The Road To Nowhere

[..]

I call it the "Thai Stonehenge" .

 

So you really want to know? I had a bit to do with it way back when, but I lifted the below text from my mate Ron at 2Bangkok (it's good and I'm too lazy to type all this ). OK, here goes...

 

The Story

Originally called the "Bangkok Elevated Road and Train System" (or BERTS), the Hopewell project was to be a highway to Don Muang Airport, a main line railway (for regular trains), a light rail line (a shuttle/tram from the airport into town), and a shopping center corridor--all elevated over local traffic.

 

There were to be three phases--from Hualamphong (the main railway depot) to Don Muang Airport, an east-west line from Taling Chan to Huamark, and a spur to the port. All these lines would follow the traditional trains lines.

 

Depending on who you ask, part of the 60 km project was to be in operation in December, 1995. The rest was to be done by December, 1999. Hopewell (Thailand) Co, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based infrastructure developer Hopewell Holdings, stopped construction in August 1997. According to different sources, Hopewell completed anywhere from 13 to less than 10 percent. The contract allowed eight years for the completion of the project. Hopewell claims the work so far had cost US$575 million (about 20 billion baht).

 

What happened?

Hopewell, headed by the charismatic Gordon Wu, seemed a good choice to undertake the project. Wu had developed a reputation for completing infrastructure projects in "difficult" Asian countries where big-money deals are often hampered by graft, poor planning, and endless committees.

 

According to newspaper accounts, the main problem seemed to be a lack of synergy... bad planning and relations between the parties involved.

 

Mr. Wu's Hopewell Holdings Ltd. received approval for the project in 1990 without conducting a feasibility study. It began construction before securing ownership of land along the route. Without any clear timetable for completion, Mr. Wu had running public disputes with officials over the speed of construction. Last year, with less than 10 percent of the project completed, the government canceled Hopewell's contract.

 

Thai officials said Mr. Wu had run out of money, while he blamed government instability for slowing land acquisition. Since 1990, Thailand has had one coup and an average of a government a year--besides numerous leadership changes at the Ministry of Transport and Communication.

 

Mr. Wu is threatening to sue the government for breach of contract, and Mr. Akapol said the government would seek compensation for incomplete work.

 

At the peak of his career Mr. Wu, son of a Hong Kong taxi driver, built a reputation for completing infrastructure projects across Asia on time despite difficult conditions. He cultivated political connections continentwide and enjoyed facing adversity in flamboyant style, once promising to take a swim in the polluted Hong Kong harbor if a project was not completed on time.

 

But his company is now derided in Bangkok as "Hopeless" Holdings, and a newspaper has dubbed its half-completed pilings in the city the "Stonehenge of Bangkok."

-- from Thais Revisit a Troubled Mass-Transit Project, International Herald Tribune, October 10, 1998

 

The Hopewell Project was signed by MOTC (Mr. Montri Phongphanit), SRT and Hopewell (Thailand) Co.Ltd. (Mr. Gordon Woo) on November 9, 1990 during the tenure of the late Montri Phong Phanit (Minister of MOTC), amid controversial rumours of corruption and unusual land deals. Hopewell had to find financial resources (about 80 billion baht - then US$ 3.2 billion) to backup the project for the right to develop real estate along the SRT lines. However, there were so many obstacles to deal with--including blueprints, land transfers, the routes which go paralell to other projects, and a financial crunch--that the project bogged down. There were also many committees dealing with the Hopewell project.... After September 1997, Mr. Suwat Liptaphallop (MOTC Minister during the Gen. Chawalit Yopngjaiyut government) sent the issue of the project delay to the cabinet and Mr. Suthep Thueaksubun decided to terminate the project in 1998. Even though several groups offered to revive it, controversies still haunt the project, earning it the the nickname "the 7-generation project."

-- from Studying the "7-Generation Project" (translated from Thai), Matichon, June 7, 2001

 

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT - they control the land on which the Hopewell project was to be built) has posted their explanation (now a dead link) of the cancellation of the project. In any event, it was a tactical mistake for SRT to stop the project. After that, the focus shifted from "why can't Hopewell finish it" to "what is SRT going to do about the project now?" It also cemented their reputation as a state agency impossible to deal with.

 

There were also many oddities associated with the project. Two concessions were granted to two different companies to have exclusive permission to built a tollroad to Don Muang Airport.

 

The Don Muang Tollway was finished first and constructed flyovers for cross streets in such a way as to make it difficult for the Hopewell project to proceed (since large parts of both projects were side by side). Another project, the Bangkok Skytrain, had a massive station situated directly across the Hopewell Phase 2 east-west route.

 

Normally, a scrapped project would not warrant much mention, but Hopewell left a long line of unfinished columns that look like the ruins of an ancient Roman viaduct. Since the pillars line the main road to the airport and parallel another completed tollway, they are a constant reminder of schizophrenic planning that came to naught.

 

Revival plans

Many government agencies proposed ideas to enable parts of the project to be salvaged. Even Hopewell expressed interest in finishing a scaled-down version of the project, but was denied permission to restart the project since the government considered it was "no longer a viable contractor." (Bangkok Post, May 12, 1999).

 

2001: The End

The arrival of the Taksin Government brought new proposals to restart the Hopewell Project, but by September, 2001, it became clear a revival would not occur.

 

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has turned down the State Railway of Thailand's (SRT) proposal to revive the Hopewell project, and ordered the agency to cut back on future investment....

 

Meanwhile, SRT chairman Veera Musikapong said the workshop had agreed to put the Hopewell extension on hold since the project cost was improper for the current economic situation, while the solution for the remaining structure would be determined at a later date...

 

The SRT has been under pressure from the public over its train services, with numerous complaints from train users including the punctuality of trains and rude conductors.

-- from "Thaksin halts SRT's plan to revive Hopewell project," Business Day, September 28, 2001, by Siriphan Pongthanee

 

BTW

In case anyone was wondering, the company that tired to built the ill-fated Hopewell Project locally has been profitable for the last four years. No surprise, eh?

 

BUT WAIT! IT'S STILL NOT DEAD...

The Traffic Policy Office has hired Asian Engineering Consultant Co.Ltd, Thai Engineering Consultant Co.Ltd., Pacific Consultant, International Co.Ltd., and Hawcrow (Thailand) Co.Ltd., to handle the detailed designs of both the Northern Commuter and Bangsue Hub which has to be done in 9 months and 15 days so as to be able to call the bid in 2005.

 

This Northern Commuter has to connect with the Airport Link which is not even at the design stage. At the minimum, the detailed design for the Airport Link must be done by July 2004. The Hopewell revival will be an elevated single floor--either shared tracks or separated tracks for High Speed Rail, DMU/Diesel Tracks, and Red Line Commuter which all have to be done in six years. The elevated section will end at Don Muang and then it will be at grade with separated tracks. According to the structure, the Left Rail will run the Red Line Commuter, the central rail will run Diesel-DMU tracks, and the right track will run a High Speed Rail. After finishing the system, the ground tracks must be removed. The Red Line commuter must be the same at the Airport Link--thus cooperation between the Traffic Policy Office and SRT is a must.

 

The estimated construction cost is 17 billion baht for the initial phase of both the Red Line Commuter and Pink Airport Link (triple or quadruple if the tracks have a special design from Bangsue to Phyathai to minimize the damages to Chitladda Station). The cost for service hired from the private sector is not included yet.

 

For the initial phase of Red Line commuter, there will be 8 stations:

1) Rangsit

2) Donmuang Airport

3) Thung Song Hong Housing

4) Laksi

5) Thong Song Hong (North Park)

6) Bang Khen

7) Prachaniwet (Samian Naree)

8) Phaholyothin Center (Bangsue Junction) - connecting with Airport Link

 

For the initial phase of Pink Airport Link, there will be 12 stations:

1) Phyathai

2) Ratprarob - connecting Pratoonam

3) Makkasan (old Makkasan Station - could turn into an interchange station for the short shuttle line to Klong Toei Port if Port Authority decides to make a commercial development at Klong Toei Port)

4) Makkasan Center (the one which is closest to Phetburi Station - create the interchange with the Subway)

5) Royal City Avenue

6) Thong Lor (Between Wat Chonglom and Soi Soonwijai)

7) Klong Tan

8) Phra Ram 9 (Kasem Bundit University)

9) Hua Mark

10) Thup Chang

11) Lad Krabang

12) NBIA

-- from Prachachart Thurakij, March 4-7, 2004 "Reviving the former Hopewell route" translated and summarized by Wisarut Bholsithi

 

OK, is that enough info for ya?

 

Cheers,

SD

[think_too_mut]

>I call it the "Thai Stonehendge"

 

I must had read a similar article a while ago, the "Stonehendge" has remained in my mind.

 

Thanks for the detailed explanation.

[Torneyboy]

Hi

So what happens now?

Remain a road to nowhere?....or will the project get a re boot?

 

Hell of a lot of cash down the tube ?

[Guest lazyphil]

<<OK, is that enough info for ya?>>

 

Very interesting--however, whats it got to do with booze and bg's? ::

[..]

I guess we will find out in July, when the Airport Link designs are due to be released for bidding.

 

Basically as written in Business Day, October 4, 2001, by Siriphan Pongthanee"

 

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) may not have to scrap the Hopewell mass transit project as it is still possible to construct the double-track elevated train from Bangsue to Rangsit by utilising the partly-finished groundwork, SRT chairman Veera Musikapong said yesterday.

 

Following a meeting yesterday with Communications Minister Wan Muhammad Noor Matha and representatives from the SRT and Land Traffic Management Commission (LTMC) to determine the future of the Hopewell project, Veera said that the SRT had two options: It can build a track parallel to the existing one between Bangsue and Rangsit, at a cost of about nine billion baht, or it can follow through with the 14 billion baht elevated two-track system using the existing groundwork built by the Hopewell company.

 

Veera added that if the SRT decides to construct the elevated track, the cost could be scaled down.

 

"The five billion baht difference in construction costs should not hinder this project, especially if one considers the benefits in terms of traffic reduction," he said.

 

Veera said that the construction of a parallel set of tracks on the ground would likely raise the problem of having to build concrete walls along the tracks as well as elevated roads over junctions.

 

Wan Noor said that he had asked the SRT to decide how it would proceed by November.

 

"A special committee comprising representatives from the SRT, LTMC and the communications ministry, which will be chaired by me, has been established to look into the matter and to find a solution by November," he said.

 

A source from the SRT said that it had hired the Team consulting company to conduct a feasibility study of the installation of a second set of tracks from Bangsue to Rangsit with limited costs. "Team will submit its results to me within the next two weeks," he said. Team will have to determine the construction costs of the elevated train project as well.

 

Cheers,

SD

[Guest]

... and the saga goes on...

 

i guess we all will be amused by the coming corruption scandals connected to the airport etc. ::

[torrenova]

And now with the new international airport being built some distance away, won't the whole thing become an even greater white elephant even if it is ever completed ?

[Guest]

Hi,

 

My understanding is that old airport will be used exclusively for domestic travel. So willl still remain a fairly busy place. But I think you are correct in thinking the present expressway would be more than adequate, with international trafic being relocated to the east of BKK.

 

HT

[think_too_mut]

>My understanding is that old airport will be used exclusively for domestic travel. So willl still remain a fairly busy place. But I think you are correct in thinking the present expressway would be more than adequate, with international trafic being relocated to the east of BKK.

 

I don't think they will ever develop something like LHR-GTW kind of connections.

 

Just think of all international flights connecting to domestic ones.

 

Don Muang could remain serving for cargo and charters but any real link between the two airports does not look feasible to me.

Maybe, at the cost of high frustration for tourists.

 

Actually, you have touched on something else: Pattaya being only 50-60 mins of minivan or bus drive from the new airport, would it not free BKK of sanukers? Many people arrive late at night and stay in BKK for a night. Then move on. Most of that will disappear.

If I were one, would not look at BKK sideways.

[Fiery Jack]

torneyboy said:

On the way out to BKK airport on the left of the road are many concrete pillars for a future road?

 

Asked my wife and she just said it is a mistake ::

 

Anyone know what happened ...looks like a very expensive mistake to me anyway.

 

Was it 2AM? If so, I think one was me, a wee bit the worse for wear, and the other was the dope-toting Very Reverend Mr. Muff Richardson waiting for a "hitch" on our last "joint" foray into BKK, ready for some fun?

 

I might be wrong.

 

jack