Transport in Thailand

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Tuk-tuks are a major form of public transport in Bangkok and other cities in Thailand.
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Tuk-tuks are a major form of public transport in Bangkok and other cities in Thailand.

Contents

[edit] Railways

State Railway of Thailand operates 4,070 km of 1.000-m gauge railway line (294.63 km double track and 106.01 km triple track).

[edit] Metro systems

Bangkok is the only city with a metro system, consisting of the Bangkok Skytrain and the Bangkok Metro subway.

[edit] Rail links to adjacent countries

[edit] Highways

  • Total: 64,600 km
    • Paved: 62,985 km
    • Unpaved: 1,615 km (1996 est.)

Thai highways have now stretched to every corner of the nation. Large industrial estates as well as private residences and towns grow alongside them, the four plus lane highways often have overhead concrete pedestrian crossings interspersed about every 250 meters in populated areas. There are no on and off ramps, highways are separated by median with breakage for u-turns, except in Bangkok where ramp style u-turns predominate. Massive elevated toll "sky" highways were prominent leading out of Bangkok, such as Bang Na-Trat Highway and Viphawadi Rangsit Highway. In recent years a number of undivided two lane highways have been converted to divided 4 lane highway, greatly enhancing safety and speed. A relatively new Bangkok - Chon Buri motorway now links to the new airport and Eastern Seaboard. Bangkok itself has a few motorways, but certainly not enough to ease congestion.

[edit] Bus service

Buses are a major method of transportation for people and packages. Bus is the most popular means of long distance travel within the country. Tour and VIP class long distance buses tend to be luxurious and tall, while city and other class buses are often very colorful with paint schemes and advertising, and tend to be about the same size as a North American school bus. Bangkok city buses come in various sizes, types, and prices, from half size, full size, double length, open window, fan, and air conditioned. Drivers, especially in Bangkok, move very quickly to get through crushing traffic.

Though Bangkok has traffic congestion, there are a number of alternatives, such as tuk-tuk, taxi, van (minibus), subway, motorcycle taxi, songthaew, boats (in canals and rivers).

[edit] Airports

Main article: List of airports in Thailand
  • Total: 106 (1999 est.)

[edit] Major international airports

[edit] With paved runways

  • Total: 56 (1999 est.)
    • Over 3,047 m: 6
    • 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
    • 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
    • 914 to 1,523 m: 18
    • Under 914 m: 4

[edit] With unpaved runways

  • Total: 50 (1999 est.)
    • 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
    • 914 to 1,523 m: 16
    • Under 914 m: 33

[edit] Heliports

  • Total: 3 (1999 est.)

[edit] Waterways

  • Principal waterways: 3,999 km
    • 3,701 km with navigable depths of 0.9 m or more throughout the year.
    • Numerous minor waterways navigable by shallow-draft native craft, such as long-tailed boats.

[edit] River and canal transport

In Bangkok, the Chao Phraya River is a major transportation artery, with many ferries, water taxis (the Chao Phraya Express) and long-tailed boats. There are local, semi express, and express lines for commuters, though the river curves a lot, which can make the trip much farther than by bus. There is also the Khlong Saen Saeb boat service, which provides fast, inexpensive transport in central Bangkok.

Ferry service between hundreds of islands and the mainland is common, as well as across navigable rivers, such as Chao Phraya and Mae Khong (Mekong). A number of international ferries exist.

[edit] Ports and harbors

[edit] Merchant marine

  • Total: 299 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,834,809 GRT/2,949,558 DWT
    • Ships by type: bulk 39, cargo 135, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 1, container 13, liquified gas 19, multi-functional large load carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 63, refrigerated cargo 13, roll-on/roll-off 2, short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 5 (1999 est.)

[edit] Pipelines

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain.

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