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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 30 November 2006 :-
BTS minimum fare to be kept at Bt10 till March 1, 2007
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The minimum fare on Skytrain system will be fixed at Bt10 until March 1, 2007 its operator Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) announced Thursday following a heated negotiation with Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
BTS initially planned to raise the minimum fare on its system from Bt10 to Bt15 from Friday onward.
However, BMA - which granted the concession to operate the Skytrain system to BTS has established a committee to review its fareadjustment plan and the committee suggested that the fare hike should be postponed.
"Please think about passengers who have just suffered from flooding problems," the committee's chairman and Bangkok Councillor Pipat Larbprathana said.
He also said BMA was planning to implement many extension routes of Skytrain system and the BTS would stand to receive higher income.
BTS has explained that it would have to raise the fare to cope with a 30% increase in operating costs, but agreed to postpone the plan for 3 months.
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Posted on: 7:18 am on Nov. 30, 2006
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 18 December 2006 :-
Subway lines to get push
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The Transport Ministry has vowed to hasten subway construction projects on the Purple and Blue Lines in the hope of catering to Bangkok commuters by 2011 and 2013.
Transport Minister Thira Haocharoen said bidding would open by the third quarter of next year for private companies to build the 23km Purple Line (Bang Yai-Bang Sue) and the 27km Blue Line (Hua Lamphong-Bang Khae and Bang Sue-Tha Phra). Construction was likely to begin by 2008.
He admitted that lengthy cabinet discussions, public hearings, pre-bidding assessment as well as negotiations with several parties had impeded progress. "The most important thing is that we do not run into any problems, even if construction is delayed," Adm Thira said.
Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um said it would take two to three months to work out details after examining results of public hearings.
He said the government initially wanted construction to take place next year, but it needed to comply with 1992 legislation governing joint public-private investments to prevent any mistakes. The Purple Line subway is expected to begin full service by May 2011 and the Blue Line in Jan 2013.
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Posted on: 9:40 pm on Dec. 17, 2006
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Th3e Nation dated Friday 12 January 2007 :-
Sukhumvit traffic fears
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Motorists have been warned to brace for traffic jams on Sukhumvit Road, between On Nut and Bang Na, from Monday 15 January 2007.
One lane in both directions will be closed around the clock for construction of the Skytrain extension.
Deputy Bangkok governor Bannasopit Mekwichai said the first section of the Skytrain extension to Sukhumvit 107 was slightly ahead of schedule and about 7.7 per cent of the work had been completed.
The contractor now needs to lay foundation pillars for four Skytrain stations and the rail system, so one inbound and one outbound lane will be blocked - from Sukhumvit Soi 85 to the Bang Na intersection (3.5 kilometres) - from Sunday at 10pm, she said.
The work will take about 10 months.
Motorists will not be able to make a right turn at Sukhumvit 62 to the expressway. Instead, they will have to do a U-turn in front of Thai Farmers Bank.
Bannasopit urged motorists to use alternative routes such as Bang Na Expressway and Sri Nakarin Road.
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Posted on: 10:32 pm on Jan. 11, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Tuesday 6 February 2007 :-
Thumbs up for Bangkok mass transit plan
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The cabinet on Tuesday approved the megaproject to build a network of five mass transit rail routes for Bangkok and its peripheries for 165 billion baht ($4.6 billion).
The first rail route to be implamented is the Red Line linking Bang Sue and Taling Chan. Bidding will kick off in April 2007 and construction is tentatively scheduled to commence in October. The cost is estimated at 11 billion baht ($306 million).
The next is the Purple Line linking Bang Yai and Bang Muang with bidding scheduled in May 2007.
The third line to be implemented is between Bang Sue and Rangsit with bidding scheduled in October 2007.
The other two lines are Bang Sue-Hua Mark and Hua Lampong-Bang Khae, with construction dates not yet set.
The five mass transit projects were part of the "mega-projects" scheme touted by the former government of Thaksin Shinawatra as a means of driving the economy forward.
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Posted on: 3:47 am on Feb. 6, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from The Nation dated Friday 23 February 2007 :-
Skytrain extension project progressing on schedule
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The Skytrain extension from Saphan Taksin across the river to Taksin Intersection and the first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route, from Chong Nonsi to Rajaphruek, will both be ready to serve the public early next year.
Planned projects for mass transit systems will cost the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) over Bt20 billion.
That sum includes Bt8.76 billion for the 5.25km extension from On Nut to Sukhumvit 107; Bt9.46 billion for the 6.7km extension from Saphan Taksin to Bang Wa; and Bt2.18 billion for the 16.5km Chong Nonsi BRT route.
Work on the Chong Nonsi bus link, to be undertaken by Unique Engineering & Construction Co, is due to start on March 1 and will take six to seven months to complete.
Four more express bus (BRT) routes are also in the pipeline:
* 38-km link from Don Muang to Min Buri and Suvarnabhumi, to be built later this year. It will cost Bt4.53 billion;
* An 18.7-km route from Mor Chit to Pak Kred, which will cost Bt1.12 billion;
* 25-km route from Min Buri to Sri Nakharin and Sukhumvit 107, which will cost Bt3.12 billion;
* And a 15.6-km route from Bang Na to Suvarnabhumi, which will cost Bt1.93 billion.
The five BRT routes will cover just over 98 kilometres and cost nearly Bt13 billion.
Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin led a press tour along the first BRT route on Wednesday.
He said: "If all five BRT routes are completed they will link with the Skytrain and subway lines covering the inner city to important places in suburban areas. They will make travelling around the city quicker and more convenient and help reduce traffic jams."
Deputy city governor Panit Wikitset said the 2.2-km extension from Saphan Taksin to Taksin Intersection was 90 per cent done and should be completed by April. The system will be tested for six months before opening for service. A further 4.5-km stretch from Taksin Intersection to Bang Wa should be completed in late 2009, while the On Nut-Sukhumvit 107 extension would open for service in early 2009, he said.
Besides the two Skytrain extensions, the city had also received full funding from the government to build two other Skytrain extensions: a 14-km link from Sukhumvit 107 to Samut Prakan (costing Bt14.9 billion) and a 13-km route from Mor Chit to Saphan Mai (costing Bt14.74 billion), Panit said.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 7:21 pm on Feb. 22, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Saturday 21 April 2007 :-
City firm on opening new skytrain route - Council of State ruling could delay project
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The city administration is determined to go ahead with its plan to open an extended 2.2km skytrain route to Thon Buri even though the project may be ruled by the Council of State as a joint public-private investment. In principle, that ruling would delay the opening of the extended route for at least another year as there is a long process to go through.
However, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) would ask the cabinet to approve the proposed opening, which is initially planned for early next year, even though the Council of State has yet to pass its ruling, said deputy city governor Panich Vikitsreth yesterday.
Construction of the extended route, which runs from Taksin bridge to the Taksin intersection is now almost 100% complete.
Mr Panich said it is widely speculated the Council of State would rule that the project falls under the state-private joint investment law.
However, the deputy city governor said the joint investment law poses no worry for the city administration because key steps required by the law have already been taken, including an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and a feasibility study.
''If the cabinet rejects the proposal, it has the duty to explain to the public why the route cannot be opened although its civil engineering work is complete,'' he said.
The operation has been forwarded for examination because the BMA will find a private firm to run the service, Mr Panich said.
One option is to have Krungthep Thanakhom Co, an urban development enterprise of the BMA, operate the service by renting train carriages from the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), which operates the skytrain services.
No contract has been signed yet.
Mr Panich said he has also instructed the BMA's traffic and transport department to proceed in compliance with the remaining requirements of the joint investment law without waiting for the council to pass its ruling.
This should also cover the other two extended routes now under construction - a 5.25km route from Onnut to Sukhumvit Soi 107, and a 5.3km route from the Taksin intersection to Phetkasem road.
A source at the BMA said that despite the EIA and the feasibility study being completed, the project requires a study by agencies concerned including the National Economic and Social Development Board, the Budget Bureau and the Transport Ministry prior to cabinet approval.
The source said this process is likely to take more than a year, raising fears that the new routes will not be opened before the term of Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin ends.
Meanwhile, the BMA will today close two traffic lanes, one in-bound and one out-bound, on two sections of Sukhumvit road to facilitate construction of the extended skytrain route from Onnut to Sukhumvit Soi 107.
One section is from Soi 62 to Soi 64 and the other is from Soi 107 to Soi 70. The two sections will be closed for four months, starting at 10pm today.
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Posted on: 10:19 pm on April 20, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 23 May 2007 :-
Go-ahead given for B13bn Bang Sue-Taling Chan city train line
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The cabinet yesterday gave the green light for the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to call tenders for the construction of the 13-billion-baht Bang Sue-Taling Chan electric train route, expected to be completed in three years. Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen said the calling of bids for the 15km-long rail line would most likely take place at the end of next month or in early July.
If all goes according to plan, a contractor should be hired officially by next January.
The project's construction should start in February and be completed in August 2010, he said.
The Finance Ministry will issue and guarantee bonds so that money can be raised for the SRT to borrow and fund its construction.
The Bang Sue-Taling Chan railway is part of Bangkok's new Red Line, which also includes a much more expensive section, estimated at 52 billion baht, which will stretch for 26km all the way from Bang Sue to Rangsit.
According to insiders at the Transport and Finance ministries, the SRT will seek cabinet approval for the Bang Sue-Rangsit section later, as it has yet to find the sources of funding, increase the number of railway stations in the design, and review an environmental impact study.
Of the 52 billion baht, 50 billion baht will come from loans, 70% of which will be from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and the rest from domestic sources.
A bidding contest to find a contractor for the longer route is likely to be called in January, and the contractor should be known by August next year.
Its construction should be completed in August 2012.
In addition, the Transport Ministry is preparing details of the Purple Line from Bang Sue to Bang Yai.
The project should reach the cabinet in July. The three railways will be elevated structures.
Yesterday, the cabinet also agreed to increase the budget for the construction of the second railway line to the Eastern Seaboard.
The SRT sought an increase in the budget from 5.23 billion baht to 5.85 billion baht for the 74km-long Chachoengsao-Si Racha-Laem Chabang line.
Acting SRT governor Bancha Khongnakhon said an increased budget was needed so that additional structures and fences could be erected along the route, which is expected to be completed in 2010.
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Posted on: 11:24 pm on May 22, 2007
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PussyLover 69
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Report from The Nation dated Sunday 10 June 2007 :-
Airport train running late
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The multibillion-baht Airport Rail Link from Makkasan to Suvarnabhumi is way behind schedule and over budget.
Last week experts met to thrash out how it can be saved before banks pull their support.
The link was started during the tenure of the deposed Thaksin Shinawatra government and there are allegations that poor planning and corruption sent costs spiralling from an original estimate of Bt25.9 billion to over Bt30 billion.
State Railway of Thailand (SRT) deputy governor Nakorn Chanthasorn said the situation was critical.
"Originally, we were supposed to pay for the link after it was completed. Politicians intervened and the previous Cabinet resolved that we would pay up 990 days after work commenced," he said.
"This means the SRT needs to find as much as Bt22.6 billion within the next few months. We are asking for a Cabinet solution."
Those familiar with the link said it was in trouble. Implementation was ill-planned and hurried because the Thaksin government wanted the 28-kilometre high-speed link completed soon after Suvarnabhumi Airport east of Bangkok opened.
The link is meant to dash passengers from the centre of the capital to the airport in 15 minutes. Already Shanghai has its maglev (magnetic levitation) train to Pudong, Kuala Lumpur an airport express-rail service and trains zoom travellers from Incheon International and Gimpo airports to Seoul Station.
Bangkok's link was originally due for completion on August 7 this year. About three months of trials would be required after that.
"Overall, planners were too optimistic. For instance, they assumed it would take just 90 days to access all construction sites along the route. "In reality it took as long as 700 days because of opposition by some landowners," Nakorn said.
Last week it was calculated the rail link is almost 50 per cent behind schedule.
The project's construction work is just under 54-per-cent complete. By now it should have been 98-per-cent done.
Work on electrical and mechanical systems is more than 70-per-cent finished but should be 96 per cent along the way.
Nakorn remained unsure about how much longer it would take before completion and what that would cost.
A recent compromise between the SRT and the project's builders secured an additional 463 days for construction.
Originally, the construction was to be paid for by contractors, who would be reimbursed by the state, with interest.
The latest number-crunching session calculated the project has cost Bt34.5 billion, including interest. That is over budget by one third.
Now that the SRT has to cough up after 990 days from the start of building, the bill is an initial Bt22.6 billion, including Bt1.4 billion in interest.
"If that's not paid, financial institutions could stop their support and construction will stop," Nakorn said.
One option is to stretch the loan term to require payment when building is finished. That will incur the SRT an additional Bt1.4 billion in interest charges.
Another is to refinance.
SRT board chairman Siva Saengmanee said a decision was due later this year.
Apart from the financial problems, the link will immediately start making operational losses.
"The [revenue] estimates are too optimistic. They expected one of every four Suvarnabhumi passengers would use the link service. How could this be possible when Hong Kong's system attracts just 8.5 per cent - and that connects the whole city," Nakorn asked.
Estimates ran at 87,700 passengers a day in the first year, rising to 402,700 passengers a day within 30 years. Expected daily income is Bt3.1 million in the first year and Bt19.7 million in the 30th. Break-even comes after 20 years.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 1:17 am on June 10, 2007
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apollo
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Total waste of money. Taxi is cheap and gets you where you want. Why use a train that leaves you in a place you need take another train/bus/taxi from?
Cheers!
Ap.-
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:29 am on June 10, 2007
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