morchit you might miss it. One word instead of two. Others seem totally different. Like I see signs now for Sinagarin or some such. What happened to Sri Nakarin? Seems like two different places.

Maybe they should change the English language so that it translate directly to Thai.

[BangkokHank]

Actually it is better to have bus stations on the outskirts of cities because even if a central location is easier to get to for most people, all of those buses have to pass through the city to get out of town, which causes a lot of traffic. So the best option is a location on the edge of the city - BUT - accessible by rapid transit which, in Bangkok's case, means either the BTS or the MRT. Otherwise you end up with the idiotic system that you have now by which both the BTS and the MRt get you CLOSE to the current Morchit Bus Station - but not quite all the way there. Then you have to take a taxi the rest of the way, which can cost more than the bus trip you are there to take. The current set-up was clearly meant to benefit drivers rather than the traveling public.

[godden]

When you hear a Thai pronounce the name it sounds like 'more shit' do they know something we don't.

[Estrada]

Catching a taxi from downtown Bangkok to Rangsit could cost more than the bus fare to Korat and take almost as long. At least build the new bus station next to a BTS Station. Why not use all that unused land around Makassan next to MRT and Airport Link - But SRT wants to build another Fxxking Mall there.

Agree with you. 20 years ago I advised the Government to move the Bangkok Terminal station (Hua Lamphong) to the original site of Makasan Station to incorporate the Northern and Eastern Bus Terminals. In this way people could get straight on to a bus that would exit the bus station striaght onto the motorway avoiding the ordinary roads within the city. They could also transfer to the MRT or airport/city links and SRT lines. The original plan for Morchit was to be built next to the BTS, but a politician grabbed the land for Sun Estates for a shopping mall which never happened because Sun Estates went under follwing the 1997 financial crisis.

[bheard]

The real problem for most travellers currently is how to get to/from the bus station.

I always get a taxi to/from the BTS to Mochit. Not very sensible, but what else is there?

How about for the new terminal the authorities provide travellers with a BTS extension.

Too difficult? Maybe.

A bit like when you build the BTS and then later build an MRT with a different ticketing system. I'll never understand why the authorities didn't just write the line into the MRT contract "Must have same ticketing as BTS". Too simple.

Just write the line "Must have direct connection with BTS" into the contract for the new bus station.

[RTH10260]

Why would you have a bus terminal in the centre of the city when most people don't live in the centre of the city?

At least half the people would need to spend an hour or two getting IN to the bus terminal and then spend an hour or two getting OUT of the city.

All terminals will be at the wrong corner for some travellers.

IMHO those masses that chose to travel by bus are really in need for good connections to other forms of mass public transport. Travelin to some terminal out in the green by taxi is the worst solutiin for public transport.

And as another poster already mentioned, better not concentrate all traffic in a single unit. These are terminals by definition, not hubs to other parts of the country.

[Lakegeneve]

The real problem for most travellers currently is how to get to/from the bus station.

I always get a taxi to/from the BTS to Mochit. Not very sensible, but what else is there?

How about for the new terminal the authorities provide travellers with a BTS extension.

Too difficult? Maybe.

A bit like when you build the BTS and then later build an MRT with a different ticketing system. I'll never understand why the authorities didn't just write the line into the MRT contract "Must have same ticketing as BTS". Too simple.

Just write the line "Must have direct connection with BTS" into the contract for the new bus station.

Well given that there is no BTS line planned near where the 3 site options are that might be a tough sell....unless you want them to build a 5km pedestrian link to Lam Lukka rd?

Whichever new site is chose it will be near the SRT Dark Red line which is currently under construction and two of the 3 sites offer connectivity with a planned station on that line.

More info on why it is being moved and why Makkasan is NOT an option, http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/653268-bangkoks-mo-chit-2-bus-terminal-to-be-relocated-ahead-of-aec/page-2

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/744930-bangkok-morchit-2-bus-terminal-to-be-moved/page-2#entry8150154

[mango66]

Better to change Monchit terminal to a one way terminal,

Reds back to north with no return needed !!

[mango66]

Rangsit ? Are they out of their minds ?

How many years ago was the last move to what is now called Mochit 2, 20 ? From recollection it can't be much longer than that.

Is there no way to expand the current facility ?

Anyway Rangsit is a crazy suggestion, way to far from the city center. And technically isn't part of Bangkok proper, whilst the current three main bus stations are at least located in the city itself.

we dont need any bus terminal for Nprth,

why they not stay there in their TS republic ??

[Gunna]

Sviz Geez

&lt;deleted&gt; "That is actually the most illogical suggestion, how can they construct something on land they do not own? "

Why do you think MORCHIT has to move - they don't own the land it is now built on - They are leasing it from SRT who want it back to extend Bang Su and the Red Line

So The transport Co can lease a new bit of land where ever they wan to.

Anyway the SRT and Transport Co are Government Agencies.

SRT probably doesn't want to lease Makassan as they think they will make more leasing it to a Mall developer

[sjaak327]

Rangsit ? Are they out of their minds ?

How many years ago was the last move to what is now called Mochit 2, 20 ? From recollection it can't be much longer than that.

Is there no way to expand the current facility ?

Anyway Rangsit is a crazy suggestion, way to far from the city center. And technically isn't part of Bangkok proper, whilst the current three main bus stations are at least located in the city itself.

we dont need any bus terminal for Nprth,

why they not stay there in their TS republic ??

Can we please leave politics and silly remarks about the reds out of this thread.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Why would you have a bus terminal in the centre of the city when most people don't live in the centre of the city?

At least half the people would need to spend an hour or two getting IN to the bus terminal and then spend an hour or two getting OUT of the city.

Why would you build a major new inter-region bus terminal for Bangkok in a location not served currently or perhaps for many years into the future by any of the city's main rail transit lines?

At least Mochit 2 is a pretty short hop from the nearest BTS and MRT stations at Mochit. But Rangsit and Chaengwattana??? Those are both half hour to hour taxi/bus/van rides or longer from much of Bangkok, except for the northern suburbs.

Is someone assuming that the only people traveling to/from the North and Northeast destinations are those who live in the northern suburbs of Bangkok??? That's crazy!!!