Poll: Should the Pattaya Metropolitan Area Build a Subway/Underground?

[Jingthing]

Seeing that Terminal 21 is being built in North Pattaya and the traffic jams getting worse worse every year, do you think building a Pattaya Metropolitan area-wide subway/metro is the way to go?

[patsfangr]

Do you have any idea how long it would take to complete such a project here? The pork barrel tunnel is scheduled for 3 years; and I think we'd all bet on the side of it taking longer. A subway system project here would require at least 10 years of total chaos, as it was built. It would make the pork barrel tunnel chaos look like an open road!

Sorry, JT; but this is as close to a troll post as I've ever seen from you.

[Jingthing]

Not at all a troll thread.

Sure it would take a long time.

Either Pattaya is a major metro area, or not.

It's clear to me it already is and looking to the future MUST start building decent infrastructure for that.

[onemorechang]

Hope they do

I will have the BMT and 9-Grain Honey Oat bread

On a serious note,

Nice as it would be to have a Subway, i don't wish to see anymore badly throughout transport projects

around town, the Tunnel is just a piss take so far a Subway, god knows what they would f------up

No for me

Try and Improve what we have now,

First step, remove all managers at city hall, and just keep going chopping out the dead wood.

Edited May 3, 2016 by onemorechang

[Forkinhades]

No brainer really, needs to be done asa

Might be more cost effective for a skytrain

[onemorechang]

Wonder if there would be any group of people that would

be against this idea, besides some of us Farangs ?

Edited May 3, 2016 by onemorechang

[Basil B]

Me think it will flood...

[Jingthing]

Me think it will flood...

Proof of concept: Bangkok.

A city that is sinking into the water.

Also to do: real taxi meter systems.

I think subway more realistic than a skytrain. Need to tear down too much existing stuff to do a comprehensive skytrain.

Long term ... high speed link to airport and Bangkok.

The naysayers ... so 50 years from now in Pattaya.

Still only baht buses and motorcycle taxis? Seriously?

OK, maybe never a conventional subway ... maybe some futuristic type thingie that is less disruptive to build.

For example:

http://www.israel21c.org/space-age-rapid-transit-to-debut-in-tel-aviv/

Edited May 3, 2016 by Jingthing

[Merylhighground]

Proof of concept: Bangkok.

A city that is sinking into the water.

I was speaking to an 'engineer' (or so he claimed and I had no reason to disbelieve him as he seemed 'fluent' on his topic) over a few beers in BKK late last year and he claimed flat out that Bangkok's 'sinking' issues had been long sorted out.

I actually thought Pattaya had 'greenlit' an elevated MRT system a couple of years ago? Did that fall through?

Public Transport around the city needs addressing big time. It would be worth a few years of snarls if the result is a fast, easy, cost effective way to get around the city.

[Jingthing]

I recall the current and now long term mayor had floated a cosmetic touristic oriented monorail system (not even close to a comprehensive mass transit solution) as a literally "pie in the sky" campaign promotion. Kind of like Seattle monorail ... a small puff system for tourists, it doesn't serve many residents. Then there were a few meetings and it was over. I don't many people ever thought it was actually serious and again, it wasn't a transit system.

Years later, Pattaya has changed a lot and the roads are totally clogged for much of the time.

People say building mass transit is expensive. Yes, it is. They fail to consider to costs, including to quality of life, to NOT build it.

I'm talking about a real system that expands over the entire region.

Edited May 3, 2016 by Jingthing

[onemorechang]

Im not so sure Pattaya will be in Vogue in say 20 years time

as it is now. can it be justified ?

Other places round the world will be offering the same and maybe more as pattaya does now.

tourists are fickle.

But as a money making project for pattaya contractors and higher lever greedy people

its a win win and win some more project.

[Jingthing]

Pattaya has never been in vogue. Doesn't need to be. It keeps growing.

[thaitero]

Pattaya monorailplan i found on google..

Yes, I think Pattaya needs some sort of new infra for masses.

I hope they find and implement solution for this in (near) future.

[Jingthing]

If they start today, it would take many years.

Obviously they aren't starting today.

But it seems to me, given what the streets look like even NOW, they really SHOULD.

[scubascuba3]

I'd be happy with making certain roads baht bus, motorbike, tuk tuk only, problem solved.

[thaitero]

There are traffic problems but Pattaya cannot be a candidate for a monorail until it has a registered population of at least 800,000, which is needed to support such a system -

I read above from some webpage, i am not sure is it allowed to link so i do not..

Newtrhless I just wondered who made that rule and especially thinking about Pattaya where there are so many people living unregistered..

[onemorechang]

It is in vogue with the Thais at the weekends.

But with the imminent property collapse in Pattaya just round the corner ( to many greedy gits )

i would not be so sure of the amount of growth over the next twenty years, to justify a full on tube system.

the place is not that special anymore.

But if it was from Jomtien to Soi 6, for twenty Baht in 4 minutes, im all for it.

it could be quicker than sex, 50 / 50

Time will tell.

[Jingthing]

There are traffic problems but Pattaya cannot be a candidate for a monorail until it has a registered population of at least 800,000, which is needed to support such a system -

I read above from some webpage, i am not sure is it allowed to link so i do not..

Newtrhless I just wondered who made that rule and especially thinking about Pattaya where there are so many people living unregistered..

Yeah, that's a huge issue with Pattaya politics. I reckon a significant majority of Thai residents need to go to their home provinces to vote. Transients city.

[patsfangr]

Pattaya monorailplan i found on google..

Yes, I think Pattaya needs some sort of new infra for masses.

I hope they find and implement solution for this in (near) future.

Now THAT I like! All the congestion from the construction would be along 2nd Road. I VERY rarely go west of 3rd Road. I'm all for this plan! ... And, contrary to the statement about it not being for residents, such a location would definitely take a big bite out of traffic. After all, isn't the greatest cause of congestion the movement in that area? Of course, there'd still be the problem of how people living west of that line get to it. Same congestion as now on that point.

[i claudius]

We already have a lot of subways in Pattaya already ,the one in BIG C is quite good

[Guderian]

Me think it will flood...

+1, and it will become a haven for gangs of feral ladyboys to beat up and rob innocent tourists.

[Ireland32]

Hope they do

I will have the BMT and 9-Grain Honey Oat bread

On a serious note,

Nice as it would be to have a Subway, i don't wish to see anymore badly throughout transport projects

around town, the Tunnel is just a piss take so far a Subway, god knows what they would f------up

No for me

Try and Improve what we have now,

First step, remove all managers at city hall, and just keep going chopping out the dead wood.

Now you're talking, OMC! I want a Subway (sandwich shop) on the Darkside. I just spoke to the manager at the Big C Extra shop about it yesterday. :-) They'd do a great business over here, I believe. That would be my lunch at least twice a week.

ewwwww

[Jingthing]

This is about mass transit not American sandwiches.

[Rimmer]

Some off topic posts about fast food have been removed

[KhunBENQ]

A subway??? And leave the rest of the lawless chaos unchanged?

What for? Sure not to relax traffic.

Who would use it?

Just add some more chaos years, waste billions for corrupt mafiosi.

There are 100s of measures to be taken to get the traffic chaos in order.

VERY unpopular those would be (costly for those wishing to drive with the car into town).

[thailand49]

Not sure what can be done? The Civil Engineers if there are really any have a tough situation at hand. Plus I do not think any would say anything negative about their country whether they can or can't solve a problem. Decades of poor planning or none at all which seems the case.especially no real City planning. There are very few Alternative Soi to get from point A to B, so majority of traffic has to go down at handful of major Soi's.

Digging within the City is not a major option it seems since they can't even dig deep enough into a Soi to put in bigger drain pipes. The expertise just doesn't seem to be available and Thai do not seem to let to ask for outside help.

But whatever they decide to do they might want to fly over to Hong Kong and see how they did it? That is one amazing system done in one of the most condense area I know about?

[champers]

I voted Yes, but actually think the best option would be a tram or trolley way system.

[Jingthing]

Not sure what can be done? The Civil Engineers if there are really any have a tough situation at hand. Plus I do not think any would say anything negative about their country whether they can or can't solve a problem. Decades of poor planning or none at all which seems the case.especially no real City planning. There are very few Alternative Soi to get from point A to B, so majority of traffic has to go down at handful of major Soi's.

Digging within the City is not a major option it seems since they can't even dig deep enough into a Soi to put in bigger drain pipes. The expertise just doesn't seem to be available and Thai do not seem to let to ask for outside help.

But whatever they decide to do they might want to fly over to Hong Kong and see how they did it? That is one amazing system done in one of the most condense area I know about?

I assume they got foreign engineering to help with the Bangkok subway. So it's possible in Thailand, at least technically. In Pattaya I think it's more about political leadership and finance. Of course, it's no secret that Thailand is Bangkok-centric but as Pattaya is developing into Bangkok By The Sea, it seems to me sooner or later (yes, probably later) a major and dramatic mass transit project will happen here.

To the other member who asked, who will use it, come on now, who uses the Bangkok subway? Commuters of course but also tourists and various residents. Living in Jomtien I sure would pay more than baht bus fares for a rapid train to Naklua Market, Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, 3rd road and Klang, dark side Lakeside, etc., etc.

Edited May 4, 2016 by Jingthing

[NanLaew]

A subway would be one step beyond ridiculous at this juncture. Pattaya just needs old-fashioned MRT, ie. meter taxis and a commuter bus service.

They need to replace the baht buses with regular 6-wheel, 12 meter, air conditioned, low-rider commuter buses like below. Since 2011, there's been a small fleet of yellow ones that operate as free school buses. Get a fleet of those and revive the '3-circle' routes that the previous, short-lived bus service ran. Naklua-North Pattaya, Central Pattaya and South Pattaya-Jomtien with 3 terminus; one around Dolphin roundabout, one around where TOPS Klang used to be and one over beside Wat Chai. Clear specific sidewalks where they already have the yellow-white kerb markings so that the buses can actually use them. Ban high-top and double-deck buses entirely from west of Third Road and build a central terminal for them somewhere around the Highway 7 spur BEFORE Sukhumvit. Taxis fleet can be expanded (it's owned and operated by the baht bus syndicate anyway so that's their new revenue stream) and reduce and regulate where the motorcycle taxi guys can set up shop. Future expansion could be a dark side circle operating from the Klang terminus.

Get back to me when that happens.

[champers]

I believe that outside help is close to hand, namely from China. For trade and tourism, better infrastructure is vital not just in Pattaya but to and from Pattaya. Don't forget that any major rail or road link in this part of the world will likely be part financed by China. It's in their interests, so they will help.