Pongsapat Pongcharoen, the ruling Pheu Thai Party’s candidate in the Bangkok governor election, made an ambitious statement yesterday morning when he promised to upgrade the service standard of the Saen Saeb express boats to match that of the BTS Skytrain.
Campaigning along one of Bangkok’s most polluted canals, Ponsapat stopped at the Phanfa pier and proposed hiring a private shuttle boat operator to run the service.
“I will improve the boats’ quality,” said the No.9 candidate. “They should be covered with clear glass, serving as a wind-screen and protecting passengers from splashing water. Saen Seab boats will not differ from BTS train cars.
The former deputy police chief also ensured the practicality of his transportation plan, which includes free express boat rides on the canal, free bus service throughout Bangkok, a flat THB10 flat fee for air-conditioned bus travel, and a THB20 flat fee for all BTS rides.
According to Dailynews, Pongsapat did not provide information on how he would negotiate with the Bangkok Metropolitan Council order to obtain the budget to implement his traffic-oriented policy.
“I am convinced that it can come true, with an annual budget of THB9 billion,” he said.
