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A Man's Random Walk
politik, economik, foreign affairs
Permalink : http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/ginola
Tuesday , July 29 , 2008
What do you think Bangkok needs?
Posted by Ginola , Reader : 544 , 20:57:51  
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In the occasion of the coming Bangkok Governor election and in light of Ian's recent blog calling for reasoned comments, here is a blog where we can voice out our opinion constructively.

Most of us live in Bangkok or have to spend some time doing business in Bangkok. Bangkok, as we know, has many charms as well as many problems.

Since resources under the new Bangkok Governor will be limited, these problems cannot be solved all at once. We need to prioritize.

So, my question is:

If you can make TWO policy recommendations to the new Bangkok Governor, what would they be? In other words, what are the two most important improvements that you would like to see in Bangkok? 

Is it better air/water quality? More green zones and parks? Extensive subway system?  Getting rid of Patpong? Build more expressway? etc....???

As for me:

1. Extensive subway system that reaches out to the outskirts of the city

2. More green parks. Move the horse race field out to the outskirt and make that a public park.

What are yours?

Read comment

comment 15
naive date : 02/08/2008 time : 01.20
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/naive
Narrow and wide by "Naive" point of view. ...................................*v*....................................................................For Thai reader visit http://www.oknation.net/blog/wickedgirl

A GOOD SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH GARBAGE AND POLLUTION
AND MORE PARK+TREES
comment 14
Ginola date : 01/08/2008 time : 01.27
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/ginola
ginola

Hello all, thanks for all your comments. I'm in Jakarta now and my internet is unreliable... Sorry I can't reply to all of your individual comments too.

Anyway, on traffic problem, I believe the key is the extensive subway/skytrain system. We need that to reduce the number of cars on the roads. Indeed, like Mamasan pointed out, we need more discipline and order applied to buses, taxis and motorcycles.

But getting rid of motorcycles is not the right way to solve the problem. Given the bad public transportation system, motorcycles is one of the most convenient way of commuting that is available at a relatively cheap price for people who can't afford a car. Getting rid of all motorcycles would not be fair to those who drive motorcycles responsibly. The problem is how to ensure some order and traffic discipline in mortocycle riders. In some countries, you have a lane devoted to motorcycles. That might be an option too. I'm sure there have been many methods used around the world and the authority needs to figure out which is best for Bkk.

Moving govt offices out of bkk is a good idea and indeed they're doing it. A lot of govt offices are being moved to Nonthaburi, especially to Chang Wattana road areas. We need a subway line that runs to that area but currently we have none. It would be hell of a jam in Chang Wattana in the near future, especially after the construction of Central Dep Store there is finished.

Expresso, i think it's too late for central bangkok to have any kind of city planning. they should have done it decades ago.. too bad for us... but we need city planning for the Metropolitan Bangkok area... the outskirts of bkk... the authority doesn't seem to be doing much planning on these outskirt areas either, which is a shame.
comment 13
sven date : 01/08/2008 time : 00.27
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/sven

MamaSan, you sound like you've been socialised outside Thailand

See, Bangkok authorities are trying the impossible to solve the traffic problems. They add car and bicycle lanes where there is no place for them.

As to policing, I daily saw policemen at Payathai junction, regulating traffic and stopping cars so that the junction remained unblocked and pedestrians could cross the street.

At your police station, maybe they don't want to stop their superiors trying to sneak through traffic

As for a suggestion, completely close some main roads for private traffic, so that buses and taxis get along at more than walking speed. Begin with Rama I/Ploen Chit from the old city up to the Expressway/Sukhumvit.
comment 12
expresso date : 31/07/2008 time : 22.25
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/expresso

Ginola, I wish Bangkok has a good city planning team in place of whatever they have, if they have any at all.
comment 11
MamaSan date : 31/07/2008 time : 17.36
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/mamasan

Sven.

Haven't you noticed how easy and frequent it is for the government here to add lanes on Bangkok streets. What used to be 2 lanes (one on each direction) can become 3 lanes overnight.

Thanon Suanphlu (where Immigration Bureau Head Office is located) is a prime example. I have to drive on this road every morning going to and from Sathorn Road, and I shake my head everyday. You can see that when buses are using this road, they take up 1-1/2 lanes, so what is the use of drawing 3 lanes instead of the normal 2 lanes?

And the road is a bottleneck for traffic every day because the taxis, motorcycles and Rod Song Theaw's can stop anywhere, anytime, blocking the road to all the vehicles behind them.

I also wonder when is siesta time for the police, since there is a big police station right next to the Immigration Bureau Head Office, but one never sees any traffic police on duty, directing traffic to smooth out the traffic gridlock.

I also use the small side lanes frequently to avoid the traffic on the main Suanphlu Road. These lanes are right in front of and opposite the Immigration Bureau Head Office and the police station. They are really wonderful. They are narrow, with vehicles usually parked on both sides, and they have ONE WAY signs that are not fixed. Someday the sign is on one side, another day they are on the opposite side, creating chaos and more traffic jams. Does this somehow reflect on the Thai mentality?


Mama San
Bangkok
July 31, 2008
comment 10
sven date : 31/07/2008 time : 00.50
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/sven

Mamasan, replacing motorcycles by cars (economically unrealistic for now) will reduce mortality, as well as traffic throughput. You'd have to add 1 lane to each road
comment 9
MamaSan date : 31/07/2008 time : 00.40
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/mamasan

Seriously speaking, what Bangkok needs is a good mayor (or governor as they call the man here) who has character, vision, guts, honesty, integrity, innovativeness, administrative and management skills, and so on and so forth, and who has the ability to select good subordinates with similar qualities to work with him. Then all of the problems facing the city can and will be solved, in time (not immediately). Forget about instant gratification. And be prepared to pay a lot more property taxes, parking fees, road taxes, traffic fines, subway fares, skytrain fares, bus fares, minibus fares, etc. if you want to enjoy a better life and a better living environment. There is no free lunch. There never was.

But if I were the Bangkok city mayor, the first thing I will get rid of are the motorcycles. They are a bloody nuisance and are accidents waiting to happen. Notice how high is the percentage of motorcycle accidents as a percentage of all road accidents in Thailand. If you think motorcycles are cheap, lives are even cheaper!

What Thailand should do is have Tata start manufacturing and assembling their $2,500 minicar here and use that as a starting point to replace all motorcycles on the road. That, plus moving all major government offices out of Bangkok city proper, and strict enforcement of traffic rules and regulations, will go a long way in solving the traffic problem in the city.


Mama San
Bangkok
July 31, 2008
comment 8
sven date : 31/07/2008 time : 00.11
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/sven

Tammy, for bicycle safety: remove the "bicycle lane" on Sukhumvit Road pavements. It runs into poles and booths every 20 metres.
comment 7
Pat date : 30/07/2008 time : 20.24
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/pat

Mama San/c4: I cannot agree with you more on all your suggestions but one,Mama San. The one about dumping all the motorbikes. I know my ride is hardly the best but it's all I can afford for the moment (in spite of the fact that my mates think it nothinng more than a hair-dryer with wheels)
comment 6
GGrass date : 30/07/2008 time : 09.25
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/GGrass

I can't list all the things BKK needs because there are just too many.

So I'll list things BKK doesn't need.

1. Stupid Alcohol Sales Curfew. What the heck is that??
2. Closing time for bars and pubs. As if the Thai police doesn't have enough laws to uphold? If they upheld other laws as much as the closing time law, BKK would be much better place to live in!!
comment 5
Ian date : 29/07/2008 time : 23.59
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Mamasan has just solved all the points 1 to 5 that he mentions simply by applying his suggestion number 6. This would render BKK a ghost town and solve all the problems
comment 4
MamaSan date : 29/07/2008 time : 23.43
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/mamasan

Sorry, 2 policies are not enough or Bangkok. There are simply too many important and urgent things that need to get done:

(1). Improve traffic flow dramatically.

(2). Improve air quality and reduce dust dramatically.

(3). Clean up the city dramatically.

(4). Put every motorcyclists in jail and throw their motorcycles into the deep blue sea. the same for "Rod Song Teow" drivers and vehicles.

(5). Put every policemen in jail and replace them with honest, hard working individuals and pay them well.

(6). Cut off the head of all corrupt government officials, employees, policemen, and private citizens.


Mama San
Bangkok
July 29, 2008
comment 3
Tammy date : 29/07/2008 time : 22.43
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/tammy

1. I want BKK has the safety bicycle lanes.
2. I want more green parks also.
comment 2
PasaNINJA2499 date : 29/07/2008 time : 22.26
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/PasaNINJA2499
Keep walking forward. Don't give up. Don't fed up.

Move people out.
Decrease cars show rooms.
or move BKK to other area!
comment 1
Ian date : 29/07/2008 time : 21.49
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

For me two big problems in Bangkok are the daily traffic congestion and the inability to cope with heavy rainfall.
Both of these problems could be solved in part by renovating and making better use of the canal system. Improve the drainage and also extend the canal boat bus service.

A minor niggle is a recent rule which forbids me to smoke in a park, I find it extremely silly being told not to smoke when standing next to a car park full of abnoxious fumes. Please abolish this particular rules:-)
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