PM Prayut opens Rattanakosin Island bike route as 'New Year's gift'

[webfact]

PM opens Rattanakosin Island bike route as 'New Year's gift'
Tanatpong Kongsai
The Nation


Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumband Paribatra ride bicycles to mark the opening of the bike lane around Rattanakosin Island in the capital.

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday opened a cycle route in Bangkok's Rattanakosin Island. The premier invited the public to travel by bike and called on motorists to follow the traffic rules.

Prayut presided over the opening ceremony of the 8-kilometre cycling route, which is the first complete cycle route in Bangkok. The opening ceremony was attended by deputy premiers, armed forces chiefs, the Bangkok governor as well as the public. The route is intended to be the government's New Year present for the people.

After the opening ceremony, Prayut led a bike ride on the route, starting at King Rama III Memorial Park. He also urged motorists to be mindful of cyclists, while advising cyclists to ride carefully.

The route covers are on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue, Tanao Road, Bamrung Muang, Kalayana Maitri, Sanam Chai, Thai Wang, Maha Rat, Na Phra Lan, Na Phra That, Rachini, Phra Athit, Phra Sumen, and Sip Sam Hang roads.

Launching the route, Prayut said he wanted to promote safe cycling as a part of everyday life because it saved money and reduced pollution.

Five new cycle routes planned

The government, he said, plans safe bicycle parking areas.

He also asked motorists to follow the traffic rules and be kind to cyclists.

There are 31 cycle routes in Bangkok with a total length of 232 kilometres. In 2015, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will set up five more routes on Somdet Phra Pinklao, Arun Amarin, Phra Sumen and Sanam Chai roads and footpaths of Ratchadamnoen Road.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumband Paribatra pledged to develop bike lanes around Rattanakosin Island to promote cultural tourism and car-free traffic in the capital's best-known cultural site.

In his speech to the public during the inauguration of the new bike lane, the governor said he had a plan to improve the condition of the 8km bike lane covering 12 routes around Rattanakosin Island, and the 10km lane covering five routes towards Thonburi by installing more safety equipment and repairing the existing ones.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has promoted the use of bicycles as a transport option since 2008 as part of its campaign for cultural and environmentally friendly tourism. The BMA currently has 31 bike lanes of 242 kilometres in length. The latest one was inaugurated today.

Sukhumbhand said no driver was allowed to park any vehicle on the bicycle lanes, and offenders would face a maximum fine of Bt1,000.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/PM-opens-Rattanakosin-Island-bike-route-as-New-Yea-30250869.html


-- The Nation 2014-12-29

[Kooweerup]

Basic infrastructure like this is paid for by the people. Did dear leader actually pay for it out of his own pocket, if not it's not a gift. Give me some money and I will buy you a gift. He really does treat the populous like total idiots and looks down on them.

[NongKhaiKid]

Seems the word ' gift ' is going to get a lot of use as almost everything announced these days gets the label.

As a publiciity ploy it's cheap and doesn't say much for official attitudes.

[The stuttering parrot]

The only thing this bloke should be allowed to open is a can of coke.

Bike lanes for the south nothing but rhetoric and martial law for the north.

Nice one general the poor are surely to be thankful for such a genourus gift from you.

Guess unimportant stuff like health education welfare etc can take a backseat while the elite can play with their new toy.

Priorities right up there with Indian wedding planning!

[BritTim]

I hope the new route is a little more usable than the one that runs through the street vendors and pedestrian bridges on lower Sukhumvit.

[noitom]

Everything he does is deemed a a"gift"/ Filled with ego and a legend in his own mind.

[chooka]

Funny to see how encouraging exercise and pollution-reduction and increased safety get panned as negatives.

No body is knocking the construction of infrastructure. The negative is dear leader and his Junta claiming it is a gift to the people from him.

That's not what the article says.

Even the justifiably often-ridiculed, frequently-erroneous The Nation said:

"The route is intended to be the government's New Year present for the people."

Which is different than what you misread it to be as in your post.

Isn't the Junta and Prayut the self appointed government. Governments don't build roads and bike lanes as gifts they build them because they are required for safety and the people pay for them and don't buy thier own gifts. Somchia just bought himself a new phone as a gift from the government. It's the government's bloody job to do this and by simply doing what you are being paid to do is not a gift to the people.

[ianf]

Funny to see how encouraging exercise and pollution-reduction and increased safety get panned as negatives.

No body is knocking the construction of infrastructure. The negative is dear leader and his Junta claiming it is a gift to the people from him. The guy puts to many accolades on himself and thinks people really believe that this is a personal gift from him. The people gave it to themselves.

I think the word 'gift' has been lost in translation from Thai. It seems to me that people here will find any negative angle so they can vent their spleen against the General. What a shame: the alternative was increasing dictatorial control by the Shins which perhaps some Thai Visa posters would have preferred. The General remains hugely popular .....

[moench]

The Santa Claus from Thailand??

[Ricardo]

The only thing this bloke should be allowed to open is a can of coke.

Bike lanes for the south nothing but rhetoric and martial law for the north.

Nice one general the poor are surely to be thankful for such a genourus gift from you.

Guess unimportant stuff like health education welfare etc can take a backseat while the elite can play with their new toy.

Priorities right up there with Indian wedding planning!

"Bike lanes for the south"

Actually, as the OP makes clear ("around Rattanakosin Island in the capital"), this island is in Bangkok.

"martial law for the north"

Actually it was, and remains, for the whole country, not just the north as you suggest.

I'd also say, it's nice to see a PM who wears a helmet, when out on his two-wheeled transport, unlike a previous bad-example !

Edited December 29, 2014 by Ricardo

[stevehaigh]

great if he could get phuket to build some. but even if they did, the motorbikes would use it anyhow

[rametindallas]

Everything he does is deemed a a"gift"/ Filled with ego and a legend in his own mind.

But it IS true. Everything Prayut does, in his capacity as PM, is a gift to the people of Thailand. He could have stayed in his barracks and retired as an honorable general. He is quite wealthy, even by Western standards. He didn't need all the hassle that comes with planning and executing a coup de etat and appointing himself PM. It's a lot of extra work and responsibility and a lot more people are watching him than when he was just a general. Since he is doing this out of the goodness of his heart, if really hurts his feelings when newspapers (and you, noitom) criticize him. Unless or until he enriches himself, as Dr. Thaksin did while in office, I will believe that what Prayut has done, and is doing, is motivated by altruism. Only time will tell if he will be, or is, corrupt. Right now, you've got nothing on him but suspicion and innuendo. BTW, politicians have been taking credit for public works for thousands of years.

[Card]

Anyone have a map of the route?

[Anthony5]

Could someone living in that area please post a picture of the beacons, clearly seen in the OP picture, in about 1 month from now?

For those who have no camera, just notifying how many beacons are actually left will suffice as well.

[lil fluffy clouds]

The only thing this bloke should be allowed to open is a can of coke.

Bike lanes for the south nothing but rhetoric and martial law for the north.

Nice one general the poor are surely to be thankful for such a genourus gift from you.

Guess unimportant stuff like health education welfare etc can take a backseat while the elite can play with their new toy.

Priorities right up there with Indian wedding planning!

"Bike lanes for the south"

Actually, as the OP makes clear ("around Rattanakosin Island in the capital"), this island is in Bangkok.

"martial law for the north"

Actually it was, and remains, for the whole country, not just the north as you suggest.

I'd also say, it's nice to see a PM who wears a helmet, when out on his two-wheeled transport, unlike a previous bad-example !

So wearing a helmet is some sort of morality statement to you. I can just see tarzan wearing his helmet while swinging through the trees. Get real!

[yellowboat]

Basic infrastructure like this is paid for by the people. Did dear leader actually pay for it out of his own pocket, if not it's not a gift. Give me some money and I will buy you a gift. He really does treat the populous like total idiots and looks down on them.

Sadly, the people of Thailand serve at the pleasure of the government now.

Regardless, the bike route is a good idea.

[lil fluffy clouds]

That's right, keep the proloteriat dosed up on nonsense while your selling the country to overseas investors, namely china.....

[Lupatria]

How far away are we from receiving free breezing air as a “gift” from the dear leader?

[Kooweerup]

Could someone living in that area please post a picture of the beacons, clearly seen in the OP picture, in about 1 month from now?

For those who have no camera, just notifying how many beacons are actually left will suffice as well.

They probably wont last, run over and eventually broken off. They should look at a design more like this from South Melbourne Aust. Raise bicycle lanes for bikes only, no pedestrians and you still have your footpaths and sidewalk cafe's blended.

[Qent]

The only thing this bloke should be allowed to open is a can of coke.

Bike lanes for the south nothing but rhetoric and martial law for the north.

Nice one general the poor are surely to be thankful for such a genourus gift from you.

Guess unimportant stuff like health education welfare etc can take a backseat while the elite can play with their new toy.

Priorities right up there with Indian wedding planning!

"Bike lanes for the south"

Actually, as the OP makes clear ("around Rattanakosin Island in the capital"), this island is in Bangkok.

"martial law for the north"

Actually it was, and remains, for the whole country, not just the north as you suggest.

I'd also say, it's nice to see a PM who wears a helmet, when out on his two-wheeled transport, unlike a previous bad-example !

Thank you for the highlighting the third poster in the thread that struggles to comprehend what they read.

[worgeordie]

The Government seems to be handing gifts out to everyone,

what about Farangs,would be nice if they could give you a

5 year extension,or even been able to own a small piece

of land,that would bring happiness.

regards Worgeordie

[Ricardo]

The only thing this bloke should be allowed to open is a can of coke.

Bike lanes for the south nothing but rhetoric and martial law for the north.

Nice one general the poor are surely to be thankful for such a genourus gift from you.

Guess unimportant stuff like health education welfare etc can take a backseat while the elite can play with their new toy.

Priorities right up there with Indian wedding planning!

"Bike lanes for the south"

Actually, as the OP makes clear ("around Rattanakosin Island in the capital"), this island is in Bangkok.

"martial law for the north"

Actually it was, and remains, for the whole country, not just the north as you suggest.

I'd also say, it's nice to see a PM who wears a helmet, when out on his two-wheeled transport, unlike a previous bad-example !

So wearing a helmet is some sort of morality statement to you. I can just see tarzan wearing his helmet while swinging through the trees. Get real!

Not at all, you totally missed that reference, although many longer-serving members will recall, what you clearly don't ...

Once upon a time, a decade or so ago, there was a Prime Minister & Cabinet of Thailand, who showed their one-ness with the ordinary people by touring Isaan on their flash motorbikes, Harleys and the like.

But although the law said, even back then, that helmets should be worn, and photos of the Great-Biker & his gang showed, they felt they were all above-the-law, or that the helmets might destroy the value of the photo-opp, as they wore none.

This was the subject of a certain amount of gentle hilarity, amongst farangs & TV-posters, at the time. All the Bibs saluting a group of people who were clearly breaking the law as they rode past.

Which also therefore explains the smilie, after the last line of my post.

No "some sort of morality statement" after all, but humour, of a sort.

Edited December 29, 2014 by Ricardo

[ubonjoe]

A post that contained a changed quote and a reply to it has been removed. Also a off topic post has been removed.

[Qent]

The only thing this bloke should be allowed to open is a can of coke.

Bike lanes for the south nothing but rhetoric and martial law for the north.

Nice one general the poor are surely to be thankful for such a genourus gift from you.

Guess unimportant stuff like health education welfare etc can take a backseat while the elite can play with their new toy.

Priorities right up there with Indian wedding planning!

"Bike lanes for the south"

Actually, as the OP makes clear ("around Rattanakosin Island in the capital"), this island is in Bangkok.

"martial law for the north"

Actually it was, and remains, for the whole country, not just the north as you suggest.

I'd also say, it's nice to see a PM who wears a helmet, when out on his two-wheeled transport, unlike a previous bad-example !

So wearing a helmet is some sort of morality statement to you. I can just see tarzan wearing his helmet while swinging through the trees. Get real!

Not at all, you totally missed that reference, although many longer-serving members will recall, what you clearly don't ...

Once upon a time, a decade or so ago, there was a Prime Minister & Cabinet of Thailand, who showed their one-ness with the ordinary people by touring Isaan on their flash motorbikes, Harleys and the like.

But although the law said, even back then, that helmets should be worn, and photos of the Great-Biker & his gang showed, they felt they were all above-the-law, or that the helmets might destroy the value of the photo-opp, as they wore none.

This was the subject of a certain amount of gentle hilarity, amongst farangs & TV-posters, at the time. All the Bibs saluting a group of people who were clearly breaking the law as they rode past.

Which also therefore explains the smilie, after the last line of my post.

No "some sort of morality statement" after all, but humour, of a sort.

Don't worry.

Some of us got it and it was humorous.

[chooka]

Funny to see how encouraging exercise and pollution-reduction and increased safety get panned as negatives.

No body is knocking the construction of infrastructure. The negative is dear leader and his Junta claiming it is a gift to the people from him.

That's not what the article says.

Even the justifiably often-ridiculed, frequently-erroneous The Nation said:

"The route is intended to be the government's New Year present for the people."

Which is different than what you misread it to be as in your post.

Isn't the Junta and Prayut the self appointed government. Governments don't build roads and bike lanes as gifts they build them because they are required for safety and the people pay for them and don't buy thier own gifts. Somchia just bought himself a new phone as a gift from the government. It's the government's bloody job to do this and by simply doing what you are being paid to do is not a gift to the people.

*sigh* another poster that has difficulty reading.

That's not what Kooweerup posted that I replied to.

That's not even what The Nation posted.

(I left your misspellings, bad grammar, and lack of punctuation intact so as to leave your entire mishmash quote unedited)

.

OMG another qualified English teacher who spoils a conversation. I bet you get pissed with the different accents also compared to your perfect British accent. Nice way to win an argument idiot school teacher. People on here are not your submissive students or have English as a 1st language you stupid fool

[lil fluffy clouds]

The only thing this bloke should be allowed to open is a can of coke.

Bike lanes for the south nothing but rhetoric and martial law for the north.

Nice one general the poor are surely to be thankful for such a genourus gift from you.

Guess unimportant stuff like health education welfare etc can take a backseat while the elite can play with their new toy.

Priorities right up there with Indian wedding planning!

"Bike lanes for the south"

Actually, as the OP makes clear ("around Rattanakosin Island in the capital"), this island is in Bangkok.

"martial law for the north"

Actually it was, and remains, for the whole country, not just the north as you suggest.

I'd also say, it's nice to see a PM who wears a helmet, when out on his two-wheeled transport, unlike a previous bad-example !

So wearing a helmet is some sort of morality statement to you. I can just see tarzan wearing his helmet while swinging through the trees. Get real!

Not at all, you totally missed that reference, although many longer-serving members will recall, what you clearly don't ...

Once upon a time, a decade or so ago, there was a Prime Minister & Cabinet of Thailand, who showed their one-ness with the ordinary people by touring Isaan on their flash motorbikes, Harleys and the like.

But although the law said, even back then, that helmets should be worn, and photos of the Great-Biker & his gang showed, they felt they were all above-the-law, or that the helmets might destroy the value of the photo-opp, as they wore none.

This was the subject of a certain amount of gentle hilarity, amongst farangs & TV-posters, at the time. All the Bibs saluting a group of people who were clearly breaking the law as they rode past.

Which also therefore explains the smilie, after the last line of my post.

No "some sort of morality statement" after all, but humour, of a sort.

Ok, apologies, now I understand.

[chooka]

The only thing this bloke should be allowed to open is a can of coke.

Bike lanes for the south nothing but rhetoric and martial law for the north.

Nice one general the poor are surely to be thankful for such a genourus gift from you.

Guess unimportant stuff like health education welfare etc can take a backseat while the elite can play with their new toy.

Priorities right up there with Indian wedding planning!

"Bike lanes for the south"

Actually, as the OP makes clear ("around Rattanakosin Island in the capital"), this island is in Bangkok.

"martial law for the north"

Actually it was, and remains, for the whole country, not just the north as you suggest.

I'd also say, it's nice to see a PM who wears a helmet, when out on his two-wheeled transport, unlike a previous bad-example !

So wearing a helmet is some sort of morality statement to you. I can just see tarzan wearing his helmet while swinging through the trees. Get real!

Not at all, you totally missed that reference, although many longer-serving members will recall, what you clearly don't ...

Once upon a time, a decade or so ago, there was a Prime Minister & Cabinet of Thailand, who showed their one-ness with the ordinary people by touring Isaan on their flash motorbikes, Harleys and the like.

But although the law said, even back then, that helmets should be worn, and photos of the Great-Biker & his gang showed, they felt they were all above-the-law, or that the helmets might destroy the value of the photo-opp, as they wore none.

This was the subject of a certain amount of gentle hilarity, amongst farangs & TV-posters, at the time. All the Bibs saluting a group of people who were clearly breaking the law as they rode past.

Which also therefore explains the smilie, after the last line of my post.

No "some sort of morality statement" after all, but humour, of a sort.

Don't worry.

Some of us got it and it was humorous.

for an English teacher that grammar is terrible. You address others on this and you are pathetic at it.

[tbthailand]

Everything he does is deemed a a"gift"/ Filled with ego and a legend in his own mind.

But it IS true. Everything Prayut does, in his capacity as PM, is a gift to the people of Thailand. He could have stayed in his barracks and retired as an honorable general. He is quite wealthy, even by Western standards. He didn't need all the hassle that comes with planning and executing a coup de etat and appointing himself PM. It's a lot of extra work and responsibility and a lot more people are watching him than when he was just a general. Since he is doing this out of the goodness of his heart, if really hurts his feelings when newspapers (and you, noitom) criticize him. Unless or until he enriches himself, as Dr. Thaksin did while in office, I will believe that what Prayut has done, and is doing, is motivated by altruism. Only time will tell if he will be, or is, corrupt. Right now, you've got nothing on him but suspicion and innuendo. BTW, politicians have been taking credit for public works for thousands of years.

for the 'gift' thing, it is the end of the year and Thais like to make everything a 'gift'. That's not a big deal.

For the meat of your post, I could almost read it as dripping with sarcasm, but it's not. I understand that you mean it. And yes, no one has anything on him other than suspicion and innuendo. But seeing as he has risen to lead an organization which has a long, documented tradition of corruption, it is not unreasonable to have suspicions.

Given the current lack of free press and the general level of danger in exposing corruption in Thailand among powerful people, it is also not surprising that we are left only with suspicions and innuendo. Personally, I don't expect that situation to change soon.

It's possible that, somewhat like Prem, he is one of the more 'clean' generals (note, I would not say 'clean', but it's possible that he is less corrupt than some of the others in the military). That's possible.

As for altruism, we can discuss that, agree and disagree all we want. I don't for a minute believe he is altruistic. But his own inner perspective on what he is doing is far less important to me that what he is doing. And that I don't like one bit.

[NeilSA1]

Isn't the Junta and Prayut the self appointed government. Governments don't build roads and bike lanes as gifts they build them because they are required for safety and the people pay for them and don't buy thier own gifts. Somchia just bought himself a new phone as a gift from the government. It's the government's bloody job to do this and by simply doing what you are being paid to do is not a gift to the people.

*sigh* another poster that has difficulty reading.

That's not what Kooweerup posted that I replied to.

That's not even what The Nation posted.

(I left your misspellings, bad grammar, and lack of punctuation intact so as to leave your entire mishmash quote unedited)

.

OMG another qualified English teacher who spoils a conversation. I bet you get pissed with the different accents also compared to your perfect British accent. Nice way to win an argument idiot school teacher. People on here are not your submissive students or have English as a 1st language you stupid fool

Wow ! ..and a Happy New Year to you as well.

Edited December 29, 2014 by NeilSA1

[chooka]

Isn't the Junta and Prayut the self appointed government. Governments don't build roads and bike lanes as gifts they build them because they are required for safety and the people pay for them and don't buy thier own gifts. Somchia just bought himself a new phone as a gift from the government. It's the government's bloody job to do this and by simply doing what you are being paid to do is not a gift to the people.

*sigh* another poster that has difficulty reading.

That's not what Kooweerup posted that I replied to.

That's not even what The Nation posted.

(I left your misspellings, bad grammar, and lack of punctuation intact so as to leave your entire mishmash quote unedited)

.

OMG another qualified English teacher who spoils a conversation. I bet you get pissed with the different accents also compared to your perfect British accent. Nice way to win an argument idiot school teacher. People on here are not your submissive students or have English as a 1st language you stupid fool

Wow ! ..and a Happy New Year to you as well.

He is troll and gets the respect a troll deserves. People who come on here and do nothing but critisice others on hyphenation, spelling and grammar are only pure trolls. They are even greater fools when they lack the skills they are criticizing.