New route will serve Bangkok’s busy residential and entertainment district
TRENDY Thonglor, one of Bangkok’s prime real estate areas and a major entertainment district, may see further steep increases in land values thanks to the construction of a monorail connecting this often congested street on Sukhumvit to other parts of the city.
The transport project, known as the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority’s (BMA) Grey Line Monorail Phase 1, is planned to link up with the BTS Skytrain system at Thonglor and terminate at Watcharapol station at Ramintra Road.
Along its 16.3 km route, the monorail will interchange with three other mass transit projects, known as the ‘coloured lines,’ which will give several outlying residential districts much easier access and faster commute time to Thonglor and reinvigorate its various attractions.
On Thonglor, which often suffers from heavy traffic jams, stations will open on Soi 10 and 25, where many of the street’s most popular restaurants, bars and nightclubs are located.
Additional Grey Line extensions, known as Phases II and III, which will link Thonglor with southern neighborhoods, are also planned.
However, these routes are still undecided, according to The BigChilli’s resident expert Geoffrey Carter*, who adds that they include the option of replacing the bus operated BRT (Bangkok Rapid Transit) as part of the extension which may go eventually to Tha Phra in Thonburi.
Says Geoffrey: “BTS Group is keen to bid for this project under PPP Gross Cost basis and would be financed from their general infrastructure fund. It is expected that bidding will take place in the second half of this year, after the EIA has been approved. It is targeted to open in 2019.
“The Grey Line monorail will run from BTS Thonglor (Sukhumvit Line) with stations at Thonglor 10, Thonglor 25, Petchaburi - Sun Wichai Station (Interchange with SRT Red Line).
“Then on to Rama IX, Nawas, to Chalong Ratch (Interchange Yellow Line). Onwards to Lad Prao Soi 87, Yothin Pattana, and Kaset Nawamin (Interchange with Orange Line). Finally onwards to Muan Chan, then Wat Charapol (Terminus and Interchange with Pink Line).
“According to the BMA, the aim of the monorail is to support the growth of residential areas around Pradit Manutham Road and to reduce the current travel time between Watcharpol and Thonglor from one hour to only 30 minutes. It is also designed as a feeder and connection between the Green Line, SRT Red Line, Orange Line, Yellow Line and Pink Lines.
“The trains will initially consist of three cars running at up to 80kms/hr and eventually may consist of eight cars. The system is designed to handle initially 10,000 passengers per hour per direction rising to 48,000pass/hr/direction. The design is currently based on 340,000 passengers/day for Phase I.
“The line will run through areas of strategic residential and commercial developments. In addition to its U-City land bank at Thonglor, BTS has a land bank at Kaset Nawamin as well as Park Ramindra Condo at Watcharapol.
“Going on past experience, property prices should rise at least by 10 to 20 percent over and above the percentage increase in prices during the monorail construction period.
“However, there still are questions as to the issue of interchanges with other systems due to posturing between BMA versus other agencies including MRTA and the SRT.
“BTS Group would be the operator most likely to be able to solve these problems. But even the connection with the BTS Skytrain remains another issue on how to build the interconnections between the two stations with minimum amount of land expropriation to keep within the BMA’s financial constraints.”
*Geoffrey Carter – Society of Professional Engineers Thailand
Additional Grey Line extensions, known as Phases II and III, which will link Thonglor with southern neighborhoods, are also planned.
However, these routes are still undecided, according to The BigChilli’s resident expert Geoffrey Carter*, who adds that they include the option of replacing the bus operated BRT (Bangkok Rapid Transit) as part of the extension which may go eventually to Tha Phra in Thonburi.
Says Geoffrey: “BTS Group is keen to bid for this project under PPP Gross Cost basis and would be financed from their general infrastructure fund. It is expected that bidding will take place in the second half of this year, after the EIA has been approved. It is targeted to open in 2019.
“The Grey Line monorail will run from BTS Thonglor (Sukhumvit Line) with stations at Thonglor 10, Thonglor 25, Petchaburi - Sun Wichai Station (Interchange with SRT Red Line).
“Then on to Rama IX, Nawas, to Chalong Ratch (Interchange Yellow Line). Onwards to Lad Prao Soi 87, Yothin Pattana, and Kaset Nawamin (Interchange with Orange Line). Finally onwards to Muan Chan, then Wat Charapol (Terminus and Interchange with Pink Line).
“According to the BMA, the aim of the monorail is to support the growth of residential areas around Pradit Manutham Road and to reduce the current travel time between Watcharpol and Thonglor from one hour to only 30 minutes. It is also designed as a feeder and connection between the Green Line, SRT Red Line, Orange Line, Yellow Line and Pink Lines.
“The trains will initially consist of three cars running at up to 80kms/hr and eventually may consist of eight cars. The system is designed to handle initially 10,000 passengers per hour per direction rising to 48,000pass/hr/direction. The design is currently based on 340,000 passengers/day for Phase I.
“The line will run through areas of strategic residential and commercial developments. In addition to its U-City land bank at Thonglor, BTS has a land bank at Kaset Nawamin as well as Park Ramindra Condo at Watcharapol.
“Going on past experience, property prices should rise at least by 10 to 20 percent over and above the percentage increase in prices during the monorail construction period.
“However, there still are questions as to the issue of interchanges with other systems due to posturing between BMA versus other agencies including MRTA and the SRT.
“BTS Group would be the operator most likely to be able to solve these problems. But even the connection with the BTS Skytrain remains another issue on how to build the interconnections between the two stations with minimum amount of land expropriation to keep within the BMA’s financial constraints.”
*Geoffrey Carter – Society of Professional Engineers Thailand
