It might be quiet now, but Bangkok faces a traffic nightmare in the next few years with the opening of seven giant projects competing for space on our roads.
Once the current turmoil and shutdown are over and things get back to normal, Bangkok will still have to face the same old problem – horrendous traffic jams.
Only trouble is, they will almost certainly be even worse. Much worse. Why? Because over the next four or five years Bangkok is unrolling a number of enormous mixed-use, high-rise developments that are almost mini cities in their own right. These will attract far more vehicles and people into major areas of the inner city, causing more bottlenecks and traffic queues than ever. |
And it’s not only roads that will be feeling the strain; the mass transit system will be under massive additional pressure as well.
Two of the planned projects – EmSphere and Bangkok Mall - include huge arenas for music and sporting events involving thousands of spectators, many of whom are likely to use the BTS Skytrain system. Dozens of smaller projects will be completed by 2024, adding to the overload. Getting about Bangkok by car, taxi or bus won’t be easy. |
Magnificent Seven
• ONE BANGKOK, Wireless and Rama IV – Giant project, home to 500 companies and 50,000 workers, five hotels, 450 stores, condos and
450m tower. • DUSIT CENTRAL PARK, Rama IV – Hotel, department store, condo. • BANGKOK MALL, Sukhumvit and Bang Na Trat highway – Asia’s biggest shopping mall and areana for 16,000. • EmSphere, Sukhumvit – Entertainment centre, arena for 7,000. • SINDHORN VILLAGE, Soi Langsuan – Hotels, condos and retail. • SILOM PARK, Silom – Office and retail. • THE ParkQ, Rama IV – Parft of the QSNCC, with offices and retail. |