Transport in Thailand
[3] Recurring government attempts at restructuring and/or privatization throughout the 2000s have always been strongly opposed by the union and have not made any progress.
Rail transport in Bangkok includes long-distance services, and some daily commuter trains running from and to the outskirts of the city during the rush hour, but passenger numbers have remained low.
Bangkok is served by four rail rapid transit systems: In March 2016, the Thai government approved the first LRT project in Khon Kaen province, to be built by the private sector.
The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy (OTP) will fund an 8-month project study for Khon Kaen University with 38 million baht.
The Khon-Kaenpattanmong or Khon Kaen Think Tank, a private company, will be the main investor in the project and responsible for the operation of the network.
[11] According to the World Health Organization's, Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018, Thailand had an estimated traffic fatality rate (all vehicle types) of 32.7 persons per 100,000 population in 2016.
[10]: 114, 119, 133, 136, 181, 222, 245, 263, 266 Thailand's death rate for operators and passengers of motorized two- and three-wheeled motorbikes was the world's highest in 2016 at 74.4 fatalities per 100,000 population.
Regular tour buses on fixed routes were in second place with a total of 141 accidents, resulting in 56 deaths and 1,252 injuries.
The Centre for the Prevention and Reduction of Road Accidents said that the death toll in 2016 was the highest of the last ten years.
In 2011 the government declared the following ten years to be Thailand's "decade of action on road safety".
In 2015, about 1.3 million school-age children in Thailand regularly traveled on the back of motorcycles each day but only seven percent wore helmets.
According to The New York Times, in 2015, Thailand vowed at a United Nations forum to halve traffic deaths by 2020.
[10]: 30, 245 Buses are a major method of transportation for people, freight, and small parcels, and are the most popular means of long-distance travel.
The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority offers bus and van routes throughout the city and its suburban provinces.
The 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) route has twelve stations in the centre of the road that give at-grade access to the right-hand side of the buses.
Both terminals connect to the Silom Line of the BTS Skytrain; at Chong Nonsi (S3) and Talat Phlu (S10).
The fare is currently on hold(free for 3 months till 30 November 2023) for reconsideration of the effectiveness of the project.
The four-lane highways often have overhead concrete pedestrian crossings interspersed about every 250 meters in populated areas.
The Thai Government is planning infrastructure investment in various "megaprojects", including motorway expansion to approximately 6,877 kilometers.
[29] Officials regard bicycles as toys, and cycling as a leisure activity, not as a means of transport that could help solve traffic and environmental problems.
Bangkok's Deputy Governor, Sakoltee Phattiyakul, who presided over the event, arrived in his official automobile, as did his entourage.
[30] Prior to the event, which encouraged the non-use of cars, the BMA announced there would be extensive free automobile parking spaces available for participants who were to ride bicycles in the parade.
[32] All Thai rail companies, whether commuter or long distance, make on-board transport of bicycles difficult or impractical.
[30] Without state intervention, direction, and education, the public lacks the impetus to adopt a mode of transport that remains ignored by urban development projects.
The Safe Public Transport Travel Project of the Foundation for Consumers, reports that passenger vans in 2018 were involved in 75 accidents, causing 314 injuries and 41 deaths.
A government initiative to replace existing vans with larger minibuses in 2017, then delayed to 2019, was put on hold by the incoming Prayut administration.
There are local, semi-express, and express lines for commuters, though the winding river means trips can be much farther than by bus.
There is also the Khlong Saen Saeb boat service, which provides fast, inexpensive transport in central Bangkok.
Ferry service between hundreds of islands and the mainland is available, as well as across navigable rivers, such as Chao Phraya and Mae Khong (Mekong).
In November 2018, Hua Hin deputy chief Chareewat Phramanee confirmed the ferry service, suspended due to low tourist numbers during low season, would be up and running again for high season between Hua Hin and Pattaya, a 2.5-hour journey for 1,250 Thai Bhat on a catamaran with a maximum capacity of 340.
