Transport and Communication

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 Thailand 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.