Comments on: The Future of Bangkok’s Mass Transit https://www.gregtodiffer.com/the-future-of-bangkoks-mass-transit/ Stories, rants & observations about expat life in Asia's craziest city Thu, 17 Nov 2016 15:48:25 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 By: Greg https://www.gregtodiffer.com/the-future-of-bangkoks-mass-transit/#comment-514 Tue, 24 May 2011 15:46:00 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=172#comment-514 Wow, thanks DanishDave, that's a great map! Let me know if you update it to reflect ongoing construction.

]]> By: DanishDave https://www.gregtodiffer.com/the-future-of-bangkoks-mass-transit/#comment-513 Sat, 21 May 2011 19:11:27 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=172#comment-513 Ahh. one one my favorite Bangkok topics. I actually dig a Google map of what there is today. http://goo.gl/maps/PEYr
The latest "yet another grand transport plan" the very strange BRT has been fun to follow. At one point the whole project just stopped for no apparent reason, I almost thought that it would be another Hopewell. And they have grand plans of more lines. I will not try to predict if they will ever be built, using buses like trams in a very congested city seem very infective. But that the fun thing that there are artifacts left over from previous grand plans like the Hopewell pillars and the 2 bridges with room for rail left over from the Lavalin skytrain. Ok one of them are now used for a single track to the Chon Buri part of BTS. My take on why there are so many plans with incompatible equipment and different agencies that runs the different lines are that it creates a lot of jobs and makes a lot of tea money for different officials.

]]> By: Greg https://www.gregtodiffer.com/the-future-of-bangkoks-mass-transit/#comment-512 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:26:17 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=172#comment-512 Thanks for the info Hoffman, interesting to get some solid numbers. It's not just that China is doing more than everyone else, it's that they're DESTROYING everyone else. But like you say – I guess it's not a problem when you pretty much have to do what they say. The real shame here is the US, which should definitely have a high speed rail network (and Canada too, although our piddly population doesn't really make it financially feasible).

]]> By: hoffman https://www.gregtodiffer.com/the-future-of-bangkoks-mass-transit/#comment-511 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:13:58 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=172#comment-511 Pie in the sky, most likely. Dont think the plans will make it to reality, at least in current version or like you say, in our life times. Shanghai now has 420 km of track freshly laid to meet demands of Expo (apparently, this makes it the longest in the world [find that hard to believe though in comparison to Tokyo's]). Now with Expo finished, they are redoubling efforts to go for another surge of development. And oh, yeah, the hi-speed trains are on track too – new 325 kph Shanghai-Nanjing opened this past July and new 375 kph Shanghai – Hangzhou this past Oct. The Shanghai-Beijing 400 plus kph scheduled to open in 2012 and another Shanghai – Hangzhou mag-lev 475 kph (built with Chinese tech btw) to open around the same time. By 2013 they will have completed 13,000 km of hi speed network – apparently more than the entire world combined. Seems that democracy definately NOT the preferred system for quickly modernizing developing countries….

]]> By: Michael LaPalme https://www.gregtodiffer.com/the-future-of-bangkoks-mass-transit/#comment-510 Thu, 30 Dec 2010 09:28:35 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=172#comment-510 Thanks! What a great map. Its crazy to see how much the city has changed over the last decade.

]]> By: Ben https://www.gregtodiffer.com/the-future-of-bangkoks-mass-transit/#comment-509 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 11:03:48 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=172#comment-509 @ Greg: Yeah, the relatives I stay with while I'm in Thailand live in Rangsit and I always look for news about the STR line that would supposedly go up to Rangsit and beyond but it seems like that line isn't a priority for the master plan yet. And as for your usage of public transportation in tandem to get around, what I usually do when I want to go to Siam for shopping from Rangsit, is ask my uncle for a ride to Future Mall, take one of those dedicated vans into a specific area (Central Lad Prao or Victory Monument), and then take the BTS or MTR/BTS down. When I go back I take the MTR, bus or dedicated van back to Future and then a taxi to my uncle's house. Needless to say, it's quite a journey every time (it takes roughly two hours+ total). But I don't expect mass transit station every block, a short bus ride to and from a close station is enough.

It would be totally awesome if Bangkok would end up like Tokyo. Tokyo is just the mother of all mass transit systems. With its commuter rail (frequent service), metro lines served by two different companies, monorails, private railways, it is very easy to get around and the idea of using any other mode of transportation doesn't even compute (at least when you're in the city, otherwise it's bus+/bike+ combo)

]]> By: Matt https://www.gregtodiffer.com/the-future-of-bangkoks-mass-transit/#comment-508 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 09:16:18 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=172#comment-508 Wow! I hope I live to see the day this becomes a reality. That is seriously awesome!

]]> By: Jason Ward https://www.gregtodiffer.com/the-future-of-bangkoks-mass-transit/#comment-507 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 01:34:56 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=172#comment-507 This will be great when it is eventually done. Hopefully we can buy a house there before the lines are finished. I reckon we have at least 5 years.

I want to live near the 'Happy Land' station. Sounds awesome!

]]> By: Greg https://www.gregtodiffer.com/the-future-of-bangkoks-mass-transit/#comment-506 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 01:28:14 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=172#comment-506 Peter – yeah, the seas are getting closer… maybe they'll have to change the name to the MRTSCUBA in another 50 years.
Ben – That's a good point, I can see how it's seen as a bit of a novelty, especially if you live out of downtown. I do find though that by using the trains in tandem with other modes of transport can really reduce your travel time; although that's not the point, you're supposed to use only one mode. Anyway, it's a start, and maybe when things are done the mention of rush hour won't cause people to flinch. 🙂
Jay – I don't think you're too far off. 😛

]]> By: Jay https://www.gregtodiffer.com/the-future-of-bangkoks-mass-transit/#comment-505 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 19:20:42 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=172#comment-505 That would be amazing to have all of those transporation options. I hope my grandkids can be there for the opening ceremonies.

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