The 170-year-old moat that once protected Bangkok’s old quarter will step into the 21st century Friday.
After piloting e-vessels alongside its legacy diesel boats for the past six months, Bangkok’s Phadung Krung Kasem canal is going fully electric as of Friday.
The eight solar-powered boats will depart every 15 minutes from 6am to 7pm (8am to 7pm on weekends) between 11 piers from Thewarat Market to MRT Hua Lamphong, City Hall spokesperson Pongsakorn Kwanmuang said yesterday.
They will initially run free of charge and hold up to 30 passengers, including wheelchair users. Each boat includes bicycle storage for pedal-powered commuters.
The piers at Thewarat Market, the Energy Ministry and MRT Hua Lamphong will link the service to other transportation such as the Chao Phraya Express Boat, Saen Saep canal boat service and the MRT subway, respectively.
The boats are 10 meters long by 3 meters wide and are mounted with 12 solar cells on top. They’re powered by dual Torqeedo Cruise 10.0 RXL motors from Germany. Every seat is equipped with life jackets. Through GPS, the boats will be trackable from an application, likely the ViaBus app (iOS/Android) currently used by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority.
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