Transport
The
capability of Thailand's transportation system will be increased
to provide convenient and fast services which will help support
other development, especially exports, tourism, and the Eastern
Seaboard Development Project. Private investment in the operation
and improvement of the transportation industry, will also be
promoted in response to the increasing needs.
At
present the transportation system in
has been extensively developed. The road transportation network of
the country totals 169,794 km, consisting of 15,899 km of national
highways and expressways, 25,895 km of provincial roads, and about
128,000 km of rural roads. The northeast region has the greatest
length of national and provincial roads, amounting to about 30
percent of the total, followed by the north with 27 percents, the
central region with 24 percent, and the south with 19 percent. For
rural roads, the approximate regional distribution is as follows:
Northeast 44 percent
North 22 percent
Central 21 percent
South 13 percent
Communication
Three
agencies--The Telephone Organization of Thailand (TOT), the
Communication Authority of Thailand (CAT), and the Post and
Telegraph Department (PTD)--are responsible for Thailand's public
telecommunications and postal service. PTD provides
telecommunication services through Palapa Satellite, administers
the frequency registration, and investigates the ionosphere. TOT
operates the domestic local and long-distance public telephone
services and the international telephone service. CAT operates the
postal service, the public international telephone service, and
telecommunications.
At
present the telecommunication system has been much developed.
There are about 1.5 million telephone subscribers, one million in
Bangkok and half a million throughout the rest of the country.
There are altogether 1,130 post offices, 20,437 postboxes, and
other services. However, these services are not yet adequate to
meet the fast growing demand and government has therefore
initiated several operational plans which include the launching of
a telecommunication satellite, an increase of 207,300 telephones
(161,800 of which will be in Bangkok), an enlargement of the
cellular telephone service area in Bangkok and other provinces,
and the establishment of an SP I international telephone switching
service. |
