Transport Statistics
Transport statistics presented in this chapter have been derived from the State Railway of Thailand,
the Department of Land Transport, the Airports Authority of Thailand, the Department of Aviation and the
Department of Highways.
The State Railway of Thailand was first set up as a government department, however it afterwards
became an autonomous organization as a result of the State Railway Act B.E.
2494 (1951)
, taking over the
business as well as the assets and liabilities of the State Railways Department. The first inauguration line
commenced in
1892
and the line was then extended to Nakhon Ratchasima in
1900
, with a distance of
264
kilometres. For all the earlier lines, the railway tracts used the
4
feet
8.5
inches gauge system. From the year
1900
onwards, the construction of the Southern main line had brought into the one metre gauge system,
the intention of this was to link Thailand with Malaysia and the Union of Myanmar. The conversion to metre
gauge system was decided upon in
1919
, and completed in April
1930
.
The Department of Land Transport, Ministry of Transport is the agency that take responsibility on
initial registration of vehicle license, renewal, transport out, transport in, changing right and others. By Land
Transport Act B.E.
2522 (1979),
motor vehicle that used for transportation and communications in Bangkok
and other changwats are classified as follows: fixed route bus, bus for hire, private bus, non-fixed route truck,
private truck and small rural bus.
Previously the registration of those types vehicle mentioned was the Registration Division, the
Royal Thai Police Department, Ministry of Interior
’
s responsibility (the Royal Thai Police Headquarters at
present). In
1979
, under Motor Car Act B.E.
2522 (1979)
the given responsibility is for the following types
;
sedan
(
not more than
7
passengers
)
, van and pick up, motortricycle, interprovincial taxi, motortricycle taxi
(tuk tuk), motorcycle, tractor, road roller farm vehicle, trailer and others.
Till
1988
, car license and driver’s license permitting were transferred from the Royal Thai Police
Department to the Department of Land Transport, Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
Air transport
Its statistics has been derived from the Department of Aviation and the Airports
Authority of Thailand. Air transport statistics were obtained the data on the number of flight,
passengers, air freight, air parcel and so on. At present, Thailand has thirty-six local airports including six
international airports.
