SRT surveyors claim the houses have been constructed illegally and need to be demolished to make way for a power-plant for the under-construction Dark Red Line. The elevated train track will provide a practical connection linking Bang Sue Station to the northern suburb of Rangsit.
The SRT is clearing a three-acre plot of land demarcated for construction on Kamphaeng Phet Road and says the homes are right where they need to build a power-relay station. For their part, the homeowners say they submitted an appeal for help to SRT boss Prapas Jongsanguan but did not get a reply.
They say they plan to submit another petition to the governor asking for help in finding and relocating to new housing. The Dark Red Line is an integral component in the Thai government’s master plan to upgrade public transportation choices in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region.
Homes of squatters to be bulldozed to make way for Bangkok trains
News in Asia
The occupants of illegally built houses in north Bangkok were given their marching orders by Thailand’s national rail operator last week. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) served eviction notices to the occupiers of 20 residences on Kamphaeng Phet Road.