Bangkok Braces for 5 Years of Traffic Congestion

[Guest fountainhall]

Yes, it’s been a constant refrain for decades. 22 years ago, one of my colleagues left the Grand Hyatt at 7:00 am to get to Don Mueang for a 10:00 am flight. He missed it

 

Traffic seemed to ease a bit once the Skytrain and later the subway opened. But that was a temporary lull as car numbers began to increase again. Now, thanks to the government filling an idiotic election promise of major tax rebates of up to Bt. 100,000 for first-time car buyers, an estimated 1.3 new cars were registered by the deadline of December 31. Not concerned about the 500,000 to 1 million of these new cars that will now hit Bangkok’s roads, the powers-that-be have extended the madness and the deadline to end March - i.e. another 300,000+ cars.

 

As the New Zealand Herald pointed out yesterday –

 

Bangkok, long-standing poster child for urban gridlock, is driving itself to a standstill . . .

 

It's arguably worse than the early-1990s, when Bangkok first became the world's undisputed champion in vehicle congestion, and drivers bought portable urinals called "Ezee-Pee" to avoid getting caught short. Since then public transport has slowly improved but the number of vehicles has more than doubled.

 

Even the Bangkok Post calls the likely scenario –

 

five years of extraordinary traffic congestion

 

Last year, 7 million vehicles were on Bangkok’s roads. The road system was designed to accommodate 1.5 million! This year, several new mass transit projects will start, thus closing sections of many major roads and contributing to more gridlock.

 

In another Bangkok Post article, the writer bemoans the fact that the government pushed ahead with this scheme instead of spending the money on public transport projects.

 

Not only Thais are questioning this. One of last week's most discussed topics on social networks in Thailand was about a Japanese official's opinion on the scheme. The man asked a Thai friend why those in the government wanted more Thais to use personal cars. He calculated that the rebated tax money may total 127 billion baht. If the sum was not returned to the first-car buyers, it could be spent more effectively. For example, the money could be used for constructing the Hua Lamphong-Bang Khae-Phutthamonthon Sai 4 subway route (49.9 billion baht), the Bang Sue-Tha Phra subway route (25.1 billion baht), the Thailand Cultural Centre-Bang Kapi subway route (55 billion baht), another international airport, a high-speed train system nationwide or providing free education for kindergarten to university students for five to 10 years.

 

It’s utter madness! But then again, it's Thailand!

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/thailand/news/article.cfm?l_id=102&objectid=10858163&ref=rss

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/328687/traffic-snarls-to-last-five-years/page-3/

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/328065/fuming-over-first-car-scheme

[Guest abang]

During my recent trip to Bangkok, I had used only the public transport.

I had only 1 bag and I took the train from the Airport to town.

 

From 23 Dec 2012, I was lucky to stay at the Hilton (across the river) for 3 nights.

The free shuttle ferried me to Taksin Sapan Station or RiverCity.

From there, I commuted to my destinations by the skytrain or by buses.

 

When I returned from Pattaya, I had 2 nights at Ibis (across the infamous Hotel Malaysia) at Sathon.

I used the MRT and the buses to do all my shoppings and to Silom.

 

Actually, I enjoyed the experience on board the buses.

The view was quite spectacular and it gave me time to view at the quaint buildings properly.

Of course, the lure of Bangkok is its chaotic traffic jams and as a visitor without an agenda, this can be fun.

[Guest thaiworthy]

When I returned from Pattaya, I had 2 nights at Ibis (across the infamous Hotel Malaysia) at Sathon.

I used the MRT and the buses to do all my shoppings and to Silom.

 

Actually, I enjoyed the experience on board the buses.

The view was quite spectacular and it gave me time to view at the quaint buildings properly.

Of course, the lure of Bangkok is its chaotic traffic jams and as a visitor without an agenda, this can be fun.

I've heard Bangkok traffic described as many things, but never fun. How did you like the Ibis? I like the building but have no idea what the rooms look like or the amenities. I'd always figured it was just a basic hotel. As a gay traveler, did you have any problems?

 

I have wanted to ride the buses for a long time, but the Skytrain and MRT win hands down if they are on the same route. I just don't relish the prospect of sitting in stalled traffic with or without an agenda. And you can't use EZee-pee in a taxi! I try to avoid all methods of transportation that take place on city streets with the possible exception of a motorbike, and even then my heart is in my throat.

 

If you are going to use BTS/MRT, it is always best to travel at non-peak times. During monsoon season especially, 10 am to 1 pm is ideal for me. The rains always seem to hit after 1 pm.

[KhorTose]

Hey, look at the bright side.  By the time they add enough roads to handle all the traffic, the city will be permanently flooded by global warming and you can take a boat ride instead.

[Guest fountainhall]

Which is precisely what Bangkokians did before they filled in the klongs to build the bloody roads in the first place! Plus ca change!

[Guest abang]

Ibis was a functional hotel and I did not bring anyone back (sigh).

However, I crossed over to Hotel Malaysia's pool for tanning in my skimpy suit.

(just with a small charge of non-hotel guest)

 

Actually from the bus stop at Rama 4, the journey to Erawan/Central World Plaza was just a mere 15 mins as buses have their own designated lanes. For Silom, the MRT is just one station away from Lumpini. I sort of enjoyed the bus journey from Rama 4 to Yaowarat. The slow traffic actually gave me time to look at the shops there. I used my tablet to snap quite a number of good photos - at a higher angle in the bus than on the street!

[Guest]

Schemes to stimulate car sales might just serve some purpose when they are trying to reduce the effects of some major downturn in the economy.  However, doing it when the economy is already growing very fast makes no sense at all.  Particularly when the government borrowing is increasing.

What they could do with is a tax regime that encourages people to purchase small efficient cars and stay away from these gas guzzling pickups.

[Guest timmberty]

i remember when the french decided to clear the streets of paris .. they have number plates with numbers at the end .. they decreed that on certain days only cars with odd numbers could drive in the city and other days even numbers could drive there ..

and so it came to pass that everyone went out and bought a second car, meaning everyone had and odd and even number plate .. great minds huh !

[Guest thaiworthy]

and so it came to pass that everyone went out and bought a second car, meaning everyone had and odd and even number plate .. great minds huh !

 

Yes, but what a great economy it must be if everyone can afford a second car.

[Guest fountainhall]

It seems the car subsidy scheme in Thailand may have in part been devised to help the manufacturers who were attracted here and whose factories were closed down by the 2011 floods. Yet, whatever that scheme's origins, there is a variety of ways to reduce traffic, as other cities have proved. 

 

Singapore, Stockholm and London require cars entering the city centre to pay some form of congestion charge. Hong Kong was one of the first to develop an automatic road pricing system and tested it in the early 1980s. Unfortunately, the rich and mega rich protested that their wives would be able to discover when they were en route to see their mistresses. The scheme was shelved!

 

If the Bangkok administration had the guts, it would introduce such a scheme, have more bus lanes and use the revenue to boost the quality and quantity of the bus services.

[Guest timmberty]

Yes, but what a great economy it must be if everyone can afford a second car.

not really TW most of the 2nd cars where run down clap heaps .. the scheme didnt last long.

[Rogie]

Yes I can believe that. I bet many Frenchies had as their second a car much loved and cherished, the deux cheveau - sadly long out of production but a wonderful car to drive around town - shooting out of the side roads as was their want many a tourist had to slam on the brakes.

[Guest fountainhall]

I don't know how many of the new purchase scheme cars are now on the road, but the traffic in central Bangkok over the last few days has been the worst I have experienced for many months. I know it's a Friday, schools are back and the New Year holidays are over, but at 4:30pm there was total gridlock on Sathorn from Saphan Taksin to Rama 4, on Rama 4 it was barely crawling and the same on Silom. Since the purchase scheme continues till March, what on earth will it be like when the rains come?

[Rogie]

4.30 on a Friday afternoon is asking for trouble! Workers coming home early from work, people dashing (!) off to their villa for the weekend . . .  just getting into top gear (!!) whaddya expect?

 

Yes, it’s been a constant refrain for decades. 22 years ago, one of my colleagues left the Grand Hyatt at 7:00 am to get to Don Mueang for a 10:00 am flight. He missed it

 

Know the feeling. The mini bus carrying me and our tour group were scheduled for a final morning's sightseeing in Bangkok, but the canny tour guide read the runes and declared we ain't gonna make it if we don't leave now so we got to the airport in time. That was '95 before the Skytrain.

[Guest abang]

That massive traffic jam reminds me of the Japanese traffic in Osaka.

Between 4 to 5 pm, most sales representatives return to their parent company to do their daily summary.

During this period, the cars move like snails.

 

In Thailand, traffic after 3.30 pm is the same.

Students are dismissed around this period and from my limited personal experience while staying at Hotel Malaysia years ago, that tiny lane/soi from Sathon towards Babylon was the worst nightmare.  Pedestrians could walk from one end of the lane to the other before the car catches up. 

[Guest fountainhall]

That's Sathorn Soi 1. It has a kindergarten near the Sathorn end and most of the parents seem to have cars. The jams are terrible there early and late afternoon.

[Guest timmberty]

That's Sathorn Soi 1. It has a kindergarten near the Sathorn end and most of the parents seem to have cars. The jams are terrible there early and late afternoon.

is that where you study ... are his jokes that funny ??? how could i be he ?

[Guest Jovianmoon]

i remember when the french decided to clear the streets of paris .. they have number plates with numbers at the end .. they decreed that on certain days only cars with odd numbers could drive in the city and other days even numbers could drive there ..

and so it came to pass that everyone went out and bought a second car, meaning everyone had and odd and even number plate .. great minds huh !

 

You might want to forward that message to the Indonesian government - they've just implemented that exact same scheme to reduce the congestion in Jakarta. Perhaps they're banking on not enough Indonesians being able to afford a second vehicle to make a difference.

 

It occurred to me when I heard about the Indonesian scheme that people might buy a second vehicle to overcome the inconvenience - I didn't realise this had already been done and tried in France until I read your post. Those dastardly Frenchies ! 

[Guest thaiworthy]

It seems to me there is an easy solution to the license scheme. If your existing car place ends in even, then issue the plate for the second car also with even, or odd with odd. That would foil the scheme wouldn't it? Or is it too simple? What am I missing here or haven't thought of to flaw this logic?

[Guest Jovianmoon]

It seems to me there is an easy solution to the license scheme. If your existing car place ends in even, then issue the plate for the second car also with even, or odd with odd. That would foil the scheme wouldn't it? Or is it too simple? What am I missing here or haven't thought of to flaw this logic?

 

You purchase a second vehicle with a suitable plate number. If you already have even, you buy a second car at the yard (or privately) with an odd-ending plate. The vehicle registration authorities would have a massive administrative migraine if, along with having to enforce the new scheme on the roads, they also had to make people with two cars change plates on their vehicles so that both had odd or even-ending numbers.

[Guest thaiworthy]

Sorry Jovianmoon, I can't accept that. In the information age, anything is possible.

[Guest]

To sort the traffic congestion in Bangkok, the obvious options are to introduce automatic road tolls and increase provision of BTS/Metro lines.

[Guest fountainhall]

As history has sometimes shown, what is obvious to others is frequently not obvious to Thais. As was pointed out by one expert earlier (see the first post), the discount returned to first-time buyers could have paid for three new subway lines and a new airport! 

 

I'll bet no Thai government has the spine to introduce a road-pricing system in Bangkok.

[Guest]

Governments in all countries forget history, particularly when there are votes to be won in the short term.

 

Examples:

1 Excessive money printing causes inflation.

 

2 Insufficient defence spending means countries are unable to defend themselves properly and that need always arises in the long term. Europe is mostly forgetting this lesson.

 

3 Abnormally high top rates of tax do not raise more revenue, but they do disincentivise people from investing in businesses.

 

I guess the current Thai governemt is no more forgetful than some western ones.

[Guest fountainhall]

Are they being forgetful? Or merely casting an eye on the next election?