Thailand has been debating for decades the idea of digging a canal as a shortcut for shipping through the Strait of Malacca. With the renewed interest in the Thai Canal, there have been proposals to build a cheaper “land bridge” alternative. The Thai Land Bridge would ship cargo between ports on the Andaman Sea and […]
thailand
Bangkok Gold Line: The people mover connecting the BTS to Icon Siam
After many years of waiting, Bangkok’s brand new Gold Line finally opened on December 16 2020, the newest addition to the city’s expanding family of electric train lines. By most estimations, Bangkok will boast around 450km of them by 2025 (subject to the shifting whims of Thai politics). Not bad for a city that, until […]
Thai Bridge: a proposed sea bridge across the Bay of Bangkok
The Thai Bridge (Saphan Thai) is a proposed bridge spanning the Bay of Bangkok, connecting Chonburi Province in Eastern Thailand to Phetchaburi Province on the Gulf Coast. While the exact location isn’t stated, it is roughly from Pattaya to Hua Hin. The project has been quoted at 900 billion baht (29 billion USD). The bridge […]
Chumphon – Ranong Railway: connecting the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea
The Chumphon – Ranong Railway is a proposed branch railway from the Thailand Southern Line, connecting the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea. The line begins at the current Chumphon railway station and follows a similar route to Highway No. 4 to Ranong. The line would be 109 km with 33 km of elevated […]
Phuket Light Rail – The proposed transit railway connecting Phuket Airport to the Old Town and Chalong
The Phuket Light Rail is a proposed light rail transit system for the island of Phuket in Thailand. The plan is for the railway to start at the airport in the north of the island, travel south to Phuket Town and end at Chalong. The total length would be about 40km. In the future, the […]
Chao Phraya Sky Park: Bangkok’s pedestrian garden bridge across the Chao Phraya River
There has never been a lack of ambitious civil projects in Bangkok. Often done in an effort to add beauty and/or efficiency to a stagnant area or system, they are usually opened with great fanfare and lots of smiling officials, and then quietly left to die an ignoble death once the hype dies down. Famous […]
The East–West Economic Corridor Railway from Myanmar to Vietnam
The East-West Economic Corridor is an economic development program spanning across mainland Southeast Asia, covering Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, with Cambodia also included. The corridor was envisaged as a land bridge connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans, saving the sea route via the Malacca Strait. The road route connects the port cities of Mawlamyine […]
Chiang Mai Mass Transit – Proposed 3-line light rail system
Greater Chiang Mai has a population close to one million people, making it the second biggest urban area in Thailand after Bangkok. With a growing urban area beyond the core of Mueang Chiang Mai District, there have been numerous plans over the years to build some form of mass transit system. What form of rail […]
Ten ways to improve Bangkok
Bangkok has changed a lot since I got here in 2001. Back then the skytrain wasn’t yet 2 years old, and the city’s first subway line was still 3 years off. The capital was littered with rusty remains of office towers, remnants of the 1997 financial crash, and international food options were basically pizza and […]
Future Bangkok: current and proposed construction projects
This list shows some of the most prominent construction projects in Bangkok. This post doesn’t include transport and infrastructure projects, such as the planned metro and regional railway expansion. I will create another article about the future Bangkok metro. Future Bangkok Map Projects that are mentioned here are pinned on this map. [Map of Future […]
