Do you use Google Maps’ traffic checking function to see how horrendous your commute in gridlocked Bangkok will be?
Turns out you’re not alone: Thailand is nearly the top community in the world for Google Transit & Traffic, country head Ariya Banomyong told Coconuts Bangkok
Google Traffic collates data through collaboration with Thai transportation and freeway authorities as well as “crowdsourced” information from drivers who can report on how jammed things are with smartphones. The traffic information is not 100% realtime but it is remarkably accurate, thanks to Google’s ingenuity.
For those who choose to avoid Bangkok’s legendary traffic (and save the world) by taking public transportation, Google Transit’s trip-planning function comes in extremely handy. Google teamed with the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), the BTS, and the MRT to put together a super comprehensive database of public transportation. Even khlong taxis are getting involved and have submitted their routes and times to Google.
Google Transit on your smartphone will guide you from point A to point B, telling you to take this bus, hop on that train, and use your good old-fashioned legs to walk around a corner (arrows will guide you, of course).
Check back next week for Coconuts Bangkok’s full-on feature on Google Thailand’s operations, including free websites for businesses, fighting the floods, and taking their products Thai language
