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Mass Transit and Change in Bangkok
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 Informative Article Summary by Anny Redperz
The mass transit systems (both the subway and the skytrain) have changed Bangkok as a city in a number of ways. The success of the systems means that mobility has increased in the centre of the city and there should be a positive impact on pollution, both air pollution and noise pollution (although I cannot say I have noticed this or seen any statistics to support the idea). The new stations, especially the skytrain stations, represent important new areas for street vendors and other micro-level entrepreneurs and some of these businesses can be quite sophisticated in nature (we have done research on this area – I could write at greater length than anyone is likely to be interested in reading). Retail as a whole is affected as those shops near to the routes benefit while those remote from them will suffer.
Housing is also affected. As Bangkok is not only a growing city but one increasingly becoming middle class in nature, there is a demand for more accommodation which is in part being met by the building of ‘villages’ (i.e. up-market gated housing estates or communities) on the edge of the city close to good road links (the mass transit does not yet meet up with suburban Bangkok). However, these villages mostly offer family homes (based on my admittedly limited experience). There is also growing demand for reasonably priced condos or apartments near to stations for single people living in the city. Many new blocks are being built because of this – well, actually a number of them have been postponed because of the economic crisis and the number of loan applications being rejected has also increased, as a symptom of the liquidity crunch – apparently, the highest level of demand is from unmarried people of from 25-34 years old, with income of around 20-40,000 baht per month and looking for apartments priced at 1.6 – 2 million baht, with floor space of 30-40 square metres.
There are still many half-finished projects littering Bangkok from the 1997 crisis and it would be disappointing if more of the condo blocks are left unfinished. Let us hope the government (and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration) has the intelligence and determination to make sure these projects can go ahead if at all possible. They will help to stimulate new production and new economic development in the city.
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