Dear Governor,
We are very concerned that the end of peak oil will mean
great reduction of quality of life for all, especially those at the lower
end of the socio economic scale. This will be exacerbated when we find the
true environmental impact of having had a fossil fuel based economy.
Therefore, we must build as much efficiency as possible
‘into’ society and its infrastructure, as soon as possible, to reduce those
impacts.
We have a number of suggestions which we will be putting
up on a website soon, but in the meantime, there is an issue which is we
feel is significant for all of Thailand.
Recently an important official was quite late to a
function for which he was guest speaker. He explained that that was because
he could not find the hotel. However, he and all others were provided with
the correct address; indeed, one of this officials’ responsibilities is the
address system.
Last week I had a most frustrating experience - finding a
large office, in a soi which I know quite well. It may have been complicated
by my poor Thai language; however, it took 6 phone calls (all Thai to Thai),
an hour and a half, by car, on foot and then by motorcycle taxi, to
eventually find the office. It was less than 200 M from where I first
called. I was so exhausted after that ordeal I had to cancel my following
appointment.
A business, with thousands of customers visiting its
premises each day, lists its office addresses as below. The problem with
these addresses is they give you no idea of the location; apart from very
general; e.g. Nong Prue / Banglamung / Chonburi. The address given is legal
title, i.e., that which the Lands Department uses.
In 2008, traffic jams in the US were down an amazing 30%,
compared to 2007. What was the reason for this reduction? The answer is the
bad economic conditions - resulting in a reduction in traffic by 3%.
Yes, this 3% reduction in traffic led to an amazing
reduction of traffic jams by 30%! This is because there is a ‘Peter
Principle’ for traffic - traffic will expand until it - almost - chokes
itself to death - due to people loving their cars so much.
It appears that in Thailand, approximately 3 - 5% of
traffic is driving around (slowly) trying to locate its destination - due to
the use of legal title address, as in the above example, rather than a
common street address. Eliminating this 3 - 5% of slow traffic may well
produce reductions in traffic jams similar to the US experience.
By far the best street address system (from our
experience) is that used in Taiwan. An address there might be ‘Chung Hsiao E
Rd, Section 3, Lane 113, Alley 27, #5, 4F’. The beauty of this system
becomes apparent when we see that Lane 113 is not the 113th lane, but is the
lane located between house number 111 and house number 115. Thus, a single
number allows one to quickly locate the house or lane you are seeking. This
works for the street, lane and alley; you can give a Taipei taxi driver your
destination address and then take a nap, confident that he will pull up
right outside the building.
Taiwan’s excellent address system is held to be a
contributing factor in that countries rapid growth from being a third world
country to a first world country in less than one generation.
Finding an address in Thailand, however, usually requires
maps to be faxed or emailed, or exchanges between visitor and visitee, and
with taxi driver by mobile phone - a further hazard. Also, when one applies
for government services - such as the provision of a telephone - the
government requires not only the legal address, but also for you to draw a
map of the location for them. One of our number was trying to visit a
potential supplier in Bangkok one afternoon - he was in the correct road,
searching in vain for 25 minutes - but company, on mobile phone to taxi
driver, said, “Sorry, we can’t wait any longer - come back another time.”
It is recommended that a change to a street address
system (best, similar to that of Taiwan) be implemented as quickly as
possible. It would not be too difficult - street committees could be
established for each street to formulate & propose a street number system
such as the above, to be confirmed or modified by the post office and lands
department, etc. This could be finalised within one year - first phase
(street committees) 3 months, post office & lands dept approval or
modification 3 months, publish for comment and objection 3 months, then
official assent within a further 3 months. (We are aware that street
addresses are used in Bangkok, to a certain extent - we recommend that they
be fully implemented, with of course, good signage.)
Please do not consider the above to be criticism, or
cultural imperialism, but as an offer to help one of the great countries and
great cities of the world become even greater.
Yours sincerely,
Stuart Saunders
Pattaya Progress Association
Editor;