PM to inspect Pink Line’s progress Monday

Officials observe a Pink Line electric train at the depot in Min Buri district last year. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)
Officials observe a Pink Line electric train at the depot in Min Buri district last year. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will on Monday inspect the progress of the Pink Line, an elevated monorail train system under construction, prior to it going on a trial run, acting government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said.

The Mass Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA)’s Pink Line (Khae Rai-Min Buri) is designed to link northern areas of Bangkok and Nonthaburi by connecting with five mass transit lines. It will be 34.5 kilometres long with 30 stations.

Gen Prayut will be accompanied on the trip by Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda, Prime Minister’s Office Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana and Deputy Transport Minister Athirat Rattanaseth.

The prime minister and his entourage will arrive at the Min Buri station at about 1.30pm and listen to a briefing from the MRTA governor before inspecting the connection point with the Orange Line.

They will then board a train for a test run between Min Buri and Lat Pla Khao stations.

As of the end of June this year, Pink Line’s construction work was 96.97% complete and electrical system 97.34% complete. The line’s overall progress was 97.15%, Mr Anucha said.

According to a transport ministry source, Northern Bangkok Monorail Company Limited (NBM) has been granted a concession to operate the line.

NMB initially planned for Pink Line to go on a trial run in January before going in full service by June 2024.

However, the company recently said the line might be partly opened for service in late 2023, probably between Lak Si and Min Buri stations. But it was not yet clear when the trial run would take place, said the source.

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China tamps down on gatherings providing harmful information

BEIJING: China is tamping down on meetings that provide false information and could harm citizens, state media said, as the authorities step up oversight on what they consider questionable activities in various areas. The Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and 10 other authorities issued aContinue Reading

Phuket partly flooded, small vehicles stalled

Heavy downpours cause flooding at Chaofa Sakdiset intersection in Muang district, Phuket, on Sunday morning. (Photo supplied)
Heavy downpours cause flooding at Chaofa Sakdiset intersection in Muang district, Phuket, on Sunday morning. (Photo supplied)

PHUKET: Heavy rains caused flooding and paralysed traffic for small vehicles in this southern resort province on Sunday morning.

It was raining over about 80% of the tourist island and floodwater was deep in many areas on Sunday morning.

The affected areas included Khao Khat, Ao Yon, Phaniang Sam Kongnam, Tha Khraeng, Rai Foon, Dao Roong and Chaofa Sakdidet in Muang district where water levels were too deep for small vehicles to pass. Floodwater in these areas was at least 60 centimetres deep.

In Kathu district, heavy flooding occurred in Patong, Kathu and Kor Kathu areas.

The Meteorological Department predicted that along the western coast of the South including Phuket it would rain in 40-60% of areas from Monday to Wednesday and then 60-70% of all areas in the region on Thursday and Friday.

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Majority believe 8-party alliance will succeed in pushing Pita for PM: Nida Poll

A majority of people believe that, with sincerity to one another, the eight parties forming a government will succeed in their push for Pita Limjaroenrat, the Move Forward Party leader, to be prime minister, according to an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.

The poll was carried out on July 5-7 by telephone interviews with 1,310 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes throughout the country to compile their opinions about sincerity of the Move Forward, Pheu Thai and six other smaller parties in forming a government and pushing for Mr Pita to take the prime minister’s post.

Asked about their satisfaction with Wan Muhamad Noor Matha of the Prachachart Party having been selected speaker of the House of Representatives, 45.50% were fairly satisfied; 37.40% highly satisfied; 9.54% not quite satisfied; 6.34% totally not satisfied; and 1.22% had no answer or were not interested.

Asked which between Move Forward and Pheu Thai parties would benefit more from Wan Muhamad Noor Matha’s being made House speaker, 58.93% said the two parties would equally benefit from it; 23.13% pointed to Pheu Thai; 7.94% pointed to Move Forward; 6.95% said neither of them would benefit from it, and 3.05% had no answer or were not interested.

Asked whether they believed the eight parties are sincere in joining hands to form a government, a majority or 55.27% said “yes” and the other side, 43.97%, said “no”. The rest, 0.76%, had no answer or not interested.

A majority, 64.80%, said they believed the eight parties would succeed in pushing for Mr Pita to be prime minister while 34.28% said otherwise. The rest, 0.92%, had no answer or were not interested.

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Majority believe 8-party alliance will succeed in making Pita PM: poll

Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat, front row centre, and Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew, to his left, make the shape of a heart at a press conference on May 30 to unveil their commitment to an eight-party coalition in jointly forming a government. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat, front row centre, and Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew, to his left, make the shape of a heart at a press conference on May 30 to unveil their commitment to an eight-party coalition in jointly forming a government. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)

A majority of people believe the eight parties forming the next government will succeed in their push for Pita Limjaroenrat, the Move Forward Party leader, to be prime minister, according to an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.

The poll was carried out July 5-7 by telephone interviews with 1,310 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes throughout the country to compile their opinions about whether Move Forward, Pheu Thai and six other smaller parties in forming a government and pushing for Mr Pita to take the prime minister’s post.

Asked how satisfied they were with Wan Muhamad Noor Matha of the Prachachart Party as speaker of the House of Representatives, 45.50% were fairly satisfied; 37.40% very satisfied; 9.54% farily unsatisfied; 6.34% totally unsatisfied; and 1.22% had no answer or were not interested.

Asked which of the Move Forward and Pheu Thai parties would benefit more from Wan Muhamad Noor Matha’s being made House speaker, 58.93% said the two parties would benefit equally; 23.13% pointed to Pheu Thai; 7.94% pointed to Move Forward; 6.95% said neither of them would benefit from it, and 3.05% had no answer or were not interested.

Asked whether they believed the eight parties were sincere in joining hands to form a government, a majority or 55.27% said “yes” and the other side, 43.97%, said “no”. The rest, 0.76%, had no answer or not interested.

A majority, 64.80%, said they believed the eight parties would succeed in pushing for Mr Pita to become prime minister while 34.28% said otherwise. The rest, 0.92%, had no answer or were not interested.

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Watch: Cars plough through massive Delhi flooding

Heavy rain in India’s capital Delhi has caused parts of the city to flood, leaving residents stranded and vehicles at a standstill.

People have had to plough on through the floods – or sit in the water in traffic jams.

A local resident, Sarita Gupta, said: “I don’t know what the government is doing about this. It’s not just one year it happens every year.”

Video edited by Gem O’Reilly

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