Pattaya is looking to rural Issan to find a cure for its traffic woes.
Speaking at the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association’s Oct. 17 meeting at the Green Park Resort in Naklua, Suradej Taweesanegsakulthai, director of operations at Cho. Collosean Co., said the so-called “Khon Kaen Model” could be a template for solving Pattaya’s transportation problems.
Suradej told the traffic management officials and representatives from the Land Transport Office that Khon Kaen is one of the largest provinces in Thailand, but lacks enough public transport for its population. It currently has public buses, baht buses and mini vans, but they cannot meet the demand of about 194,000 people a day.
In response, provincial authorities have begun planning an integrated system of buses built around a central tram line. Study on the project is about 50 percent complete, Suradej said.
The Issan province has formed a development company to carry out the transport products and the military government has blessed the idea of a tram there by 2019.
Pattaya has already proposed that a light-rail or tram system be built, with variations on the plan calling for a loop between North and South Pattaya on Beach and Second Roads, or just a single track on one of those streets.
Suradej said the “Khon Kaen Model” could be a template for helping improve transport in Pattaya and other beach resort cities plus Chiang Mai.
